The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-18
FANCIEs OF CARD PLAYERS.
Every One Who "sits" In Game Is Gov
erned by Superstition.

Every One Who "sits" In Game Is Gov
erned by Superstition.
card players are most supersti-
tious set, said a business man who
will occasionally "sit" in a little
game when the limit is to his liking
and the company of unexceptionable
quality.
"There was a new ono on me the
other night, he continued, "for one
of the men, when we were taking
seats, shifted his position because he
wanted to play with the grain of the
table-that is, he wanted his cards
to come to him with the grain of the
round table and not crossways. This
was a new one, as I said, but it re-
called the fact that all of them have
a weakness. For instance, where is
the card player who will play cards
while some outsider has foot on
the rung Of his chair? Then there is
the other fellow who will get up and
walk around his chair to change his
luck and the other who will never
lend chip if he is winning. Why,
saw man the other night who re-
fused a chip or two to neighbor in
the game, but he went down in his
trousers, pulled out a roll and hand
ed his friend an x and told him to
buy few from the banker.
Poker, too, has given the coun-,
try some of the richest of slang.
Take the word bluff, and where
can you find better wordi sup
pose it is in the Century and the
Standard, or, if it isn't, it should be,
for the word is completely accepted
now by the best of writer's every
where in this country and England
too.
Standing pat was used in a
courtroom short time ago. Some
lawyer was asked by the judge what
he intended to do after a certain de-
cision had been rendered on mo-
ton. He said he guessed he would
stand pat 1t wasn't strange that
the judge comprehended the situa-
ton and, without word, went on
after the other lawyer said that his
opponent would do we'll to draw
cards, as standing pat had no terrors
for him.. More than that, every
reference was thoroughly under
stood by every lawyer within the
railing. Itwas just at this time that
the judge added to the confusion by
dering one of his bailiffs to turn
on the steam, as his feet were cold.
For the benefit of the uninitiated it
is worth saying that the cold feet
refers to habit of some small gam
blers who play for the money that
is in it, saying as an excuse, My
feet are cold,' and getting out of a
game when they are ahead.
"That reminds me that women as
we'll as mon are natural gamblers,
and in consequence there have been
many friendships of long standing
among women ruined forever by
progressive euchre. Why, l have
played in games where the cheating
of some of the women was as pal
pable to man who is accustomed to
card playing as the nose on your
face, but I said nothing, as the wom-
an would have been mad and denied
everything and placed me in the
hole. Look at the prizes they play
for now.
There's the head prize for men
and women and the BOBBY or con-
ISOLATION prize for men. Then there
are second and third prizes and the
prize for making the greatest num-
ber of points and the prize for the
least number and a prize for the
greatest number of mistakes, and
the Lord knows how many others.
It's a regular gambling game, but
the same who indulge in that kind
of sport will jump on man who
plays a little quiet game of poker at
home.
"Nor is the gambling instinct OBJ
liberated from the progressive social
games entirely, for there was a
game l heard of where the head
prize was made up of five IS gold
pieces, all tied up with blue ribbon,