The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26

" followed habit had already formed
and undertook to size up the players before
watching their play. Matthews was q
stold sort OF man, who looked as II he
didn't know what nervousness was. and
who might be relied on to bluff outrageously
or TO call bluff that any one else made.
Harding was merry, good-natured
chap, who laughed when no lost, and dis
guised his keenness. for he was keen enough
with an affectation Of carelessness. Cam
bon was a cold, calculating sort of man
who studied his cards and played slowly
but plunged heavily when he felt justified.
"Halsey was painfully nervous and likely
to be a bad player if the luck ran strongly
for or against him And Carruthers was
a puzzle II 1t had not been for a CLEAN
In his eye now and again he might have
been set down as Indifferent to any fIuctua-
tion of fortune, for he affected the stu
diously quiet air and played as II il we're
! q bore
IAN this decided in my mind from study
ing the appearance OF the men. Then
watched the play.
very clever plays within a short time, and
as looked on | saw no reason to modify
my judgment OF any of the men, though
| soon saw that they all understood the
game like professionals. None of them
was over 80, and Cambon, the youngest Of
TN, party was a. ,
on Matthewss deal that went around to
the dealer before 1t was opened. He pushed
In $50 and the others all dropped but Car
ruthers. He studied a little and then,
as If he were playing against his judg-
rnent, put in his money.
"On the draw he took three cards and
vaet LxNyy, kx-l, L. I... ~
the draw he threw a hundred dollar bill
in the pot. whereupon Carruthers. who had
looked at his cards. raised him hundred.
Then Matthew's looked, and finding that
he had canght a second ace to the one he
had held mp threw down his hand That
looked to me like good play. He thought,
as did that tarruthers had made threes.
in the next jack pot, which did not
come for some time, for the jack pot itself
was new in the game at that time and was
only played when it came by default Of
play on an ante, there was almost a similar
situation, only it was Harding that raised,
and Matthews called him without hesitation
OIL single pair of aces. And he found, AS
he thought, that Harding was bluffing.
these were only skirmishea, though
In an hours time the contest was on, and
the betting was heavier than I had ever
seen before. One sample hand, that
marked the beginning of a run OF luck, came
on Cnmbon's deal and Halsey's ante
"Carruthers, having first say, went in.
Matthews made il twenty to play, and they
all came in without raising, till it came
10 Caruthers again. He made it fifty
more to play, and again they all came in.
making three hundred and fifty In the pot
before the draw.
"Halsey took two cards, CarrutherS
stood pat. and each OF the others took two,
Carl1ithsrs bet the size OF the pot and the
others laid down excepting Cambon, who
/ had caught a pair to his three tens and
naturally felt strong
HE raised II three fifty and Carruther1
went back AT him with five hundred more.
| Cambon gave him one more raise OF five
I; hundred. and then called the thousand that
Carru,he,s let. But Carruthers had y
king full that put him over $500 Rhead
OH thft pot
! Then he won four pots in succession
| The next was comparatively a small one
/ in which he took five hundred from Halsey
| but the one after that was jack pot. WIN
| three stayers after Matt opened on
aces That made two fifty in the pot.
They all drew three excepting Car
r,Ithsrs, who drew to a flush and filed
Matthews had caught third ace, and he
| bet dollar. Cambon had kings up. and
he trailed. Halsey found three jacks