Shortstops were the true roadies who had grown weary of the traveling, eating when and wherever they could, if they could afford food and still have a gambling stake, all while sleeping wherever they could find a safe respite.
They chose a location, population wise that would allow them to earn what they felt like they needed to survive, without committing the basic sin of gambling, killing the golden goose.
The first rule was to never bust any opponent. You could win small amounts from many players, but if you beat them for a hundred dollars or so, they wouldn’t gamble with you anymore.
Shortstops who could live on $300-$400 a week usually set up in smaller population cities of about 25,000-30,000 citizens.
Those who wanted to get more dollars $500-$1,000 a week would seek population cities of 50,000-100,000.
They always suggested to other road weary players that they should find their own city to earn their living, so the shortstops didn’t need to compete with each other.
There are some shortstop still out there doing their thing.
I, on the other hand, always kept a job earning enough to satisfy the needs of a family.
It also, allowed for me to stake other potential shortstops and share the earnings splitting the winnings 50/50 without me actually busting local gamblers.
I was taught by the best and have run this same drama from the late 60s until the present.
I can still find games to subsidize my retirement income should the need arise.