The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-14
= An Educational Factor
n pulled out ~ monev 10 counted

it.
Had s78.
Just s44, I said.
And 7 nave s73,' said Jim. Give me
S35 of it. and I viii buy 800 worth of
chips in the poker game over at the
hotel. ThaTH leave US q few dollars
change, Enough anyhow to pay rail
road fares for a few miles in case
lose
L thought it over for a few minutes
and then / said; All right, on one con
dition- That is, that you cash in as
soon a. YOU run it up to a thousand
Agreed, said Jim, and / gave him
the money.
Then I went over to the hotel with
him. There was no trouble about get
ting into the room where the game was
going on, for we both had been invited
repeatedly to sit in. We had promised
each other, though, TO play no poker till
we felt that our business venture was
a success, and we had kept our word
up to that time.
There were FIVE men playing when
we entered. and they greeted US cor
daily, for they all knew US. The mayor
Of the city was one of the FIVE. and he
was acting as banker,
Then there Was an elderly man who.
as physician, had about all the medical
practice within twenty miles. a ranch
owner from the southern part of the
state, who came to Holy City about
twice q. month for fun. a young lawyer,
and the landlord of the hotel.
They made room for US both at the
table, but said carelessly. 7 reckon I
won't play tonight Jim felt a little
devilish and said he was going to take
hand If you wanted him in, but I
only came along 10. look on a little
while. if you've no objections.
Said They Hadn't Any.
They said they hadn't any. and said
lt pleasantly, and jim bought his chips.
We knew the game they played usually.
and his 500 was just enough to quality
him, though, of course. no one there
imagined that it was all we had be-
tween us.
We'll, think / never saw a more er-
ratio game than that was for the next
half hour. There'd be d dozen hands,
maybe, without a call, every pot being
taken by somebody who'd bet dispro-
portions tely TO the siEe Of the pet. indi-
eating the probability of bluff, and
then everybody would seem. TO wake up
ana call everything, and the game
would be a hareE showdown Then
there would come a struggle between
two or three, and at the end of ii a
pair Of tens or some such foolishness
would take the money.
I noticed that Jim was playing stead
lily and carefully enough. but he was
not having any luck. and I began to
fear that the wild play on all sides
would rattle him and start him off on
freak bets. in that case knew that
nothing but dumb. luck would save him,
and I WASH t feeling optimistic Just
then.
of course, ! Knew too much to say
anything. though. and all l could do
was to watch and hope. Meantime
Jims pile dwindled by a half
Then came what I surely thought
was the end. The mayor opened a jack
pot and the others all dropped, except
ing Jim.
st could see his cards and 7 saw "a
pair Of kings. The mayor took two
cards and jim three, but Jim didn'e
better.
1T was a thirty dollar pot and
the mayor bet thiFty-six. It took the
whole of Jins pile, but he called ard
won the pot, the mayor having only 4
pair Of Jacks
Coming after that, the next pot
made me gTayheadsd- 1t was buck
jack for So making twelve in the pot
BttNIt tue 0edl-
Jim opened it for the size of it. on
three eignts- The mayor. sitting next.
raised it twelve. The doctor droppet.
anC so did the ranchman. but the land
lord stayed and the lawyer threw down
his cards
Then Jim hisoed 1T twenty. and the
mayor and the landlord both stayed
That made S144 in the pot, with fair
show for Jim, it wouldn't have seemed
Ike much of a show if they hadn't been
betting on such small hands; but. as it
was. it looked like a start, anyhow.
"On the draw Jim took two cards and
the others each took one. He bet
white chip and the mayor trailed.
Then the landlord bet $500 I didn't
tell you that everybody except Jim had
been 10 the boneyard some Of them
several times, 50 that there must have
been three or four Thousand dollars on
the table.
We'll. Jim studied for q long time.
The landlord had been caught biufing
several times land three Fights looked
fairly good against such play. I don't
think I would have had the nerve 70
call. but Jim did for his pile, which was
now :. little over &c.,
Made q Side Bet.