Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-08-15
Quick ACTION IN
HOBO POKER GAME

Altoona, Pa. July 27.-"Not long
ago. said Frank Hopkins, Pennsyl.
vania railroad detective. Il discovered
new game. or rather became nc.
Quainted with the details of an old
one little known outside the tramp
camps which line the railroads. For
quick action II has ping pong and 9th
er effete amusements backed clear IN
TO the corner.
One morning while was camping
with gang had spotted, q gentleman
we called Bigfoot rose YEARLY from
his turf couch and asked me If had
two bits.
what for, asked.
why, to play. OF course. he an.
swered.
rive got four beers said. Four
beers is tramp for 20 cents.
We'll. I'll go you. a beer on tho
next NOISY he said.
Look here | said, I haven't been
on the road very long. an you have
me goin'. What's the gamer
"Wnat kind OF piker are yuu.
anyhow, that you never played moss
back poker he exclaimed.
Show me how | says, and the
beers Is yours If you get them.
"Nou'ye played poker in your time,
guess. he said with some scorn.
Il admitted had.
We'll. he went on, this Is pOSAr
with no short.card end. All you need
Is the coin and a mossbaCk train AZ
the game starts. You take messy for
the deck because the cars 20 slowly
and you have time to read ,he ilgure,.
The engine Is the first hand. Say II
is numbered 202l; you have a pair Of
deuces. First car is my hand; say 1t
is numbered 1860; you lose, for | have
trays against your deuces. Are you
wiser
Il admitted ! had the idea.
Here comes messy. now yelled
BigfOot as he munched the end of q
secondhand cigar stub. I'll take tho
first hand Tor beer throw
Il agreed.
"'l42O.' he yelled as the locomotive
passed. That's ten high; the cipher
counts a ten spot
'3l,3ll.' yelled.
Got me skinned on an ace full. 10
admitted.
$500, he yelled gleefully next.
You cant beat trips with old 1886.
How does your 1856 suit you?' l
asked.
Pair of iyes is good on them Cen.
trails. he said. See, skinned yon
again on that measly lliG OF the Read.
ing
Il lost again on n CTS, =. f. w. 4 G.
against a Pennsy S99S. still was a
beer TO the good in my stack, hut lac
cleaned me out on a ALA Pennsy
against 3.ii3 Missouri Pacific.
Notice had foureleven forty.
four? BigfOot asked me. Then anew
how IL happened.
Fellows think there amt no short.
card end to the game, Bigioot confiI
ed, as he pocketed my four beers. BIZ,
t"ere Is. an I'll put you next. skin
your eye over the train when you see
ii coming. Count back how far the
steel cars run and fix your play so you
get all the biz ones
I'm tell you why: All the steel
ears are the last put on by any rail
road and the numbers run usually into
five figures. The little short gondOlas
run three aGG Tour figures, and the
man that gets them Is pIayin Tour
card hand against Ave.
1t takes quick eye 10 size up a
train. but you soon learn how, II you
are wise on the graft. CabOOses n
ways run big hands. They are Away:
numbered higher than the newest car
and help o Fellow out Of big hole
sometimes.
"Once down in West Philadelphia
doubled on the CabOose and won Du
with ll,lll. My pal knocked the game
sayin' nobody could hold five acres IL
u straight game, but | got the money
after we bad s.ttled the point will
ballast
ANY other game you can play viii
4 messy? ! asked.
"'Wel,' said Bisfoot, they're goo,
} Tor craps, too, hut the game is 10,
slow. Say you shoot the engine 10
your point ard get two, Your pal vInt
il seven for the first figure on a "a
comes before the two. II you get 4;
TWO for the first figure, you take IN,
coin"
THE trouble about messy craps il
that a whole train may pass bci0r,
you win or lose, nave played three
trains before a beer changed hands.
"'Of course, it amt so bad when yDr
have nothing 10 do but LOAF aroun,
and wait especially when you don
have more than beer. Only Ii
cheap skates who have no big none
play messy craps, Messy poker Is u