The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-04
AID DOWN THE
l. WINNING HANDS
Gases When Two Men Decided
That It Was Better to Love.

THAT weird story about the man who
7. had four kings and an ace In his hand and
laid them down without making q Dot De-
cause he knew he was beaten seems to be
having quite q run recently said tho old
Mississippi River pilot. \ have como
across it two or three times In ono shape
or another in the newspapers within q
year, and have heard several capable
Liars relate II as an incident that had 90
CURED in their presence.
-Now, don't suppose that have seen
all the stories that have been printed or
heard all the people tell II who are telling
it, 30 am forced to think that II tho yarns
are all true there must be a considerable
number Of poker players In the United
States who understand the game better
than I do.
"The interesting thing to me about poker
Is to see man lay down the winning hand
without making bet On 1t. That Is done
very often, OF course, under tho influence
OF good bluff, and may be said to demon
strate lack Of skill or Of nerve. though
my own opinion is that it is not always
q lack OF either. There are cases now and
then though in which blum is not the
reason. and when you come across one OF
these you are pretty likely to find a story.
There was game on the boat ono night
Just after we had left Memphis. when
sat in for a couple OF hours before going
on duty. l remember it particularly well,
because a young fellow named Murray
was In the game and had begun to feel
sorry for him on account OF his persistent
bad luck when he suddenly made break
that thought was going to have serious
consequences. -
.There were five Of US in the game. Two
Of them were professional gamblers, Clay
and Eaton by name, whom l knew we'll.
l don't profess to say that they were any
moro honorable than any other profes-
sional poker player 10, but things made
it probable that they were playing -
straight a game as they knew how.
In the first place, they knew that I was
one OF the pilots on the boat. and that a
word from me would have barred them
of III the boats on the river, and they knew
that was Q sufficiently slick player, even
at that time, to detect almost any trick
that they were slick enough to play.
Then they knew that Jack Creighton.
who was also In the game. was known a.
the most expert non-professional player
IN the river at that time. He was an Ar
kansas man who Travelled on the boats
txice or three times year and who always
p,aved II a game was in progress. He
had nroyoked several fights BY bis detec-
t;on ~ crooked NAV. and he was known to
have killed one man who drew a gun on
him
.Mnrrav was the Youngest man in the
MARTY though he was no bow, He was a
GOOD enough PLAYER, but, as said, the
h,ok ran against him heavily. We we're
Mo v;ng tahle stakes. each buyine a hum
drad to atari. and he had been driven to
the harvard three times without making
a ain ole had NAV. 40 far az I could see. He
toll Il veil enough for time. and the loss
~ the, money did not seem TO, distress him
IN tho least. . After q time, however, vi en-
IA had had three Pushes in succession
beaten by hands that were filed in the
draw. he seemed to grow suddenly sus-
picious.
As a matter Of fact he did not know
anv OF us, for he was Northerner who had
never been down the river before. He
ss when hs ga, sa .. Of ns
AaDo NJ narhap. h Va. natural. though
game anu pe.n .hat b. .houid
1t was not complimentary, tnat no shouio
be as suspicious Of Creighton and mo as
he was of Eaton and Clay.
aHe had a way OF picking up his cards
Ia ~ w. m N. To him in the deal
one py one % 'aI 49, ~ oannnd W. th;rd
and noticeo aocut inc seo.o y, 'iino
deal after he had had his third flush beaten,
that his eyes cleaned rather brightly as
he picked up his fourth card. l decided
that ne hao pioo"o'' 'e'ueD' VIC '"''N ~
pair OF openers.
He did open it, sitting under the guns.
Clay was dealing. Eaton came in, and
s.v@s ~ ,onr s,,sh ~ decidod 70
iouno hieh iou r. nuSu, ~ iemo .N ~
take q chance. Creighton dropped ana
Clay threw his cards down also.
MURRAY called for two cards, Eaton
.nd ~ course for one. Law
tor uo' ano =. ~ 49,. 49, Snoi ,,o.aI,,
that Murray was ws'cnihe inc "o@ o.Veey'
and that he was also watchlnS mo saw
too, that when he looked at his draw his
IaCo uTBL AL&hooA w o<AN SAASAs ~s~sN - ~