Yes, Monte was Billy the Kid’s favorite card game and he had earned himself a good reputation as a Monte Dealer. I also believe he played Poker as well since that was a very popular card game of the day. As for what kind of card game was Monte, here’s one description I found in “The Cowboy Dictionary” by historian Ramon Adams:

“A card game of Spanish and Mexican origin, in which three players bet on a bottom and top layout of two cards each. A Spanish pack of 40 cards is generally used with no eights, nines, or tens, although sometimes only the nines and tens are discarded, and a 44 card pack is used. After the shuffle and cut the dealer holds the pack face downward, draws the two bottom cards, and places them on the table face upward. This is called the bottom layout. The pack is then turned face upward and the card thus exposed is the gate. If it matches in denomination a card in either layout, the dealer pays all bets which have been made on that layout.”

This description is a little confusing and vague  , but from my understanding it sounds like a rather unexciting game of chance. On the other hand, Poker is more of a “thinking” game and one would assume Billy would have preferred that one instead. Oh well….to each his own.

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