The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-11-06
IkTERNATIONAL POKER.
An Englishman's Two Pairs Were Good
Because They Were Two Pairs of

An Englishman's Two Fairs Were GOOD
| Because They Were Two Pairs of
| Kings.
| from the Pail Mall Gazettel
"Some one suggested that game of
poker might finish the evening in an
appropriate manner" said the Major,
land intimated my willingness to lose
three or four hours for the good of the
party.
"Then some one else suggested that
the game might be played at my quar-
| tiers. To this l made no objection, and
not long afterward we were sitting at
round table ready for business.
"There were five of us, and kept the
| bank. There were several nationalities
represented in the quintet. On my left
sat a Scotchman, who, naturally being
a cautious man, said he did not know
much about the game. Everybody
smiled pleasantly, and the other old
hands made up their minds to play close
to the breast bone. On my right sat an
American.
HE did not say anything about the
| Clldt dClSl VI lllo pay hSiiA5 e'"SA~ ttAseb
nothing he could say upos that point
would have any effect upon the rest of
us. Next to him sat an Englishman.
Having taken chips to the value of five
pounds, he said, L would like a little in
formation before we begin
thinking that he considered this the
proper thing to say, nobody responded,
and we prepared to cut for deal.
"'But Tn not joking said John Bull.
T really never played the game in my
| life
1.-THE rest Of us looked at him and saw
he was in earnest.
IF that's the case, old man. said,
you had better not come into the game,
because there are two or three warm
people sitting at this table,.
But want to come in he said, for
a man must learn poker sooner or later,
and I'd like to begin tonight. Just
mark the value Of the hands on piece
Of paper and I'll soon pick the game up
III did not like the idea of playing
with a man who really knew nothing of
the game, particularly at my own
rooms, and I intimated as much. He
persisted, however, and as FIVE players
make an enjoyable game, + said no
more. The American who sat on John
Bulls right marked the value Of the
hands on a sheet of paper and passed it
around. 1t was all right, and the Eng
lishman took possession of it and pro-
ceeded to learn it by heart.
'The limit was put at five shillings
and the game began. For an hour very
little money changed hands, and al
though John Bull showed a marked,
might almost say reprehensible pro-
clivity for coming in every hand, he
held his own. Toward the finish of the
second hour John Bull and / were gain
ing perceptibly, and the other players
were occasionally dropping CALCULATIONS
about their hard luck, the curious way
in which the cards ran, and SO forth.
I'm the middle Of the third hour there
was an intermission Of five minutes for
l refreshments.
"An intermission in poker is not like
any other kind Of intermission. The
only difference between 1t and the usual
mode of play is that you occupy one
hand with food and drink and continue
to play with the other. The beginner,
however, looks at the refreshments at
odd moments, whereas the old hand
keeps his eyes on the cards.
Finally, the remains of the frugal
feast were removed, and we went at it
again with fresh vigor. During the
evening the hands had been moderately
good, but nobody had held anything
startling. Finally, after we had been
playing for nearly four hours, picked
up hand that seemed to promise well,
if the others held anything at all de-
cent. 1t was my turn to deal. There
was a raise all round before the draw.
Everybody drew three cards, / drew
three to pair of jacks, and in the draw
I got two more jacks and an ace. The
combination struck me as wealth pro-
ducing.
ut was the turn of the American, who
sat on John Bulls right, to bet. He
said something and threw down his
cards. John Bull at once showed him
his hand. The American who is known
to his friends as the Sylph, because he
weighs trifie over eighteen stone,
looked at the cards in a casual way and
whispered something. John Bull imme-
diately bet the limit five shillings.
1t is small game, of course, but at
it you can drop twenty pounds with
great facility in the course of three or
four hours. The American on my right
dropped out. 1 raised John Bull the
limit. The Scotchman dropped out.
This left only John Bull and myself in
the game. I felt sorry for this, as
did not care to take his money. He
seemed to be in no way anxious about
1.-The result, and Immediately raised me
back. Every raise added half sover-
eign to the pot, which gradually began
to assume pleasing proportions.
"After four or five raises l thought
the thing had gone far enough, as John
Bull was beginner and we were play
ing at my rooms, so I said: I'll go a
bit slow, old man. Remember, this is
your first experience at poker