Maverick: A History of the Television Series

One tenant of sociable poker players was "Never trust a man who sandbags (checks and then raises) in a friendly game of cards." The basic premise of Maverick, a professional gambler who wandered the west avoiding trouble and finding himself caught up in life-threatening adventures, was televised for five seasons over ABC-TV, and spawned a number of comic books, collectibles and sequels. ABC was poised to fire its Sunday ammunition against the competing Ed Sullivan and Steve Allen, with heav...