The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-14
BEATING FIVE SKIES.
A Combination in Poker That Does
Not Often Occur.

How far man ought TO play tours is one of
those vexed questions about which even the
most expert poker players dispute; but how
far man should play fives when by a curious
combination Of circumstances, fVes come TO
him. is something entirely without and beyond
the limit OF ordinary mathematics just
what man should do with a phenomenon of
that sort depends on the man. The personal
equation rules the problem. James +. Stephen
son played them for all he had-$3S-and
then the other fellow, one Guy La Pierre, took
the money
Il came to town on Monday last,' Mr.. Sic
phenson said, ito take place I've been PROM
ised with comnission-hOuse here, what nuyS
produce from my pa. down at High Hill IN
Moniteau County. 1 don't pretend to be no
pok er-player. nor no ming; but when one
of the gentlemen that works in the saloon
wha' i get my lunch got TO telling me bout
how he had win S14 the night before
from some suchers what he had mel up with
on Tenth and Market, l gets ambitious, aud
tells him, does, that | would surely like To
get som of the chicken pie. He says he Will
steer me agin that game that night, which
was yesterday, which he sur. do. IL want't
much of a game. bein' in hind of pretty
tough saloon. and the way sized up the fell
lows didn't think there was foteen dollars In
the bunch. But | says nothing not wishing
to hurt nobody's feelings, and l sets in aud
buys 81 worth OF chips. The game, she
fiutter mis- way and she flicker that, and
L buy two more OF the 50 stacks, just like
man would that couldn't make connection.
Pretty soon tn re war a very good pot. what
had Sc in it. which win, after some spirited
betting on fob full Well. that gives me con-
Hdence, and so when by and by l picks up
three SKIES on a jack pot, just mashed 'em
The limlck time aud again. made that Jack
pot quite expensive. but three or them gen.
uemen they stayed and stayed, and they hiSte
me des as frequent as htste them. IL was
81 llmick. and I'd got ten pluDks into the
middle of the table before one weakened man
which had the drop Of The play call. rake TWO
cards, and The other gentlemen take according
to their various needs. one OF them standing
pat. | squeezed and squeezed, and tDa' was
that other six what I'd been hoBing TO-.
Well, sab, l des naturally bet Tie limick, next
on. and so on, ME trottng around every heat,
and fitting of it when get the chanst, so as 10
make II more interesting. 1t was raise
you one,' raise you another tilt you one
more, until you had 10 watch 81 flicker
every time you sung song. which / did most
money and 500 which my Uncle James have
sent me TO buy him watch, and | blew her
all In on my four skies, and then / call for a
showdown, which they very genteelly allows.
My pot which contain what money have bet
is pushed one SIDE, while TWO of them
gentlemen that still have some money left
continue OF wagering their dough until
they likewise come TO a standstll. One
OF them gentlemen have a ace full the
other king full. i smiles kind of olly and
then flick over my keards, exposing Of my four
skies and also of other six Which then see
for the first TIM, not knowing which had OF
IL. The man with the ace full grab at the not
saying that had a foul hand, which / sure
had. and grab at the pot Claiming that such
betting as did was on the theory that had
four skies, not five, and I offer him TO take auy
card which he like to give me stead Of the fifth