The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-04

or the other players points to throes being
held by him, the smaller pair might be
discarded in the hope of making high
threos. No rules can be. laid Town for
either Of the above GASES, as n question of
Judgment il involved.
A great many players of experience reo-
ommend standing pat occasionally on two
small pairs. This is unwise, as the only
hand which il liable to be driven out is y
hand which is Just II little better. Almost
any ylayer with faces up" or three OF a
kirR will call a pat hand. particularly if the
pot be a large one, and to stand pat on two
pairs against an inferior hand 10 to " asts
your resources.
TO play n hand pat, the limit should be
raised both before and after the draw, and
the game will seldom be found to be worth
tho candle. The only hand to stand pat on,
other than q genuine one, is u hand without
a pair and nothing to draw to.
In the southern states players consider it
| almost a point of honor to stand pat on u
hand called n "killcr"-that is q hand with
the nine for the highest and n two for tho
lowest card. 1t is impossible to make any
thing of such a hand by d,awinr, and the
only thing to be done is to discard the
whole or play pat.
When a player finds thraes in hia hand
OH the first deal he at once recognizes the
fact that il may be la owed to either q
full hand or tours. There IL no other in
crease OF value possible. Oncc in every
twenty-three and u half times four of \
kind ma be made by drawing two cards to
threes. just twice IA often, or about one
in twelve times, n full hand may BIS made.
1t ia possible, therefore, to imp owe this
hand by drawing Just once i'll evoty eight
times.
A ~favorita play is to retain an odd card,
discArding and drawing one card. and thus
accomplishing the valuable result of DO
ceiving one's rivals as to the strength of
the hand. The probabilities of improving
the hSnd, are of course much less, four of
a kind being possibly made i'll this way
only onos IN forty-Aeven times. Ihs one
cad draw creates the impression that the
hand ia either II straight, a flush or two
pairs. 1t seems to Co che opinion of good
judges that as three of u kind IL nineteen
times out of twenty a good enough hand to
win the pot, it offers the possessor a very
rangs to win Tor the exercise of his
own JUDGMENT in the draw. 1t matters OF
how the draw is made. the lar ID bound
to remain good and may be improved. For
this reason tho policy of masking the ham
is often advisable, for the one-card draw
especially is calculated to create an APP
of blufiug, indicating u draw to
a bobtail straight or flush.
Some excellent authorities on poker say
that viii three of u kind it is almost always
best to hold up Il card and draw one.
While 1t seems q little p~acadoxical to talk
about drawing cards to a hand which is
dealt to you in its complete fotm, such as a
full, yet it often occurs that, for reasons of
.he moment, it RS advisable to discard the
pair and draw two cards, or, mole p.oba-
ply, to tn ow sway one of the associate pair
md draw one. When there are only q few
and a full hand with aces or kings
is dealt it is better to mask the strength
Of the hand by throwing away the small
pair, or one of them at least, retaining the
,hree aces or three kinds. But this. OF
lrqa IA 1AFTatE n19ttaF TnY individual
and tho emergency OF tho moment.
Tho larger the number OF players IN n
,amo the better play it ia to draw one card
o a bobtaii flush or straight. As far as the
cement of chance goes 1t must be remem-
,sred that the four cards are of absolutely
'e drawn. except 30 far as blufing is con
ernsd. There is no earthly probability of
bobtall winning on its merits, Conse-
.uently the only chance Of winning Is by
improving the hand. 1t is hardly worth :
7hlls to take the risk unless this pot IS one
+ considerable size.
Drawing to 81 straight with both ends
pen IS very good play. 80 the odds are only
bout six to one against its being made. But
rawing to An intermediate straight is I
aklng & chance of one in twalye. a flush, 4
to the c~alculus of probabilities, '
hould, on II ole-card draw, be made nine
INES out of forty-seven. {
After the discarllng comes the betting. >
Primarily the bettor. or the player on whom !
ne duty of b6tting or passing out' first 3
evolves. is the second to the dealers left.
le bets first or goes out, and each player
tier him has the privilege Of either 'see- \
what he has bet, raising it or passing {
ut. When in this way the turn of the ape &
reached ha may raise up to the limit or
IMPLY ''see" the highest bet already made,
nd tho advantage of his position is such :
lat nobody can raise" him. His ''seeing''
ALA for a show down" of hands. /
That form of betting known az biufing, :
'hich, by some, is @erroneousiv supposed to !
characterize the game of draw poker as =
give it, actually, the name of bluff in ,
'me Localities. IL a necessary part of the Y
arne as bsst played. But it cannot be de-
led that many Joker players do get =
lrougn an evening without once resorting \
it. This fact that they pretend to bluff,
bluff at ~bluffinG. has, however, the de- L
rad result, in producing an erroneous i'm
ression on the minds OF their companions
table, producing such impressions being :
decd Il sine qua non to success. Fo: the
layer known never to bluff is never r
called" except On some hand shown by ex.
to bs probably superior to his.
bluffs are almos. impossible in a
jack pots w. j. FLORENCE. :