Evening star., 1896-12-23
THIS GAME =. YEARS OLD.
Two Devoted PinOchle Players Long
and Yet Unfinished Contest.

ri"m tie lineage Times Herald
What poker is to the American card
player, pinochle is to the German, although
perhaps the game could be better COM
pared to whist For. as in whist, there
is no opportunity to bet except on points,
and no Opportunity to raise bets. At the
same time the game is played very differ
emily from whist, or any other game.
Pinochle languishes during the summer,
when the German sits out doors in sum-
mer gardens slipping beer. Only the most
devoted of the games votaries then play
it. but with the advent of winter the pin
ochle season begins. During these months
there are thousands of Germans who sit
play the game. either in pairs or four
handed, and almost always where liquid
refrcshme1t can be OBJ aimed. The man
mo wanders into Cne OF the small Ger
man saloons around town almost any day
can see party of men deep in the mys-
teries of pinochle. Not a word is said
unless it he necessary to claim points in
the game.
II ere are p;nochle players in Chicago for
whom the game has deep fascination
that they spend all their time playing it,
Usually a party of two or four will play
together with regularity for long periods.
There have beel many eases where the
same men have played pinochle against
each other with unfailing regularity for a
period or one, two or more years. Many
have played with each other for even
longer period. Two of the best pnochle
players in Chicago are August Schmidt
and Carl Meyer. These two men have
played pinochle against each other every
day, Sundays included, for twenty-five
years. They first met in a north side
saloon on November 3, 1874. and each be-
came SO delighted with the other that they
have been antagonists ever since. Schmidt
Cad fn ENvn hn sid bttf f,,,y-
five years ago he moved to the north side
so that he would not have so far to travel
to reach the saloon where they always
play. The game has lasted so long that it
has ceased to attract any attention among
the habitues of the saloon. But should
one or the other fail to appear at the ap-
pointed time end take their stations at the
table which has been set aside as theirs
by right it would create a bigger sensa-
ton than anything else which could be
imagined.
A good deal of pinochle is played in that
saloon. and 1t is very seldom that any
other game is INDUCED in there. They tell
story of a party who entered and wanted
to play poker. They called for a pack of
cards and sat down to play. But with the
very first hand there was trouble.
There were five In the party, and five
hands were thrown around the board and
then the betting began. Never had the
first hand dealt in a poker game been
provocative of so much speculation Every
body stayed, and all only took two cards.
The betting was lively. Nobody seemed
to mind the old gaming superstition that
the winner of the first pot i'm poker game
is sure to quit loser at the end of the
game. Each of them bet lively. The first
man staked the limit at once, the second
raised him, the next raised him, the dealer
called. but the age raised.
And so Ii went for several rounds, until
three of the players began calling each
time while the other two raised, and they
were determined to stick In course of
nf ahfx,
and the showdown came by universal con-
sent. One hand showed four aces and a
king another four kings and an ace four
jacks and queen, a full house on queens |
and another full on kings was exhibited |
1t looked for while as il there would |
be row. Each man believed that the
others had tried some sharp practice, and |
when the words grew very high and the |
men were about ready to fight with each |
other the proprietor, noticing the threat |
ened disturbance. interviewed. |
He was quickly informed of the cause. |
He glanced at the hands, and. knowing a |
little about poker himself. appreciated the |
cause of the trouble. He smiled broadly.
hold of got the pinochle pack already yet"
And SO they had. The mystery was ex- /
planned. They had double pack OF cards l
with eight Of all the good cards in it.
Then they all turned on the proprietor /
and swore at him. at pinOchle and other |
things. But 1t did no good They were |
compelled to divide the pot, and when the /
division was made they got up and quit, |
deciding to go somewhere else where less /
pinochle was played and there was no /
danger Of repetition of the occurrence. !