The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-03
INF LIMIT IN DRAW POKER.
.srpJrTIOyS THAT MAhE THE
bhn.uE POSSIBLE TO hANr.
,-,, \, Always Fixed by the Size OF .
one ,'a'sr', plie. but a Narrower One Is Usa-
~ Agreed Upon Differences twe the
80. Game and the Ordinary Limit

~ greed Upon Din erences the
r.hl. stake Game and the ORDINARY L'm''.
tho essential characteristics OF the game
,Dnter. aud probably the one above all others
,,od. 10 make il the most fascinating OF
"". IN those who play II long enough to
r,,llv familiar with II, IL the opportn-
pOVn ,s,rs nj almost every turn. OF forcing
NV ,r,au,onists into new play. whether
". no ,vo or seven players In the game,
", , Comes his turn. can inject a new
e"'"i :. Cor tina others to solve, and SO make
y. tod,vlduality felt. quite apart from the real
r.lns o, the cards which he may or may not 90
"a, >, show down AZ the conclusion OF the
.l,y on each hand. This seems 10 make 'he
,,ue unique among card contests slnce u II
.n,reIy casiblr to win without winning CARDS.
Thing which Is not possible In any other game
.,d ,his popularity really raises the game 70
. biyhsr level than that OF any other cara
ror,s without disparagement 10 those games
- c,ll for a thorough knowledge OF card
,ahies and combinations.
i, Is therefore worth while for the student
=, drow.poker to pay close attention to the
,ne,srce which the limit exerts on the character
:, tho game. Strictly speaking. the limit,
.bo,evcr /, may he, Is in contradiction TO the
,a,l genius of the cams. The ideal game OF
-, in theory would be one that would be
r,avod by six or seven gamesters. each OF whom
rod an unlimited supply OF money which he
would be- entitled TO wager without restriction
.,arv stage Of the game. In other words. a game
rJ,rnd with no limit but the sky would AFFORD
Cha fullest opportunity for the development OF
sl ,he fine points Of the game, and FOR the DIS
,lor NJ MI tho qualities which make up the really
f~rst-class poker player,
Tho necessity for TN unlimited supplyof money
hehind each player in the theoretically perfect
eam, becomes apparent when we consider
thai. practically, there must be a limit TO every
Gam, Of poker, sincs no man can properly be
sad 10 have unlimited money. The limit
that obtains practically. therefore. in every
game is fixed by the invariable rule that each
r,oyer nav have a show for his pile. We're
his rrle 10 be set aside. IL is obvious that the
man with the longest purse could easily win az
every sitting by the simple e%xpedient OF bet
ting more money than his antagonists had.
In the nature Of things, therefore, there Is
and must he a limit in every game Of poker, even
n that limit be fixed on each bet at the entire
amount which any player has TO bet. Really,
unlimited poker might perhaps have been en-
ioveiby the gods on Mount Olympus had they
understood the game, but as n matter OF fact,
il would require the laps OF eternity 10 determine
the winning Of a single pot II IL happened to
he contested by two equally confident and OBJ
stinate players. SO that taking the limit OF
absolutely would destroy by reaction the inter-
es, of the game. While theoretically 1t would
make the game perfect.
Since there must be In practice. therefore,
a limit, this limit, whatever 1t Is. is always
fixed by common consent among the players.
No man can be forced 10 play beyond the entire
amount Of his earthly possessions. and II the
game involved any possibility Of more than
that, no sane man would play il, unless. indeed.
ha PLAYED with men poorer than himself. and In
that case the game would become systematized
grand larceny. And since no rational man can
be expected to sit down to any game that Is
likely 10 call for a risk Of all his possessions
the practice commonly IL TO fix the limit al such
n figure as represents as much as any player
Is willing TO risk on a single bet. The unlimited
game, SO called. is sometimes played. though
not frequently, and IL Is really not unlimited.
since any player may at any time bet all he has
and declare that amount TO be the limit so far
as his hand is concerned.
Leaving this kind of game out OF considera-
ton, it may be- said that there are two ways
Of Axing the limit beyond which no player is
permitted 70 force his antagonist to go In a
single bet. One is to agree upon some sum.
whatever II may be. which shall be the largest
single bet permissible. and the other is to play
table stakes. This term. though commonly
well understood among players, requires a few
words of explanation. In playing table stakes
- I..lo, l. fr4nt 80 him tho a n
tire amount for which he desires to play. either
In money or chips, as may be convenient.
Thereafter during the time he continues to
remain IN the game he may withdraw a portion
Of this money or add to it, as he sees ft,. but
he may not do this while a pot is being, played
for, if he j. enc OF the contestants Tor that poi.
And he may NJ any time, when II comes 70 be
his turn ~ play, bet the entire amount In front
Of him. or any portion thereof. as he sees MT,
but he cannot he forced to bet more than he has
in iron, Of him. nor will he be- allowed 10 do 40.
excepting that, with the consent OF the other
PLAYERS. he may add to his pile II he desires to
play further on his hand. II! any one OBJ
jectS h Is not at liberty, to do this. and
u a. any time h' bets all he has, that bet
becom', the limit in that pot, so far as his IN
tere,t in it is concerned. II any OF the other
PLAYER, desire to bet more on their hands they
can do % on the side among themselves.
Thu, statement OF the rule governing table
staNr, /, gwen here merely for the purpose
OF SlOMlnk mo G1tTsltt DflNPtH lnlS anu III
more usual limit game, when sople definite
sum i agreed upon AZ the beginning OF the
sitting A. tho largest allowable single bet. IL
l. evident thai the able stake game affords
Z frnr opportunity Tor tho display OF bluff
fns or S,il in play, than tn so-called limit
game, >lnCr Iua PLAYER may force the play
harder Whenever h desires To do SO, either
ir the >li" Of winning larger stakes or for
tn purno-r OF keeping a. many antagonists
T. possible from contes;ing tn pot, which he
nay desire TO do If h. has no great confidence
IN his hand. Tn" table-stake game i pre-
Tered on this account by expert players, rs
giving mora scope Tor the exercise OF their skill
and a better chance for quick play and large
wn1ng..
tn" tmid or inexperienced player will do
ss. to c9nf1' himself TO the limit game, at az
Poker AMI learned by practice TO estimate
uA probabilities Of tho game and his conse-
qlent chances of winning or losing on q given
hand under given circumstances While II
Is trp thHt no has not the sam opportunities
lr brilliant play. he j. better guarded against
,he CANCERS u rash play, and at the worst Is
nselyto get "a dong r run for his money. Among
payer~, also, who indulge in the game for the
Pleasure Of play rath r than for the posi-
preferred.
In theory. Of conrse, when a limit Is fixed
on The size Of n single bet, there will be limit
PEI, only on occasions That is. the ordinary
ost'Ing viii b" for smaller amounts, and only
s,hrn The occasion calls Cor an implied nsser.
ton q 4 strong hand will the full amount per.
mtt"i b, pushed forwarl1as n single bet. In
Ira",G"; however, the tendency Is generally
u~iri limit PLAY. especially when the limit Is
nmhI Oi course, what would be q small
UNIV among we'll tO-do players would be des-
R'at" gambling amonc rour mon. and as
aT,tr i no arbitrary figure to. represent tho
~uu't'nC' between wealth and poverty, no
. sindlra Gan b" sci NJ n representing 4 large
ora small game.
II may b" assumed. however. that FOR people
OfdlntrY circumstances who ylay poker