The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-17

were Interested at once.
1t was back in the late sixties" be-
gan Uncle Mumford. in those days
merchants from up country who came
TO New York on buying trips made
longer stays than they do now. Those
of US who had a fondness for draw
usually had no difficulty in finding that
particular form of pleasure. Buyers
Jhronged the Aston House, the Metro
politan and other good hotels of the
period, and mingling among them we've
some very smooth boosters for the big
hotel games
1T doesn't matter how this particu-
lar game started. 1t is sufficient 10
know that it was proposed by two OF
the best poker propositions then play
ing in the town. Six of US agreed to
make up the party There was a sales
man for large Broadway wholesale
dry goods house, a coal man from
Pennsylvania, two boosters for the
game, Colonel Harvey and me-
"A large room was engaged in quiet
part of the hotel and we agreed to
meet there after the theatre. The col
onel and I were old friends and had
fought in the war, hunted, hshed and
done New York together for years, but
the others were not so well acquainted.
though the salesman was known TO all
of US and had introduced the pair of
strangers, who made the arrangements
for the game.
When the colonel and I returned to
the hotel from the theatre we inquired
for the others and were told by the
clerk they were in the room.
The colOnefs desire for a drink
shows how little things like that cut a
figure in what happens afterward. We
stood quietly drinking our whisky and
water and sugar at the end of the bar,
when we both heard this scrap of con-
verSation through a screen door which
opened into the wash room:
Better make it four aces and a
straight flush
g No. replied a second voice. that's
and straight flush that you'll make
in the draw, but the fours won't be
When cut walks the two boosters
The colonel and didn't let on that we
had heard anything, but asked 'em to
drink, thinking we would have a
chance before the game to decide on a
plan if queer play came up. We
didn't know who was the object of the
scheme-the salesman, the coal man or
one of US. But l had figured that the
colonel or 1 was to be the victim, as
we were less at home in the town than
the other two.
Going up the stairs 1 only had time
to say to the colonel;
If it's you, don't play the hand;
if it's newell, just watch.
Not another word did we get
chance to say, for that pair of train
wreckers just kept talking along with
US until we got to the room and the
game started.
I'VE agreed to table stakes. and be-
gan with an average of about $500
apiece in sight. The taller of the
strangers sat on my left, next him was
the salesman. then the Pennsylvania.
back of him the colonel, and finally the
short man.
We'll, we all Just dubbed along for
a couple of hours without much action
The cards weren't running strong and
l don't suppose more than a thousand
above the original stakes had been put
on the table. 1 was about $500 winner,
the tall man on my left had won about
the same and the coal man, who was
short pair player. had by good luck
added perhaps $500 to his pile. The
colonel and the salesman were the
heaviest losers, the short stranger
standing about even.
1t was about this stage of the game
that the short man excused himself
and retired from the room. He> re-
turned in a moment and stood leaning
over the back of the taller ones chair.
1t was during a pot in which every
bOdys attention was engaged, and
though I felt that it was mighty
convenient moment for a cooler to be
passed to the taller gent paid no at
tention to 'em.
L was a winner, and made up my
mind if there was anything doing I'd
drop out of il before getting hooked
for much, or stay along if 1 saw way
to beat the play. Besides, the colonel
was a pretty wise chap and I knew
he'd remember the few words I wills
pered to him on the stairs-to stay out
We'll, the short man starts an ar
gument about the pot last played. and
takes his seat. Meanwhile his partner
hal gathered up the cards. He leaned
back in his chair. but 1 didn't watch
him. l wanted to give him every
chance in the world to get the cooler
in, and / was sure he did when he
threw the pack sort of careless like in
front of the short man, whose turn it
was to deal. 1 was satisfied the deck
was cold, but didn't say anything or
give any sign.
1.-THE tall man then encourages the
salesman and the Pennsylvania in
their argument about the last pot, and
while they were all talking, the short
man, who was on my right, made the
deal. I picked up my cards one at a
time and found four jacks and a spot
card. Without any hesita ton 1 opened
for the size of the pot, $50; as it was
a jack with everybody up 50.
The tail man makes it 500 more,
the salesman drops out, the Pennsyl-
vanian makes good, the colonel and the
short man go to the woods and it's
back to me- / come back with only
S10O raise, having it in mind to force
the tall gent on my left to at least
show his strength He did it. He saw
my 500 and made it $500 more. Then
l knew he was after my money, and
didn't care a rap whether the man from
Pennsylvania stayed or not. Anyhow,
the latter dropped out.
THE play was up to me again.
figured that in framing up four Jacks
for me-virtually a pat hand-the tall
man wouldn't hold four to beat 'em,
or a straight flush pat, but would make
the latter in the draw It wouldn't
have been even good crooked poker TO
have two such good hands pat on the
same deal.
Then it flashed through my mind
what the colonel and l had heard in
the barrOon, and I just as quickly saw
how to beat it.
There was 1920 in the pot already,
and l saw the last raise of $500 and
made it $500 more. With 81, APO in the
center and only a four-card flush
against tours, the tail man evidently
saw the unFea soma bleness of playing
his hand further before the draw. 1t
had not been good poker for him to
play it over in the first place, so he
just made good, leaving S1,620.
EST was nrPftV O1Iipf tho room