Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-30
Some Big PokcrHands.

some DIG EOAcr 6anuS.
Nei0 York Dispatch to Baltimore Ame,ic1n.
"Hunting the Elusive Jack Pot, or How
the Police Beat the Winning Hand"
might appropriately be the title of an in
structive poker story which is being
laughed over in all the New York clubs
to-day. The action OF the narrative Is
located in Phil Daly's gambling house at
Long Branch, and the time was just two
minutes before the hoy detectiYe' and
his cOhort OF policemen burst through the
window and proceeded 10 gather in the
players and playees one night IN the early
part OF the week.
The peculiar interest which this raid on
Days aroused in New York club circles
| will be manifold when l state that of the
six men who were running the principal
| poker game, three were New Workers OF
wealth, and one is well.knnWn stock
! broker, who owns a Yacht aud Is an officer
of the New York Yacht Club. The pre-
sence of these men OF wealth was the mo-
tive which induced Phil DAILY to organize
rescue, and tear his patrons from the
strong arm Of the law, wa ca in this case
seemed to be very weak one. Daily rem
dered himself liable to a very serious
| prosecution, but 9s the united wealth OF
| the three New Workers Is someth; ng like
15,000, 600, it is not proba bic tba- DAILY
Will seriously suffer for the act which
| kept the purse-prOud trio from figuring 10
the police courts and the newspapers. In
club circles the facts have been pretty
we'll understood, and Days heroic devO-
| ton has been warmly commended. Ire
| poker story has always followed close on
| tue heels OF discussion of TIE raid. and
| the yacht owner referred to has been ad-
niringly chrlstened "Hhe Jack Pot
Salamander." 1t is a funny tale in some
| respects, and l reproduce it as | heard
it told last night TO an admiring crowd
in the Knickerbocker reading room.
| The three New Workers and three
| friends sat down to a quiet little game OF
So ante and $25 limit on the night in Ques-
! ton. They mad carefully fOstered jacz-
pot for five rounds when, just before the
police arrived, the yacht owner silently
| placed a green chip on the little heap Of
lyOries signifying that ne opened it for $25
the limit.
''Pm in" indiferently remarked a
| second New Yorker, putting up the need
full.
me, too," said the third Gothamite, who
was the funny map always found in
| poker games, as he threw out the neces-
sary chip.
Two Of the remaining three in the
| game joined in, then the last man made
everybody sit up very straight and look
ing alive, by "seeing" the opener, and
saying:
Jpn lift you just another S2j."
'See you and 60 you another" eagerly
remarked the man VINO had opened il.
This made every man think the opener
was too eager by hail, and that he was
blutfiBg; so they all looked knowing and
came in. This pot, according to the near
est calculation now obtainab.e, had some
thing like S472 in it.
Pm pat" softly said the opener when
81 oA rna Il Las 10
dsrisiVely at him, and being the funny
man referred TO, remarked persua-
siVelY:
"NOw, hadn't you better take few?'
Then one man drew two cards, another
man one, another three, another two, while
the sixth, the man VINO had performed the
enliyening feat Of 'raising 1t back" stood
pot"
''Pll try S1O." carelessly said the opener,
after seeming to study his hand, which he
had held pot. This caused wicked laugh
among his companions.
''Ill see you and 20 you"
The bet was never finished, for at this
precise juncture the police burst into the
-oom'like a tornado. The lights went out
IN fash, everybody jumped up, and,
swearing and struggling, the wealthy
men abandoned chips and games in the
desperate struggle to escape. The
=
ten out, when one light shed dim lustre
on the dlsOrdeTed room. Phil Daily quickly
saw the three New Workers in the grip Of
the legal miniOns. Then 1t was that be
made a deliberate assault on the officers,
and, aided by his servants succeeded in
releasing the three miliionaires, who
promptly fled.
The trio OF friends soon gathered in the
apartments Of one OF their number and ex-
changed notes. All were minus hats, one
mad very red eye, warranted 70 turn
black in few hours, while anCther's coat
was torn UP the back. This latter was the
yacht owner.
What a COMPOUNDED pity the police
came just then" remarked the rash man
who had raised the pot. "Boys 1 mad
you dead on that hand. The pot was
mine, for l held three aces and two
kings"
Mine was four little deuces, my
friend" exclaimed the second, with a
triumphant laugh. Il drew three cards
TO the pair and made it."
The yacht owner, who had been gazing
at the two with a weary sort Of look, then
asked quietly:
Where are your hands, gentlemen"
"W mere are our hands? Why, man, do
you suppose we could hold on TO cards In
a shindy like thatg
well, | got hit with a chair, knocked
down twice and rolled around on the floor
with three or four men on top OF me, and
| kept my cards. calmly remarked the
Yacht owner. There was only one other
thing that thought or"
"What was JbatF"
81 thought how ID lucky 1t was for
you fellows that the police came when
they did. See here"
Aud he laid down five ragged and
twisted cards, which his two companions
eagerly seized and smoOthe8 out in a row
on the table.
1t was a diamond straight flush, king
high, and everybody agreed that 1t was
no wonder the yacht owner chung to It
Through the whole Of the exciting riot.
ButItdidh't win the pot. The yacht owner
says the police got that