The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1904-02-13
Stuff Morning. Noon and Night.

Social success IN Arizona no longer
depends on ones ability to play draw or
stud poker. From Prescott to Bisbee 1t
is stuff. morning, noon and night.
Where the game came from, who in
troduced it and what its antecedents
were no one seems to remember. For
two years stuff has been growing in pop
ularity every day and the man who can
not play it leads a lonely life.
Stuff is cheaper for the stranger than
poker, for. as a rule. it is mt played for
money. Drinks for the crowd Is the
usual penalty of losing the game. and
strangers are supposed to buy the drinks
in any event. Like all card games
which attain Sudden popularity. stuff is
easily explained and quickly learned.
In spite of its simplicity great skill can
he developed. and Arizona holds crack.
erjack players.
Ordinarily il game takes about fifteen
minutes. In Pearce. where it is now
the fashion to drink whiskey with beer
chasers, four drinks an hour is consid-
cred none too many.
When experts get to work with the
cards, stuff is liable tn be long-drawn-
out proposition. At Tuscon they have
record of game which lasted seven
hours
One must not think however, that the
players waited that long for the round
of drinks. Every fifteen minutes or so
they cut the cards and the low man
bought.
1t is not possible to lay hands on a
written or printed set of rules of the
game. but half the men in the territory
can tell how to play. The rules differ In
minor particulars in different camps.
but this is tile way 1t is played at Pearce:
Stuff calls for deck of thirty-six
cards. the cards from duce to five spit
inclusive being thrown ont.
There are 40 points In the game
Aces count II; tens, 10; kings, 4; queens,
8; and jacks.
| Two. three or four may play. but in
any case only three full hands are dealt
The dealer remains out when four play.
The cards are dealt one at time to
four hands until twelve are so dealt
after to three hands to the end Of the
deck. This gives three hands of eleven
cards and widow of three cards. The
deal passes after each hand.
Tie player to the right of the dealer
has the say, and may frog. solo, solo
grande or pass II lie frogs. hearts are
trumps, the widow is shown and taken
to hand by the maker.
1t he solos. the trump must be made
diamonds, clubs or spades. and the
widow is not looked at until the concIu-
sion of the hand. when the maker adds
any counters IL may contain in his hand
Ii he solo grandes. he has the privilege
OF calling the trump.
If the player to the LETT of the dealer
frogs the others may solo over him.
The original maker then solo grandes or
passes,
AT the beginning Of the game each
player receives chips worth 40 points,
usually eleven blues and ten whites
When one player loses his stack the
game ends and the penalty of buying a
round of drinks is exacted.
The maker must win sixty points to
make good. For all under that lie must
pay; for all over sixty he is payed by
each OF his opponents. Ii four are play
ing and the maker loses he has tn pay
the dealer rs well. but if the maker
makes good the dealer does not pay.
In frog each point pays one. in a
solo two and in a grande solo three.
Any card of any suit may be led. One
must follow suit if possible. If out of
suit trump is required.
Ii out of trnmps one should stuff if
playing third in hand and ones partner
holds the trick. Shutting means to play
one q hig hest counting card.
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