St. Paul daily globe., 1891-04-19
BIG GAME OF POKER
Lively Tussle by a Party Of
Rich Californians at Lake
Tahoe.
Swelling Of a Jack Pot to the
Noble Dimensions of Over
100000.
The Great Doodle All Raked
in by Smiling "Lueky"
Baldwin.
He Winds Up the Game With
a Phenomenally Lucky
Four-Capd Draw.

poker ever played in California, says
the st. Louis Republic, came off at
Lake Tahoe last summer, between
Charles Clayton, Horace Smith, Martin
Davids and George Baldwin, four eX-
ceedingly wealthy men. Clayton is
cattleman whose possessions in Butte
county are estimated to be worth up
ward of S3,000,0 600; Smith owns mines in
Placer county that are putting thou
sands of dollars into his pocket daily;
Davids owns ranches and lands in
Monterey county to the worth of S5,000,-
900; George Baldwin is the owner of
fast horses, valuable lands. and pro-
prietor of the Baldwin hotel, San Fran
cisco. He has been heard of frequently
through public prints as Lucky"
Lake Tahoe is a famous summer re-
sort. and is freQuenred during the hot
months by the wealthieSt people in the
upper half of the state. On Castle Rock,
a rugged island in the midst of Lake
Tahoe, George Baldwin has built sum-
mer residence. where he entertainS his
friends royalty, and report has it that
many thousands of dollars have been
lost and won with cards within the walls
of Castle house, as the Baldwin estab-
lishment is called. 1t was at this house
that the great game above referred to
took place. 1t was great not through
the cleverness in force during the
play, but in the enormity of the Stakes,
which were over $500, 600. The men had
feasted, wined, and dined, and gained
for week. The evening before the
party was to disperse Davids, who sat
in the sumptuouS dining room, tilted
back against the wall. enjoying an af-
ter dinner cigar, rather carelesSly sug-
gested that they close the night and the
season with great game of draw
poker. The suggestion seemed to please
the other members of the party, and
Clayton, the cattleman, asked how he
would have it played.
II would have no money bet," said
Davis.
1.-The stakes should be real or per-
sonal property, and there should be no
limit to the stakes. I've been playing
in pretty hard luck the last week; Pve
lost all my ready cash, and | feel like
making an effort to get even or lose a
great deal more"
The idea suits me-" said Baldwin.
II am in favor of giving Davis chance
to get even if he wants it,"
"My idea," said Davis, sis to play
the game until Jackpot is made, and
the winning of the pot shall end the
game"
To this the others agreed and they de-
cided that the game should be begun at
10 O'Clock. and at that hour the four
men, with a dozen spectators about
them. seated themselves at the table
and the deal fell to Clayton.
The game was an interesting one and
the stakes lost and won up to 8 o'clock
great advantage. A few minutes past
o'clock Smith dealt set of weak hands
and Jackpot was made. 1t was made
up of slips of paper torn from note
books, on which were written the
amounts of the bets. Clayton had bet
nine head of Jersey cows; Davis bet was
four acres of tillable land two miles
from Monterey; Baldwin's bet was lot
in the town OF San Rafael, and Smith
had bet two shares of stock in the Sui
phur Gulch mine. These bets repre-
sented cash value of about 81, 500.
Davids sat at the left of Smith, who
passed the cards to him. II Think"
said he, THAT the squarest way to play
this out will he to choose some one who
has no financial interest in the game to
deal the cards, and there can be no sus-
picion OF trickery."
This suggestion pleased the other
players and they selected George Hay
ward, San Francisco merchant, to act
as dealer.
The cards were thrown around, but
nobody caught openers" and the pot
was "fattened" with more COWS. town
lots, acres and mining stock. Twenty
times the cards were dealt and twenty
times the Jackpot was ''fattened," for
the cards failed to combine, and the
spectators had got off their chairs and
were watching the game with deep
interest. for there was now repre-
sentation of $4,000 ou the table. At
opened the pot with 300 head of cattle;
this bet was equal to $4,000,
but he knew that he was playing
with gamy men, and he had no fear
that they would draw out; nor was he
disappointed, for Baldwin covered the
bet with house and lot in Oakland.
while Smith saw it with nine shares of
Gray Jacket mining stock and DavidS
came i'll with ninety acres of land near
the town of Pacific Grove.
The Jackpot now lOomed up. It was
worth. at a rough guess, $4,000, and
the men showed by the manner in
which they eyed each other that it
would be much larger than that before
the game was ended.
"CardS?" asked the dealer of Clayton,
who was half out OF sight in a cloud of
tobacco smoke.
"Fll stand pat" he replied, with his
eyes fixed on the white slips of paper in
the center of the table. and his cards
carefully concealed under his hand.
His action caused the other players to
change their positions uneasily. Smith
drew first, taking two cards; Davis
came next and he drew a single paste
board; Baldwin was apparently playing
Oh his nerve and trusting to luck, for he
drew four cards.
1t was evident that the four men
meant business, and Clayton promptly
set the pace by betting 1,O9O head of
cattle, which was equal to 1000.
Smith. the miner, pondered over his
cards awhile, looked suspiciously at
Clayton from under his eyebrows, and,
then, writing on slip of paper an
order for fifty shares of stock in the
Endless lead mine, dropped it OH the
table. saying: "I'll raise you $40,
Davids covered the bet with 1000
acres of land near Monterey, and Bald
win quickly came in with a business
block in Santa Cruz.
Clayton ran his thumb over the cor
nerS or his cards few times, and finally
lcdiIcu Udch III HIS CLd1E ana OrQ6r6u q
bottle of champagne. For a quarter of
an hour the players and spectators
slipped the wine and commented upon
the various phases of the game; then
the four men faced each other once
more. Clayton evidently was not to be
bluffed out of the game, and he bet l 1000
more head of cattle, which covered
Smiths raise of $4,000 and went S10.0OO
better. Smith promptly covered the
bet with ten shares of stock. Davids
came in with 100 acres of laGd, and
Baldwin closed the cali with ten valua-
BILE horses. ''Show your cards." he said.
Clayton, with a triumphant smile,
threw down four jacks. Smith WINGED,
and with an oath tossed his cards on the
table. He held four ten-spots.
He was out of the race, but Davis was
to be heard from, and he smiled def
antly at Baldwin as he slowly displayed
four queens. Clayton's jaw fell, and he
left the table in disgust, but Baldwin
calmly said:
81 am sorry for you, gentlemen.