The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-08-13
John Morrlsssy Used TO Regard Him
Nest SkiIIfuI In the World.
A GAMBLER WHO MADE AND KEPT COIN
Biggest Cams Hs Ever Saw Was One 10
Nsvads, When $4,000 Might b
Bet on q Single Gard.

Los Angeles, Cal, Aug l3.-George Al
bro, whom John Morrissey. of New York.
and Henry NJ. Damon. of Washington.
used TO say was the most scientific poker
player in the world, lives retired among
the orange groves OF Pomona Valley In
Southern California.
lie is one of the scant few professional
gamblers that ever got together Tor
tune in cards and kept 1t. lie was born
in Philadelphia in 1888, and was famous
poker player in Washington before ne
was %.
He taught the Prince OF Wales the
principles of poker and in 1870. when Gen.
Phil sheridan was in Paris. he was ask
ed by the general TO inform no less
person than Napoleon III. the mysteries
of the great American game
Albro Is In poor health, and with the
fortune saved from the hundreds or
Thousands of dollars that have passed
through his hands. he has bade fareweu
10 the green table and the clicking chips
He WORT even play friendly games or
whist nowadays.
III learned my first card games in East
PHILADELPHIA forty-three years ago.
said Mr. Albro, as he sat beneath the
shade OF an orange tree and inhaied ,he
oSor of clumps Of roses.
sI showed an aptitude for cards, ana
when went TO Washington to be page
sn the house ca place secured Tor me py
yhaddeus Stevens) saw the finest play.
ars OF poker and faro there were any
where. / have watched l.. O. Lamar.
Arephen A. Douglas, Ben Hill and Samuei
J. Randall play poker many tme'
HAS SAVED SOME MONEY.
.Yes. have laid by some money. but IL
had never had a good sister, who mace
A. /, point TO beg me every time she saw
me through some years 10 invest my
earnings In real estate and take solemn
cow never to sell or mortgage any part
sf II. 1 should have been dead proke, IKE
every man l havr ever met arouna the
green cloth.
II suppose that superstition Will al
vavs he a chief characteristic of gam
bier It's part OF a sports life as mucn
rs thinking Now, I've always argued
that / was above nonsense, put since
S,ve retired from the profession and Tor
the. first time I'm my life begun 10 look
at problems of life from the standpoint
Of n legitimate business man.
sI see how whole lot OF supersutons
nassessed me and 1 didn't know IL. The
most common superstition among an
professional gamblers is that IL Is bad
luck 10 win the first hand, and that' sure
as fate, the winner OF the nrst pot IN
poker Will lose the game.
"For years I've kept out OF the hrst
tac,kuot a, the game to the best of my
ability. and when I've been forced In II
and won. I've thrown mp my hand Tor
half an hour or. so, until the bad luck
has gone away.
"A common superstition of gamblers In
the far West. but not In the East. Is that
80 ta
naper money with piles of gold and silver
invites i'll luck.
.sI knew man, Harry Parker, the
greatest faro dealer by the way, ever
known in Helena, Mont, TO quit game
for good when he saw that some one
about the table had carelessly mixed the
paper and coin stakes.
FORMS OF SUPERSTITION.
"I know that I myself had six days
s,,n of wonderful luck knocked galley
west once by fool who piled stack of
golden eagles on top of some paper bills
at my side
'sThe most common superstition the
world over-you sec that l admit IL Is a
superstition, but I believe in IL just the
same--is that turning around In ones
chair reverses the luck.
This belief extends to the position OF
the seats. some of which I'm a long game
of poker become known as lucky seats
and others as unlucky seats. 1t is COM
mon for one player to ask another player
10 change seats with him.
1--WE seen many q man pay money, $40
or $40, for an exchange Of seats in big
poker game.
Everyone knows how some gamblers
will kiss a chip before they put II In a
pot or toss IL on faro board 10 WOO the
Goddess Fortune 10 that bet.