The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-27
PHILOSOPHY OF THE DRAW.
,,pyI>G CONDITIONS NET WITH
~ THE GAME or POKER.
when II Is wise 10 Lay Down Ones Cards
and when TO Draw ODDS In the Betting =
FACTOR q. We'll as the Chances Of Impro'.
ing the Hand The BALES OF Good
n,,, and when to Disregard Them.

pI,, and when to Disregard Them.
4, EXPRESSION commonly used by poker
,a,s &c "It's all in the draw. the meaning
;, mich IA that n players chance Of taking the
~, derends entirely on what cards he may get
-, drawing 10 those which he selects to hold.
a,t NJ tho original five which he receives in the
I,.l prorerlv understood, the saying Is
T., which no serious objection can he made
-, ,s certainly true that the character OF
,ho hand he hold, is liable to be entirely changed
~. tho draw, and the most insignificant pair
,a, mo Transformed to four Of n kind, while II
1. AMY In the case Of a pat hand that the player
,.r toll before the draw what he has TO rely upon
in the betting
>ovor,beless. n the saying il commonly
IA +, Il. decisive. and provocative only OF
nud and uniustifable play. 1t is to be- remen-
,o..d that while n lucky chance in the draw
NAV transform a worthless hand into an almost
,, ,ipner an unlucky draw will leave the
,, without the chance Of winning and
,,i,u. the amount he has put in the pot. and.
,,or,oyor each player in the game has the same
ch,rce If lettering. It's all in the draw,
-, , romork mos, frequently made by some play
or who Is seeking to Justify himself in making
nm uniustinable play.
IKE III W. l'Nl ~ iN' i'"'
ono Of the cardinal principles of the game
and one of the first lessons of the player, at'er
10 Ia. mastered the rudiments Of the game
should he TO exercise proper discretion IN the
draw And in undertaking to master this,
no has to consider that the conditions vary a-
,,rdirg 10 the amount already in the pot the
number Of players, the position he occupies
o, tho table with relation to the age, and some
IL ..,,r|try ;, tho RIM pf llck mo NAV bp IN.
Beginning with the simplest proposition.
(, may ha asked what hand ~jus,ifes a player
IN coming in. when there are. say, six players
IN The game. and il is a straight deal-no jack
ROT Tho aga man has made his ante Of one
white ,hip and the learner sits next 10 MN
There are four other players to hear from be-
for" tho acr T. TO M or pass ont. and he there
fore MA, to consider frs, his own hand and then
he I've possibilities against him. His own
hand ho knows at a glance. The Ave other
hands he has no means ~ estimating, eNcept-
,9r ON the basis of mathematical probability.
II f., therefore u simple question Of how 'ar
MD in the table Of possible hands his own hand
ranks. which must decide whether II is wise or
fool, ~ for him To pay two white chips for the
rruu'rGc Of drawing cards. He must remem-
Der. also. that after having paid those two,
ne i l'lllP 10 ~ 'lllEfu w ~" any l""' 'hhN
nav be made after he comes in, or else to sac
rife the two he has clipped in.
Most good players have a simple rule govern
irg their action under these circumstances,
porhaps il may he said that all good players
have such q rule, but there are many successful
PLAYERS who vary the application of the rule
according to the luck in which they find them
selves Mt the moment. The rule most COM
- IL 1910 a, - IA, u,,nrJ uitt
the table Of chances, i. not to come in without
"A fair-sized pair 10 draw To. Cautions players
throw down any hand that contains less than a
pair Of tens. unless il be a four flush OF Il four
straight. ANYTHING better than two tens is
universally held to be a good risk. but holder
plsyers will come in on a smaller pair. even as
low A. deuceS. holding thar there is an equal
chance Of getting three of a kind, whatever
the pair is. and that three deuce> is worth "A
play. This seems plausible hut the argument
against II is that there are five po-Sihilitiesagainsf
the hand. and that few PLAYERS will come in on
SO small a hand therefore each hand in op-
position i likely 10 be- larger. The player
sitting next To the age who comes in on less
than a pair Of seyers or Fights is properly
to be classed n bold. if not rash.
