Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-07-03
A Friendly Game CT Poker.

COlAtAon NAN' AE-00I @1
usual to see half a dozen tables occupied at the same
time in the gentlemen's cabin of a Mississippi boat.
| had sat down TO the game for amusement, but ON
rising, at 10 O'Clock, / found my amusement had cost
me about sixty dollars This won't do at ALL said
/, thinking aloud Il must try it again Tomorrow
OF course you must replied one Of the players, who
happened to be an old acquaintance of mine from
Montgomery, Alabama, where he had been a JaIlor
for several years, and where he was considered a We
~ respectable citizen. You must not give 1t up So
he continued, following me out on the guard; to-
morrow you'll get even.' / entered into conversa-
ton with my old acquaintance, whose name was
Hubbell, or Hubbard don't remember w~hich-we1l
call him Hubbard-and he advised me by all means
10 try another sitting on the morrow. | suggested
to him that a slight suspicion had crossed my mind
that some Of our party might be dachegs-in other
words, gamblers. He answered that the same thought
had struck him at one time, but he had come to the
conclusion that all had been fair. Before leaving
me, my quondam friend told me that he had become a
sporting mamie felt it is duty to inform me Of it
but he assured me, upon his honor, { be would not
see me wronged. OF course l believed him, and it
was agreed that we should meet again.
Next morning, soon as the breakfast things had
been cleared away, / found Hubbard and a friend Of
has, waiting for me at one of the card tables, and |
took my seat with the hope of getting euen-a hope
that has led many a man to irretrievabe ruin. ! felt
quite confident of winning back my losings over
night, and my PldynGteS gave me every encourage
ment that | should be successful. At it we went,
playing with varying luck for about two hours. AT
about IL O'Clock, Hubbard's friend left us for a few
minutes, to get a drink and the jailor and myself
were left playing single handed. When the third
hand left, we were using the small cards as they
were called-that is, SireS and under but Hubbard
Immediately proposed that we should take the large
cards'-tenS and over-which 1 agreed to as a matter
of course. One thing | here obServed-my friend,
the jailor, dealt the cards acihout shutting. This
made me resolve to watch him closely. Taking up
my cards, | was a~gregably surprised to find that had
an excellent hand. Now thinks l tc myself, now
is the time, if ever, to get even if my adversary
happens TO have a decent hand, / shall do well
enough
1.-THE reader who does not understand the game of
'bluf7-or poker as it is generally called-may as
well leave off here.
l commenced the game by Dragging a dollar-my
adversary went the dollar, and five better-I went
that and ten-he Immediately put up the ten, and laid
down a twenty, keeping his pocket book out, as much
as to say, Il am ready to GO any amount you choose
to bet After a moments. reflection, (all acting p /
go that and fifty AN right replied the jailor,
there il isl 90 that and a hundredp here looked
at my cards again, and affected to have great and
tantalizing doubts whether l should 90 the hundred.
Take back your last bet | urged; 1t is too much
for either of us to lose l begin to think / have been
rash take it back, and let us show our hands for the
money already down. Mo- said Hubbard-'if you
mean sporting, put up the hundred, or back out, and
give me the money! Can't do that / replied Il
AOA = NCAI~ AOAh ~ oNNN@-H 80 NSA
the hundred-and as. my pocket books out, and my
hands In, there's another c. This new bet seemed
to please my friend Hubbard nightly. He answer
ed it without a moments pause, and went two hum
dred more! now requested my opponent to permit
me to show my cards TO some of the byStanders, who
were crowding the table in great numbers to see the
the fun-aH considering me most undoubtedly pick
ed up Hubbard would not agree that should show
my hand to, or take advice from any one. PLAY your
own cards. said he, reaching over, and gently COM
peling me to lay my cards on the table before me.
Then said /, you tell me if three aces and two
other cards can be beat 'Oh, yes,' he replied, with
a self-satisfed air, and using the spit bOx-'they can
be beat, certainly, but not easy Not easy, | think
myself replied Therefore inasmuch as l think you
are trying to bluff me off, | go the two hundred
You dor yes / do-there's the money! ANY
thing better 2 inquired my adversary, insinuatingiy,
and leaning over to make use of the spit box again
all the time keeping his grey eyes fixed upon nv
countenance- 'Why-yes,' 1 answered-ssince you
have got me excited, I'll 90 something betterI GO
two hundred better than you.' Looking me steadily
in the face, he said-'Wel,y you're a bold fellow, any
how, for a novice-it takes all I've got, by hoky, but
| go it-and if you'll let me bet on a credH, l
should Pike to go back at you.' (Spit box) Feel
ing confident of winning, | consented that he
might do what he liked on a credit provided
l should be allowed the same privilege. We'll,
then, said Hubbard, a little spitefully-'I go you
five hundred better-on a credit (Spit box again.
The devil you dor exclaimed ] = 'this looks
like gambling; but since we're IN for it so deeply, l
90 you the five hundred-and a thousand better-on
a credit At this stage of the game, the third hand
returned, and seeing at a glance how matters stood,
requested to look at Hubbard's cards. No sir in
terposed I-'you must play your ocn hand . at the
same time motioning my opponent to lay down has
cards, as | laid down mine. The carpet began to
suffer about this time-the spit box was dsregarded.
The excitement among the passengers was great, and
my ears received many a whisper that / was licked
A IIrbb ~ 4ool- n fAnor ard earnest link -pfO NV Qvoc
and said slowly, but confidently, Il go it-and-call
; you.' Il suppose I'm beat said I-Lypocrlte that L
was l didn't suppose anything of the kind)-but
turn over your papers, and let us see what you've
got With one hand he gracefully turned over four
Kings and a Jack. and, with the other, tremblingly
'raked down a pile of bank notes, gold and silver,
while a groan burst out from the spectators, who. all
seemed to regret my bad lUck ! You are as lucky
as ii iailor, | remarked, as my friend began to smooth
down the VS., KS, LIS, and Cs. BY the bye he
he inquired, again resorting to the spit box, and hook.
ing patronizingly at me, Il forgot to ask what you
had well, l replied calmly, 4 think you might as
we'll see my cards. 'Ha ha! Oh, / reckon YOU'RE
beat, my FRIEND he answered, but let's see your
hand, at all events Here are the Documents re-
piled There is my hand : and | turned over my
cards, one by one-'there's an Ace-ihere's another
and there's another y "A pretty good hand, young
man, remarked Hubbard-'three Aces = What else
have you what else! Why here's a Queen =
And what else ! asked every body. Another Ace =
Four Aces ! l looked over the table, and
discovered the face of my lately elated friend hadlost
all color-the tobacco juice was running out of the
corners of his mouth-the VS., KS, and C's, were
dropped, and amazement and stnpefaction we're
strongly imprinted on his features. A shout went up
from the bystanders, and all hands were invited to
take champagne at my expense.
1t is scarcely necessary to say that the money bet
on a credit was never paid, nor was it ever expected
to be paid. My friend Hubbard recollected that he
had urgent business at Vicksburgh, and left the boat.