The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-20
SHOWING SCIENCE
OF STANDING PAT
How Pair of Jacks May Do
Duty of a King High
Flush.

Did you ever see a man who PLAYED
that subtle game of draw who couldn't
explain exactly why he got stung?"
Po1s1ng his glass between the digit
and thumb of his dexter dealing book
the reformed scribe looked inquiringiy
about him.
Then. again." he ran on, "have you
ever run foul of one of the same would
be poker sharps but what he could
spin mess of stories about his Prov
ess In certain games-am I right?
Well, Just wanted to fix this right,
50 l could deal my yarn out in good
shape.
1 struck st. Louis with shoestring,
and 1T was a frayed and knotted string
at that. 1 went over to the Globe-D
ocrat and intimated that I was per-
fectty willing to assume editorial
charge, but I was not met with any
Prodical Son rush from the late Joe
Mccullough. moseyed along and tried
to impress the Republican, but there
appeared, not as far as I could notice,
any Wild desire to have me in their
midst.
The Post-Dispatch was next given
an option upon my services, but there
was nothing doing, and yet with a per-
s1stency which could not be brooked my
system seemed to crave food and my
comm1ssary department was all to the
PAD. Then sleeping quarters appeared
TO De IN the bill Of particulars which 1
put in to myself.
For two days, each twenty-four
hours long, each hour stretched for
good measure, I abstained from food.
AT this critical moment a Democratic
national convention broke loose in the
city and the Post-Dispatch acquired my
services.
Inc fro 10
in chalk plates?' asked the managfng
editor, now doing time on the Evening
World in this city.
Sure | chortled, blithely, but what
chalk plate was hadn't the slightest
idea. In fact, I hadn't had any init
mate relations with plates Of any de-
Scr1pt1on for, what seemed to me, cons.
We'll, went at it and on an advance
got mixed up in several poker games
which lifted me beyond mere want MY
bluff In pictures went and later I was
sent out to write up small towns in Illi-
no1s and Arkansas for a full page, me
making my own pictures, ETC., for the
Sunday edition.
well, I hit Litchfield, Nation. Al
ton and other towns Of like dimensions
and in one of them, it matters not
which, l got into the poker game of
my life.
AS was usual, nice chap from the
business office Travelled with me to
Whoop up the circulation. Well, he ar
ranged in advance for each 'writeup,'
and in this instance the mayor of the
town and a couple Of aldermen drove
US around in an open-face barouche
affair, while we were introduced to an
oil we'll that oozed out a gummy sub
stance which flowed with the wild
abandonment Of molasses in January.
A moth eaten coal outcrop was also in
evidence, as was Baptist college and
things.
ION the return to the hotel there was
no chance to get a night train out.
Says to the mayor: Any show on to-
night?'
Nope
"No church sociable or quilting or
anything?'
Not that know Of
"'Wen, I suppose you fellows run a
quiet little game or something's
'Ssh-ssh!' was the answer We
may fix up little something. Well be
around to the hotel about 1880 or s
o'clock, after supper
well, they arrived. There were six
of them, and they gave the landIoard
some office for he winked at me and
fell in line behind the bunch, and we
right angled down two or three corri-
doris and at last struck a room with
large table in the center, which was
upholstered about an inch or an inch
and half deep.
I'VE seated ourselves. and I started
in with a $40 stack. 1t lasted me about
ten minutes, and / did the buy act
again. You see, the limit was rs cents,
calls half dollar, or four bits, and the
limit was what was in the pot This
meant that, with seven playing, there
was always $3.50 in, the next to the
dealer could bet that, the next 81, and
so on-and things got warm.
"AS matter Of fact, I had plenty of
expense money from the office, but in
couple Of hours I was all in and had
wrecked my business partners bank
roll.
ut was then that grew wise. fell
to the fact that the executive body Of
that municipality was 'whip-sawing'
them, and the down would fly from me
as from Xmas goose which is being
divorced from it's feathers.
The other players would speak to
the banker quietly and remark: Let
me have fifty Sam, I'll settle at the end
of the game l got wise. 1t was UP to
me to tap the bank with the same
brand of linguistic output, especially as
[ was mentally arranging for a teIe-
gram back to the borough of st. Looey'
to get money to escape and return to
her smoking purlieus.
Something had to be done, and that
mighty sudden, and at that critical mo-
ment | was sitting next to the dealer
and it was a jack pot After I had as
sayed my quintet of cards / found my
self about two jacks strong. I opened
$3.50 worth. The next man stayed and
the following one tilted the proposition
about SO worth.
well, when it came to me it cost me
something like $50 or so to draw cards.
l slipped in the $50, tapped the banker
for fifty and raised it that amount.
'These'll do for me- 1 said to the
dealer, thereby standing pat with
chill up my spine that made me so
goose feshly that you could strike
match on any part of my anatomy.
This sensation was not reduced to any
marked degree when a little, bald
headed, apoplectic party, with a white
mustache, the only player who stay
ed, increased the obligation another