2005-10-26 - 8:35 p.m.
Solitaire. More than a game, for many it is a complete lifestyle. Some have used it merely as a route to quick profit, casting aside the skill and the craft of the pursuit after it met their needs. But for those who truly understand, solitaire is a lifelong passion, an all-consuming interest. Such connoisseurs treasure the histories of such legendary players as James Kozlowski. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Kozlowski and discuss his fascinating career, his love for the game, and the changes he�s seen within it.
GC: You began playing at age 7 in casinos. What was that like?
JK: What I remember most is the smoke! This was long before anyplace had an indoor smoking ban. People thought it was healthy and rugged. Every time I sat at a table, I must�ve inhaled 3 packs secondhand. The smell! It would stay in my clothes. Eventually of course. I got to like it. That was probably when I started smoking cigars myself. It�s a habit that�s served me well. You don�t see me dropping dead from a heart attack while jogging!
GC: Did you win back then?
JK: Sometimes I won, sometimes I lost. You know how it goes. By age 10, I�d at least break even. That�s the trick of course. If you stay the course, you�ll come out ahead.
GC: You joined the professional circuit at 12. Were there many other players so young?
JK: There were a few. But it was mostly old codgers. Guys who�d forgotten more about solitaire than most people ever learn. I picked up a lot of tricks from some of them. Of course, my training under Don Mayhew is well known. But there were a lot of other old-timers who earned a living playing tournaments. Butch Macfarland, Otis Clive, Blind Willie Johnson. Hell, I could go on all day�
GC: You�ve had such a long career. What�s the biggest change you�ve seen over time?
JK: Oh definitely the rise of computer solitaire. It�s good in a way, because it exposes more people to the game. But most of them have no idea what they�re doing. It�s not like the old days. I mean, people burn through hundreds of hands casually, like it was nothing. And yet they still never get the love of the game.
GC: Everyone�s heard stories about your talent. I wanted to ask about one game that�s become mythical. At the Western Regional Championship in 1982, you only had one flip left and you were down almost a hundred dollars. Yet the story is that you turned it around and won.
JK: I remember that game. I didn�t win it. That part of the myth is just myth. But I put up enough cards to buy another hand. And then another and another. Again, pacing is the key to success. You�re not going to win big every time. Just stay a little bit ahead in every game. That�s always been my method. The TV crews hate it. They want drama, high-stakes victories. But I�ve always played it safe. Just be patient. If you win a dollar here and a dollar there, eventually you�ll come out ahead.
Patience and steady victories. Sound advice to future generations of solitaire players from a true star.
� 2005 Geoff Gladstone
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