Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-26

players to its spirit, would suggest that
the limit be never more than the equivalent
OF ten times the ante
What Straddling Affords.
Generally speaking, good players never
straddle. For straddling does not in reality
alter the chances of winning of anyone at
the table. 1t simply gives the straddler the
opportunity of drawing last and SO OF OBJ
serving what the other players draw, with
a view of forming the poker players legiti-
mate differences as to the value OF their
hands to begin with.
If the player next the age on the left does
not straddle no one else can, and he must
use his privilege before the completion of
| the deal No one, of course, may properly
look at his cards before the deal is COM
pleted all around After the third PLAYER
who sits next the age, has straddled the
''blind,' as the ante is often called, the
players next him may in turn straddle his
''blind" or raise, so long as the ''blind" is
not in this way made more than half the
limit of the betting.
But there is another kind of betting before
the draw which is recognized as legitimate
in draw poker and which does not carry with
it the privilege of drawing cards last. This
is called "raising before the draw" and by
this means any player beginning on the left
of the age is allowed to raise the stake then
being played for by putting that much addi-
tional into the pot to the limit or to any less
amount he chooses
AS such raise has an inevitable tendency
to keep other PLAYERS from drawing cards at
such an additional expense it is not wise to
resort to it except in extreme cases, where
the player so raising has good hand which
he believes the others are specially willing
to "buck" against, or for 'bluffing pur-
poses.
All in the Draw.
There is a slangy saying that the game of
poker is ''all in the draw" While this is
an exaggeration, it is not so very far from
the truth. And, in the first place, it should
be borne in mind that it is a duty each
player owes to the game, his neighbors and
himself to discard and draw quickly and
decorously. 1t should be concluded as
soon as possible after every one has come in
or passed out The practice of poring
over the cards should be deprecated; 1t
often prevents some other player from act
ing on an impulse suggested by the first
view of his own hand, and, by delaying
further procedure, annoys the other players
in general.
As to the method of discarding, one
should throw his discards to the center of
the table as nearly as possible in front Of
the next dealer. This discarding should be
done quickly and unhesitatingly. The
dealer must announce his draw in an audi
BILE voice; the other players, of course,
must ask fer their cards so as to be heard by
the dealer and other players as well. When
they have once spoken and received their
cards they cannot be required to answer
questions about them or to reannounce how
many they drew The chances of having
dealt on the ''go i'm are as follows:
Straight flush, once in g., 900 deals.
Fours, once in 4, 164 deals.
Full hand, once in 693 deals.
Flush, once in 507 deals.
Straight, once in 254 deals.
Threes, once in 45 deals.
Two pairs, once in 20 deals.
One pair, 10 times in 13 deals.
For the Purpose of Bluff.
Two cards should not be drawn to pair
unless the ace or king car be retained with
them, except for the purpose of "bluff" "
If most of the other PLAYERS are 'in" the
chances of drawing an ace or king are not
1uite so good as those of drawing small
card, because the other PLAYERS are more
likely to be staying in on high than on low
cards. The probabilities of such being the
case are of course quite impossible to
determine, but they are very slight and are
more than compensated by the chances of
increasing the comparative value of the hand
by making aces or kings cup" instead Of
Two small pairs. Thus, while it has been
well said that the actual mathematical
expectations of improving such a hand are
greater by drawing three cards, yet it cannot |
bc denied that the practical value of the |
hand is much enhanced by a successful two
o-l i odd III IL h
retained with small pair-that is, on the
merits of which the pot cannot, presumably, |
De won, say pair of mines or under.
The only possible wav of improving two
pairs being to make full hand, the chances
are IL to l against its being made. When |
two small pairs are held and there are indi-
cations of fairly good hands being out the
smaller pair is often discarded, the chances
Of drawing third 10 pair being greater |
than of making a full hand out of two pairs.
A gain, if two pairs be held with aces or
kings up and raise followed to a two-card
draw by one or the other players points to
threes being held by him, the smaller pair
might be discarded in the hope of making
high threes. No rules can be laid down for |
either of the above cases, as a question of
Judgment is involved.
When to Stand Pat.
A great many players of experience rec
,mmend standing pat occasionally on two
mall pairs This is unwise, as the only
land which is liable to be driven out is
land which is just little better. Almost
my player with 'aces up" or three of a
lind will call pat hand, particularly if
he pat be large one, and to stand pat on
wo pairs against an inferior hand is to
waste your resources.
To play a hand pat, the limit should be
aised both before and after the draw, and
he game will seldom be found to be worth
he candle. The only hand to stand pat on,
'ther than genuine one, is hand without
pair and nothing to draw to.
In the Southern States players consider
t almost point of honor to stand pat on a
land called "kilter"-that is hand with
nine for the highest and two for the low
st card. 1t is impossible to make anything
# such hand by drawing, and the only
hing 10 be done is to discard the whole or
,lay pat.
When player finds threes in his hand on
he first deal he at once recognizes the fact
hat it may be improved to either full
and or fours. There is no other increase
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