Arizona silver belt., 1896-02-20
POKER IS POPULAR.
Boston's Upper Circles Are Intent
 on the Fascinating Game.
How Society People of Back Bay spend Their Spare Time-some New Feat ures That Have Been
 Introduced.

Introduced.
 Very few people outside certain cir cles of the Back Bay have any concep- tion of the extent to which poker play ing is carried in that section. 'fhe whole locality is divided into sets" and it is customary for each one io hold a session at his or her house nearly every night in the week.
 The usual hour for beginning play Is eight o'clock. and it is customary for the ladies to dress for the occasion, while the gentlemen not infrequentiy 'aIray themselves in full evening cos tune. The standard limit is ten cents, one reason for making it so small being that the conscientious shall not feel that they are gambling. Generally there are three hours of play. after which the hostess asks her guests to light repast. consisting of sardines, crackers, cheese and sweetmeats. Bot tied beer is the favorite beverage. but there are instances on record where something stronger has been indulged In. A great many society people of both sexes drink rum punch. lemonade dashed with whisky and plain gin. The usual time devoted to refreshments IS IS minutes, as all are anxious to get at the cards again.
 It frequently happens that seven and eight players are present at a sitting, and when everybody stays" the cards fall short, which necessitates gather ing up the dead wood" and filling out the hands from it. There is n we'll grounded superstition that these dis cards have been robbed of everything of value and that to draw from them is equivalent to throwing the chips into 0 red hot stove. To in measure meet these exigencies II and l2 spot cards have been added, making the pack con sist of 60 cards instead of 52.
 Another innovation is the ring doodle" A ringdoodle is declared when 8 hand has been called and fours are shown. Then follows n round of jack pots, the holder of the winning hand starting them. Blue chips are put up to correspond with the number of play CTS. Of course, a round of jack pots would be equivalent to ringdoodle, but it comes easier to some players to pay on the iDstallment plan. Then regular round of jacks is declared when O full hand is shown. Two are never allowed to play in the modern game, no matter how good their hands may be. A jack pot always follows. There are also buck jacks and jacks on the slightest provocation. It has now become the custom to make a discount of one red chip for every jack pot. When the time has crept on toward midnight the keeper of the kitty an nounces that a round of consolation jacks will be played. The chips are di- rided into number of piles cores bonding with the number of players, and the extras are placed in the center of the table with the individual contri- buttons.
 There are few sets audacious enough to play 20-cent limit, but it has not yet transpired how they figure out safety from the charge of gambling. When society plays poker there is al- ways big supply of cards on hand. If luck runs badly for player a new PdNh is nut ~ tune changes her plans.
 Another characteristic of society poker is to be found in the limited mcm- ory exhibited by the players. All the winners are unanimously declared to b' the luckiest persons alive that they never lose, while at the four or five pre- >ious sittings they have come out be- hind every time. There can be no sys- tenn in society poker, owing to the small limit; it is virtually showdown, and to those who are luckiest in draw ing cards go the winnings. One of the mysteries of an experienced poker play CT is how women can keep the run of their cards and at the same time carry or a lively conversation about Mrs. So- End-So's last baby, the coming changes in balloon sleeves, tid-bits of scandal, etc, but they do it, and the cases are rare where the liyeliest talker misses coming into jack pot or rsweetening.- Boston Herald.