The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-04-21
Contracts Won by Poker Game

hut / always go on the theory that 1t is
best to play a liberal game and have ev-
erybody satisfied. You may want to play
again. But # the first idea didn't work
L had another one up my sleeve.
Il never sat in the game myself, but
L was voucher for every man who did,
and l was always the banker. If there
was any passing of checks or l. o. US,
L always cashe6 EN-. never allowing any
paper to go across the table, so naturally
everybody in the club came to have a
good deal of confidence in me, and when
l introduced Hyde as Western man who
liked sport and was on a pleasure trip,
there were no questions asked.
We'll, Hyde certainly understands his
business. There were five players in the
game that night. and the luck ran about
as usual among three of them. but Hyde,
stacked up against Jones three different
times on his own deal, and lost about
$4,000 on the three hands.
THE first time 1t was a jackpot with
abe ut $35 or $40 in it before 1t was opened
Jones opened 1t for $40-they were play
ing table stakes-and the other dropped
cut. Hyde raised 1t $50 and Jones came
back at him with $50 more
Hyde raised it again and Jones merely
saw the raise. He wes a very conserya-
tive player, as said, and I had never
|
an evening-rarely more than $40 or $50,
for he really couldn't afford his losses.
Il am free to say that l would have
played mis- hand harder before the draw
than he did, for he had a queen full pat
but that was his way. On the draw
Hyde seemed to be scared when Jones re-
fused cards, giving himself pair of sew
ems to his three tens. He was beautiful
dealer.
Jones bet fifty. He naturally wanted
at least call, and reasoned that Hyde
wouldn't lay down for that amount,
though he might before a bigger bet. But
Hyde came back at him with $500 more,
being all he had In front of him, and
Jones called. That put him nearly $500
ahead on the one pot.
THE next time Hyde dealt Jones opened
it again and again Hyde raised The bet
ting was not SO hard before the draw,
for Jones had only three mines, but he
stayed on them, and as he caught
fourth nine and Hyde stood pat this time,
he naturally bet his pile on 1t and Hyde
called with an ace flush.
THAT doubled Jones' pile and put some
thing like $1,000 in front of him, all in
chips for as said. didn't allow money
or paper in the pot. had taken Hydes
check for his chips. OF course, II made
no difference to me whether they were
good or not, for had the money from
the contractor.
THE third play was equally pretty,
for there were two pat hands out Jones'
being an ace full, and. as Hyde pushed
the play to the limit of the $500 more he
had bought and had in trent of him,
Jones had to call with what he had, which
was over $1,000
Then he got cold feet. II was lust
what I wanted him to do. but put up
horrible game of fright. Told him
hadn't the ready money with me- but
that I'd make good In the morning, as
knew the checks Hyde had given were
o. X. I offered him the checks with my
endorsement but he said. as I knew he
would, that he wouldn't take them. and
after beefing badly he went away angry
Next day I called on him before noon
| at his office, and could see that he was
| enormously relieved when he pocketed
the $4,000. We chatted a minute or two
and then I asked him point blank to give
| my friend those contracts. reckoned
that IL they could be got by favor that
was the best way to get them, Tor we ali
knew ne couldn't be briSAs directly.
'Of course. 1t wasn't afS ntire surprise,
though 1t was a disappointment to me,
when he refused positively. My $500 was
gone, and the only thing had to show
for 1t was the chance I counted on, that
ne would come back to the club for more.
1 sized him up for the kind OF man who
wanted all he could get Of a good thing,
and knew he had never won SO much be-
fore
"well, It worked all right. Hyde played
him again twice. The first evening he
wor $1,000 and then let Jones get $1,000 Of
it back again. Then he quit the game
on some excuse, and promised to play
again the next night.
by thst time you couldn't have kept
Jones out of the game with gatling guns,
and Hyde wiped the floor with him. He
dropped all his winnings, and bought
$4,000 more with his checks to my order.
and l was satisfied by the look In his eye
that he was certain about the last of
those checks being good. When that was
all gone he seemd almost stunned, and
quit the game.
II didn't deposit those checks the next
morning. In fact, don't think they ever
were deposited; but my friend, the con-
tractor, got all the 1899 contracts he went
cunning for while Jones was in Office,
There are more ways than one of whipping
the devi. around a stump