The sun., 1907-08-04
CROOKED POKER BEAT NONE
KENTUCKY MAJORS PLIGHT
THREE DAYS OUT AT SEA.


Player From charleston VINO Got re-
Ilgion and the Eplscepal Church nmit.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS. w. Va, Aug 3.
The men folks at the LOld White Sulphur
| Springs were scouting around the other
| afternoon. trying to assemble enough
likely looking insitters for little game Of
draw at one Of the Paradise Row cottages
for bachelors. 1t was a bit early in the
Old White season. and most OF the regulars.
some Of whom have been battling away at
each other in the Old White poker game for
forty summers. were still absent.
The difficulty encountered in getting a
round table bunch together reminded Col.
John Taylor Of Cincinnati Of a story.
I've got a Kentucky crony." he said,
who would rather play poker than sip
mint iuleps on a second story piazza. and
can't make II any stronger than that
seeing that he was born and raised in the
Blue Grass country. For oil that. he still
plays the barnyard game and he isn't very
lucky.
HE was ordered by his medical man to
take a voyage to Europe a few summers
ago for his health. and he ran up TO Gin
cinnati and dragged me into it. figured
that it would be the decent thing, anyhow.
to 90 along with him and protect him from
the poker sharks. for knew that IL he went
alone he'd be liable TO sit into games with
people that carried their burglars kits
right in their hands
We'll. I had TO do everything but beat
him on the head TO keep him out of n couple
of perfectly palpable poker deadfalls on
the train ride to New York. and at the New
York hotel had to keep hold OF his arm
every minute while he was awake to pre-
vent him from organizing himself into a
committee of one to form impromptu draw
fiestas from the gang of sharp eyed good
thing grafters that were hanging around
the corridors Of the hostelry. waiting for
nothing better than marks of the cut and
style of my Kentucky friend.
"0n the steamer it was still worse. for
he's got a sort Of frank, come on way about
him that caused the card sharks who were
making the voyage TO gaze at him with osi-
tive hunger in their eyes. Three or four Of
them did essay to buzz him to the sitting in
point but I suppose my glarcs frightened
them away. My friend looked at me re-
proachfuly when took these steps 10 pro-
tect him.
But, for ell my wisdom, 1 myself was
fooled by a couple Of the poker fanciers on
the third day out. Began talking with a
pair Of substantial looking chaps OF so or 30
at dinner on that day. One of them said he
was a commission merchant in Cleveland,
and he ratified of the names Of lot Of Ohio
people whom l knew. Agreeable fellow.
The other one said he was a Government
official in Washington. and had decent ways
about him too.
After luncheon that third day. noticing
that my friend was still glancing wolfishly
into the card room every time we PASSED il
on our post prandial constitutional mad
vertcntly said to him
! Major / don't want to subject you to
any deprivations Of any sort on this trip
| but il you must and will frivol around with
cards why don't you exhibit enough per-
| ception to pick out as fellow payers a couple
| of obviously square men like those two
| young fellows we were talking with at
luncheon?"
Il hadn't got the words out Of my mouth
before he released himself from my clutch
| and started aft at a sort OF ship lope. -.
~'Wonder where can find emp he said
and then had to trot after him, and pres
! emily we came upon the two agreeable chaps
leaning over the after rail, and my friend,
without any beating around the bush, sug-
gested little game Of $40 limit TO them
| Both said that they were a bit rusty at the
game, but they were willing, just to glide
away the time.
And 80 we began the four handed seance.
| playing with a stripped deck ck-everything
out Of the deck down to the sixes-so as 10
save all the dealing that an all jack pot game
involves in four handed sitting when the
whole pack is used The stripped game
is pretty hot, seeing that at that game
threes are imbecile straight just foolish
and a small full only fair to middling; but
| it, q as fair for one as for another when all
hands are usad to the values of the cards.
MY Kentucky friend was the happiest
human being l ever saw in INV life when we
began the game, and when he went right
| out in front from the tap of the drum, hoe
ing in all Of the money in sight he posi-
lively shone with joy. He continued TO
enjoy himself just as much when the tide
turned against him.
l. at wasn't until the game was three or
four Of the afternoon hours old that caught
| the man who pretended to be a Cleveland
-commisson man at an adroit bit OF juggle
cheating He was sitting at the right Of
his companion. and il was gradually borne
in upon me that when he dealt the cards
he paid a lot OF attention out Of the left
| hand corner Of his eye to the cards he was
dishing to his mate, who on his part picked
the cards up one by one as they were dealt
an ornery practice even for a square
player-so that the man dealing them could
get the right kind OF peek.
Now it's pretty easy to fill another
mans hand when you're playing with
stripped deck II you've got the mechanical
sleight Of hand to get away with IL after
you see what your companion in crime has
| rot in his fist. The man who was acci-
dentally on purpose showing his hand to
the dealer kept up great line Of conversa-
| ton, directed at mvseK and my Kentucky
friend. while the play was watchful for
| came on but IL didn't serve.
He discarded one. and the dealer in
discarding. made lightninglike flick OF a
card from his hand on TO the top Of the
main pack, That was the card to fill his
mates flush. and with the stripped deck
a flush beats full house. didn't say a
word, but ! gave my Kentucky friend
kick on the leg under the table
He was 30 immersed with the ace full
that he wholly ignored my kick and went
ahead betting himself black in the face on
! what looked 70 be the splendid papers in
his hand. until gave him kick that made
him VINCE and then. gazing at me with
surprise and mute reproach, he called his
man The latter's flush took the big heap
Of chips in the centre and just then all hands
| in the card room got up to go to dinner and
we followed suit. The two crooks went