Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-06
THE GAME OF POKER.
How the Great American Institution Was
Managed In Shakespeare's Time.

Managed In Shakespeare's Time.
The claim is made that poker, whether
It be straight or .sdraw,' is, so far as
game at cards is concerned. an essentially
American institution. 1t is to he 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 sum-
By the old writers the game of prime
TO" is frequently made meation of. and
Shakespeare had two illusions to it. In
the fifth scene of the fourth net of Merry
Wives of Windsor Sir Joha Faistaff sex-
claims. 81 have never prosSered since
foreswore myself at primer+"-tied as to
the value of his hand it is to be presumed.
In King Henry VIII.' act ), scene |. this
oc :urs:
Lowell Game you from the Ling. my lord2
C2rdiner-I did. Sir Thomas. and left him ut
primcro with the Duke of Sut7rlk.
The Duke of Suffolk, it win be renem-
bered. was the brother-in-ifw of the king.
having married his sister Mary. 1.-The
French queen as she was called, the
widow of Louis XII of France
This game of primero was a favorite.
though at the same time quite complicated.
and went quickly out of fashion after the
introduction of the game of omber. IL was
played with six cards. although there were
several forms of il, as there are of poker.
One of the most curious accounts of prime
70 is given in work entitled "Minsheu's
Dialogues" published in London in 1899.
the author of the book. John Minsheu, be-
ing contemporary with Shakespeare. Here
Is an extract from one of the dialogues:
O.-Now, 10 take away all occasion of strife.
will give a meane, and let it DE primero.
M.-You have saide very WELL for it is a
meane between extremes.
LII take it that it is called primero because
it hath the first place at the play at rardes.
R.-Let US goe. What is the summe that we
play for?
M--Two shillings stake and shillings rest.
L.-Then shuffle1he cardes well.
OIL lift TO see who shall dcale. 1t must be q
coats card. i would not be coat with never
. blanke in my purse.
RI did lift an ace.
LII a fower.
Nj sixe, whereby am the eldest hand.
O.-let the cardes come to me, for deal
them. One, two, three, flower; one, two, three,
fower.
M.-Passe.
R.-Passe.
L.-Passc.
o. set SO much.
Nj will none.
R.-Ilc none.
Ii must of force see it. Deal the cardes.
M.-Givc me Tower cardes. lie see much
as he sets.
R-See heerc my rest. Let every one be in.
NJ am come to passe again.
rand too.
Ii do the self same.
o. set my rest. -.
Mile sec it. M
RI also. l..s- Nsi
IL cannot give it over.
Nj was a small prime. e.
l. LII arr flush
M would you were not.
LIS this good neighborhood?
N.-Cbaritic, well placed, doth Grst begin
with ones selfe.
o. made five and fiftie, with which l 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 din
logue is. We may assume that tho ante
was shillings and the limit of the bet s
shillings stake" being the ante and
the crest" the limit. O. deals the cards,
and all pass except the dealer, who "sets,
or bets so much. J.. sees the bet. and then
they all come IN and ''the hands are help
ed" O.. Who has "opened the pot,
again "bets, " and they all see him. NJ.
thinks to win on "a small prline"-a
small pair perhaps, upon which he was
blufling, while NJ. had a flush" 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 ''poker," be
it ancient or modern, it is one and the
same. Lt's us put on sullen black, for
we can TO longer regard the game AS s!.,ct-
" national Boston Herald.