Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-24
TwO-HANDED DRAW POKER.
POpkins and BiGGs Indulge I'm n Game
to the Latter's Discontinue.

There is something barbarous about two
handed draw poker 1t is a thoroughly cut
throat game. When five six men are
playing the sport, though never savoring
Of altruism, perhaps, has the character of
a general melee in which no ones efforts
ere directed against any particular an
tagonist. But sit down deliberately to rob
your friend. or be robbed by him, duel
fashion, over a pack of cards-why, it is
downright wicked!
However, little Biggs never hesitates at
doing a thing because it is wicked. He
likes game of two-handed poker. For the
matter Of that. Popkins was nothing 10th
when invited. The latter, in respect to
moral principles. is no better than Riggs,
though his reputation is on a superior
plane. He Is never seen to enter a saloon;
though he takes rather large drinks at the
club. The collection of books displayed in
his study at home is almost wholly compos
ed Of religious works; the French novels
are under the sofa.
The game was played at Biggs' rooms.
He could not very well invite a crowd
there because the landlady might object.
In fact such thing did happen on one oc-
casion, when. in the midst of most ex-
citing Jackpot the mistress of the mansion
made her appearance. During the hush
vigorous defamation. the burden of which
was that gents whose board was nearly
eleven weeks in arrears might do better
than gamble away the money that vas
owing to a poor woman with nine children
to support.
But duo at poker may be played with
little or no noise. Indeed, that style of
game so absorbs the attention of the
players that much converse ton is out of
the question. One or the other OCCASION
ally remarks, Your ante" or That's
good" and the cards are dealt again. There
is solemnity about two-handed draw"
which approaches the religious. 1t can
hardly be termed form of entertainment.
On the contrary, 1t is pure business-a
cold-blooded style of gambling which the
young should learn to avoid. They should
be taught to eschew the vice, unless q
gang of at least five can be secured.
Not with entire sang froid be it con-
fessed. did little Biggs see the tickle god
dess in her most untender mood pursue
his breath he exhausted his vocabulary of
profanity as his friend Popkins pulled in
pot after pot. His luck was of the worst
possible sort, giving him good hands but
always better ones 70 his adversary. At
midnight he had lost all the money in his
pocket-reckoned by Popkins next morning
at $31.45 Then he had brief spell Of bet
ter fortune, ard II really seemed as IL he
was going to get back his investment.
Again he began to lose, and for while
the luck seemed to wobble Popkins got
sleepy he would nave been glad to stop,
but an unwritten law forbids a poker player
who Is much ahead to pause. Honor demands
that he shall continue, in order that his
opponent shall have a show to recover his
money. So the game proceeded, unfortu-
nately for Biggs, who was struck about 8
a. m. by what he has since declared was
the most friGhtful series of mschances that
he ever ran up against. Whatever he might
hold, Popkins invariably sat behind some
thing better.
The game was on cash basis. That had
been positively agreed at the beginning
Having lost every penny in his peck ats
Biggs fell back on collateral. Having for
feited his watch some months previously
to gentleman who had accepted it as
security for a loan, he decided to risk such
articles of furniture in his rooms as were
not the property of Mrs Buggs, the land
lady. So, bit by bit, he parted with a
shaving set, dressing table, a writing
desk, student lamp, boot backing
equipment, and two alarm clocks.
Having thus disposed OF everything he
owned. except his clothing-for which Pop
kins was unwilling to gamble, because the
-Biggs finally consented to stop playing
the hour being nearly 6 a. m. He gave a
receipted bill-of-sale for the furniture lost
to the winner, who put the alarm clocks in
his coat pockets and started for home
Though sleepy, Popkins experienced that
sense Of virtue which is to be derived from
hours prohtably employed-t matters rot
what hours. Whistiing q blithe melody he