Arizona republican., 1904-01-13
STUD POKER CAUSES TROUBLE
Deal Where Both Players Proved to Be
Losers in the End.

When / was young man. said
the gray haired young looking man in
the club smoking room much of the
United States now that seems middle
aged and staid and settled down was
young and full of freaks and pranks
Men carried revolvers more commonly
and used them more freely that they
do now.
Naturally draw poker was the
starting point in many of these diff
culties. There was a case of this kind
in a small town on the river, not q
thousand miles from Cincinnati, tina
lnever managed to forget. though
have wished Il good many times that
could.
1T wasn't draw poker either, but
stud poker that began the trouble
There isn't such a tremendous differ
ence between the two when you con-
slider them merely as games, but
have noticed that stud is far more like
ly to lead to trouble than draw. It's
a fierce game with a good many more
openings for controversy.
This truth was borne in on me with
good deal of force as | watched the
developments of that particular game
was one of the players, but fortu-
nately for me l had no hand in the
quarrel that broke up the game or the
shooting that the quarrel led up to.
We were playing stud poker for
table stakes i'm back room of saloon
down by the river 1t was probably
the most respectable house of the kind
in town, but l must confess the kind
was not much to brag on.
The front of the place was a bar
room, the rear was a gambling hell.
1t is true that roughness and rowdyism
were discouraged by the proprietor of
the place, and as his way of discourag-
ing manwas to throw him out of the
house bodily, there was very little
rodyism there. But, although one was
tolerably safe from fisticuffs in the
place, there was nos insurance against
pistol play.
LAS usual when stud poker is played
in a gambling house, the cards were
dealt by an employee of the house and
there was a lookout as we'll who
watched the kitty, but, excepting for
The fact that the kitty was inordinate, |
believe it was a square game. There
didn't seem to be any object in cheat
ing and besides, / knew most of the
players and l was satisfied.
One of them l didn't know came in
to the game just after l had bought
chips. He took $50 worth as We all
had done and sat two seats to my left
in place just vacated by a young
fellow who had gone broke and hadn't
cared or hadn't been able to buy III
again. That made eight players
again and the game went on as before
The second man to my right was
good natured old farmer who used TO
come to town once in a while for
spree, and generally wound up in Cal
Hamilton's place where we were that
night. He invariably went away broke
but as he never brought a consider
able sum of money with him, and as
he was fairly well to-do do, his little
dissipation never hurt him much. Jerry
White was his name and he was a man
of some influence at home.
The newcomers name / never knew.
There was some dispute about il af-
terward, but the general opinion SEEM
ed TO be that he was a crossroads gam
bier from Missouri named Jack Am
bier.
Whatever the name was he was a
plunger. He started right in to bet
his hands as he had 'em and on the
third deal lie got nipped. Buying
again he lost that it two deals, and
taking a third stack he ran it up 10
$500 in five minutes.
Then came a hand in which |
thought for time l had an interest for
had queens back to back. sat too near
the first better to raise on the
first round, and on the second round
he had a pair of kings showing so /
folded my queens. Enough of the 9TH
er players retired also to leave only
three players in.
Those were Jerry White the man
they called Jack Amber and a quiet
young fellow named Kirby, who kept
A livery stable and was known as a
sport. White was the man who had 4
pair of kings in sight and for his
fourth card he caught a seven spot
Amber had an ace and ten showing
and caught a five spot for his next
card. Kirby had three spades show
ing.
White had bet his pile on the third
card, and Amber had raised it $50.
thus making a side bet, of course, AMI
leaving White with show down FOR
his money for Kirby had seen the
raise.
"On the last round neither man bet
tered excepting that Kirby drew an
other spade, making a possible flush.
AS White was all in it was Ambler's
first bet and he put up $50. Kirby
never turned an eyelash, but pushed
$3.50 into the pot as coolly as if he
really wanted a call.
Amber studied a bit and looked Mt
Kirby closely but there was no indica-
ton; and after a little he passed but
he still kept his cards in his hand. No
body noticed this at the time it seemed
ou afterward it was commented on.
Kirby raked in the side money at
the same time that he turned over his
hand, showing four flush of spades and
4 heart. That left Whites two kings in
sight the best hand and he was reach
ing for the. original pot when Amber
spoke up.
" Hold on he said, I've got your
kings beat. Is that all you have? Show
EN- up
white was amazed as some of the
rest Of us were.
All I've got is kings he said won
1eringly as he turned over his buried
lard. But what difference does that
make to you? You are not in it.