The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-27
Scheme For Winning at Poker
Didn't Work.
LAID DOWN THREE ACES
AFTER THE GAME THE MYS-
Terry WAS CLEARED UP.
The Drummer Had Four Hearts
Against Futile Couldn't Feel
the Signal Through His Cork Leg
How Player Ate Card Sand
wich and Won.
(New York Press.l


GIVE played in some pretty slick
poker games" said a yell known local
poker sharp last night, but 1 never
ran against such downright mean luck
as did a few days ago. I'd been
against big hands for two weeks.
ran into little humpbacked drummer
in the hotel dining room. / managed
to touch his hump as we came out, and
felt like a new man. We smoked a
cigar together, for [ was quite willing
to buy him a Perfecto under the cir
cumstances. We talked about lots of
things, and finally the subject turned
to poker. He said he didn't play much,
for there were SO many slick people in
the business that it was pretty hard for
square fellow to win.
why said he, I sat in a game last
trip in Syracuse when two fellows told
me of a system they had of pressing
feet together to give a signal of the
worth of each others hands. -Four
presSures meant four of a kind, three
pressures three of a kind, one pressure
a small pair and two pressures a big
pair. Two long pressures, a pause, and
then two taps. as an engine whistles
for a crossing, meant full house, and
reversed, a. flush. A failure to respond
with a tap meant II hold a better
ndnQ. In0V Claimed 10 nave ~ uOWu
to a perfect system
1.-The next time 1 dropped into the
game in the hotel who should I see
seated at the table but the humpback.
He was intent on the game, and as his
checks were low he had right % be.
No sign of recognition passed between
us as the party moved up and let me
sit in. 1 was on his left, and there
We're four others in the game. Luck
continued to run against him, and the
good fortune [ anticipated from having
touched his hump failed to materialize.
lost $500 in four hands. Then a fit of
devilishneess seized me. I decided to
do little slick work with the hump
backs system if he would work IN.
The cards were dealt out, and Humpy
opened a 81 jackpot. l looked over my
cards. L had three beautiful aces.
raised it So, and the others stayed Antil
the dealer was reached, when he raised
it SO, the limit. Humpy raised it $40,
While the dealer was thinking deeply
over his hand 1 slid my foot over on
top of Humpys and pressed three
times good and hard. He raised the
dealers $40 this time without respond
ing to my knock. [ concluded we would
go halves at the end of the game, SO
tossed nv three aces outside and
dropped out. Inc dealer saw MS raise
and stopped boosting. Humpy ZHok
one card, and the dealer just slid the
top card off to himself next. Humpy
bet $40 and the others laid their hands
down, but the dealer called.
1--WE got four hearts, zaid Humpy.
""Got you beat replied the dealer.
I've got kings up.
Good Lord! glanced at Humpy,
but he did not lookup, and 1 left the
table disguised.
THAT night I met Humpy in the
billiard room, and I said to him: It's
a wonder YOU wouldn't stand by a
friend in hard luck in a poker game. I
knew we could work that system on
those fellows to perfection and whack
up after the game
"'Well, said he, why didn't you try
it?'
why, did, I almost yelled. 7 had
three aces that time, and 1 tapped your
foot three times
'.Humpy thought for a moment, and
then broke out laughing.
"'You sat on my left said he
finally, and this left leg of mine is
store leg from the knee down. thought
you knew it,