The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-12
PLAYING POKER.
HOW a BUSINESS MAN WAS CURED
OF HIS INFATUAFIoN.


Winning on Straight Flush Which
He Thought Ee Had, but Hadn't
Betting With Money Taken From
Funos IntTusted to His Care.
gSom the Washington Star.
81 was cured of playing poker by an Incl
dent the like of which have never heard
or" said business man to Star writer.
at was just about eighteen years ago. /
was passionately addicted to the game at
that period. spending all my spare time, and
more too, 10 pursuing its varying chances.
The vice gets a wonderful hold upon q man,
50 that have known more than one good
fellow who became so devoted to it as to be
unable TO get enjoyment out Of anything
else. Business and all other employmeats
were neglected for the fascinating occupa-
ton of sitting behind five cards.
That Is pretty much the way it was
with me. Twas employed in q commercial
establishment, occupying position of some
responsibility, but during the day my mind
was constantly taking flight from my WORK
and always felt feverish longing for the
hour o'clock in the evening, when play
a
longed. The organization, though nomi-
nelly for social purposes, had no other OBJ
ject than poker, though the members Of 1t
we're men Of excellent social standing.
Many of them had large means. But have
never known a poker-playing club which
was not broken up sooner or later by dis
putes of a serious nature. The one l speak
of was no exception to the rule, and from
first TO last there were not less than half a
al yhrh ar a
by the gambling fever and procured money
to crafty the morbid taste by Legitimate
means, the inevitable result being exposure
and ruin.
A REMARKABLE OCCURRENCE.
II don't know what my own fate might
have been but for the remarkable occur
renee which l am about to relate to you.
My salary was all had to live upon, and
was not over careful in my expenditures
generally, being a single man. Ny impress
sion is that played rather more skillfu ly
than the average OF my opponents. The
only reason l have for thinking so is that 1
won pretty constantly. have rarely met
poker player who did not imagine that he
was rather expert at the game. so that hes
itate to claim any superiority for myself in
that regard. However, l was so far success
full thai came TO count upon my winnings
as reasonably sure source Of money sup
ply. This went on for nearly two years,
but finally / struck very bad streak OF
luck aud lost largely. / gave several notes
of hand for cash due and got myself so
snarled up in various ways financially that
l could not see my way out OF trouble at
all
"In this situation found myself very I'M
happy, of course. Naturally, | sought dis
traction at the poker table. 1t was estonish-
ing how my unlucky streak continued. The
only superstition which indulge, so far as
| am aware, relates to the apparent tend
ency OF fortune to run in streaks. II you
have ever gambled you must have observed
how, If you are winning, everything runs
your woy, and otherwise contrariwise. At
all events, l continued to lose and found
myself at length in so desperate plight
that goodness only knows what might have
happened in the end. You will remember
that, as have told you, / occupied a position
Of trust. Large funds in cash belonging to
others were placed in my hands.
TOOK FUNDS NOT BELONGING TO HIM.
ibid / say that IL was doubtful what
might have happenedg That was not putt
ting it truly. But for an accident my fate
would have been only too certain. In a
moment Of desperation took large sum
from the funds in my charge, with the in
was so bad that. as reasoned to myself, ]
could not refrain from throwing everything
upon a single cast. At that time the play
at the club speak Of had risen very high.
We had begun with modest limit, estab-
lished by a regulation, but it is the expert
enoe Of every one that has played poker that
the stakes are subject to an almost inevita-
BILE law of Increase. The loser demands this
opportunity In order that he may recover
hjs ovA ha vuS.u hav 1ly,r ~,
being confident besides that his good
fortune will continue
$50 1t happened that the game in which
had been accustomed to play, whore two or
three tables were occupied nightly, had
been shorn of its limit entirely. 1t was evil
dent that maRY of the members were gamb-
ling altogether beyond their means, but
they would have taken it as an insult IL the
winners bad suggested such an idea to them.
In the long run, when a certain ccterie Of
men play poker with each other. nearly all
of them lose, while perhaps only two or
three win the money. There were three
players in the club belonged TO who were
believed to have scooped ia the greater part
Of tho wealth. One Of thom was O highly re-
spectacle merchant, while the other two
were persons Of nominaIly good repute who
toiled not &C other occupations save poker.
My belief had even than come to be that
they depended chiefly for livelihood upon
their success In the game.
LOST FROM THE START.
ION the night / speak of, when l had
taken for purposes of play the money which
was not my own, I encountered at the same
table those thrse men. There were two
other players both Of Indifferent quality,
besides. AS usual, began losing from the
very start and continued to do so right
along. This made me reckless aud thus the
game rose very high. As / subsequently
ascertained, the two men OF whom l have
particularly spoken we're cheats. They
played into each others hands, and one OF
them, at all events, understood the difficult
art of putting up the cards in whatever
fashion ha dnnirod Thav MARA 18th a.