Numbers & His Sidekick
August 4, 2026
That’s how Chuck Schaupe and his partner in crime, Jimmy McHugh were referenced as they beat the sports books primarily in NBA totals. Their reign was during the wild 80’s and into the 90’s. Poker players are competitors and golf was an avenue to manifest their competitiveness and make money at the same time. I organized 6 golf tournaments from 1988 to 1993 for poker players which became the catalyst for golf action. Although we had played poker together, I got to know Chuck in depth during and after my golf tournament in Ojai in 1992. We spent a week playing 3 rounds each day finishing in total darkness. We were about even playing from the white tees. My partner was Gary Lundgren and Chuck’s was Ralph Rudd, a newcomer on the scene. Gary was a high 70’s player but Ralph was at best a high 80’s. This is a story in itself.
There are poker players that try to play the nuts off the 1st tee. Those rarely get action but Chuck’s attitude was that he was a professional sports better and golf was recreational. If he had a close game, he would keep playing it. He had such a match with Jojo Trevino who Jack Straus said was living proof that man can mate with a buffalo. Jojo had a large head with very bushy hair, a heavy beard, broad shoulders and slender legs. The reference was not a major stretch. His body shape and awkward swing enable him to win a lot of money in golf.
Jimmy McHugh, Chuck Schaupe, Yosh Nakano playing in a cow pasture with the Pyramid in the background in 1994.
Having me as a partner is a heavy load. I once broke down a +4 in a match against Doyle Brunson and Puggy Pearson. On a routine 30 yard pitch over a grass bunker to the green, after I blew my shot, my A player choked and chili dipped his shot into the grass bunker.
Mike Sexton was an underrated player as well. He had a short backswing and finish. He seemed to jerk his putts but I knew he was a good matchmaker. At Ojai, I had structured 2-man scramble matches on the 2nd day. This became a popular gambling structure because it was no longer necessary to negotiate strokes. We played a scramble match against Chip and Doyle. I played for $3k Nassau with 1 automatic press on each side. Mike played for $1k. He did most of the work and he was clearly the best player. Chip is a locksmith so he declined to play again.
Chuck had heard about our match and he figured he and Jimmy were better than Chip and Doyle because he proposed playing Mike & I. We played a close match but we won both days. I knew Chuck and I were close but Jimmy was longer off the tee so they seemed to have an advantage. On the 3rd morning, Chuck called to apologize to say he was sick but he wanted to keep the action going. He proposed that Jimmy scramble his own ball. I told him I would have to discuss it with Mike. Mike hemmed and hawed that scrambling one’s own ball was too big of an advantage. As we had won both days and were good winners and as I was betting most of the money, I told Mike we had to play it. He grudgingly agreed to play.
We’ve been playing at the Las Vegas Country Club and this time we had to tee off the back. Jimmy starts off hot and pars the 1st four holes. He’s up 3-1 which means in match play he is up 3 holes on the original bet and 1 hole up on the auto press that had started as soon as we were 2 down. From the 10th tee, Mike is exhibiting why he is called “Moaning” Mike. I told you letting him scramble his own ball was too strong he whined to me. Jimmy needless to say is in a particularly good mood. Now Jimmy bogeys 3 consecutive holes and we’ve flipped him. The score is 0-2. The 16th green is surrounded by trees on 3 sides and it’s a slight incline up to the cart path. I’m in the cart calculating the score when I hear Mike muttering he’s nuts, he’s nuts. “What?” I asked. Mike says, “Jimmy, he’s nuts!” Now that we’ve taken the lead, I was in too good of a mood to give it another thought. I’m wondering where Jimmy is and after I cross the road, I see his cart and then him standing on the far side of the tee box. He has an angry look as is expected from bogeying 3 straight holes. Mike goes up to the tee and claps his hands twice, which is part of this routine. His drive is down them middle about 230 yards. As he walks back, Jimmy mutters into Mike’s ears. Mike doesn’t respond and now Jimmy’s face is beet-red and yells, “you hear me Mike? If I hear another word, I’m going to go to my house and come back with my gun and f**king shoot you.” And now screaming, “Do you hear me? Do you f**king hear me?” Finally Mike responds, “Yeah, Jimmy I hear you!” Needless to say that ended our strawberry patch. We had won about $70k.
Chuck called me 1st thing the next morning. I was hoping that he wanted to keep playing but he called to apologize for his partner’s behavior. Emotions can get high on the golf course and I’m not one to judge as I’ve been involved in incidents myself. We play for much more money in poker but golf has a way of riling people up.
