Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-07
IN DEFENSE OF DRAW POKER
KentucIsy's star-Eyea Goddess speaks
a Friendly word for the
Game.

II. O. Wells the peripatetic Briton who
has branded the great American game Of
draw poker dull, may be merely cheap
bidder for notOriety who takes the OBJ
viously untenable position for the purpose
OF provoking discussion and drawing at
tention to himself II he Is IN earnest he is
in-informed Many interesting opinions
upon poker have been delivered by the
pulpit and the press, but Mr.. Wells view
IL unique. not to say ridiculous.
Draw poker has been rightly charged
with wrecking homes. with numbering
sleep, with taking the bread from the
mouths OF children. with driving the alb
stemious to drink and with enough other
high crimes TO condemn it utterly but
never until now has 1t been described as
duh.
Did the fortunes Of poker player rest
upon his chance OF his drawing three OF
kind to beat two pair, or a royal flush to
sweep the jackpot from the clutching FIN
gers Of the man across the table made
reckless by confidence reposed in a fun
house, draw poker might in truth be only
a gamblers trade and a diversion for thick
heads. But there is more than the charm
OF chance in this distinctly American game
More skill Is brought into play than is
used by the gamester who takes his money
upon the turn Of the dice or the stock mar
ket or wagers upon the results OF horse
races.
Draw poker is a game for students OF
human nature-a battle Of wits. in which
the man with deuces is not always looted
OF his lucre by the man with trays. In
the stock market and at the race course
men bet upon information, and often upon
information that makes the possessor OF
the Tip" somewhat below the mere gam
bier and upon level with the "sure-thing'
man. The honest better upon races is at
the mercy OF crooked owners and jockeys,
as well as chances that the horse-in any
event "a vain thing for safety"-may do
| his best and yet not defeat the animal o!
| whom he was master yesterday The cut
slider who plays the stock market 10 at tho
mercy OF the elements the politicians and
1.-The system" He may see his winnings
wiped out by war or pestilence or election
! results, and can only remain inert, a spec.
tator of the wreck of his fortunes. II
games played with dice. when the dice are
not loaded and the play is square" there
is neither triumph of mind over mind, o.
mind over matter. but merely the opera
tions Of the laws OF chance. which til,
goddess Of fortune often administers in in
scrutable ways.
In game Of draw poker, played by gen
tlemen, the resources OF the diplomat ar
brought into play. What was the Ports
mouth conference but game OF ''bluff
cast upon heroic lines? The successful
poker players capital must consist largel
OF the quality called cold nerve" and tn
ability to mask his own feelings behind i'm
mobile features, and read his opponent
mind by the light CT his eyes or the almos
imperceptible culver Of an eyelash. Herei
lies the fascination apart from that Of III
faro bank or the chuck-a-luck board.
Draw poker may be charged with enous
sins to damn it utterly. but the man VIII
calls II dull has no more than a rud
mentary knowledge of the game-Loulsvi
Courier-JournaL