Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-09-03
IL Led the Lieutenant to Stake
Money Not His Own.
WAS DRUMMER'S LUCKY TIME
How Two-Dollar Limit Poker Con.
test Grew Into Larger Proportions
Soldier Ended it by jumping From
Train.


tinental railroadiny, and customs on,
the cars were much the same as OH
the most OF the Western railroads. so
1t was not especially remarkable that
they had been paiying poker for some
~ hours i'll the smoking compartment
0fs 0Irt 'Of the vehicles in those DAYS
called sleeping cars.
IL was not very stiff game at first.
IwO-dollar limit may lead to the trans.
Ter OF considerable sums of money in
even less than "a hours, unless to
those OF limited means, AMI tho four
men who played had at least the APP
pearancc Of prosperity.
OF the four, the one who had pro.
claimed hiuself drummer seemed
the least skilled. He followed the
game readily enough, and was perfect.
ly familiar with the values of the
hands, asking only one question ut the
beginning OF the play. That was the
sterotypod query at that period.
DO you play strnights?" he asked,
and when told in y rather c0ntcmptI-
GUS tone that straiEhts were not rpcoG.
nized, he seemed rather relieved.
But. although the d~ummcr seemed
fairly familiar With poker. he did not
appear to be def with the cards. He
pasteboards somewhat awkwardly in
dealing. so that he dealt slowly enough
to rouse a tritlc of impatiencc in the
others AS time was the ono thing
they all had too much Of, however,
there was no remOnStrancQ
But although he played as one un-
accustomed to frequent indulgence,
there was no lack of confidence in his
game when he believed himself to be
strong. He caught II pair Of jacks be-
fore the draw in one deal on which
the doctor opened the pot under the
guns II had been swcctencd several
times before being opened so the
doctor opened for the limit
The lieutenant found enough in his
hand to Justify the investment of 81.
$50, he Clipped in. Then the old gen
stleman who had been coaXed into The
game so rs to avoid an empty scat.
decided to take chance. SO that when
it came to the drummer IL pair of jacks
did not appear to be a specially allur-
ing hand.
He did not hesitate, however. but
threw in his two blue chips and picked
up the deck to serve the draw. The
opener took two cards, the lieutenant
one and the old gentleman three. Then
found when he looked at them pair
of sevcns
The doctor bet the limit, the lieu.
tenant dropped, the old gentleman
stayed and the drummer raised it 81.
He realized how bold the play was, Int
he had the satisfaction of seeing the
MoctorE hesitate. just for an instant,
before raising in return. and when the
old gentleman dropped the drummer
boosted it 81 more.
That set the doctor thinking. Final
ly he said
Il give you credit for hand. but
there's too much money in the pot to
let you steal it, I call"
And he showed his pair of kings
with the ace lie held up for a kicker.
That had been early in the game.
and when the others saw the hand that
the drummer had backed so boldly
they formed an estimate none too fiat
tering of the quality of his play
Possibly this estimate. too firmly
fixed In the minds of the other three,
had some thing to do with the fact
that the drummer. rs tho day darkcncd
into night and the night palcd into the
gray half-light of the dawn had gradn-
ally increased his winning till he had
some 5000 i'll front of him in money
and chips over and above the single
stack Of blues that he had bought on
beginning.
He was not the only winner for the
old gentleman had nearly hundred in
velvet. He had seemed reluctant to
play at first hut being in the game he
bore himself with all the gallantry OF
a veteran, and perhaps by thcaid ot
1ftx, rNc. fpI- tttr,N
or SO seemed rs fresh as when the
game began.
Tho doctor was also bright OF eye
and alert in manner as at the begin.
.ing,, though he was the heaviest loser.
SrhG loss of his money. however. seem
ed to trouble him as little as the loss
of sleep, and he played on impcrturb.
ably,
f9VThcu lieutenant. however. seemed
rather hard-pusllctl 1t was not until
aftcrward that thcy learned that he
had been OH n months leave anu had
seen nearly everything in San Frau
cisco that was worth seeing excepting
his bedroom for the whole of the Sc
days
Now, we'll sct-up and we'll groomcd
after the fashion among army officers
he looked fit for any effort. bit as ;
matter Of fact, no was feeling the cf
feet of the long strain.
1t was he who, rs they slipped tho
coffee they had ordered n little before
sunrise, suggested change III tho
game. -
''p "Why not play table stakcs?' he
said. This limit game is poor poker
at the best, and few hours Of q
swifter game will be more satisfac
tory than all day at this"
Give been wishing for a long time
that somebody would propose that,
said the drummer ."bllt | didn't like