Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-03-26
A POKER FAIRY TALE
QUEER CLIMAX OF THE WIND UP
JACK POT OF THE GAME.

QUEER CLIMAX Of tnE WNS W
JACK POT OF THE GAME.
Manly Displayed Wonderful Powers
of Perception and Analysis, Won
the Pool and Saved His Opponent
the Amount of the Last Raise.
"Manxy was one of the best poker
players l ever saw. he was a good
winner and a good loser. He played
his cards all the time for everything
they were worth and then some more,
and he played game that was simply
insoluble."
The board Of trade man leaned back
IN his chair and smiled reminiscently.
Manly not only had Hoyle down SO
that he could recite the poker rules
backward and say sir after each
word, but he rose to the higher science
of the game. Ne made careful study
of every man around the board, and he
never played card but what he darted
a keen, sweeping glance at every play
er and drew his conclusions as to what
they were about to do. If player had
any little tricks or habits that asserted
themselves In spite Of efforts to repress
them, Manly knew them by heart.
81 will never forget the night he took
Carter into camp. Carter was good,
cool, nervy player too. He was an old
player and possessed splendid judy
ment. One night we had been playing
several hours, and as it was getting to-
ward daylight we agreed to have one
more round Of jack pots and then 60
home. We had our round Of jack pots,
three of which Carter won, and then
decided on one last consolation jack
not, with no limit but the roof and s.
to come in. Carter raised the come In
| to $50, and everybody dropped out e1-
cept Manly and one other player.
Manly called for three cards, showing
that he had only one pair or nothing at
all; the other man took two cards, indi-
eating that he must have threes of q
kind, or else he wouldn't have paid $40
for the privilege Of playing any longer,
and Carter stood pat
"rhat looked bad. Carter had never
been known to stand pat on anything
but something that was worth while.
he must have had something pretty
good to raise the come in to $50, and
his standing pat argued that he either
had fours or else a straight or a flush.
He had betrayed nervous start when
he first picked up his hand, and 1t
argued that he had seen something aw-
fully good. Now, Manly had seen the
start that Carter gave and knew his
style of play well enough to argue that
Carter had seen something even better
than a straight or flush. and that was
O straight flush, something that comes
once in a great, long while in poker
game. In fact, Manly came to the
conclusion that Carter had a straight
flush, and the fact Of the matter was
that q straight flush in spades, king
high, was Just exactly what Carter had
seen in his five cards when he picked
them up.
Manly deliberated long time be.
fore he came in with his $50. but he
was out SIS or 500 on the game, and
as it was the last pot he determined to
stand q good bit of money in the hopes
of making a recoup. He drew to pair
Of tens and caught one more. Manly
started the betting with $40 bill. The
other man dropped out, and Carter saw
the $40 and raised $25. That looked as
though Manxy's surmise about the
straight flush which he thought Carter
was holding was good. He deliberated
for some time. Then he said:
"Carter, 1 think and everybody
around here thinks you've got some
thing better than tours. I was playing
you for that. But now I'll tell you
Carter, what I'm going to do. I've no
dced that your eyesight is bad and thai
tobacco smoke when 1t is right in front
of your face always interferes for
moment or two with your vision. JUS
as you picked up your cards I noticed
that you pulled great cloud Of smoke
out Of your mouth and that the clouC
of smoke was in your eyes when yor
looked at your cards. Now, believe
that you think you have a straight
flush, but don't believe that you reaC
your cards correctly. am going to d.
something that may seem to be awfullJ
bad poker, considering the hand I have
but I am going to play you for YOU
poor eyesight. see your bet Of $2s
and raise 1t sos more on the GROUND
that your eyes deceived you. You't
better study your cards before you SCI
my raise
1--WE all waited In breathless silence
for q moment, then Carter quietly
threw his cards face upward on the
table.
you're right he said quietly. =
thought I had a spade straight flush
king high, in my hand. What though
was a nine Of spades was a nine Of
clubs. I "-Chicago Tribune.