The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-19

cast use tne lJkefE
Yes said 1, we do. We always give
the Joker in new deck to babies in arms
10 cut their teeth on
Another queer kink in the slope game of
draw is that straights don't GO I've
peen catching occasional pat straights and
drawing to EN- all my life and l think the
straight is one of the pFettiest plays in
poker. In playing straights. If the chap
across the table draws one card. you've
got the fun OF trying to figure out whether
ne drawing TO couple Of pairs or bob
ping TO a straight or flush. and it's inter-
esting work. If he stands pat. it's up to
You to determine by the mind-reading pro-
cess whether he's simply bluffing or act
uaHy has a pat straight or full hand or
flush in his paws
We'll, out on the coast they've heard &C.
casional rumors of such things as straights
eeing played somewhere or another in the
game OF draw, but you won't meet one
coast man in hundred that knows pre-
eiseiy what the straight consists of and
what the chances are of mans getting
a pat straight or of filling a one-ended or
double-ended straight. As for playing
straights, they've never even dreamed of
such an absurdity. ] found that out in the
second game of draw 1 got into out there
1T was in Portland, and another four
handed game, the other three fellows be-
ing business men also. We played along for
Wh1le without my running into any snags
sticking out of the coast game, and then I
got on the deal four cards that had in
them the making of corlxing good
straight, capable of being flied at either
end, from nine up to queen, so that either
an eight or king on the draw would have
liked me all right. I decided to draw to it
Just for luck, although all three of the fel-
lows were in and had stood 4 raise before
the draw. When 1 caught my king l was
glad l had decided to draw to my straight
A k1ng-high straight is pretty good mess
of cards in any mans game of draw as
we know draw back in these parts.
There was a heap of betting on that
round, and, of course. with that clipper
built straight of mine, wasn't going to let
any OF EN- put 1t on me. / met every raise
and stuck so persistently and confidently
that the whole three of them began to re-
gard me as the main guy, far as that
deal was concerned, and to look O bit
afraid. The last time / raised it they be-
gan TO exchange looks, and the man at my
left called me. The two other men fol-
lowed suit, and there was general laying
down of hands. The man at my left had
three Fights, the fellow next to him aces
up on treys and the man at my right three
skies. | projected my right arm to sweep
in the good-sized pot after spreading out
my king-high straight.
Hold up therei' they all yelled at me
at once What's all this? What are you
trying to do-hypnotize us? And the man
reach for the pot
at was now my turn to think the whole
three of EN- looney.
Is there so much smoke in here said
|, that you three people can't perceive
that I've got king-high straight?'
Straight? said the man with the three
eights. Straight be damned You've got
one king up on nothing. How old are YOU
anyhow-seven? Straight? Listen to him,
And the three of 'em gave me the hoarse
hoot IN chorus. / asked EN- tosget around
and pinch me, because l wanted to find
out II was dreaming or not, but they
were TOO busy leaning back in their chairs
and roaring like SO many wild asses of the
woods to pay any attention to me. That's
what | got for not inquiring beforehand
into the kind of draw I stacked ND against
in Portland
THE next poker knock I got was down in
Santa Barbara. l got into q game of draw
with three hotel clerks, all good fellows
but all addicted to the nursery poker they
play out there. and again ! forgot to nail
EN- up against tho wall and make 'em ex-
ude information about the kind of game
lney purposed playing. We got along all
right Tor an hour or so, and at the end of
the time ] was comfortably we'll ahead of
the game. 1t kind o. tickled me, too. when
l caught the joker on the draw three or
four times and beat 'em out on their own
game-which is a silly game, and about
L
also Kept away from my inclination to
draw straights, and, having made this
much progress, / really didn't think | was
in for any more rude and costly surprises
In the game. That's where l did the leap
year figuring
II gave myself neat mess of clubs-four
of them--with the ace for capstone I
have always been lucky in bobbing to
hushes, and this looked good. Two of the
other fellows drew two cards each and
the other man asked for one. gave my
self another club, and tried to look gloomy
and depressed. An ace-high flush has
always been good enough for me on this
side of the continent, and l bet it for all
1t was worth. The three hotel clerks evil
IDENTIFY thought they were pretty well fixed
too, and, although there was nothing fran
tic about the betting, it was nice and
smooth and even, and the pot grew in a
way that suited me down to the ground
When 1t got so large on five-dollar raises
as we thought 1t ought to be there was a
general suggestion for call and a show
down. Two of my fellow players had
threes, small ones, and the other two pairs
that We wouldn't stay with very long back
in this neck of the woods, and was just
about to say something about easy money
when the man with the best threes scooped
in the pot.
Must have left your specs at home,
my boy said l. thin king he was only fool
!" For why?' said he.
"Then l looked him over and saw that
he was serious.
a For why?' I repeated. Well, the in
structors at whose feet ] sat to learn what
is learnable about the game of draw poker
always taught me to believe that a flush
is better than thrces.'
g Yes said he. but didn't you draw a
card?'
what the devil difference does that
make" l inquired.
'' Oh said he patronizingly, 7 see you're
a bit new at the game. You see, you
can't draw to Pushes. You've got to hold
'em pat.
''Well, that was the worst jab had yet
received but had to stand for it, on the
'do-as-the Romans-do' principal
I'm San Diego l got into n game with
some fellows who were so warm that they
wouldn't play anything but jack pots. At
the start off of the gane-the first hand
none of the four Of us could open 1t. 1t
went around three times. and on the fourth
deal l caught a pair of queens. Two of
the other fellows stayed. / caught anoth-
err queen, and played the hand for all 1t
was worth. When l was called ] showed
down my hand. and had 'em both beat.
tE,oul hand said they Won didn't