The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-02-27

long. 90 feet high, and Is almost a t.,
.tal wreck.
PLAYING FOR HIGH STAKES
A Professional Gamblers Story
Losing Nearly Thirty Thou
sand Dollars by the Turn
of One Gard.
Cincinnati Eoquirer.l
"You probably surnise that / am a
gambler. I aA furty-two years OF
age, q graduate of Yale, 4 widower,
and have gambled eleven years. Now
wait a minute. / am going to tell
you a straight story, because I would
like to SCI a genuine gamblers story
in print, one, in fact, who had not
reformed. 1 only ask you not to use
names. Remember this, the success
full gambler is the intelligent one, not
the trickster. It is u business that
requires more than usual Intelligence
to make q success of and 1T the same
time remain a gentleman. l see YOU
smile at what seem q par t.iox. but
we will not argue the pros and cons.
Life is too short; but l will make 4
statement to you without any hope Of
gain from it-that is, l have never in
my eleven years experience swindled
anyone. I have always played an
honest game, and in the past five
years l have had four chances to one
against the majority of my Opp0ne nts
They were, first, 4 regular business
Of playing cards for a living; second,
being a good physiognomi-t and at
the same time having complete con-
troll of my own face; third, knowing
as we'll as it be known the aver
age u of hands; fourth, knowing
when and how to bet. Taking any
other advantage besides these lowers
the majority of so.called gamblers
below the level of q common sneak
thief.
Nov, admitting all other circum-
stances to be equal, that the chances
are even outside of the undue excite
ment of OF the occasional player, Can
you not see what an immense advan-
tage an intelligent gambler has? But
l am depressing. I lost nearly
$50, 900 on the turn of a card. That
sounds like a romance, does it NOT?
1t was no romance to me for a few
years. / was a travelling man, repre-
senting one of the largest iron firms
in America. Memphis was the next |
city on my list. The firm wired me:
Settle all our business to the best
the taxing district is in
bad odor; get the cash. I did, and, !
wishing to visit q place a short way
the river, I took the evening
boat. Shortly after pulling out a
game of poker was inaugurated, and
I took a hand. The betting was high
and the drinking deep. l thought in
indistinct way of the stories / had
read about blacklegs on Mississippi
steamers, and of their heavy betting
critically examined my companions
out they all seemed to be gentlemen,
md l was satisfied with the exalnin.
alton and pleased with my fore.
bought. Being very careful in nv
betting, l quite angered the little
elbow opposite me, who had been
osing heavily and seemed but a sorry
He finally remarked that he
judged l would not bet on anything
mort OF four aces. [ rather enioved
lis troubles.
"Well, l finally received four aces
t startled me. I instin.tivelv looked
Up to see if I had been observed. but
10 q was paying any seeming
to me-. 1t was q lack DOT
nd we each (six) had some sixteen
r seventeen hundred dollars In it.
first and second men passed. 7
pened 1t for 81 600 Tor at least the
7hiskey did). The other two passed.
little man looked at ne and then
bis hand aud coollv said:
Just like q Yankee. He must
ave caught his fouf aces aud is bet. .
ng ON q sure thing. However, I .
ill stay" I
drew on, card, and my little I
lend stood pat. :
Nov back your four aces SAID Z
re little devil, politely, you know :
ou opened the jack pot J.
Il was furious, and be S.. OO0. He '
Oked at me cOOily and said: :
IL am going to play you for a :.
ankee with four aces. / see YOU q
I'd raise it ten thousand.' NV flesh q
gan to creep. He knew nv hand !
was PLAYING against it. What II
'uld he have? There was only one u
md In the deck that could bent il - l.
royal flush. NV God! I thought u !,
, must have it, but, being despernt !,
him and raised bin ten more. u
e never moved a muscle as he mt
up, and was about to raise 1t, when I
looked at me pityingly and said:
zee here, my friend, I do not want
you, even If you have four acos
viii give You another chance. We q,
ca have over see, zoo on the table. .,
will cut the cards with YOU for he ~
feellng that l was beaten, I r.
;erted We had n of the players Or
l1He the remaining cards, aud the n
lie man allowed me to cut. TIE Nv
a. were then put together ana a.;
Ned again. The little man sug ."
ted that one of the Others cut, and -,
party shuf1ing run of the next ~
agreed. Now said the little : =,
low; which will you take-drst or a. ~
| chose the first. Very we'll tn
The first card was a fonr. tho ae
ond q seven. The cut cost me- tth'
,riy $4,000. His nand was worth vi
hing. W."
! dld my best to straighten up
tiers with the firm. %tinaiip
ceeded, but l was ruined in busi. F.
, circles, so l took to the calling IS,
ne little rascal who had rohheS 80
50 clearly. after causing me to cuI
d myself with rage. / have since j..
ned how the trick was done. as
fea