The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-01-02
HRRRMAN,s GAME OF POKER.

81 never play cards in earnest" said
the great Herman after the show last
night. "1hOse who know me wouldn't
play with me anyhow. and OF course /
wouldn't take any advantage Of those
who don't But remember one night
not thousand years ago that, in ord-r
to amuse few friends, sat down TO a
quiet little game of poker. You see it
was this way; met the friends and was
introduced 70 an innocent looking youth
Of the dude persuasion, whose face was
as vacant in expression as pound OF
putty. This youth had been Dragging
of his powers as a poker player and had
made the others so tired that they whis
pered me to take the cunceit out of him
Just for the fun there was in it. was
agreeable, and We sat down."
'In Philadelphia y
BLESS you. no. They don't play poker
in Philadelphia, This was in -.
Wtll, when we began the game allow, d
the yOungster to win in or,ier TO get
him interested, and the better to erjpy
the circus the others dropped out and
my victim and | had the tables to our
selves. Or course | was to give him
back whatever | won from hIm--thaI
was understood. We didn't play with
chips, as we had none, but made the
game a quarter ante and dollar limit,
20 that we could use the money without
making any awkward change. Every
time my callow friend won pot he put
the silver and bills in his pocket and
would chip in the stuff as he needed It.
After he had won a respectable pile
began tn get my work in, and by haDdl-
ing and dealing the cards in my own pc
culiar way l som bad his pll, ip a fair
way 10 Innocuous desuetude. Occas-
ionally would let him win. just to
keep the fun up. and don't kn w but
what enjoyed my opponents innocence
as much as did my friends. BuI all
things must have an end. Finally
cleaned hun out, much to bis surprise,
and ordered bottle. My friends
couldn't keep it in any longer.
"'I say, old man. said ore, do yoI
know who you've been playin' wirhr
Yes replied my victim, calmly,
Hermann, the magician, and he's a
good player
This was somewhat of surprise all
round. But laughed and handed him
back the money had won. He wouldn't
take 1t No, sir. Said had IL; had he
won mine he would have kept 1t, and
under no consideration would he take It
back. That was not his way OF playing
poker. II was no use for me 20 protest.
t. tell him that had deliberately robbed
him He was sorry that he had got in
with a man who didn't play square
game, but that was his lookout. He
ought to have seen that he was being
heeced, but as he had been fieeced, and
with his eyes open, too. he was not the
man to squeal. tell you l felt mean.
| didn't think II half 80 funny then as
| did before. But all could do or say
made no impression on my victim, and
with digDified bow he left US.
"'All can DOL said to one Of my
friends. will be to give his money to
some charitable institution
"Then gave the waiter one OF the
bills | had won to pay for the wine. He
came back with IL and the information
hat IL was a counterfeit. Yes. sir.
That guileless youth had won my good
money and rung in over a hundred dol
lars' worth of paper on me that wasn't
worth a cent pound. I'm pretty good
on handling cards, but poker is mighty
uncertain gamp-mighty uncertain" J"
Philadelphia Inquirer.