The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-30
KaIakaua Laid Down Four Aces.

The visit of ex-Queen Liliuokalani to
this country has brought up several sto-
ries of her late brother, King Kalakaua
who was lover of the fascinating game
of draw poker and is said to have been
an ADEPT and quite proud of his knowledge
Of the game, says the Washington Post
This story is related by a man who has
spent much of his life in the Hawaiian Is
lands and who was quite intimate with the
king.
There was a wealthy ranchman of Ne
vada who once came to Honolulu to look
after some business he had acquired in
the islands and being fond of poker soon
made wide acquaintance with the Amer
leans and Englshmen in the city who in
dulged in the game. After each night 3
play, when "reminiscences of the game
were in order, some one would invariably
tell story of the king-either about his
style of play or the large amounts of his
winnings and losses. The ranchman al
ways listened with interest to these stories
and finally expressed a desire to mingle
with the monarch and his cabinet in a
friendly set-to. The only objection offered
was that several members of the cabinet
could speak no English, and consequently
the ranchman, who had no knowledge of
the native tongue. would be placed at a
disadvantage.
This objection seemed insurm ountable
until young American, who understood
both languages perfectly, said that he
would undertake to teach the ranchman a
few poker terms in the native language,
such as; I see you, L raise YOU and
that's good and the numerals so that he
could designate the proper amount of his
bet. The ranchman was an apt pupil and
in a few days his teacher pronounced him
fit for the battle. AS luck would have 1t
the king had just mOrtgaged the tax re-
ceipts, paid off the cabinet, and all were
anxious for a game.
The ranchman was presented in due
form and politely asked by the king to
sit in little table-stake game which was
just starting. The game progressed very
smoothly for an hour or two but the bets
We're growing larger every hand, and all
knew that some one would suffer before
the game was ended.
The king and the ranchman had been
bucking against each other all through
the game, and it was a toss-up between
them as to who was the more skillful
player. Finally, at the kings suggestion,
Jackpot was made for 500. 1t passed
several times, and with the seven in the
game sweetening it at every clip. 1 tell
you 1t was about the prettiest pot / ever
saw. The king finally caught openers
and broke it for hundred All hands
stayed around to the ranchman and he
made it five hundred to draw cards. The
when it reached him and the rest of the
players dropped out The ranchman raised
the king back a thousand and the king
came back at him for the same amount
Each drew two cards. l saw that the king
had drawn another ace, making four aces
for him, and the ranchman had filed up
three kings with a pair of queens. The
king said he would bet a thousand the
ranchman raised him five thousand, and
the king raised back for the same amount
The ranchman then pushed a blank check
into the pot and said something that
sounded like this:
imp thra a gug-u-luck az
THE king looked at him closely for a
moment and then laid down his four aces
and left the table, and this broke up the
game. l was astounded at his action, and
finding his majesty in an ante room try
ing to drown out the memory of his losses.
1 asked:
Your majesty, what made YOU Law
down those four aces?'
Didn't you hear what that man said?
he sorrowfully inquired.
No" said l. What did he say?'
Why, when he pushed that blank
check into the pot he said, III raise you
eleven million dollarsr''
In the excitement of the play the ranch
man had gotten his numbers mixed and
had almost Frustrated the king with the
size of the bet"