"The Gambler" & Texas Hold 'Em

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

William Safire (On Language, 12-10-06) writes that Kenny Rogers sang  "You 
got to know when to hold 'em" in "The Gambler" (1978), but "the aphorism  was 
probably used earlier and was reflected in the card game of a couple of  
generations before named Texas Hold 'Em."
...
OED has "Texas Hold 'Em" from 1975, hardly a "couple of generations before"  
1978. Doesn't anyone check a dictionary at The New York Times??
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Barry Popik
Kyle, TX
_www.barrypopik.com_ (http://www.barrypopik.com) 
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_http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/magazine/10wwln_safire.t.html?ref=magazine_
 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/magazine/10wwln_safire.t.html?ref=magazine) 
P.S. to the Phrasedick Legion: The source of “You got to know when to hold  ’
em, know when to fold ’em” was the song “The Gambler,” by Don Schlitz,  
recorded in 1978 by Kenny  Rogers. The aphorism was probably used earlier and was 
reflected in  the card game of a couple of generations before named Texas 
Hold  ’Em. 
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(OED)
Texas Hold  'Em n. Poker =  _HOLD  'EM_ 
(http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=word&queryword=texas+hold+'em&first=1&max_to_show=10&single=1&sor
t_type=alpha&xrefword=Hold%20'Em&ps=n.)  n.  
1975  Reno (Nevada) Evening Gaz.  14 Aug. 39 (advt.) Presenting the 1st 
annual Palace Club  *Texas Hold-Em Tournament. 2003  Time 18 Apr. 83/1 God may play 
 dice with the universe..but serious gamblers..prefer no-limit Texas  hold'em.

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