St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-20
FOUR JOLLY KINGS.
Doc and Ike Are Educated in
Poker by a Young Man.

Poker by a Young Man.
The game had been going on very
quietly for some. time. Only the oc-
casional rattle of the checks and the
soft whirr of the cards as they were
shuff1ed. or some remark made by a
player calling attention to the fact that
he pot was short, were heard. Old
Ike's mouth was puckered up, and1
when, holding ten-full, he merely
called Three-Fingered Dams bet of ea-
dollar, which was evidence enough that
for some reason or other nobody was
playing their hands. but merely killing
time. iGi
The wind drove the rain in gusts and
showers against the tightly-clOSed shut
tiers, and the solitary cab that ratified by
only intensified the loneliness of the de-
serted streets when the rumble of the
wheels died away in the distance. -
A little interest was excited when a
Jackpot went three times around the
circle without being Openep. when the
opening and closing of the front door
down stairs seemed to instantly infuSe
new life into the four players, and as
a young man entered the room, shaking
the rain from his coat sleeves, one
would imagine the game had been at
fever heat for hours. Old Ike merely
nodded at the newcomer, and bent all
his energies upon the question OF stand
ing back-raise on a pair of queens;
Doc BolascO fingered his checks care
lessly preparatory to giving the raise
another boost, while Dan sat with
hopeless look on his face and not
single pair in his hand. The young
man stood watching the game with
glistening eyes, and when Doc showed
H. A1rch n
player shook hands with the young
man. and old Ike invited him to take a
hand.
In moment he was seated at the
table, coat, collar, tie and cuffs Off, his
vest unbuttoned, with two stacks of red
chips and goodly wad of bills before
him, whose amount furnished old Ike
with material for pleasant speculation
for several minutes. The game prog
resSed quietly for some time, until the
''Suck," as the young man was spoken
of by the triO--Gn private, of course),
raised the ante 81. after the other three
had come in on his blind.
Each in turn raised the pot, anu when
it came to the young man he picked up
his hand and studied 1t carefully,
Three kings and pair of fourS. "Flve
dollars more" and he sized up to the
previous raises and threw in new So
bill. Three-fngered Dan simply threw
down his cards and ran the back of his
in semi-circle over the table, to de-
note that he had no further interest in
the pot. Old Ike looked at his cards,
and, finding the four sevens still there,
raised the pot 800. Doc passed.
Twenty dollars more,'' said the
young man.
Twenty more than YOU" responded
in
of the table.
No cards had been drawn yet, and the
young man now picked up his cards and
gaZed thOughtfully upon his king-full.
Doc was dealing and must have been
| a mind-reader, for he took off one card
from the pack and was about to hand it
to old Ike, when the young man called
| for two cards. discarding his pair Of
tours. Ike cast quick glance at Doc,
which that worthy was unable to an
| sWer, being engaged in an absorbing
mental calculation. The young man
| looked at the two cards he had drawn
| and then laid his cards, face down, on
| the table. Ike drew one card, and the
| betting began. Is.
Back and forth it went, the s. and so
bills were heaped upon the pile in the
center of the table. Ike soon had his
money, as well as Dams, bet, and after
he had borrowed the last cent Doc had,
with sigh he called for sight. J..
"What have you?" asked the young
man.
''Four sevens," responded Ike, show
ing his hand and preparing to gather i'll
the pile of chips and bank bills. J.
Hold on" exclaimed the young man
''you're too quick, I've got four kings
and he turned over his cards and swept
the pile from in front of Ike over to his
side of the table, where he proceeded to
pocket the bills, and then passed the
chips over to Doc to cash. Ike's face
was study, and Dan looked as if he was
stricken dumb. The game was broken
up. The young man got up, put on his
coat, and, wishing all good night, walked
down stairs. The door closed behind
| him, and he was lost in the darkness
without.
For fully five minutes not word was
uttered, and then Doc turned over the
two cards the young man had discarded,
looked at the pair of tours moment,
and as he got up, preparatory to putting
on his coat, exclaimed: II never fixed
that deck further than four hands
deep" Old Ike didn't respond. He
was busy thinking of the luck the
sucker" had in drawing his fourth
| king.