Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-21
OPENED 1T ON DEUCES

THE man who opens a jackpot without
holding the openers takes about the longest
chance possible in card gambling" said
Colorado man who has seen some historic
doings in the American game of draw Its
risky work. 1t means bullets in a good
many sections of this country, and even in
peaceable communities the man who's
caught at 1t has heap of trouble in squar-
ing himself, whether he has actually made
a mistake or not. 1 only recall the case of
one man getting away with that kind of
proposition, and he was on the level, and
made good afterwards. This man was
Byron McGregor, who, back in the swirling
days of Colorado, ran the SWEETEST estab-
llshment for money-hazarding purposes in
Denver McGregor was finely educated
and polished man, and he was in a game
with three of the most prominent citizens
in Denver, ore of whom afterward became
United States senator-no, not Ed. VOL
colt: another man. The game was served
out in the private parlor of one of the play
ers, and l was one of half a dozen wit
nesses of it. There wasn't a high-grade
man with a liking for draw poker out that
way who wasn't content to sit into a game
in which Byron McGregor was one of the
players. All in all, McGregor was about
the most perfectly honest man l ever met
up with. He could beat any magician I
ever saw at card tricks, but when it came
to inserting any of 'em into a legitimate
game, McGregor wasn't there. He played
magnificent game of poker, of course, al
though he was often big loser after long
bouts at draw with manipulating friends.
I'm this particular game McGregor was
way loser after the first couple of hours
nearly $4,000 in the hole. He wasn't both
cred little bit over this, for he was thor
oughbred loser, and, besides, the receipts
from his rooms frequently netted him
$1,000 or $4,000 on nights of big play at the
cases. But he didn't like the way the cards
were running, and he finally pushed his
chair back, remarking:
" This isn't one of my nights. Make it
triumvirate, you three. 1 think I'll stay
out
get some of it back, so you won't have to
smoke a pipe said one of the players de-
murring. Stay in a while, anyhow. Such
easy ones as you don't come our way very
often
oh, well, We'll play a final jackpot,
said McGregor. But, win or lose, I've got
chillblains so far as continuing play tonight
is concerned. One more jack
"McGregor dealt the hand himself, and
I was behind him as he did SO. The best
he gave himself was a pair of deuces. 1t
was a 800 jack, and the $500 was in the
center of the baize in gold 1t passed
around, and none Of the three opened it.
Well, if I've got to smoke pipe, see
my way clear for $500 worth of smoking
tobacco anyhow said McGregor, when it
was up to him. She's OPEN
Il couldn't believe that he'd do a thing
like that, and maybe McGregor heard me
gasp behind him. for, upon the pretense of
coughing, he turned his head around and
screwed up his left eye at me.
The three of ems stayed along and drew
to their hands. They all filed, too. Nc
Gregor drew two cards to his pair Of deuces
and the eight spot he held up, and he
caught another deuce and another eight-a
notwithstanding full house, deuces atop
of Fights. When it came to betting Nc
Gregor poked them to standstill, and the
three of EN- had finally to look at each
other and say:
If anybody in the crowds got 'em, 1t
must be McGregor.'
''And so they called him. He showed down
his full hand apd scooped in $500. Then
he yaWned, put on his top coat and stuffed
his winnings into the pockets thereof, and
left. The three others played on for an
hour or so, and then the game broke up
and they went down to the lobby of the
hotel. When they made their appearance
the night clerk of the hotel called them.
He had three official envelopes in his hand,
one addressed to each of the three players
with whom McGregor had been pokeriZing.
Mr.. McGregor left these for you gentle
men before he went out while ago, with
instructions that they We're to be handed
to you when you came down., said the
clerk, handing the envelopes to the gentle
men addressed.
Each of the envelopes contained a check
signed by Byron McGregor for the amount
each of the players had involved in the
phony jackpot, together with note read
ing
I didn't want to get shot to pieces, so
I employ this method of stating that
deuce-opened jackpots are vicious in prin-
ciple and dangerous to the peace of So
ciety, especially in these parts. Never men
ton tobacco pipe to loser. 1t vitiates
his sense of squareness. Check inclosed.
Query: Who's the laugh on?
"'P. 81 guess it's on me.
B. McGREGOR.'