The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-07-07
STORIES OF THE PoKER.TABLE.
Why Player Put Down Straight Flush
Lightning Struck Twice in One Place.

A party of good-looking men, sew
eral of them of national fame as legis-
lators, sat around table the other
night in one of the cosey hooks of the
front dining-roOm of mine host Cham
berlin. A petit souper had been dis
cussed, and clouds of blue smoke were
being putfed toward the frescoed cell
ing.
1.-The last time I smoked cigar of
this brand,'' quoth one, ''was way back
in the sixties, and the occasion was the
meeting of five congenial spirits enjoy
| ing the seductive beauties Of game OF
draw-poker.
81 had been quite successful and was
perhaps $1,000 ahead when, as the age,
l discovered, on picking up my hand,
that the lowest straight flush in hearts
had been dealt me, pat. The blind was
$25. All came in, and promptly rails
ed 500; two OF. the players saw it and
another raised me the same amount; l
returned it. The two dropped out and
the third man raised again. | raised
him five times more and he stopped.
OF course l did not take any cards and
he drew one. At this point would not
have taken $4,000 for the pot. How
ever, | watched my adversary closely
as he examined his one card and, al
though his expression did not change a
particle, / knew absolutely that he had
she winning hand. His entire course
was as clear to me as though he had
Just explained it. His four cards of one
suit needed one to make a sequence; he
/ hol fol faY. Al oh hnf fho
draw-and had bet to the lipit. He had
made his straight flush, and as mine
was the lowest possible one it was as
sumedly higher than mine.
at was his first bet, and after run
ming over his hand he slowly showed
$25 toward the middle of the table. l
saw his bet and raised him 81. He i'm
mediately raised me 500. l threw my
cards face upward on the table and
said, Your pot How did you ever
guess it?' he replied, as he turned over
his cards, showing straight flush IN
spades nine spot high
The brand of cigars was carefully
examined, while remarks were made as
to what the player should have done.
MY belief ia the adage that light
ming never strikes twice in the same
place has been considerably shaken
since certain poker experience two
years ago" said another member of the
Chamberlin party. 'sThere were six of
us playing and the limit was. small. I
had been playing in average luck and
was something Of a winner, and, hav-
ing dextrously secured two pairs.
queens up, l called dapper young
gentleman sitting on my left, who
blandlv exposed four sevens as he
gracefully raked in the chips. On the
next deal l was the age and a pair of
trays was dealt me; the man who held
the four seyens before drew three cards,
and the others drew one, two, and three,
respectively. My chances for the pot
looked very slim, | thought, but upon
picking up the three cards l called for
l found three aces, making my hand
an ace full To 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 it came to me, and after
a little the battle fastened itself be-
tween the man who had held the four
seyens and myself l reasoned that as
he held fours the hand before. it would
be impossible for him to hold them
again, and fours were required to beat
my ace full. raised him twenty times;
he had become automatic in raising me
back, and was very pale in the bargain.
[ hesitated for a minute, but the men,
ory of the hand before nerved me, and
l kept up the raising. Finally l called.
He couldn't speak from nervousness,
but that didn't prevent him from ex-
posing 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 that
once, known fours to fall to the same
man twice in succession = Washington
STIR Letter.