The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-18
THE GAME OF POKER.
How the Great American Institution was
Managed In Shakespeare's Time.


The claim is made that poker, whether
it be Straight or draw is, SO far as a
game at cards is concerned, an essentially
American institution. 1t is to be feared
that this claim must be abandoned. This
is the age Of the iconoclast. He is con-
tinually discovering that what we believe
is the new is in reality the old, and it will
really go near to be thought that, as the
wise King Solomon hath it, "There is no
new thing under the sun
By the old writer's the game of "prime-
ro' is frequently made mention of, and
Shakespeare had two illusions to it, In
the fifth scene of the fourth act of "Merry
Wives of Windsor Sir John Falstaff ex-
claims, II have never prospered since !
foreswore myself at primero'- as to
the value of his hand it is to be presumed
In liking Henry VIII" act 5, scene /, this
occurs:
Lovell-Cane you from the king, my lord?
Gardiner did, Sir Thomas. and left him at
primero with the Duke of Suffolk.
The Duke of Suffolk, it will be remem-
bered, was the brother-in-law of the king,
having married his sister Mary, '.the
French queen" as she was called, the
widow of Louis XII of France
This game of primero was favorite,
though at the same time quite complicated,
and went quickly out of fashion after the
introduction of the game of omber. It was
played with six cards, although there were
several forms of it, as there are of poker.
One of the most curious accounts Of prime
70 is given in q work entitled stMinshenss
Dialogues, published in London in 1899,
SRe author of the book, John Minsheu, be-
ing contemporary with Shakespeare. Here
is an extract from one of the dialogues:
o.-Noy, to take away all occasion of strife,
will give meane, and let it be primero.
M.-You have saide very well, for it 10
n1eane between extremes.
LII take it that it is called primero because
1t hath the first place at the play at cardes.
R.-Let us goe. What is the summe that we
play for2
M.-Two shillings stake and shillings rest.
L.-Then shuttle the cardes WELL
OIL lift to see who shall deale. 1t must be a
coats card. would not be q coat with never
q blanke In my purse.
RI did lift an ace.
LII Tower.
M a size, whereby am the eldest hand.
O.-Let the cardes come to me, for deal
them. One, two, three, Tower; one, two, three,
Tower.
M.-Passe.
R.-Passe.
L.-Passe.
OIL set so much.
MI will none.
R.-Ile none.
LII must of force see il. Deal the cardes.
M.-Give me Tower cardes. lie see as much
as he sets.
R.-See here my rest. Let every one he In
MI am come to passe again
Rand too.
LII do the self same.
OIL set my rest.
Nile see it.
RI also.
LII cannot give it over.
M was small prime.
LII am flush.
M would you were not.
LIS this good neighborhood?
M.-Charitie, well placed, doth first begin
with ones selfe.
OIL made five and fiftie, with which was
his prime.
LII flush, whereby draw.
RI play no more at this play.
But that the language is Anticipated, we
might almost regard this as the talk at
the poker table of the present day, and
how redolent of that game the whole dia-
logue is! We may assume that the ante
was 2 shillings and the limit of the bet
shillings-the stake being the ante and
the crest" the limit. 0. deals the cards,
and all pass except the dealer, who "sets,''
or bets,so much. L. sees the bet, and then
they all come in and t'the hands are help
ed" O., who has t'opened the pot"
again "bets,' - and they all see him. M.
thinks to win on "a small prime''-a
small pair perhaps, upon which he was
blufing, while NJ. had 'hush," and SO
raked the pile 1t is an every day and ev-
cry night occurrence; nothing but the old
thing over again. Call it by whatever
name we will, "primero'' or 'tpoker," be
it ancient or modern, it is one and the
same Let us ''put on sullen black" for
we can no longer regard the game as strict
~ NATURALIZATION Herald.