The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-22
A DOG THAT
PLAYS POKER.
He Has a Code Of Signals That is
Understood by Its Owner.
KNOWS WORTH OF ALL HANDS.
He Mislcad His Master Once in Re.
vcngc for " hat lie Considered I'M
mcritcd Disciplinc-Onc Player
Sized Up His Signals and Won

For a fox terrier, that dog don't seem
to know a whole lot. said one of the
men in the back room of an uptown
! cafe
The old fox terrier was burying his
! gray muzzle in the lap of mis- master
and wagglng his stump OF 81 tail fo0lisn-
| ~. lis master was squat, thln-iacel
| man of the al-ased class chat is, DE
might have been anywhere from thirty
To nfty-fVe years OF age. Running away
from the corners OF his shrewd eyes We're
many tiny wrinkles. In his get-up be
looked like ready money. lie Tapped his
| dogs clipped ears one over the other
and looked reminiscent
We'll said he, replying 10 the other
mans remark. II can't say That he does
look dead wise and smooth TO The naked
eye. Hes not one Of these here fresh
sooner dogs that wants % put YOU next
10 AN Doc k-OWs first the clatter out Of
the box. He's no trick mutt. anyhow.
/ raised hm from "a pup, and 1 never
taught him any of the jay tricks that
these pilow-raised. dog-crackcr NUTS
90 through. What he don't know about
standing up IN a corner and hopping
over cane and speaking for srub, ana
wal,zing on his front feet and playing
possum. and all that kind % dinky work.
would hil "a book. But If any OF YOU pe0-
pie think YOU can give him any points
ON the value of hands in a game OF
poker. then you need a new dope cook.
md that's which"
Poker said another OF the party. in-
credulously. SAY. shoot it in light Your
yet-h0ok's Overworked'
That's what j sdid-pOkcr" replied the
fox terriers owner. firmly. I'm putting
YOU next now. because ] don't make il
8 business to do pals in poker game.
Hes the best poker dog on the American
continent shat mutt ] can't begin t0 fe-
ure on how many times hes won me out
and f1r how much. He's sulked 0l me
two or three times at critical juncturcs il
games oi draw, and given me The wrong
tips, just % ca, square with me
for something or other but this was
when be- was young and sassy and dis
posed to work his edge ON me- Hes
been tipping Off right now for seven
straight years aud-Weu I've got 90 doll
lar or two scattered around" and the
owner OF the poker dog slowly pulled the
l.nfoil or 25-cent cigar.
CODE or DOG SIGNALS
suppose I'm sitting in "a four handed
game. The dog is noslng arounl The
room. not ia any ostcrtaious kind of
way and not getting himself noticed 90
all by The other three in The game. 8
hand Is dishod out The dog noisolessiy
rubbornecks behind the chair Of the first
player on his route. The first player.
veil say. has got "a pair Of sevens. ami
I've got my eye ON the dog. The dog
quietly gapes twice. 90 indicate that
player No. ] has pair. and then biinks
both II his eyes seven times in rapid sue
cessi0n. See2 OF course / know then
that 40. I has only got q pair of bum
eerens. I Tetend 10 scan my hand.
while the dog quietly gets behind the
chair Of Player No. . Wen say 80. .
has three queens The dog passes his
RIGHT paw over his right eve three times.
II It's kings left paw over LEFT eye three
times II it's three bullets DE puts his
lift paw az his nose and holds 10 there
for q second. and ~ three jacks. his
~lcht paw ar his nose. Savvy? And so
on. He's got the whole manual and code
worked out 20 q stretch finish. " No.
has got pat flush he closes his left eye
and keeps f. closed until he sees 20
noticing him II so has got pat fnll
house he shuts nap bis right eye in me
Yes Stree. tat dogs been sure
enough meal ticket for ne for Tong
while But. as / told YOU "a while back.
he sulked on me two or three times and
gave me the wrong steer whom he was
Young and perky and hot over something
or other. and I got hurt on these ocea
sions for q fact Remember one of those
times partirularlv. ia been playing Tor ,
several nights in succession with three !
Young Jaws of real estate men ont in !
Minneapolis ami letting them take s.fih-
c~s of it off me just 90 get them in- /
terested. All three OF EN- had ro'+ OF I
The green. ard ] figured on mafng 'n (
all move out TO Seattle or someWn rr !
bv the time me and the dog got through !
with them. The mutt was only % t"o-
voar-oId fhen hut ne was playing mlfh.F |
Gne poker. and these three Minneapolis (:
ducl,s looked Ike fine cleanup.
MAKES THE DOG SORE.
"On the afternoon of the fourth nisht !
that we cot together I'm tho game I'd got !
hot over the mutt chewing one OF my !
bats all to pieces-for terriers are worse |
than goats for chewing things up-and /
ia given him three or four good raps !
over the side Of the head lie didn't |
IKE this little bit-I could see that. lie |
wouldn't have much 10 do with me for =
the remainder Of the afternoon, and /
couldn' con him into becoming friendly |
again. either. He just looked az me out !
of the tail of his eye as much as TO say.
I'm going to throw YOU the first chance !
7 get but Of course couldn't figure that
he'd carry his sulkiross into the game OF
draw that night WHOM 7 intended 70 be-
gin on my three good things and crimp
up their wallets (
THAT night I took the mutt with me.
MS usual. 10 the house OF one Of the good
things. where we played. I couldn't get
the dog 10 be very chummv with mo.
though. even after spending % large part
NJ the afternoon trying 10 soft soap him.
The licking ! had given him still ranked
within him but 7 figured that be would
forget all about a in tho excitement ~
he game after we got going 7 was more
han ever confident that be was all right
when he tipped me of right on the first
lozen rounds OF hands, during which I
picked ont most of the winnings
"T dealt the thirteenth mess myself
and when the two beyond the ante man
leclined 10 stay ] made It Jackpot hav-
ng the buck. caught three aces ana
he pot looked nice FOR me. even without
he mutt 20 iogg'e mo along. Tho man
lfter the dealer opened e.. Tho fay nest
% him stayed and so did T. - course.
rhe dealer STAYED with n rush. and T.
ooled IKE 70 nice neat iack 20 win-for
I was n Nc9 limit g0rio AMI III Of tho
hrcc good things tfoIght they knew how
o play poker. The dog tipped me or
hat the man who opened the pot had
hroo fours. ths chap next 10 him two |