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Video poker. so he was betting $125 a hand. playing at a 800 to a thousand hands an hour. he was running $100,000 through the machine every hour. >> reporter: paddock's game of choice, video poker. what kind of player do have to be if you're using video poker as your way to win big. >> it's a subset of the slots but it's a thinking man's game. instead of pulling handles, you have to make decisions. video poker is for people who want to think and change the odds in their direction using their head. >> reporter: so meticulous, well-informed, intelligent, mathematical? >> yes. >> reporter: curtis...

This is where you were when the earthquake happened? thinking man, a butcher, was asleep in his bed. so were you scared? >> translator: all of the sudden, everything ban shaking back and forth. so i ran outside. and everyone was saying it was an earthquake. i had no idea what was going on. >> reporter: an entire city thinking the same thing, though collectively, about to connect the nuclear dots. >> translator: everybody came in and said it was an earthquake. a bit later we realized it was from the north koreans. >> reporter: this woman runs a restaurant in town where conversations have lately...

Said he's gambled about $1 million a night. we're talking about a lot of money going into those video poker machines. he would say he played all night and slept during the day. he played somewhere between 14 hours a day, 365 days a year. that's what he said in the deposition. now, mind you, that was about four years ago because that does not give you much time to have a personal life. certainly since then we know he has a girlfriend who said that he loved her and she loved him. they did spend time together. maybe those habits changed a bit. he certainly was a high-roller in this town. we've ta...

Poker as your way to win big? >> video poker is a subset of the slots but it's a thinking man's game. instead of pulling handles, you have to make decisions. you want to put the odds in your direction using your head. >> meticulous, well-informed, intelligent mathematical? >> yes. >> curtis says video poker is a game that would be attractive to loners and paddock was not known to socialize with other high rollers, though they recognized his picture. he certainly managed close relationships with at least one person, his girlfriend. mary lou danley who worked as a high limit hostesz. >> he bough...

This is the result, right here. >> queen to 21. >> for men serving solitary time, keeping their sanity is the hardest challenge. each man has his own way to stay strong. >> i spared your queen. i'm going to take him this time. it expands your thoughts, you know, your thinking ability. you develop a lot of skills from playing chess. it's a thinking man's game, you know? the best move you can make. i'm going to destroy you. >> the hardest part of being in a cell 24 hours a day, really, just maintaining your sanity and not letting pressures get to you. you got a lot of pressure being in the cell....