Question of the Day - 04 June 2006

A big thank you goes out to everyone who contributed to this list, with a special mention for reader Mark Anduss, whose suggestions were both prolific and deliciously eclectic.

• Viva Las Vegas - Elvis (or take your pick from ZZ Top, Bruce Springsteen, Dread Zeppelin, Nina Hagen, Dead Kennedys, Engelbert Humperdinck, et al)
• The Gambler - Kenny Rogers
• Luck Be a Lady - Frank Sinatra
• Lucky Too (Christmas in Las Vegas) - Bob Neuwirth
• Las Vegas Virgin – Sonia Dada
• Gambler – Madonna
• Ace of Spades – Motorhead
• Son of a Rotten Gambler – Emmylou Harris
• I Let a Gambler Lead Me Astray – Odetta
• Blackjack – Ray Charles
• Shooting High Dice - Mississippi Sheiks
• Draw of the Cards - Kim Carnes
• Poker – Electric Light Orchestra
• Riverboat Gambler – Carly Simon
• Shape of My Heart - Sting
• House of the Rising Sun – The Animals (or Bob Dylan)
• The Angel and the Gambler – Iron Maiden
• Tumbling Dice - Rolling Stones
• The Card Cheat – The Clash
• The Winner Takes It All – ABBA
• The Gambler – Leonard Cohen
• A Good Run of Bad Luck - Clint Black
• Easy Money – Billy Joel
• No Luck in Gambling - Yellowman
• No Cheap Thrill – Suzanne Vega
• Las Vegas Turnaround (The Stewardess Song) - Hall & Oates
• Desperado – The Eagles
• Life is Just a Card Game - Big Joe Turner
• Karma Hotel - Spooks
• Roulette - Bon Jovi
• Ramblin' Gamblin' Man - Bob Seger
• Ooh Las Vegas - Emmylou Harris
• Gamblin' Man - Bonnie Raitt
• The Jack – ACDC
• Dealer - Traffic
• It's Okay - Eminem (featuring Eye-Kyu)
• Deal 'em Again - Christopher Cross
• Go Down Gambling - Blood, Sweat and Tears
• Whisky, Women And Loaded Dice – Joe Liggins
• Midnight Train - The Monkees
• Gambling Woman – Memphis Minnie
• Lay Your Money Down – Bread
• The Gambling Song - Cliff Richard
• Gambling Polka Dot Blues - Hank Snow
• The Loser – Grateful Dead
• Turn Of A Friendly Card - Alan Parsons
• Norman The Gambler (rides around in a Rambler) - Max Romeo and the Upsetters
• Leavin' Las Vegas – Sheryl Crow
• Moonlight Gambler - Frankie Laine
• Queen of Las Vegas - B52s
• Roll the Bones - Rush
• Wind Him Up - Saga
• People Get Really Drunk in Las Vegas - Size 14
• Vegas Two Times - Stereophonics
• Me and My Monkey - Robbie Williams
• Vegas Remains - Reclinerland
• Vegas Baby - The Weepies
• Vegas - Clowns for Progress
• Vegas - The Regulars
• Vegas - Dan Mackenzie
• Vegas Bound - Evan Olson
• Vegas - PenthouseJ
• Vegas Dream - Rick McGuire
• Vegas Drag (Instrumental) - Count Basie
• Vegas - Suitcase Pimps
• Vegas Polka - Frankie Yankovic
• Vegas - Bobby Bare
• Jesus in Vegas - Chumbawamba
• Pretty Vegas - INXS
• Goin' to Vegas - Jimmy Ray
• Do It Again - Steely Dan
• Casino Queen - Wilco
• Roll of the Dice - Bruce Springsteen
• It's Midnight and I'm Not Famous Yet - Jimmy Buffet (or Steve Goodman)
• Sin City - Gram Parsons (or Emmylou Harris)
• Here's to the Losers - Frank Sinatra
• With Plenty of Money and You - Count Basie (or Tony Bennett)
• Silver and Gold - U2
• Street of Dreams - Sinatra
• Mr Siegal - Tom Waits
• Five Card Stud - Ace Frehley
• The Cincinatti Kid - Ray Charles
• Aces - Suzy Bogguss
• Deal - Grateful Dead
• Queen of Hearts - Juice Newton
• Atlantic City - Bruce Springsteen
• Stranger Song - Leonard Cohen
• Luck of the Draw - Bonnie Raitt
• There's A Place In The World For A Gambler - Dan Fogelberg
• Still The Same - Bob Seger
• Money, Money, Money – ABBA
• Money – Pink Floyd
• Don't Make Me Come to Vegas – Tori Amos
• My Last Words – Megadeth
• Nobody Calls from Vegas, Just to Say Hello – The Two High String Band
• Big in Vegas - Buck Owens
• Goin' to Las Vegas - Suicide
• Heaven or Las Vegas - Cocteau Twins
• Las Vegas Basement - Julian Cope
• Las Veg

And they keep coming! Okay -- if you keep sending, we'll keep adding.

• Gambler's Roll - Allman Brothers Band
• LV - Clint Holmes
• Even the Losers Get Lucky Sometimes - Tom Petty
• New Bad Habit - Larry Garner
• One Night in Bangkok ("yeah, it's about a chess player, but it just as easily can be applied to vegas... it's been on my vegas mix for years!")
• Wrong 'em Boyo - The Clash
• Seduced by Money - The Thieves
• Eee-O Eleven - Sammy Davis Jr.
• Sucker Row & Everybody Pays - Mark Knopfler (both from the Shangri La album)
• Blackjack - Rupert Holmes
• I'm a Gambler - Andrew Gold
• Nothing Left to Lose - Alan Parsons Project
• Snake Eyes - Alan Parsons Project

ANOTHER UPDATE: 09/24/2006 Today it was announced that top sleight-of-hand artist and history of magic expert Ricky Jay will be releasing a package that includes a CD of his all-time favorite poker songs, together with his tips on certain moves, essays, and a deck of Ricky Jay playing cards. The maestro's top 21 poker song picks is a mix of blues, folk, calypso, country, R&B, rap, and gospel and includes: 1. DARKTOWN POKER CLUB - Phil Harris and his Orchestra 2. RAMBLIN' GAMBLIN' WILLIE - Bob Dylan 3. TURN THE CARDS SLOWLY - Patsy Cline 4. FIVE CARD STUD - Lorne Greene 5. DON'T TURN THE CARD - Memphis Minnie 6. POLITICS AND POKER - Howard Da Silva 7. ACE IN THE HOLE - Anita O'Day 8. LITTLE QUEEN OF SPADES - Robert Johnson 9. ETIENNE GONNA DIE - Saint Etienne 10. MR. MUDD AND MR. GOLD - Townes Van Zandt 11. POKER PLAYING BABY - Harry Willis 12. GAMBLER'S GUITAR - Merle Travis 13. DARKTOWN POKER CLUB - Bert Williams 14. DOLAN'S POKER PARTY - Frank Crumit 15. POKER WOMAN BLUES - Blind Blake 16. WILD CARD - Tex Williams 17. ACE OF SPADES - O. V. Wright 18. ROVING GAMBLER - The Country Gentlemen 19. BED SPRING POKER - Mississippi Sheiks 20. ACE IN THE HOLE - Dave Van Ronk 21. POLITICS AND POKER (reprise) - Howard Da Silva