The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-09
RUNS OF LUCK IN POKER.
GUARDED PLAY TO MEET A PERSIST
ENT SEQUENCE or LOSSES.
II May lie Luck or Some Fault In the Players
Own system That Is TO Blame. but In Any
Case There Is Need OF Caution-some Com
mon Errors 70 He Avoided az PokeT,

Own system That Il to Blame, but IN Any
Case There Is Need OF C~aution-some COM
mon Errors 10 he Avoided at POKER
There can be no dlsputing the fact that IN
dlviduals have been known to carry their poker
playing To excess, and IL is also true. beyond
a doubt, that the fascination OF the game may
have much to do with their selection OF this
form Of dissipation rather than some other
A little reflection. however. will serve to show
that the game itself Il not TO be blamed for the
weakness of the Individual. On the contrary
It Is the supreme excellence Of the game that
makes II fascinating, and the mere fact that
some people pursue IL To excess comes rom
nothing In the game that need make Intelligent
people show II. To those who have strength OF
mind enough 10 control themselves II Ii To be
commended as a game Of the highest possible
type.
There Is. however, one phase Of the game
which presents a temptation To the beginner
and against which, In all fairness. he ought TO
be warned. lest unthinkingly he be subjected
to serious loss and Inconvenience AZ a single
sitting. What he may do on subsequent oc-
casions has nothing to do with the game as a
game. II he play Oftener. or for heavier stakes
than he ought, the game Is not TO be blamed:
but it does not seem altogether unfair TO blame
the game If the fascination Of the moment
carries him unit hinkingly of hs feet, so that
he loses his mental and moral Ell uilibrium Tor
the time being,
IL Is to be noted. therefore. that the player
must beware especially Of the temptation to
continue his play in the hope Of reoouping Ibis
losses. when the odds are in reality against him
and he has alread iust more than he IL willing
to do. II may be- said that no man Is willing
to lose ut poker. but certainly no man can eX-
pect always 10 win. and he who is not willing
to lose sometimes does not play poker for the
game. but for the stakes. and Is a gambler
rather than a gamrster.
This temptation is q strong one, and often
proves too strong even for good players, Tie
possibility Of winning i especially allurlng
when the winning seems an actual necessity,
and even lcvel-hraded players are often found
revising the principles Of good play and taking
longer chances. for the simple reason that the
chances are running against them, instead
Of waiting for strong hands and good oppor-
tunitin~ ~ they should do.
The poker player Who watches the game a.
II should be watched will not be long In doubt
Of the fact if the chances are really ngainst
him. instead Of being equal with those Of the
other players. as they should be In theory. II
he lose money steadily for a while he will be
Utmost certain 10 declare that the cards are
running against him and this may indeed be
true. The one phenomenon Of the game which
can never be- explained Is the fact that any
PLAYER in any game is liable to seta long series
of remarkably good or remarkably, poor hands.
1t may happen, of course, that good hands may
run to all the party. or that there VIII be Few
good hands held 10y any one during a con
siderable time. but the uneNplainablo thing
which seems most curious of all is the continued
bad luck or good luck OF some one PLAYER.
This viii often continue through an "ntre sI'tiie
or a series Of -itungs and II l. even iiue that
some ulaycrS seem never 10 get cards equal
To the average, while others viii average, year
In and year ont, much better cards than their
said, cannot be explained on any theory, but no
eNUeriencrd PLAYER Il likely 10 deny mat II Is.
There are two courses for the player when
il has become apparent that the cards are
actually running against him. tie can Qult thH
game. which is really thc prudent thinR To 90.
since no skill Is likely TO avail him much without
at least a fair show Of cards. Or, II DESTROYS
Of PLAYING. and willing 10 wait for a turn oi
luck, which will probably come sooner or later,
he may cuntnup in TIM game without serious
los. II he will control his play firmly and not
undertake TO force the luck.
In doing this he should, whenever II IL ms
turn Ia make the ante, put qp the smallest
amount allowed. A single white chip Is sIlf,i-
cient. and will really answer his purpose a.
well ~ a large sum. II I true ulh' any oul"r
player, when il comes his turn, may raise,
but the ante man il not Obliged to MAKE g4od
and IL he has no encouragement IN hts hhnd 10
draw, he will escape with the minimum OF loss,
ON the other hand, IL he has good cards, he can
rai~r at the time of making good, and 50 teSt
The hands opposed To him, Obviously this ad-
vantage is not open To him when a jackpot
is to be- played since he must put up, his auola
10 get cards, but he can then apply. the second
rule of safety. tie cannot play without sons
loss TIL his luck shall urn, and he Is only con
cerned in making that loss a. small ns possible,
tie should then refuse Ia draw cards on any
thing less than a pair Of tens at the very least,
and in iackpots on less than openers, Ana,
having drawn, he should refuse To- see any
bet Whatever unless he shall have bettered
his hand If it be his first say may be well
10 venture "A chip on, the chanCr tRat no one eise
shall raise he will be foolish 10 call unless he
strongly suspects a blum;
fit c objected that this iS not playing poker,
The reply is that a man should not play poker
while the luck IA positively against him, Inc
only thing open to him II he does not Withdraw
j. TO stay in the game at a. niue expense as
possible and this he can only do by refusing To
bet until be gets cards 70 bet ON. An inpe tuouS
! man will find this difficult to do, and VIII be
constantly tempted to take long chances in
the betting with the hope Of some sudden luck
IL the draw If he be one, whose iemper ls
eNasperated by his III fortune and viii continue
TO chip in thus until his losses have been serious.
The game is played very differently by difler-
ent people and II the play be- what is called
o%pen-that Is If all in the party are betting
freely in excess OF the legitimate value, OF their
cards-thc danger to the man IN bad luck IA
even greater than IL IL in "a less liberal game;
since he will be almost sure 70 be influenced
by the play of the Others.
But although the player is likely 10 declare
that II IL the fault of his luck when he IL beaten,
aud, although, this, may often be true, II = SUI
ll'lf lhfll NltN III INFN az ~ W ~
his system Of play or to the fact. which no
player likes to acknowledge. that he Is outGlassed
In skill. II may easily be that more experienced
PLAYERS than he can read his play well enough
10 tell with almost unfailing certainty. when
II is safe Ia bet against him and when he has
really a strong hand. II II 4 test of a mans
character to place him 10 a position OF this KIND,
since he will be unwilling to admit the truth
Of it II he be vain and unwilling TO act upon his
knowledge IL ne be- obstinate. II. however,
he be olearsiRhted and understand the game
well enough TO analyze the play from hand to
hand he will usually perceive the fact when
he Is fairly outplayed, and then If he IA wise
he will either retire from the game or continue
in 1t for the sake Of improving hs play exer-
Cising at the same time all the caution he can
command.
Most likely Of all the unsuccessful player
has his own system to blame for his losses.
While IL IL true that few players follow any
general rule Of play inflexibly but vary their
drawing and betting accordingly to circllm-
stances, il is also true that every man who plays
often has a system Of his own, whether he Ia
conscious Of the fact or not. And II is by the
smal errors 81 these systems az they are COM
monty pursued that the weakness Of the average
mans play IL manifested, Let a player keep
account Of his PLAY for a single sitting OF three
or four hours and he will almost certainly. find
that he has lost more money by play which his
Judgment does not approve than he has by