Gilbert Maco, sometimes referred to as Gil or Waco, is a masterful pool player. Never misses a shot throwing darts, and is an absolutely killer poker player. He has a big mouth, with wit as sharp as his gnarled rows of crooked teeth. You can never tell if he’s laughing with you, or at your expense. Circling the pool table, cool and calculated, Waco has a frightening yet magnetic appeal. And the truth of the matter is, he’s about as dangerous as a goldfish.

Waco grew up all along the Gulf Coast, spending most of his time in Port Aransas, Corpus Christi, and New Orleans. He’s a drifter, always on the move. Sensitive and sweet, Waco’s been quite hurt by the terrified faces, shrills, and shrieks of folks when emerging to simply say, “Howdy.” So over the years he’s learned to hide behind the demeanor of a carnivorous con man, thinking that if he can give people a safe representation of what they expect, then at least he can keep their worried company and not have to be totally alone.

The one place he’s managed to find community and acceptance, where he can totally let down his guard, is at Cowboix Hevvven. Here he gets to set his big, bad performance aside and be the sweet, silly softie he’s always been. Though loud, boisterous, cocky, and even sometimes tone deaf, Waco is as friendly and caring a honky tonkin’ good time rounder you could ask for. In fact, the mother of pearl inlay on his personal pool cue reads_ Mitterent omnem iecit in caritate_ which means, as he often says before sinking the 8-ball, “Shoot every shot with love.”