Replica Of Poker Table Used By President Truman Sold For $185,000

A replica of a poker table that was used by President Harry Truman during his time in office was sold for $185,000, according to a report from The Des Moines Register.

The bid came at the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation’s yearly auction. The foundation didn’t release the name of the buyer. Despite being a replica, the table was the most expensive item in the 20-year history of the fundraiser, the report said.

The table, which is actually the third replica of the original, is made of African mahogany and has seven ash trays and seven chip holders. There’s a dice pit underneath the table’s centerpiece.

According to the foundation, the original poker table has been in the late president’s Key West vacation home since he left the White House in 1953.

Truman, as profiled by Card Player in 2012, likely enjoyed poker more than any other president in the history of the Untied States, often using it to build camaraderie among those around him.

His regular weekend seven-card stud cash game had a $500 buy-in, and the rule was that you could reload for another $500 if you were felted. Those were considered high stakes at the time.

Each pot was raked and the money went into a “poverty bowl” to replenish the bankrolls of players who lost both their buy-ins. There was no tanking and stare downs in the game, as Truman was fond of behavior like “stealing” chips from other players and looking at their cards.

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