The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-05-01
her LAST POKER GAME

~ ALL my travels I have YET 10 see
a woman who could play the great
American game of poker said ID
travelling salesman the other day. "Of
course there are many Of the fair sex
who try 20 master the fascinating pas
time, but they never succeed. / can't
exactly give the reason for it. unless
IL is because the average woman has
less SELF control and is more eXcitable
than the average man when money is
al stake. 1t is certainly not because
she hasn't the nerve, for | think the
average woman, all things considered,
has more courage and can endure more
than the usual run of men,
"Oua Of the best Illustrations of the
fact that a woman is unsuiLed 20 play
the gentle game of bluff that has come
90 my notice was the case of "a woman
who was the proprietress of "a small
table .hote place on the west side, Her
PATRONS were mostly of q sporting ma
tuTe. She was a widow. about 40 years
of age of German extraction, and
quite good looking, being known tq
everybody who patr0nized the place as
the Duchess,
In the evening, after supper time, it
was the custom 10 clear away the din
poker. The Duchess. between attend
ing TO the wants OF her customers,
looked on at these games with growing
interest, finally managed 10 learn the
value Of a poker hand, and then. her
gambling instinct asserting itself, she
began 10 take part In the games her
self But while she knew as well as
anybody the exact worth Of a hand,
still she did not discover the necessity
r-rr
siOnIess face until some time later
after she had sustained some pretty
heavy losses.
over her handsome TeutOnic c0unte-
nance which was a particularly eX-
pressive one. expression after express
sion would fit as IL was chased by her
varying emotions. and when any one
OF the players wished TO know just
what kind Of q hand the duchess held,
an he had go do was 10 look al her, If
she drew a good hand. her face would
harden. her lips become compressed,
and she would look around at the diff
fereut players in am aggressive way as
I If 90 say: Come at me, II you dare.
s-The players soon learned the signiti-
tauce of that look. and of course then
would proceed Warily. When she had ii
poor hand all this hardness of features
would disappear. her expression being
1
/ ess tried 10 blun, the sight was enough
I 10 make a mummy laugh. She would
put down her little bet, and then look
i at YOU I'm a soft, appealing sort Of way.
as If 10 say. Please don't call me.
4 cot course the players would come
/ back at her in q way that would soon
put a stop 20 her bluniug. FOR there is
/ no sentiment in poker playing. and no
! quarter Is given or expected. The Ouch
ess sat in the same time after time, and
/ invariably lost which WAS not much 20
/ be wondered 8t, until one night some
/ thing happened TO cause her to quit
iplayiug the game altogether
There was q jackpot ON the table
I which amounted to about sl5. this be-
! ing a pretty good-sized one for our
small games. The duchess was hrsi
from the dealer. She picked up her
cards slowly, one after the other, lock
OF satisfaction gradually spreading
/ ever her fsce When the last card
came from tire dealer she allowed "a o.
Ie FOR an Hsfant and then. with au
anxious expression, slowly and care