St. Paul daily globe., 1890-12-29
"JIM- Ar POKER.
The Peculiaritics OF a "Very
Square Gamev

The Peculiaritics OF "yery
Square Came"
One of the peculiarities of large seq
ment of the American people is that
they like to play poker. And it is one
Of the unaccountable peculiarities of
poker players that they like to ''go
rgainst" those who are reputed to be
successful playeIs-always presuming,
of course, that their play Is. or is be-
lieved to be, which amounts to the same
thing. ION the square," This singular
condition of things is accounted for
largely when it is understood that the
nature of the game is such that one man
who plays to any extent thinks he is as
good a player as the next one: "all
he has got to do is to get the
cards. and he can bet 'em;" and
that the cards are just as liable to come
his way in square game" as they are
the next ones, Then another thing is.
if one player happens to be little more
successful than You. for instance, are,
all you've got to do is to watch his play,
to see how he bets. ''calp' him few
times, or make bluff or two at him.
Having done this Gt's pretty expensive)
you're supposed to be ION tof his game.
and you bet accordingly. To those who
play the great American game this lit
tie introduction is unnecessary: but to
those who do not, it will explain why in
the following true story the parties in
interest continued to play against man
who was almost continual winner.
The hero of this poker exploit was
railroad station agent located. say-in
order not to give the parties ''dead
away"-withiD radius Of 100 miles
from Detroit.
Saturday night was the time when
the game generally took place, in room
adjoining the ticket Office. From two
to five of the principal business men of
the town. could always be depended
on to he ''in for piece of it" every time
the little game was in progress. 1t was
the quickest kind of game; so much
better, you know, than sitting In one of
the games up town, where you are liable
to meet the Lord only knows who
professional gamblers, perhaps. black
legs, who would think no more of run
ming in a cold deck than they would of
eating square meal. In fact,it was the
most seductive OF all seductive things
a ''gentleman's game" And then Jim
always treated the boys so handsomely;
cigars always on tap and and a little
old black bottle of walker Club" or
"Old Pepper" In cupboard handy by
when any of the boys wanted to wet
their whistles. But still it was singu-
lar fact that it was cold day, or even
ing rather, when Jim didn't quit win
ner of $50 or upwards. They couldn't
''get onto" his play. He was frequently
caught bluff5ng on a pair of deuces or
treys. On those occasions everybody
gave him the laugh;" but the fellow
who raked in the pot generally noticed
that it didn't amount to much, though
he and all the other jolly players de-
rived good deal of satisfaction from
the fact that they had ''caiIed Jim
down." On the contrary, when some
one of them had good hand and Jim
''stayed" with him, and he kept ''com-
ing back" because he thought Jim was
bluffing again, he found, to his ccnsid-
cradle pecuniary loss, that Jim was not
bluffing that time, but that in the
''show-down" Jim's cards were consid-
erably better.
One time the chief train dispatcher of
the road, a jolly good fellow, was in
town over night, and he took hand in
the quiet little game at the station. He
had heard that Jim was a mascot at
poker, but was satisfied that he couldn't
get the best of him. He had played the
game too often against all kinds of peO-
pie to be afraid Of Jim or any one else.
After all, the secret of being a good
poker player was in knowing when to
''lay down." The game open that night
with four in it-Jim, Jack, Tom and
Bill. Bill was the train dispatcher.
The hands were dealt around, and Bill
had hardly picked his up before he was
startled by something unusual on the
telegraphic instrument. which had been
clicking away unnoticed behind the
glazed partition which separated the
rooms. This is what he heard: