The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-28
SOCIAL GAME FPOKER
Captain ]. G. Waters Tells What He
Thinks of It.

''He becometh poor who dea1eth with
slack hand.'-Proverbs.
What is it? 1t has two controlling
factors, the nerve and the draw, and
must be accompanied with nerve. The
nerve must be impregnable to suspt-
cion and distrust and unyielding before
bluff. The nerve must burn all it's
bridges behind it. The nearest ap-
proach to these characteristics is
where a fool and niger luck form a
conspiracy for the night. against the
table. OF these latter two General
Schenck nowhere treats. If anywhere
along the line nerve develops the CLAN
ders it then becomes posthumous.
A hole in the center of the table is
the clearing house for dividend bear
ing threes or better. 1t is called feed
ing the kitty. 1t is the tithing for
room and ianitor The hat is drawn
over the brow to stiffen muscles and
take the tremble out of the COM
plexion. No man ought to play where
anxiety or interest can force a tremor
to the surface that furtively turks
around the upper liD or whose trepid-
ity is~an index to a cowardlv collie go
ing on in his insides. The conversation
is usually silence. The harsh, explo-
literary nor conversational. The hands
are "skun," a word that has been DOM
iciled at the poker table ever since the
time the first mud clerk in the lower
cards are just suff1ciently separated in
their compactness to let the subtitle
at the side of the cards come within
the hole of the players telescope two
peats this habit in looking at his hand
| in game of whist. he is a reformed
gambler at the best. There is uni
versal distrust fer the bystander; in
fact, there is inhospitality for him. 1t
is the one place where no humanitarian
dare give another advice as to how to
play the hand. He'll and this game
are paved exactly alike.
Do you remember the splendid fellow,
Immediately dressed in the cool garb
of midsummer. who had a rose on the
lapel of his coat. bidding his wife
good morning at the gate as he went
down town? Do you remember his re-
turn at night, the front view of him
all covered with tobacco coiering? Do
you remember his reply to his wife's
question as to where he had been and
what was the matter with him? ST have
| been playing a social game of poker
with some gentlemen where, for my
own financial protection, 1 dare not
turn round to Spit No man can be a
good poker player without a spatulous
thumb. 1t is the only comprehensive
ana quick distributor of saliva to the
cards; and it always has an air of hon.
eSty.
The game of poker is a gentlemans
game. aristocratic and exclusive. They
play it at Mike Thompson s-if they do
play it theTe-just as they played it in
the cloi5ters of Copeland county--if they
did play it there. The literature and
human nature of both are the same.
Veneer does not last long in a poker
game. But there is this difference in
the two places: there are no unreliable
bell boys at Thompson's. Few people
can afford to play it. 1t is usually play
ed by people in absolute self defense;
through ignorance of books. incapacity
fer other employment or some heart
trouble. It is that or suicide.
The more modest, innocent and Sc
ductive the game appears to be, the
more dangerous it really is. What could
be more infantile and lambiike than
penny ante and % cent limit? A
\ limit is not like the laws of the Modes
for it is set to be infracted. It's real
use is at the inception of the game to
induce the inexperienced to take part
and to silence the fears OF the unwary
that the game Is for dingbats. The limit
soon disappears. A penny ante is Mrs
Winslow's Soothing Syrup; it seems in.
offensive as a statesman; it takes or
the impersonal unconcern that a WASP
does who has permanently bartered it,
singer for HomRntary revenge Il
looks as innocent as Christmas wher
the bells and the sIedges and happy
laughter of the avenue make US forge
poverty. Nevertheless 1t is a hole which
will empty the biggest cistern.
1t may bring certificates that it is a
harmless as Castoria. It starts tina
way. Blue water is reached by the frai
craft that heists his anchor in thi
game, as soon as a jackpot is reached
A pair Of jacks is always respectabl
and is always a pot opener. They be
come disreputable when Joined to pal
of Fights and they are then dea'
mans hand. From the first jack-po
to the end of TIRE game II is entirely
serious business. The losers are eternal
4 ly Oh the watch sut for the winner Z
, complain Of cold feet: he Is the first +