The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1878-03-01
POKER PLAYERS,
The Game in the West-Those Who Have Made
5asas ss al Money. a.z ~erear
From the ST. Louis Post.

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how many people play poker p'' WA
asked OF noted sporting man in his pala
tial establishment on Locust street. -
"Well, eight of every ten men you see
on the street know more or, less about DO
ker' It is played a great deal in families
nov ladies are very fond of it. - Z. 80
Is the game very attractive s'' @vz
Yes, when once you. have got to know
something of it. r.. 1t has been exclusively
an American game till Minister Schenck
introduced it in England, few years ago,
ana now it is very popular there
What constitutes the fascination P"
Well, the combinations of the cards are
such 1hff uu;ts "a ms favor; that It can't be
paired by his opponent. IN the old days
four aces were considered infallible, but at
the present stage of poke there are several
hands that are higher. The highest now is
o sequence flush, where all the cards in q
players hand are alike in color and present
a numerical ORDER, HtaaT3 f&assE
"What are qualities required in first
class poker player ?" @
swell, he should be as cold as an icicle,
and he should have excellent Judgment, mot
only as regards cards, but human nature.
The majority of poker players play their,
men equally as much as they do their cards.,
A man that Is excitable or irritable hasn't
any business to play poker at all, because,
by his nervousness or anger, he exposes his
hand long before the play takes place, or
else by his anxiety to get in. There are a
great many expert and fine players here, as
gooe as there are in the United States. OF
course / could not give you their names be-
cause great many Of them are lawyers
and professional men, as well as leading
bankers, wholesale merchants, brokers, real
estate men, and others whose business
would be injured by publication of that
kind. It Is favorite game with politi-
clans, and many State and city affair has
been arranged over quiet game Of poker,
played in the wee sma hours of the morn
ing. They don't play as high here, how
ever, as they do East, where the game has
become popular in aristocratic circles,
through the establishment of 80 many
clubs. John Morrissey doesn't play poker.
He hasn't handled card for years, but
confines himself TO banking games, which
others manage and play for him, while he
puts up and receives the cash. In the old
times when the river traffic was in its glory
thousands of dollars used to be bet on
single hand, and the stakes generally were
much larger than they are now. They do
not roll the game near as high now as they
did then"
John Cazada, of Cincinnati, has accumu-
lated a fortune of $500, 900 or $500, 900 BY
poker. He is a man that has never dissipa-
ted in his life in anything except cards.
Among other great players are Jim Casse-,
day, Bill McKevley. Jim Berry, and 'stud''
Mason, who are all wealthy. II is rare that
good poker player is also good dealer at
faro. and giee osrsa. 2.
, IL is certain that there Is more poker
gambling in St. Louis than ever before.
While several places are perfectly unobjec-
tionable, SO far as the conduct of the pro-
prietors and players is concerned, there are
others in which, from the character Of the
men who patronize it, it is inevitable that
fraud and trickery should be the accompa-
niment Of every game, and which result in
the robbery of the uninitiated and Indirect
ly to peculation and crime on the part of
clerks, salesmen and others of that genus
So far none of the open public poker-clubs
have been raided or interfered with by the |
police, although most of them have boen
here for two years or more. +. In the |
midst of raids on other species of gambling |
hey have been let entirely alone, aud the |
immunity promises to continue. Whether |
his species of gambling should be permit |
led, whether it is practicable. to break it up,
whether it results on the whole in desirable |
are. questions which can, n,per-
laps, be best answered by the Board: of !
Police Commissioners. s s+.S a&e
p a.as.-sE.-5t