The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-01
WITHOUT CASH STAKEo
.DnAw POKER AS A PURELY
 SCIENTIFIC STUDY.
Irinnsapolis Club That Has Played tho Game for Years and No One Has Lost or Won
 Money.

Sfai iA A&0&Nys
 0Einneapolis Times:
 Imagine company of Minneapolis most sedate and elderly business and ur0fessional men. such as have en1oy- cd the reputation of employing the most conservative and safe methods In counting room and ,ffice. seated around a table deeply engrossed in car6s with thousands at stake!
 The picture would not be overdrawn. for stcards with thousands at stake have called the veteran members of the ID. F." club of Minneapolis together every Monday evening. rain or shine, for more than a decade past. The let ters ID. F." do not. as deduced. stand for "Distressingly Poor" 'Disdainful- 1y Pretentious." or anything of the sort They are simply the initials of those two famous words Draw Poker. and the ID. F." club to the initiated and their friends is simply the Draw Poker Club.
 The s.thousands" that change hands at it's meetings are not in coin Of the realm. The members of the Draw Pok- CT Club never play for money. Under no circumstances has gambling for coin been countenanced. Chips are the sswhole thing" and If the members of the club are to be believed. they ex- trac1 quite as much satisfaction and ind the game fully as fascinating with only the fred, white and blue" to lure them on as could possibly be the case where money Is at stake.
 The Draw Poker Club Is one of the most unique organisations ever found- Cd in Minneapolis. It had its beginning just about dozen years ago. It was one evening in. 1889 that Col. Henry Benton and Josiah H. Thompson paus- ed in front of Judge William Welch's residence. and invited him to become 2 charter member of the organization. Together the three repaired to Frank Morse's home. near @ hand. where they drew up articles of incorporation and played the initial game.
 The Quality of Poker.
 In iexplaining the objects of the or ganixation Col. Benton took occasion to remark that. in common with great many of his intimate acQuaintances who appreciated the ennobiing siae or poker game, he believed 1t high time fhnt such a distinctively national game ehould be reformed. He deprecated the growing tendency of the times to use draw poker purely for gambling, all the more because he recognized that 4 the game has many fine. scientinc points which raised 1t far above the level of ordinary card games and com mended it to the consideration ana ois- cernment of intelligent and observing people.
 In order that the game may be hand- Cd down to posterity with 8 reputation not wholly blemished, 1t was. therefore. the lamaable purpose of the club to pre- serve the game in all it's pristine purity
 Some of the most prominent citizens Of Minneapolis were present at the nrst meeting, and 1t is a significant fact that most of the happy party" have most exclusive one. and as only the select ''oId settler" Is eligible. all va- ~ancies caused by the grim reaper are Japidly filled.
 It's Own Chips.
 Years ago special design of excep- fionally handsome poker chips was manufactured for the club.
 The denominational values of the chips are s25, $5s. $100. $500 and N.O0O. At the beginning of play every night each member starts out with $5.O0O worth of chips. Play commences at 3 o'clock sharp and continues until f0:S0. At that hour. no matter how exciting a point the game may have reached. time Is promptly called. Then follows a delightful social session. and a feed" after which the gray-hatred "boys" tmost of them have long since passed lif9s meridian). bid each other good night and depart.
 The program for each evening is to play ajackpots'' for half an hour after the straight game, the individual ante beinw 326 in chips. Then there is one round at 31oo the ante. and grand finale at S200 throw. the last play re- uuiring two pair or better in order to opan the pot.
 '. H. Thompson enjoyed the reputa- ton of being the shrewdest player in the club. and he invariably won out" It IS said CT him that he simply reflect d m his style of playing the character iE4scs which won him such success in business. He never bet high unless he hmd a flush or full hand. Then no amount of .'bluffng'' could make him back down. Ordinarily his betting was cautious.. Under no circumstances would he see heavy raise unless he could himself deliver the goods on a resent he would be sure to call hia opponent at the first favorable oppor- Gunfty.
 R. B. Langdon was what Judge Welch calls ''daring, audacious play er.D Judge Lochren's hand never Host It's cunning" He is distinguished among his comrades because of the air Of impenetrable mystery with which he surrounds himself He always ''has them guessing"
 Col Benton was a strong player. Whether he won or Lost. he was apt, as q member of the club put it. to ''ex- press himself with great force" The colonel was always the life of the party and was 8 great joker. He generally kept the table in a roar.
 Judge Smith was a good, close play CT. and very much attached to the