The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-04-25
sroRIgs oF LIE PoKgR TAeLe.
Why n Player Put Down n Straight Flush
Lightning Struck Twice I'm One Place.
rVnshincton Critfc1


Washington Crtie.l
A party Of good-looking men, several Of them
Of national fame rs legislators, sat around a
table the other night in one of the cosy hooks
OF the front dining-room OF mine host Chamber
lin. A petit soupcr had been discussed, and
clouds OF blue smoke were being pulled toward
the lrescocd ceiling
'rhe last time / smoked cigar OF this
brand" quoted one, "was way back in the six
ties, and the occasion was the meeting of five
oOngenial spirits enjoying the seductive beau
ties of q game OF draw poker. IL was the time
when genius was the component part of a good
and successful player, and iiattcr myself that
O small bit of the divine aiilatus came TO me no
one Of the critical moments that evening. Let
Ine recite the incident:
II had been quite successful and was perhaps
n, COO cad when, ot the age, discovered, on
picking W my hand, that the lowest straight
flush ia hearts lad been dealt me, pot. The
blind was so Al camc in and / promptly
raised Sl1O; two Of the players saw IL and an
other raised me the same amount; returned
IT, The two dropped out, aud the third man
raised again. raised him five times more and
he stopped. OF course did not take any cards
and he drew one. At this point / would not
have taken $1,000 FOR the pot. However, |
watched my adversary closely as he examined
his one card, and, although his expression did
not change particle, knew absolutely that
he had the winning hand. His entire course
was as clear 20 me us though he had just ex-
planned It. His four cards OF one suit needed
one 10 make q sequence; he had taken u terri
bic chance before the draw, and had bet 10 the
limit. lie had made his stiaight flush, and as
mine was the lowest possible one. il was aSSun-
edly higher than mine.
ut was his first bet, aud after running over
his hand hc slowly showed S25 toward the mid
dle OF the table | saw his bet and raised him
81. lie Immediately raised me $780, | threw
my cards face upward on the table and said
IL e. hf,
replied, rs he turned over his cards, showing
"A straight flush in spades, nine spot high"
The brand OF cigars was carefully examined,
while remarks were made as toWhat the player
should have done.
My belief in the adage that lightning never
strikes twice IN the same place has been shaken
since certain poker experience two years
ago, lsaid another member OF the Chambcrlin
party There were six OF us playing, and the
limit was small. had been playing in average
luck and was something Of winner, and, hay-
ing dexterously secured two pairs queens up,
! called dapper young gentlemon sitta,g ON
my left, who bandly exposed four sevenS as he
gracefully rakcd in the chips. On the next deal
was the age, and pair Of trays was dealt
me; the man who held the four sevens the
hand before drew three cards, and the Others
drew one, two ami three respectively. My
chances for the pot looked very shin, thought,
but upon picking up the three cards called
for found three aces, making my hand an ace
tuu. 10 my delight the betting opened very
lively. The first man bet the limit, only TO be
raised by the three players that succeeded him.
OF course ! raised when IL came 20 me, and at
ter little the battle fastened itself between
the man who had held the four sevens and my
self l reasoned that as he had held fours the
hand before, il would be impossible for him to
hold them again, and fours were required to
beat my ace fuD. / raised him twenty times;
he had become automatic in raising me back,
and was very pale in the bargain. j hesitated
for q minute, but the memory OF the hand be-
fore neryed me, and | kept up the raising.
Finally | called He couldn't speak from
nervousness, but that didn't prevent him from
exposing four skies He had held pair of
skies and had drawn the other two In more
or less elaborate experience of the game, /
have never, save chat once, known tours TO fall
TO the same man twice in succession"