David A. Curtis

Born in 1846 and dying in 1923, David A. Curtis is chiefly remembered for poker-themed fiction and nonfiction. Public-domain editions of his work include Queer Luck: Poker Stories from the New York Sun and Stand Pat; Or, Poker Stories from the Mississippi, which helped preserve the flavor of American card rooms and river-town gambling culture for later readers.

Sources available for this profile also describe him as a poker expert associated with the New York Sun. That background fits the confident, practical tone of his writing: even when the stories are entertaining and colorful, they are closely tied to the habits, risks, and psychology of the game.

Curtis is now mostly encountered through reprints and digital library editions, but his work still appeals to readers who enjoy period storytelling, Americana, and the history of poker. His books offer more than game talk alone—they capture a whole social world built around nerve, luck, and bluff.