The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-10
EXPERT At DRAW POKER
How Gen. Spinola Won Many Pots
in the Great American
Game.
Four Very Remarkable Hands
Held in the Old Blossom
Club.
The General Once Thought He had u
Straight Flush and Found He
was Mistaken.

Va AOW RSASA ~"
KNOWN SAYS the New York World. From
his earliest connection with local and state
politics he was IN ardent student of the
game, and at the national capital up to the
time Of his death he was regarded az an au-
thority on it. The general loved to play
poker as a recreation, but he almost invaria-
bly won, and he attributed his success to
the fact that he had the game down to a
science.
Few men knew the good-natured con-
gresham better than did Ambrose n. Purdy.
ex-assistant district-attorney. He also is
an ardent lover of the great American
game, and can roll of stories of remark
able winnings and losings and strange
combinations of cards at q great
rate. Gen. Spinola liked moth
ing better than sitting in a $20-iimit
game. He never told, or at least he had
the reputation of never telling = poker story
that was not founded on fact. MIR. Purdy
used to sit for hours listening to the gen.
erals interesting yarns, and he can always
find an audience eager and willing to listen
to a repetition of them.
The other night Mr.. Purdy sat with a
party of friends at Dslmonico's taking =
bite after the theater. and in some way or
other the generals name was mentioned in
connection with poker.
There said Mr.. Purdy, nov you're
talking about n man who knew more about
that game in five minutes than most people
will ever know. Draw poker was Gen.
Spinola's hobby, and he had it figured down
to an allspice on a human nature basis.
There is more human nature in poker
than in any other game played
with cards, and it was because
of his close attention to the game
and thorough comprehension of its posi-
bilitiss that the general was so fortunate at
it. He has bsen called in Washington the
luckiest player of his time, but it wasn't
luck altogether that made the general win.
He had certain rules which he always fol-
lowed strictly. They are very simple, and
believe q man who follows them will in
the long run come out considerably ahesd.'
Here MI. Purdy fumbled in one of the
pockets of q big Russia-leather wallet, and,
after q few moments search, drew out q
slip of paper. 1t was an ordinary piece OF
note-paper, and was considerably worn
about the edges, but the characters were
perfectly legible.
IL 6Ies 6ukA ACY AZ uA0 ooRoA ANASo NSA'
Spinola gave me years ago, and l believe by
following them / have helped myself coz
siderably in a financial way. l will reac
them to you:
"'Nevsr raise q one-card draw unless yor
have a full hand.
ach is right and your mind at ease. My OK
perience is that the best time to play il
after 4 good dinner.
Don't stay in q Jackpot with less thar
q pair Of sevens, unless you are the only
man in except the opener.
Getaways draw to y four-straight or {
four-hush.
".Don't bet unless you have somethin,
to bet on, unless you think the other play
ers think you have.
Don't try to make your money win i
the cards are not running for YOU
'"These rules are the only ones that thu
general ever had," continued Mr.. Purdy
land any poker player will Immediately SCI
the force of them. I do not suppose Their
ia a man in the country who has had q
many thrilling experiences at the poker ia
BILE as the general had. Perhaps the mos
remarkable hands ever held by four mel
in a game were dealt some years ago in
club, which waa then the Tammany hall 80
cial organization l happened to be ther
on tho night in question. The general, Tx
Oliver and Jake Sharp. of Broadway rail
road fame. all of whom are now dead, AM
Dick Flanagan, the ex-coroner, were play
ing. The general never tired of telling tn
story, and whileit seems almost impossible
l can bear witness to its absolute truth.
"Oliver had been playing in pretty har
luck for an hour or two, and he called for
new deck Of cards, which he proceeded t
shuttle carefully, and which were in du
time cut and dealt. 1t was the general
age. As was customary, he made it s. t
~, IN rIckipr III Iiu houI Gt,op> ~ iuo
it $40. Flanagan skinned over his card
and made it $50. Oliver didn't look at hi
hand until ~Flannlgans money was in, an(
to the surprise of everybody, he, too, raise
it the limit. The old general smiled as /
made good the raises and remarked, as b
dropped in a blue chip: AS you all seer
to be in a raising mood Phi boost her my
SELF
'To make a long story short, they kel
boosting each other for a long time, and,
the generals suggestion. they all calle'
Oliver called 'cards?' The general shoe
his head and, with a grin, observed: 4
spoil my hand if took any 'Nuf here
said Sharp. These will do me- chimed
Flanagan, and. with a shrug of his shou
ders. Oliver put the pack in the middle
the table, observing, We'll, there ant mut
use of my taking any Then they begs
betting again, and there were several gooe
sized eheeka in the pot, together with
the chips that had been issued, when Il
general allowed that there was a good de
of money for a quiet, sociable game. Aga
he suggested that they sll follow his exaI
pie when he called. He thought, of cours
that il was his pot, and knew that at lea
two of the other fellows couldn't atfol
very we'll to lose the money they had put j
The general chuckled when Oliver b;
called.
"'You will now see the wisdom of 70
ways, gentlemen SAID he. spreading out
the table the three, four, five, six and sevt
of hearts.
'Sharp turned white, and threw down
sequence of spades from tray to ssven.
guess we'll split the money, general
said.
"'No, you don't. I've got a finger in t
pie put in Flanagan, and he exposed
straight flush of diamonds from three
seven.
During all this time Oliver. who h
turned all the colors of the ainbow in RAJ
succession, began to recover himself. Wit
out saying a word he turned over q sequeu
of the remaining suit, equal in value
each of the other three. OF course, t!
broke up the game. They divided
money and some one accused Oliver of hs
ing stacked the cards. He denied it, no
ever, and, RS he had never had the repu
ton of being a clever manipulation of
pastboards, all of the players accepted
word"
Mr.. Purdy's audience listened attentiv
until the last word was spoken, and I'll
one OF them loosely remarked: ooh, CO
Off" which led the others to smile incr
~ulously.
You don't believe it, eh?' asked Pur
with some spirit" Well, that's Just rs I
n that I cit h.ra and nnybndy who In,