The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1900-06-22
7 Mr.. JObson Plays Poker :
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A Hal" Joyously laughed MT.
II Jobson, throwing aside the
newspaper he was reading one even
ing some little time back. Here's a
story in this paper about Montana
man who taught his wife how to play
poker, just so they could play together
in the bosom of their own tireside and
hearthstone, and how, when she hadn't
much more than mastered the value OF
the hands, she got winning streak,
won all of his property-which she
made him formally deed over to her
and then turned him into the street.
Ha, hal l say again. The idea OF a
Montana mans wife being able to skin
him at poker! The idea of any mans
wife, anywhere, for the matter of that,
being able to beat him at poker; that
is, any man who's one-eighth of one
per cent. stronger in his upper works
than the ordinary horseback of com
merce!"
DO you think it's right for women
to play poker?" Mrs. Jobson asked him,
as she picked up another stocking to
darn.
For women to play poker?" in
quired Mr.. Jobson, with a strong ac-
centuation on the word play Mrs.
Jobson, there never was woman yet
that played poker; women just play
at it. And as far as its being rights
concerned, of course it's all right pro-
viding a man and wife just play to-
gether. By Jove! come to think of it,
it wouldn't be bad scheme for me to
teach you something about poker; that
is, teach you as much about it as
woman can ever learn. / might just as
well dish out the hands to myself and
play solitaire, for don't suppose you'd
ever arrive at the point where you'd
know whether four kings made tours
or just two pairs, but | believe I'll just
initiate you into the value of the
poker hands, anyhow, for the fun of the
thing"
But" demurred Mrs. Jobson. 81
can't get over feeling that for wom-
an to play poker is something dreadful,
and"
Not any more dreadful, or whatever
else you call it, than it is for a woman
to play eucbre, or old maid. OF casino,
Mrs. Jobson," said Mr.. Jobson, in his
best judicial manner. And, as a mat
ter of fact'-here Mr.. Jobson chuckled
again-"you'll never, as | say, really
play poker, you know. You'll just
think you're playing, but you won't
be guilty. Where's that deck of
cards?'
ITS in that cabinet" said Mrs. job
son, with a finger at her lip. I'D |
hate to have the ladies of my guild |
know that I'd engage in such an aw-
full"
"Oh, I'll bet there are lot of 'em
who play among themselves for marsh
mallows and gumdrops," said Mr.. job
son, producing the pasteboards and
riff1ing them with the insouciant air
of a professional aboard the Robert f.
Lee or the Natchez, on a down-river
cruise. Just draw your
chair up to the table, and I'll tell you
the value of the hands. Then we can
play with matches for chips. and it'll
be more fun than a box of MONKEYS
to see you catch straight fushes and
things and throw 'em into the discard
because you think you haven't got any
thing in your hand fit to play with.
Now, pair" etc. Mr.. Jobson proceed
ID to tell Mrs. Jobson the worth of the
hands. She couldn't see into the val
les at all at first, but she got a pen
Ill and pad and jotted down the re-
spective values of the hands from pairs
o royal fushes, and after about Is
minutes, during which she chewed
quite large piece off the end of her
PENCIL, she said she thought she under
stood.
Mr.. Jobson took a hundred par,or
from a box. and divided them
nto equal stacks of 50 each. In pass
ng over Mrs. Jobson's stack to her
he said. with an indulgent smile:
snow, be cautious in betting those
just try to consider that
ZACH one of EN- represents a dollar;
md if you do that, and at the same