The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-15
FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.
Two Devoted Pinochle Players Long
and Yet Unfinished Contest.

Two Devoted Pinochle Players Long
and Yet Unfinished Contest.
What poker is to the American card
player, pinochle Is to the German, al.
though perhaps the game could be bctter
compared to whist. For, as i'm 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
differently from whist, or any other
game.
Piochle langushes during the summer,
when the German sits out OF doors In
summer gsroens slipping beer. Orly the
most devoted of the games votaries then
play it, but with the advent of winter
the pinocIe season begins. During these
months thei Q are thousands of Germans
who sit by the hour in some convenient
| spot and play the game, either io pairs u
four-handed, and almost always where
| liquid refreshment can bs obtained.
The man VINO wanders into one OF tho
small German saloons around town al
| most any day can see a psrty of men deep
| in the mysteries OF pinochle. Not word
is said unless 1t be necessary to claim
points In the game.
There are pinochle players In Provi-
dence for whom the Pame has so deep a
facinstion that they spend all their time
playing it. Usually party of two or
four Will play tog ,ther with regularity
Tor long periods. There tuve been many
cases where the same men have played
pinochle asginst zach other with unfail-
ing regularity for a period of one, two or
more years. Many have played with
each other for an even longer period.
Two OF the best pinochle players in
Chicago are August Schmidt and Carl
Meyer. These two men have played
pinocle against each other every day, SUM-
days included, for % years. They first
met in a north side saloon on Novem Der
3. 1874, and each became so delighted with
the other that they have been antagonists
ever since. Schmidt used to live on the
west side, but four Or five years ago he
moved to the north side so that ne would
not have so far to travel to reach the
saloon where they always play. The game
has lasted 40 long that it has ceased to
attract any attention amo -g the habitues !
III
other fail TO appear at the appointed time
and take their stations at the table |
which has been set aside as theirs by |
right it would create bigger sensation |
than anything else which could be |
imagined,
A good deal of pinochle IL played In
saloons, aud IL Is very. seldom that any
other game il INDUCED in. Tney tell a
story Of party who entered and wanted
to play poker the other evening. They
called for 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
frat hand dealt in q poker game been
provocative OF so much speculation.
cards. The betting was lively. Noboey
to nina the old gaming supersti-
tion that tho winner Of the 1rst pot in q
poker game 10 sure to quit loser at the
end Of the game.s Each OF them bet
lively. The nrst man staked the limit at
once, the second raised him, the next
raised him, the dealer called, but the edge
raised.
And 30 II went for several rounds, until
ihree of tho players began calling each
imc, while the other two raised, anc
hey were determined to stick. In course
,f time they ran out Of chips and money,
ind the showdown came by universal
,onseni. One hand showed four aces
ind n king, another had four kings and
IN ace, four jacks aud queen, full
house on queens. and another full on
sings was exhibited. II looked for q
vhilo as IL there would be. a row. Each
nan believed that the others had tried
ome sharp practice, and when the words
rev very high and the men we're about
eady 10 fight with each other the pro-
,rie,os noting the threatened disturbance,
tie was quickly informed OF the cause.
lie glanced at the hands, and knowing a
little about poker himself, appreciated the
suse OF the trouble. lie smiled broadly.
81 oings mipesclf," he said, "dot you
'os got hold Of the pinoehlc pack already
iet."
And so they had. The mystery was OK. /