The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-25
THE MORNING NEWS: SATURDAY. DECEMBER 25. 1897

matches for chips. Stevenson became ire
mendously interested in the game after
a while. / gave him the best of 1t at first,
of course. but after a while, when he be-
gan to win my nickels with good deal
of regularity. without bluffing at all. but
simply on the strength of his beginner 5
hands, 1 started in to play with him as l
would with a man that knew the game.
But 1t was of no use. Stevenson had 50
of my money at the end of an hour. Not
a single big hand had yet been out, but
he always had my set of pairs or three
topped when the pot amounted TO any
thing. A queer bit of poker came along
when we were ready to quit for the even
ing. 1t was Jackpot, as most of the
rounds were, and my deal. l gave myself
three jacks and, of course, opened the
pot. Stevenson stayed He asked for one
card, and l took two. 1 caught the fourth
jack. l bet the limit, 10 cents, and said:
" You'd better call me. for there are
very few hands in the deck that beat the
one l hold
"Just So said he. Ten better than
you
"'Oh, as you please said I, grinning
confidently at him. And 1 raised him the
limit. He raised me back and we sawed
it back and forth until there was nearly
81 in the pot.
This is pure nonsense, Mr.. Stevenson,
said 1 then. 1 don't propose to take adj
vantage of your ignorance of the difference
between bluffing and playing the hand for
what it is worth. l have you thrashed, 1
warn YOU
4" Exactly said Stevenson, and for my
conceit and wrong-headedness l deserve a
thrashing. MY deserts, however, are quite
beside the mark, wherefore-ten better
II threw down my hand for a moment
to read him a poker homily.
-" If you were engaged in stiff game
of draw poker and exhibited such lack
of discretion as you now exhibit said l,
you would no doubt be engaged in the
hypothecating your book royalties for
some twenty years in advance. 1 shall
convince you of the need of caution at no
further expense to yourself. 1 call you
This is almost enough to induce one
to renew his allegiance to the institution
of royalty said Stevenson, spreading four
kings out on the table before him. L
would almost as lief have won that hand
as to have triumped at Bannockburn.'
II played poker with Stevenson about
half a dozen times after that and, as he
| SCENT an hour or so every day, after we
| first played, in dealing poker hands to him.
! self and studying them-he told me this
himself-he became pretty proficient at the
| game. All in all, l think ne got some
thing like $50 of my money before l left
the islands. But L am still carrying
around with me as pocketpiece the Japa-
nese yen the amount that l came out
| ahead of him on the first night We played,
! that he gave me in Settlement-for at that
! time and to some extent even now, the
metal money current in Hawaii was jum-
| BILE of American, Japanese, and Mexican.
''The last poker game l played with Ste
| venson was made interesting toward its
! close by the introduction of another play
| er, very intimate friend of the novelist's
! and as skilful poker expert as l ever saw
| deal hand-David Kalakaua, King of Ha-
wall. Kalakaua was riding in on horse
| back from a luau at Diamond Head on this
! night, and passing Stevenson's place,
! dropped in for chat Stevenson invited
| him into our little game and Kalakaua' S
amusement when he saw the Scoth literary
man so vastly immersed in a Decent limit
J game of draw poker was intense. He
mixed in with us, however, and when the
! game broke up at mignight he had got
about all of the $50 that Stevenson had
! taken of my money at our previous sit
| tings."