The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-13
CONGRESSIONAL GAMES.

A Representative Who Had His Faith in
an Old AdaKe Somewhat haken
Congressman play poker Just the same az
other mortnls who like to tempt fortune.
That ia, some of them do. Almost fabu-
lous tales are told of poker games at the
capital in the old days "bsfo' the wah.'
There have besn a few games here since
then. and IL ia probable that draw poker
, will continue to be one of tho diversions
among sportive statesmen as long as the
American people continue to send their
rep esentatives to Washington to make
laws and while away idle hours on the
banks of the Potomac. Several of the sen
ators are said to be good players, and there
is moro than one member OF the house who
knows the proper time to bet on a bobtail
flush.
Some of the Missouri members of CON-
grsss play what is called a right stiff game.
They secm to know the game of poker out
in that country pretty thoroughly. It was
evidently taught to the natives ont the e in
the days of pixies peak o. BUST and
they have not forgotten the principles OF
it since. Some Of the Missourians have old
adaRes about the game. or rather adages
that they have followed for many years. to
which they adhere with great regularity.
One of these is that the same hand never
fails twice in succession III the Same qua .
ter, on the same principle that lightning
doesn't strike twice in the same place.
my faith in this sdnge," said one of the
Missourians. a short time ago. has never
been shaken but once. There were six of US
in q game out in the old Missouri state a
few years since, and the limit was small.
We Missourians play mostly to amuse our
solves. and the stakes are never high. I had
been playing in average luck and was a lit
%fa nhaoA If tho rorn Hnvir, eocrr rod %~o
pairs, queens up l called a young gentle
man sitting or my left. He blandly ex-
posed four seyens as he gracefully raked
in the chips. On tho next deal I was the
age and got a pair Of t"eys. The
man who a just held fou- sevens
drew three cards. and the others drew
one, two and three respectively. My chances
for the not looked quite slim, I thought, but
uron picking up the three cards l had asked
for l found three aces. making my hand an
ace full. 70 my delight the betting opened
quite lively. The first man bet the limit,
only to be raised by the three players who
succeeded. l raised of course when it came
to me, and the battle finally settled down
between the man who had held four savens
and myself. ! reasoned that as he had
held fours on the previous ham it would be
quito impossible 70: him to hold them
again. AS tours we're required to beat nv
ace full l raised him twenty times. He
became quite automatic in raising ms back,
and was quite pale in the bargain. + hest
tated for a minute, but the memory Of the
hand nerved me and l kept a. the raising.
l couldn't raise him ont. and I finally
called. He was SO nervous that he could
hardly speak, but that didn't prevent him
from showing ne fou SKIES. He had held
q rair Of SKIES and had drawn the other
two, while | held a full hand. With this
one exception l have never known fours to
fall to the same man twice in succession, |
all, the great point in poker is to
know just when to lay down your hand"