What Would Ramblin’ Gambling Willie Play If He Was a Real Character?
Bob Dylan’s “Ramblin’ Gambling Willie” gives us a pretty good idea of the sort of gambler Willie is.
He’s everywhere. White House, railroad yards, riverboats, wherever people happen to be playing cards. He’s got a reputation, husbands apparently don’t want him anywhere near their wives, and then there’s the small matter of winning an entire boat in a card game.
Not bad for a day’s work.
But there’s something important about Willie. Dylan doesn’t present him as some greedy villain. Quite the opposite. He’s got a heart of gold, supports his children and their mothers, and spreads his money around to help sick people and the poor.
It’s a romantic version of the wandering gambler, obviously. But if Willie were a real character today and considering all the best casino games, what would he actually play?
Poker Would Be a Given
This one isn’t even difficult.
Willie is a card player. More importantly, he’s a people card player.
The whole character is built around travelling from town to town and finding a game. Poker would suit him perfectly because it’s social, portable and doesn’t require a fancy casino.
You can imagine Willie arriving somewhere, hearing that there’s a game happening and simply wandering over.
“Who’s dealing?”
And that’s him sorted for the evening.
A Riverboat Game
The Mississippi section of the song makes this one almost compulsory.
Willie sails towards New Orleans and ends up playing cards aboard the Jackson River Queen. When the game finishes, apparently the whole boat belongs to him.
It’s the sort of story that gets better every time somebody tells it.
If Willie were around today, he’d probably still prefer a proper table to a screen. He seems like the sort of gambler who needs a few characters around him, a bit of conversation and somebody willing to put their money down.
Would He Play Roulette?
Probably, but it wouldn’t be his natural home.
Roulette doesn’t give Willie the same opportunity to sit down opposite another gambler and read the room, there’s no bluffing, no poker face and no dramatic “I’ve got you now” moment.
Still, you can imagine him giving the wheel a go.
He’d probably enjoy the atmosphere, put down a bet and wander off before anybody had worked out what he was doing.
That’s very Willie.
What About Horse Racing?
And now we are nearing the finish.
A wandering gambler who has made a name for himself? Horse racing seems quite appropriate.
It’s energetic, it’s integrated into the social life of towns and cities and it brings with it a classic gambling atmosphere that reinforces Dylan’s character.
Willie could be imagined leaning on a fence watching the horses run by and talking to whoever is next to him.
Whether he knew anything about the horses is another question.
The Important Bit About Willie
The interesting thing is that Willie isn’t really defined by the game.
He’s defined by the romance of gambling.
He’s the mysterious character who arrives in town, wins a fortune, disappears again and leaves people wondering where he’s gone next.
And despite all those winnings, Dylan tells us he isn’t wearing fancy jewellery or surrounding himself with luxury. He gives his money away.
That’s what makes him different from the usual gambling legend.
Willie wins, but the money doesn’t seem to be the point.
So if we dropped him into a modern casino, he’d probably wander around, have a game of poker, take a look at the roulette table and maybe have a flutter on the horses.
Then he’d probably disappear before closing time.