The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-25

msssF1zns q Psassr IN tAe Lsns etzs eests
Turn % q wow FSela.

MlstNffRas % FUReF m the Lone sx1 @&o
Tuwm % q . Fseia.
RAxau0m, N. O.. Nov. @~.TaTk as you
may about playing poker for big stakes IN
Tsxss,s remarked q man from that State
tbs other day, but you don't know anything
Abou4 high play until you see sorae OF those
fellows In thu Lone Star Commonwealth
playing bridge 40 70 cents . point Down
therv Tho ranis has not jumped into general
popularity, but old staxcrs who have been
fascinated by 10 play IL all night, and they
gamble bard only when q mako has been
doubled tims and again.
The thing than worried mo In chat i
played opposite q man who took tbs longest
chance tina ginable, but I was noe In the
wager. I did not have enough money to
Keep up with those high rollers, 30 Iwatched
them and wondered
.Ons night q few wesls ago I wa sitting
In O quiet room over q saloon and bridge
was being discussed. Two players Of local
renown wanted 20 start q game t two bttB .
point, but 7 was not willing.
Finally . man, whom I viii call Watson.
and another named Walker swreed % play
and I was asked 20 Join, sim ply TO keep the
game running. We had been nc the table
an hour or more when Walker, At my left,
picked up his cards after dealing and made
It . no tIumper.
Watson, az his left. studied tho cards
carefully. I could see that he was count
ing . long suit. There va not Q trick
in my own hand, not ths hope Of ons.
-On the dssl Walker accidentally hung
one card 60 his partner, face up, and IL
happened to be the king OF hearts. That
o card had Q great deal TO do with the
calculations Of Watson, who was stu count
ing that long suit.
AN at once Watson looked around at
Walker.
IN double that make he said, and
quick as a fash Walker doubled that.
MY partner took another peep at bis
hand without looking at ne. Walker
paid no attention to the long face of his
partner with the dummy hand. When
Watson doubled again his adversary figured
with a pencil for a moment and .old him
what each trick would count. They
doubled, then figured, doubled, then figured,
until it got up TO ten and Watson thought
it time to quit. Each trick will DO worth
Il. 2ss,' said Walker. as cool a. a cucumber.
Three tricks will be worth a lot of money,
more than we ave here tonight
In that case remarked Watson, we
had better send out FOR a bunch of it, and
we all sat there while runne were sent
down the street for the coin that counts
in Texas.
1T was an hours wait. All the while
I was wis hing that I was out of it or that
I could AVE the dummy. 1t was not my
funeral. win or lose, yet 1 knew how much
might der end upon my playing.
The cold sweat ran down nv SHINE
and Watson was still like a cucumber on ice,
and Walker was even more so. The dummy
was the only cheerful man at the table.
1T seemed to me like ages before the
messengers arrived, one for Walker and
one for Watson. Meanwhile we had been
guarding our hands carefully. No player
made a move. In fact we talked about
everything except bridge.
Watson, Of course, had To lead, and I
knew everything dependedo on his first throw.
The fact that Walker was 40 confident and
so anxious TO double again convinced me
that he bad a stopper in every suit. l had
mons
when the game was su Efficiently banked
Watson looked at me and smiled.
shall l play, partner? he asked, and I
told him TO suit himself.
I'VE had reached the crisis.
His lips twitched just a tribe as he fin
hearts. l looked quickly at Walker. It
nettled him.
Put down that dummy he shouted
TO the player opposite him, and there was
nothing to speak of, and tina lone king Of
hearts. 1t had to fall.
Il new every card in my hand without
looking, so down went the knave of hearts.
Good gambler that he was, Walker paled as
he flung down the queen OF hearts, and a
smile spread over Watson's face.
He took the trick, and I thought / would
be paralyzed when he led the deuce Of hearts.
a heart fell.
That, of course. gave him plain sailing
and he kept leading them until every one
had made IND there were three tricks
above the book. Walker, Of course, took
all the others.
1T was the most remarkable hand on
record, perhaps. n Watson. with the ace
and all small hearts up TO the jack, simply
took a chance that the three face cards
were evenly divided. That turned out to
be the case and to double that way required
more nerve on his part than on the part OF
Walker.
The latter had a hand that might have
been stacked, to all appearances. He had
the ace, king and queen OF three suits,
spades, diamonds and clubs. He had the
queen OF hearts and knew beforehand that
he bad the king in the dummy.
Even II he had been sure how the others
were placed Watson could not have doubled
II he had not had the lead, and even with the
lead he was taking desperate chances,
longer ones than the average person would
take with nothing at stake.
Some idea OF what a great gambling
game bridge is NAV be gathered from the
statement that Watson raked in 50, 2ls So.
while all Walker got was % points on his
three aces.
We did not play any more that night.
As for me, | had no cause TO congratulate
myself. for my partner stuffed that roll of
money into his pocket and walked out with
put as much as thanking me or saving
good night. And | didn't sleep much that
night, either"
THE LIFE or FISHES.