Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-04
TEACHING A WOMAN.

ago, and the married mans delightful
young wife thought that game of cards
would be about right to fill in the even
ing. The usual question. What will
we playw was gone over and thrashed
until one of the married mans pals
said whats the matter with draw?"i
Draw? What's that?" asked his
friends wife.
why, poker" he replied.
"Oh, surely, poker" she said. II didn't
know you called it draw, though. Why
DO you call it draw"
Usual explanation here.
1--WE always been perfectly crazy to
learn how to play poker" she said then,
You're going to learn right now"
said her husbands chum. Got any
money!"
"Un,-ycs," she replied femininely.
"but I'd have to go up stairs to get it,
Anyhow, Jack will lend me enough to-
start OH, won't you, Jacl?"
Her husband nodded, and then they
went ahead, after all three of the men
had got themselves rather hoarse in
explaining to her just how to handle
her hands. what they were worth, what
blufting meant, what not to do il she
only had eight high and so on.
II WAS 10 ne d u Ccul dAles ~ CcAt
limit. The married man accepted the
dismal job of banker, and all four bought
dollars worth of cent chips. The
chips were parlor matches.
The banker had the first deal, his wife,
who sat to his left, anteing. All three
of the men seemed to have caught some
thing. for they all staid. The man who
had suggested the game sat next to the
young married woman. and he took two
cards. The other two men took three
cards each. The Y. NJ. w. didn't want
any. They all looked hard at her when
she stood pat. and she smiled back Mt
them triumphanty.
Pretty early to begin bluffing," they
all said to her. but she only continued
smiling at them. The young man who
had drawn only two cards went the
limit. The other two men appeared to
have flied, for they both raised the
limit. The Y. NJ. w. came back at all
three of them and raised them the limit.
Then they all put down their cards and
eSpostulated with her.
You're making a break" they said
to her. You don't know what you're
doing Stop bluHing. You don't have
| to bluff all the time, you know. Only
when you've got something to bluff on
you understand? We don't want to
| put you in the poorhouse. Better come
| off the perch and lay down your hand.
| Well let You reconsider"
| You needn't waste your sympathy on
me, any of you,'' she told them. i
know just what I've got"
And those three great strapping, hulk
ing men promptly proceeded to be scared
to death and laid down their hands to
| -
than 100 pounds. She raked in the pot
| with thoughtful smile.
snow, you don't have to show what
you had in your hand unless you're called
by somebody" snid one of her husbands
| pals. "but just out of curiosity let's see
what you've got, will you, please,
ma amp
I've got a--what did you call TIA
/ full house" she said VIGOROUSLY, and she
4 showed up three clubs and a pair OF
| spades. The three men looked at each
1 other in a Disguised kind of way.
| Then they all three deliberately ex-
! planned again to her the values of the
hands, and the game was resumed.
| She dealt the hand herself. Her hus-s
band and her husbands friend staid, and
| she looked obviously at her hand for q
long while. until all three of them began
to drum on the table.
Don't hurry me-" she said. II want
to think"
She thought for some time longer. and
then she passed her hand over her fore
head despairingly and said:
well, if it only costs 5 cents, guess
| can risk it."
| She dished out the cards, and the three
men noticed that she only took one her
self.
Then the betting began again. When
4 it got UP to her. she raised it the limit
! again. They all dropped their cards and
gazed}at her again.
{. did you catch the other card and fill
that fush?" they inquired of her in
1 breath
I'm not going to tell you, so there.
now" she replied. How could bluff il
told you?"
i Then they all naturally concluded that
she hadn't filed her four flush, and they
watched for her to drop out when the
betting was up to her again. She didn't
drop. They had all three raised each
other the limit. She raised the three Of
them the limit.
!. my dear" said her husband to her
i then, you may know how to make
tides and doilies, and things, but as
pokerist you've got some shortcomings.
Can't you see that we all know now
that you're bluffing-that you didn't fill
your four f1ush-that you practically told
us SO? All you've got to do-and we'll
all give you chance. won't we, fellows?
/ lis to just lay down your hand and let
us three fight it out. Then you'll only
lose what you've got in the pot now.
See?"
You play your own game" she said
| decisively. II know what I've got"
Thus she alienated sympathy from
herself, and the three men went on bet
ting. She stood every raise and came
back at them each time. M
Her husband did the first calling, and
then they all laid down their cards for
a look. The young married woman
spread out her four queens and raked in
the pot.
The game went on thus for an hour
or so and at the finish she had all the
money in the crowd. and the husbands
two friends accepted the loan of a nickel
each for car fare home They both sol-
an1n1v dnclorads fh fhav vopa yoiuv RI,