Amarillo Slim, a gambler...

...who may have adopted that nickname after playing pool with Minnesota Fats, died at age 83. Although Thomas Preston, above right, made his reputation playing cards: 

His wagers that had nothing to with poker garnered just as much attention. He once bet the 1939 Wimbledon tennis champion Bobby Riggs that he could beat him at table tennis as long as he, Amarillo Slim, picked the rackets, then showed up with iron skillets — with which he had spent months practicing. He then bet a syndicate of Tennessee gamblers that he could beat a world table tennis champion. 

The champion practiced with a skillet, only to find that Amarillo Slim had changed weapons. He showed up with a pair of empty Coke bottles and won handily. 

He said he won $300,000 from Willie Nelson playing dominoes. He bet on which sugar cube a fly would land on.