Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-04
CLAY'S BAD LUCK,
Also His Bad Poker Playing, Likewise
His Presence OF Mind.

BGlt;moFs Herald.
eyes. sir; that's the very same table on
which Mr.. Clay used to lose the greater
part Of his Congressional salary. AS l
said, Clay and Bright sat down to play at
O'Clock. Now, Dick said Mr.. Clay, as
the game began, understand that l can
not play later than u O'Clock. 1 promised
to attend church at Alexandria tomorrow
morning, and L don't want to 90 there
looking as if had been up all night
"The blind was halt a dollar, dollar
to come in, and no limit to bets. In those
days there was no limit, as there general
~ is now. All man could demand was
a sight for his money. The cards were
cut and Clay got the first deal. He was a
noted card sbuffler. He could hold his
hands four feet apart and fly the cards
from one TO the other without a single
card falling. His favOrite stvle was to
mix the cards from the end, and not from
the sides, holding a half deck in each
hand, flirting the ends with his thumbs.
and mixing them into a perfect pack with
one movement. He usually dealt with
one hand, with scarcely a perceptible
movement Of the arm, his long, muscular
fingers enabling him TO throw each card
TO its proper place. But Clay was not a
good poker player. Like most intellectual
men, be played for the excitement, and
not for gain, and, as rule, he was 50
careless about his bets that he came out
loser. He had passion for big bets, and
he rarely failed to straddle the blind or
raise the bet after the game got fairly
started. So, if the luck came his way, ne
would win heavily as long as it lasted.
But he was great buffer, and bet high
whether he had the cards or not. The
men he played with found this out, of
course, and he never came out of a pro-
lOnged game without being fleeced.
''FOr nearly two hours that night Clay
had everything his own way with Bright.
IL he didn't hold a king-full FOUR times
hand running, followed by a jack-full,
then / hope l may be shot for lying.
Bright tried his best to catch Clay in a
bluff, but it was no use. Clay came to
the front every time with a hand that
nothing but tours could phase. At 1880
Bright had lost 81 800, and had borrowed
$500 from John Hancock. After that
Clay's luck deserted him, but he failed to
recognize it. He continued to bet as
high on a pair Of deuces as he had been
betting on an ace-full. By midnight he
had lost all his winnings and $1,000 be-
| sides-all the cash he had with him.
- guess we'd better quit said Bright,
/ 'as YOU want to 90 to church tomorrow
"EOh. blow the church, replied Clay;
| do you suppose l want to hear man
| preach right on top of losing $1,000 at
l poker: Not much. You just lend me 500
/ and let the game 90 on
$50 the game proceeded, and at day
| light Clay was in debt to Bright to the
amount Of 800, and that is the way 1t
| stood when the game ended. l heard
/ afterward from Hancock that Clay
/ liquidated that debt by giving Bright a
deed OF 800 acres of Kentucky land and
/ transferring TO him six shares of stock in
! Louisville bank.
CLAY went to his room that Sunday
morning. shortly after daylight, to go to
/ bed But he TOOK a sudden resolution to
/ 20 TO Alexandria anyhow and keep his
/ church engagement. He went in the car
/ riage of a friend. Quite a crowd followed
l him when he went out to get In his car
\ riage. There a number of people were
| presented to Mr. Clay, among them the
! rector of the church. The story was that
/ while he was talking to the reverend gen.
tleman Clay put his hand in his pocket
to pull out MS handkerchief, and in doing
this Il packet Of cards was suddenly
spilled on the ground. Clay was not
the least abashed, but deliberately gath
cred up the cards, replaced them in hi
! pocket, and remarked to the minister anC
others who were standing there that ;
friend had put the cards in his pocket al
I a r,raaffaaI