A. analysis of this Statement, will show that
VIII " lN' Nv VI NV Nv W NV llllS wv
competition with five Other players, all of
whom are yet To be heard from. without having
= hand stronger than say Spvens. OF course
the next player. the first having passed out.
viii have only four antagonists to look out
for. and if he shall elect TO go in on sevens he is
lo,s rash. Exactly how much loss. II j. i'm
possible 70 say positively, since the hands
yet to hear from are still unk nown quantities,
but a rough working rule has been formulated
ny winch "A nl1Ntr WHO nNps "a mir nt pil,hfl
a. ~" lowest on which he Nil venture when
be -ir- newt tn the age viii consider sevens
Sufficient If he occupies the second seat. SKIES
/ he occupies III" Third. fyes if he occupies
IN" fourth and any pair ~ all if he has only the
az" man - play against. And; Of course, il is
10 D." rrn"lnh"r"d ,ha, a. tn" deal passes each
-" nat ~" two things he has to consider are
ne seat h" %"'cllpi'> and the cards he holds.
can "H"r bo SAID to be safe, would be TO start
rlil tens in IN" first seat. oven with seven in
IN" game, ara reduce the size Of the pair with
ea"I removal from the age IN rotation, but
never gol IN 'n l"~s than n pair of fives unless
p" mas ~" hg". % that case. having already
been obliged Ia chr once. he would have only
on" 'h,p NOR" o ~vrHturo and would fiji his
nm" oven though hc Ead only dcuces.
II must j." remembered also that before
II" draw a -four fush or "a four straight is a
Wor" yaluahl" hand than 4 small pair. This
i not because theuhance of bcttering is greater.
hi '"gai~"thc hand. II filed, becomes a strong
"n" Theoretically, the flush should he filed
''''i'I llldIl Iu' Nlfal Kii. since there are nine
,'rc ont of m" forty-~even which the PLAYER
pa n'i Ne"n any one OF which will complete
~, ."lf-it~'. Will" there are only eight out
W'n" forty->rveu which will al n fOur-straight.
ma 10 drawlng 10 u straight. both ends should
:" open. Dravihg 10 an ace. deuce. trey.
!auI or % a jack queen, king. ace. is the same
'lIhe H. drawing 10 an Intermediate straight,
>m'' 'NtT" ar" only four cards in tho forty
seven which will Ill and the chance is too
sinAh i" Justify a draw with Odds Of no more
''ih SIX 10 on" against tho players ante. The
s'ln' can be- played with eight. or even with
t"l lIhyer>, but more than seven are seldom
l"Ihi Tor the reason that the game is inn
l",'d hN inc necessity Of ~hIlfning tho discard.
P'd becomes inConvenien, Otherwise. Few
poh"f players Will ST in n game of more than
seven. or los, than four.
u 'h"r" We're no other situations than those
ALREADY described II would always be-. as has
l"'I seen, a SlmVl" matter 10 decide whether
ara" "arc> or not. As a matter of fact,
however. th"ro arc many complications con
SlanliN arising, each ono of which varies the
'Hi'n The first Of these il the raise before
I'd" draw Supp"~inp some one 10 have ra, -ed
."I"f" 10 player has MS say. there is n quea-
.'"h 10 10" decided before coming in, whether
tl' r"~" Was made on the strength Of n good
.'hp "r whether II was u blum pure and sim
I". or whether II wnS made for the purpose
~ Nehf"n'ng ont as many playcrS as IOssiblp.
moro I've good reason TO suspect q blum, IL
' S,"d play 10 follow the rule already de-
.u'H On, and come in on u pair or better,
W"'~"lF A. n no rails" had been made. The
tuan'" 81 improving the hand is not effected
i' w." r0lSo and although the cost ~ coming
h'f"a-"d III" odds remain the same. pro-
W""N'> however. that the raise was not u
tl.N 'nil was mad" on the strength OF a good
mana N would no counted good play TO throw
n"Nb awning less than Two pairs. unless II