Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-06-27
DREW THE DEUCE.
How Yankee Poker Player Trusted
to Luck and Won.


restaurant few nights ago, reminds
me of the nerviest man and the
nerviest piece of play have ever
seen at the green-top table. l mean
the rule about taking face cards in the
draw. In all the games I've sat in for
the last six months the house rule has
been that you take all the cards COM
ing to you, faced or otherwise. The
way learned the game, if your card
was faced. you had to take another
after the rest had been helped.
THE man was a Vermont Yankee.
Never was very strong as a scholar.
he told me, but managed to get
through the local academy and
entered Wesleyan college, on the
Connecticut river. Frank Batcheller
learned a lot of things there that he,
didn't know before, and among them
learned to count the spots on the
pasteboards. His mates there
christened him Old Dan Spicer, be-
cause of a very peculiar drawl he had.
and the name stuck
He didn't 40 much as a student
and landed as clerk in Chaffee's
hotel, in Middleton, where he had
passed a good many of his college
days. The boss, old George Chaffee.
sort of took pity on him. and as he
was well known at the college. took
him as drawing card for the under
graduates.
1T was there that Old Dan Spicer
got the start which finally landed him
in New York as a free lance and
general sporting man.
"The play / want to tell about
happened in a private room in a
Broadway hotel about five years ago.
There were six men in the game and
three Of us looking on.
For the first hour there was prettv
even play. Both the drummers were
doing well. One had run his stack up
to $50 and the other had about $40 in
front of him. The horse owners were
both losers, because with what was to
them small limit they could not wait
Tor hands and tried to force their luck.
One OF them was SIS to the bad and
the other, whom they called Sam. had
bought twice and had about $50 in
the game.
Again one of them proposed table
stakes and as the drummers were
Keeling good they raised no objections.
Each man went down into his pocket
and brought his stake up to $50.
The play livened up bit. but
Batcheller, or Dan, as they called him.
was losing. The play that I'm telling
about took place very soon after the
table stake game began. Dan had
Just dealt and everybody in for ST.
On the first deal no one opened On
the second deal the first two passed.
ana the man on Dams left opened the
Sl2 pot for $40 Dan skimmered or
his cards and came in and two otbare
dia likewise. When ii came to the
dealer he raised $40. There was over
500 in the pot, The opener lool,aa
his cards over carefully. | could see
then from where | was standing thar
ne mad three queens. He studied a
moment, evidently thinking about
ahother raise, but he either weakened
or wanted all in, for he merely STAYED
when Dan lifted his hand | saw
that be had 3, 4, 5, 6 of spades. with 81
pair OF fives. Without hesitation he
raised another $40 and two of the men
dropped. The dealer, who had made
the first raise with aces and tens.
stayed, and SO did the man with the
three queens. The three-queen man
drew down to his hand. two cards
Dan asked for one, but Just as II was
Deing passed to him the three-oueen
man, one of the horse owners. reached
ior his cards and it struck his hand
raining face up on the table. It was
the seven Of spades.
Do | get that card or nor7. asked
Dan, without a sign of anxiety. Ac.
corning to the rules of those days he
ala not get the card and as soon as
the dealer said to Dan turned it over
and threw 1t into the discards. The
ueaier thought long time. evidently
little frightened by the two-card
draw. He finally decided To taka
chances on his aces up and drew one
card Then he gave Dan the next one
which he slid in among the other four
without looking at it.
THE opener bet SIS. The three.
queen man raised IS after looking over
his hand. Dan studied his hand a
minute and then. as there was about
slOO IN the pot and he had only 500
left in front of him. pushed In all he
had.
The opener then looked at his
hand again and pushed in all he
had, which was only So short of Dams
bet.
The three-Queen man went down
to look and remarked. Il wish Won
gentlemen had more money. I'd like
to bet this hand That suited the
horse owner AL. He had caught an
ace and filled his hand.
Well, I've got something of hand
myself, he remarked. I'm agreeable
to any moderate amount up to 81 .00o.'
The threeCueen man said: Make
it $500. That's all I've got with me.
OF course. Won pet n lool, In Eos. ~,