St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-05
HIS LAST GAME OF POKER.

-ie0i'eiuSiy duFlSe every young man not 20
learn.
My wife and family had been passing the
summer at the ST. Lawrence Hall, Cacouna,
and had been running down occasionally
by boat to Montreal to visit them.
On board the boat to Quebec / was sure
to meet some male acquaintance on the
same mission as myself, going to see the
family" and invariably found myself per-
suaded to take hand at poker. at a small
limit, in the directors room, and generally
with poor success. landing at Quebec from
fifty 10 hundred out.
On the memorable occasion I am about To
relate | was on my way down the St. Law
renee the last week in August TO bring the
family home, and had about $500 to paw up
their bill at the hotel and some $50 or $40
for my own expenses. l may add that $500
was considerable item to me. and would
ind it difficult to replace it just then, as nv
personal expenses had been running very
high for the last two months, trying to
economic in town.
Driving down in the cab, l eommuned
with myself and decided that l would see
the boys further first before I'd Join any
little game" that night. ''No," said
Bob, old man. you'll take a square meal
on board, then light your sclgar, put on a
big coat and sit on the front deck and hear
the band play, and off to bed early"
had scarcely got my things safely on
board when l ran across a chum.
"Hulloi old man; going DOWN." he said
Yes, going to bring my wife home"
80 am l." he said. And we'll have
good time tonight for the last of the season
Wen get the directors room, and you'll
make one Of a select party of six for a quiet
game of So limit;' the others are on
board"
''Oh, no. my Christian friend, not I. I've
cut the seductive game. You couldn't drag
me into game tonight with a span of
mules"
The deuce we can't" he said; ''you
mean we couldn't keep you out with a shot
gun and you know It'll Well, I'll see you
after grub, and he left me.
After supper my friend boned me and
| suggested small half-dish, and said we'd
have it upstairs ''All right. old man.
said, 'but no poker, mind"
We adjourned to the aforementioned
room and found four men there already;
three OF the men l knew, the fourth | did
not, but was introduced to him, Mr.. c..
Conductor on the Canadian Pacific rail-
road, good fellow, etc., and loaded down
with filthy luere," as my friend presently
whispered.
lit my cigar and had few Jokes with
the party. And, alas for human frailty. at
abogt $50 found myself seated at the table
behind five cards.
By $3.50 l was $50 out.
A So Jackpot was started. went up to
kings. opened it, with ''pair of aces, -
was raised twice, stayed, s" 'bettered my
hand, "bet, " was ''hoiSted, (" ''called. lost
and was $40 out.
All this time l was swearing internally al
myself, calling myself all kinds of bad
names, and was thinking of hiring somebody
to kick me round the boat.
The game proceeded. was soon 1925
out when another Jackpot was started. [
was getting desperate and scarcely cared
"cuss" whether l lost the balance of nv
| money or not. Round it went, Jacks.
queens, kings, aces, and there it STAYED
| three times-S210 on the tabIe-when the
man two places ahead of me 1.-THE contractor
before mentioned) said: ''I'll open il
for S."
looked at my hand; nothing at all, yes,
dirty little ''bob-tail flush" | had been
drawing for fiushes several times, but never
| caught them, but too much money on the
table to stay out, the fellow ON my right
Clipped in. Stay" I said, and dumped
another So. Ten" said the man on my
left; drop" said the next man: ''Pil
STAY" l said, and in 1 went SIS more.
was getting pretty low in my finances by
this time; the other fellows stayed. 1t was
nice, big pile, but no chance of nv get
ting it, / grOwled. Cards." said the
dealer; ''two," calls the ''opener." I held
up my finger and was thrown card. By
accident it turned face up-just my luck,
the queen of diamonds; wanted dia-
mond to make my flush, but, of course,
could not take 1t up-''give me another
one" L said, choking down my disappoint-
| ment. The dealer carefully passed me an
other card, apologizing for his stupid mis-
take. L don't remember what the other
men drew, my attention was caught by the
appearance of the ''opener," who was look
ing at his hand with most iendish express
sion of glee.
hated to pick up my card; sure to be
wrong. But hero goes; chucked out Jack
OF clubs and drew my fate toward me- Six
of diamonds; caught my flush then, after all.
| Then, looking at my hand again-by all
that's powerful nearly fell off my chair.
Hadn't noticed l was only one short OF
straight, and now L counted them-5, 4, 7,
s, OF diamonds straight flush. L took
one look at the pile OH the table, Can il
be possible? Held the cards (squeezers)
close up to my nose and skinnad them out,
| sorting them into their consecutive order.
Yes, there they were-4, 5, 6, z, 8 of dia-
mOnds. Tears came into my eyes and q
big lump into my throat. l couldn't have
| spoken for $50. A half-glass of water was
| IN front OF me: raised it. How my hand
shook, but l managed to swallow 1.-THE
water, not my hand. As L was doing so the
opener spoke:
bet five," he said
Are you going to call, Bob?" said one OF
the boys.
Yes" whispered; had sense enough
| left to give the fellows on my left chance
to raise it, which they promptly did.
Ten" ''ffteen," twenty" came iG
prompt succession. twenty-five" said the
| ''Opener,"
Five harder STILL" chirped.
''Hullo! what the devils struck you?'
| said my chum.
''Pll show you later" 1 said, eff ysu'l
lend me fifty, because Pm nearly burst"
Certainly; here you are" he said.
| Round it went till only the opener and
myself were left in, and hadn't more thar
an Y left.
This is getting monotonous," he said;
''you make decent bet, I'll raise it like
amount and you can call. I'm tired Of this
So see-saw."
''AlI right" said. 'What do you call
a decent bet, S5O.''
NO" he replied. ''If your hand i:
worth fifty more, it ought to be worth two
and fifty"
said.
Never mind. Put in your bond. know
you"
knew 1 had HIM. He'd opened the pot
and drawn two cards. He had fours, L
knew, and big ones; but would you believe
i I Ff oh fut1 Il 4 -