Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1883-09-14
sruD-HoRsE POKER.
A Game that Puzzled an Eastern
Sport.


Sport.
ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
From Colonel Campbell's office the re.
porter dropped in on Chief OF Detectives
Sam Boyd, expecting to find him in the
enjoyment of his usually bland and
spring like smile. 10 the visitors aston.
ishment the brawny official, in spite OF
the cool breeze that blew through the
window, was in state OF painful perspi-
ration. A deck OF cards lay scattered ON
the table, and he seemed intent ON soly
ing the mystery of some occult game.
Great beads of Precipitation stood ON his
brow, rolled down his cheeks and ran in
streams through the burrows of his neck
Drops OF sweat hung like icicles from his
eyebrows, and the dripping remnants OF
a melted paper collar struggled down his
shirt front. What in the world is the
matter -. asked the startled reporter.
"Matter' exclaimed the distressed de-
tective, turning his head and shaking
shower OF perspiration over the
carpet, "there Is good deal the
matter I've been suffering the
tortures of the damned. You
see, they've recently introduced new
game ON MS, and the Chief ordered me TO
study and explain it to him, SO we can
determine whether it ought to be sup
pressed or NOT. think the Chief ought
TO handle this business himself. He
makes out like he don't know anything
about cards, hut they tell me down in
Tennessee he used to be lightning on
Tipping a Jack from the bottom OF the
deck, and could slip three aces up his
sleeve slicker than All Sin.
"What is the game?' queried the re-
porter
"WeA," replied the detective, ~ be-
lieve they call it stud-horse poker, and
I've been working ut it so long l feel
like played ont jackass myself.
know all the games You can mention.
I've played casino in Cuba, monte in
Mexico, vingt-et un in Paris, cut. throat
euchre in Arkansas, and high ball-poler
in New Orleans. played cards in Tex
as, where you laid your bet down with
your lefti hand and held navy re-
volver in your right and a bowie knife
between your teeth. But this stud
horse poker worries me worse than when
was hunting for Tom Collins several
years ago"
The reporter, with that air of self.
possession, deliberation, GOODNESS and
dignity which characterizes all truly
great journalists. walked around to the
side of the table, sat down and proceed
ed TO show the frantic detective how the
Nevada game of stud-horse poker is
played. First, every player antes up,
then the dealer deals one card to each,
face down. This is called the buried
card. He passes n small piece of ivory.
called the chuck, to the first man on
the left, and the man who holds the
buck has the age, and can pass or bet,
as he pleases. The second card is dealt
face up, and the player who gets the
highest card bets and the others call him
or pass out. a third card is dealt and
the Same process is gone through with;
and so with the fourth and the fifth,
when the grand struggle takes place for
the possession of the pot. On the next
deal the buck passes TO the second man
to the left OF the dealer aud so on around
the entire board.
As the reporter went through the
simple process and explanation the face
of the unhappy detective gradually as.
sumed its wOnted look of cheerfuluess, |
and when he had fully comprehended |
the inner mysteries of the beautiful |
game, he snatched up the deck of cards
and the buck and rushed impetuously to |
the sanctum sanctorum OF the chief. |
The two chiefs were eloseted for several |
hours, and when the reporter called |
there at shutdown and stopped at the
door he could hear their mingled voices
eagerly discussing the game cts my
buck" said Campbell. mo, it's my |
buck said Boyd, by which simple
phrases the reporter knew that the |
august police funetionaries OF st. Louis |
had mastered the intricate details OF the
wild, poetical and romantic game OF
stud-horse poker.