Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-02
THE GAME OF POKER.
Some Prominent Individuals Relate
Their Experiences.
BILLY FLORENCE RECALLS soMR EXCITING MO-
AESrs-DH WOLF HOPPER LOSES FAITH IN
HUMAN NATURE - Mr.. BALrox's STRAIGHT
fLuAa-soAk NEnvr PLArKas.


NESrs-D. WOLF HOPPER LOSES FAITH IN
. HUMAN NATURE - Mr.. BALroS's STRAIGHT
FLuea-soxE srnvr PLAIKRa
From the New York World
No game 10 likely to succeed the great Ameri-
can game Of draw poker, and at this season of
the year it serves to while away an idle hour
on the rail, in the mountain camp, on the deck
OF the becalmed yacht or in the duh watches
OF the seaside hotel II all the good poker
stories that have been told could be collected
and put in book form the result would be a
volume Of absorbing interest
'rHE ONYX KINGS" STORIES.
senior Cooper, the Mexican onyx king, SAYS:
"Poker ID seductive game and 80 never
play it. Still, I know the fine points of the
game. One time / was going to Europe in a
steamer and witnessed a remarkable game of
poker. Some men are born cautious and keep
cool under trying circumstances. A we'll
known lawyer, noted for his scientific way Of
betting at the poker table, was one of the
principals In the game on this steamer. Three
otner men, supposed to be gentlemen, but one
was professional gambler in disguise were
engaged In the game. Il was one of those i've
dollar ante games with 10 limit one-hun-
dred-doiiar bet on a pair Of trays or deuces
was not uncommon. / knew the LAWYER and
wanted to tell him that suspected he was
playing against one sharp at least, but l could
not get the opportunity. On the afternoon of
the first day of the poker game group of
interested spectators stood around the table,
was behind the lawyers chair. The betting
was lively and the lawyer won $4,000 in ten
minutes, and chiefly from the sharper. saw
the lawyer and make o big winning. The
gambler dealt the cards and the lawyer got
other ace
only the ive-dollar antes were up and the
lawyer sat there with four aces in his hand the
biggest hand that could be dealt except a royal
sequence flush, which they had agreed not to
play when they began the game. The other
players passed out and the lawyer carelessly
bet 20 little hesitancy on the part of the
gambler and he coolly went 81, 500 better. The
lawyer suspected trickery, but where could it
De! he held four aces, an invincible hand
and yet the gambler evidently knew what he
was DONG to bet so large a sum. 1t was a try
ing situation. No one spoke The lawyer
paused and carefully looked at his Ave cards
again. In an absent-minded way he skinned
the live cards through his hand, when loi the
trick was exposed. The lawyer had been given
SIX cards by the sharp. The sixth card was
carefully glued to the fifth card and, as the
cards we're made Of fine thin linen, the double
thickness was scarcely noticeable. Any player
having over five cards when hands are called
loses or forfeits all Of his rights even if he has
put up all of his money Well. the gamblers
1our-ace trick was exposed and the game
blackieg and cheat. 1t takes nerve to keep
from betting four aces. Only a shrewd lawyer
would have detected the trick"
DE WOLF HOPPER HAS BEEN THERE
De Wolf Hopper, the comedian, says: eff
there is any game that will bring out ones true
nature it is draw poker. / do not speak as a
coy neophyte for have dallied with the COL
den possibilities of a jack pot until nv betting
nerves nave almost shaken like a real aspen
tree.
THE opera company was with last season
was en- route for a city out west and few of
us whiled the tedium Of the journey away by
playing draw poker. Five we're in the game
Eugene Oudin, Stevens, my manager: Grips,
Digby Bell and myself. The betting limit was
~, and can just tell the uninitiated that it
doesn't take long to lose $50 or S10O at a "a
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. 1t is hard to bet
against green player. He ia liable to show
up a big hand that would paraiize the scientific
player and upset all calculations. A green
poker player is like a 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. rat
tie and dumpety dump, dump. rushed over
miles Of the tracks it became more and more
apparent that Oudin was one of the most colos-
sal verdant players that ever schufied card.
Imagine how Stevens, Digby and felt PLAYING
| with an amateur that upset all Of our scientific
calculations. Yet we played and Bell was a
loser. Naturally he was champing on the Bit.
anxious to get big bet and retrieve his los
| lngs., The opportunity came soon. hand
was dealt and the small antics put up. Ali of
| us passed out except Bell and 0udin. The for
mer drew three cards to two aces and got two
more aces. A Precipitation Of delight gathered
upon Bells brow and POPULARITY almost dubbed
from him, DO secure he felt in being able to
gathered up number Of chips put them down
| as II he were uncertain whether to bet or throw
mp his hand, and finally, in q nonchalant vay
pushed up two-dollar chip as hit. His face
| assumed serious look, serio comic carl
| cature study for an artist as he watched
| Oudin. His idea was that Oudin would
| raise him and he (BelD would keep coming
back until he completely swamped Mr.. Oudin.
The latter put down q 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 a
king full, and on the king full Oudin had called
Bells two-dollar bet Bells voice rose to a
high pitch as he made blue streaks in the at
mosphere Of the car. Four dollars won on
| four aces. Talk about hoodoos and Jonahs,
| there are some men who can't sit at poker
| table without queering the cards. / could tell
tale-but hear my cue and must go on the
| stage to serenade Angellque. Poker is a reIs-
tive game-we all have our antes. Good-by."
HENRY wATTERsoN's NERVE.
J. M. Hill Of New York city says: ~ never
play cards on general principles Still, know
what a game Of poker is il should accident
ally stumble on one. Now. as to rafting good
players who bet in Napoleonic way. that
| fairly lifts the hair on a novice's head, / sup
pose Henry Watterson Of Louisville, Ky,
would take the premium. He is breezy and
has dashing way that no one can resist admir-
ing. l heard Of q game Of poker he PLAYED
where he was sadly caught on q big bluff. He
was at the table with Mr.. J. P. Dougherty.
whom everybody in this city ought to know il
they do not, and several other frst-class play
ers. The mere fact that Watterson was in the
game was sufficient to indicate that big stakes
were now and then placed on the table, 1t was
Jackpot poker, and now and then the Dot be-
came alsrmingly large. But Watterson did not
grow dizzy, and he bet with cavalier sangfroid.
The fact is the great editors poker nerve is the
admiration Of thousands Of players. His face
does not change no matter if he is betting high
on q bobtail flush. Some one opened the Jack
pot and Watterson and Dougherty came in,
each drawing three cards. When il came Wat
terson's time to bet he coolly put up slOO The
jack pot contained several hundred besides,
and no one wanted to give up at once But the
assured way in which the editor put up his bet
caused all to drop out except Dougherty.
HE saw the bet and raised it another hun
dred. Watterson never hesitated, but went
another hundred better. All the others at the
table began to feel sorry for Dougherty, for
they imagined that the editor had big winning
hand and was drawing his opponent on. After
three elOO bets had been made Dougherty, to
QGtOnlohUnnnf nj ofiaI W.