The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-27
De Wolf Hopper Has Been There.

DE Wolf Hopper, the comedian says
"Talk about getting frothy, eating easel, as
Hamlet said, and losing faith in mankind:
] saw case in point last season. Now if
there is any kind of game that will bring
out ones true nature and make a Quaker
roll off oaths faster than the famous troop
ers in Flanders, it is draw poker. do not
speak as coy neophyte for have dallied
with the golden possibilities Of jack pot
like a real Aspen tree.
1.-THE opera company was with last sea-
son was en- route for a city out west, and q
few of us whiled the tedium of the journey
away by playing draw poker. Five were in
the game, Eugene Qadin, Stevens, my ~,
and myself. The betting limit was
two dollars, and can just tell the uninitia
ted that it doesn't take long to lose fifty
dollars or one hundred dollars at a two
dollar limit. Oudin knew nothing about
the game. He knew when he had pairs, but
he did not know their betting value and SO
when he would pass out We breathed easier.
It is hard to bet against green player.
He is liable to show up q big hand that
would paralyze the scientific player and up
set all calculations. A green poker player
is like mule, you never know just when or
how hard he is going to kick you, but sooner
or later you get kicked.
''As the cars with their incessant rattle,
rattle and dumpety dump, dump, rushed
over miles of the tracks it became more
and more apparent that Oudin was one of
the most colossal verdant players that ever
Digby and felt playing with an amateur
that upset all of our scientific calculations
Yet we played and Bell was a loser. Natu-
rally, he was champing on the bit, anxious
to get big bet and retrieve his losinRs. The
opportunity came soon. hand was dealt
ILL L. 80.
out except Bell and Oudin. The former
drew three caro- to two aces, and got two
more aces. A perspiration of delight gath
cred upon Rell,s brow and popularity almost
bubbled from him, SO secure no felt in being
able to win back large sum from Oudin
them down as if he was uncertain whether
to bet or throw up his hand and finally, in
a nonchalant way. pushed up two-dollar
chip as bet. His face assumed serious
look, serio- comic caricature study for an
artist as he watched Oudin. His idea was
that Oudin would raise him back and he
tBell) would keep coming back until he
completely swamped Mr.. Oudin. The lat
ter put down a brand-new two-dollar bill
and said: 4 call you.' Bell arose. throw
ing his four aces on the table, and as he did
SO Oudin placed his hand in view, revealing
king full, and in the king full Oudin had
called Oudin's two-dollar bet. Bells voice
rose to high pitch as he shouted: 'There
is no God. then he made blue streaks
in the atmosphere OF the car; and
finally just one roar of blank, blank
ETY. blank oaths came from his lips.
Four dollars won on four aces! Ye men
who aspire to nobler things than bobtail
fiushes, pause briefly and think of four aces
capturing two dollars and then pirate OF
justice, luck and hopeless lack of oppor-
tunities.
"Ah! but there are games and games.
One day the De Wolf Hopper family, con-
sisting of my wife and /, were playing DO
This is not going to be funny story, al
though my wife won and kept the money
for her household expenses. l merely tell
this story to illustrate the peculiar freaks
of poker hands. The limit was one dollar
and the game jackpot poker. My wife
manned in on nothing. and 80 did another
vent4resome gentleman. My wife stood
pat, drew one card, and the venturesome
gentleman drew one. Then the betting be-
gan, and it Was quite lively for awhile.
do not know but an intuitive kind
seemed to whisper into my ear: DE
Wolf. You are beaten all hollow; you
are not in the game, my boy and yet
in bravado remained in. Some one called
and show of hands was made. revealinAa
curious coincidence: We all had straights,
and my wife, having the highest, raked in
that pot of money for me and my heirs and
assigns, forever. But here comes the singu-
lar part of the coincidence: / held the
smallest straight-one. two. three. ETC., and
SO did the venturesome gentlemen who lost.
I had an ace of hearts, deuce of spades, tray
of diamonds-indeed. black and red
straight. and, strange to say, the venture
some gentleman had black and red
straight, too. 1t was very peculiar-a per-
feet freak-aad suppose Knight play draw
poker until the rim Of time itself crumbled