The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-03-04
ARMY POKER SHARPS
A QUIET GAME WITH A SMOOTH GET
EVEN ATTACHMENT.
The Easy Way In Which Two of Un-
Gle Sans Regulars Cleaned Out u
Couple of Overc0nGdent Pr0aes-
siOnal Card SwindIers.

Gle Sans Regulars Cleaned Out u
Couple of OverconAdent Proars-
siOnal Card SwindIcrs.
The man from Tampa, in company with
party of New Workers. was enjoying his
after dinner cigar in an up town cafe. His
chair was tilted back on its roar legs, and
diamond as big as Springfield bullet
blazcd in his rufiled shirt front
Speaking of pokah, sahs," said the
Tampa man as one of the party concluded
story Of that game, permit me to OBJ
serve that some of the most remarkable
pokah playahs In the country are to be
found among Uncle Sam private soldiers;
yes, gentlemen, among the enlisted men
OF the regulars. -
The listeners showed signs of increduli.
ty, and one of them exclaimed derisively:
"Thirteen peru
"But, sahs " continued the Tampa man,
"considah that there are 900 men in
regiment and that 1000 times Sl3 is $l3,-
600, reckon, sahs, that there's a lively
game in that sum when the most of it gets
sifted into few hands. And remembah,
gentlemen, that the enlisted man of the
regulars Is tho most care free Of men. The
nickcls with which he antes in a small
pokah game are nothing noah to him
than so many beeah checks. 1t Is tho
same with his dollahs In bggah game
The necessaries of life he can lose only by
bad conduct. He can gamble away only
his luxuries. That makes him the most
dashing of gamblahs, while constant prac.
tice makes him most powahful playah;
yes, sab, and most skillful and danger
GUS dealah.
Sat Tampa heights there was balm
like building that the regulars called
Noah's ark. They called 1t that because
it contained all the animals, including
the tigah. If there exists n game that was
not on tap at Noahs ark, do not recall
Its name. The proprietah of the ark did
not run the games. He simply ran the
bah and rented the tables and layouts to
juggle with ouah local laws fob many
weeks. A private who had won couple
of hundreds at pokah could rent faro
layout and open snap fob his less afflu-
ent comrades to buck In addition to tho
banking games there were many games Of
draw pokah. The place was packed to
the doahs, and money was plentiful 1t
did not take long fob ouah southern pro-
fessionals to realize the possibilities Of
Noah ark.
lone evening I happened in and noticed
the operations of Il couple of that gentry
whom knew by sight and reputation.
Their names were jackson and England,
and they were most expert and dishonest
galnblahs. Aftah that used to drop in
every evening and watch their progress.
They played only draw pokah and were
winning steadily from the soldiers. There
were always numbah of uniformed on
]ookahs about their table, and could see
that every play of tho professionals was
closely scrutiniZcd and studied. But no
one evah interfcrcd
well, sahs, one evening I found tho
patrons of the ark in n remarkably quiet
mood. The drinkahs at the bah were not,
MS usual, boisterous. The playahs at 9TH
all ables cast furtivo and expectant glanccs
ovah their shoulders towahd the table
where tho gamblnhs were engaged with
two soldiers. The crowd of bluecoats
around that table was even largah than
usual. l felt that q denouemcnt was at
hand and edged up close to the game.
One Of tho soldiers was strictly sobah and
the othah was apparently drunk. 1t was
tho drunken soldiers deal He shutlled
the cards clumsly, passed them to the SOL
der on his right fob the cut and dealt
them about as skillfully as niggah boy
playing old sledge on bale of cotton.
Then he howled fob a drink bcfoh the
game proceeded. Meanwhile the gan,blah,
England, who sat opposite the drunken
soldier, picked up his hand and found
foah kings pat. He slyly gave his part
nah, Jackson, a glimpse of 1t. jackson
and the sobah soldier held worthless hands.
1.-THE drunken soldier turned from the
table to take his drink, and at the same
his sobah comrade also turned and
asked an onlooker back of him fob light
foh his cigah. In that instant Jackson
ieftly turned ovah the drunken soldiers
hand and showed it to England. 1t was
. pat ace full on queens. At this act of
treachery looked in surprise at the uni
formed onlookahs, but their faces were as
impassivc and Indifferent as if they were
Cinnamon. l was indignant, sahs, and
came very neah interfering mahsclf.
Having finished his drink, the drunk
an soldier turned back to the game. jack
son, Oh his left, came in with his ante
England, with foah kings pat, raised 1t
$50 Tho sobah soldier threw his hand in
he discahd The drunken soldier just
,allcd, but tho two gambahs continued
raising his calls until every dollah on the
table was in the pot, for the drunken SOL
licr borrowed and bet all his comrades
money. 1t looked Ikea plain case of two
mon cross lifting third out of all his
money OH shuah thing.
"Whon all the money was up, the drunk
en- soldier dealt the draw. jackson drew
three cahds England, with foah kings
pat, drew none. When 1t came to the
drunken soldier instead Of standing pat
IN his ace full, he tossed the two queens
said jackson:
" Il call table stakes
england smiled confidently ovah bis
foah kings and said:
I regret exceedingly that, having no
noah money, must do likewise
"The drunken soldier, suddenly bccom-
ing sobah, remarked with Indian breyity, |
Same heah! Then he turned ovnh foah !
aces and raked in tho pot. Stuflins |
The big wads of bills in his pockets, he got
up from the table, stretched, yawncd and
said slccpily, 'It's nenh taps!' Then
he sainteled out Of the ark, and the sobnh
soldier went with lin. AS walked to-
wahd the doah one of the soldier playahs |
ut stud game looked up at a passing SOL
der who had been one of the onlookahs |
and asked. is. it off, The anSah was |
. silent rod. Now, sahs, will you please
infolm me- %hethah that WAS n drunken |
snldicrs Iuck Or Il On 20 of The liiuhs hitIn |