Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-21

result that can happen to the game. No
matter what IL is thai a man can do bet
ter than anyone else. he gets a prize Tor II.
Test Of the Player.
Like all really scientific card games skat
Is a great index to character. There are
some persons who will never undertake to
play a game unless they are almost certain
Of winning 1t. There are others who will
start in bravely enough. but the moment
they meet with an opposition they seem To
lose confidence IN themselves and arc seized
with a dread that the other fellow has all
the good cards punched against them.
Then there are the buffers who keep
saving yes or continuous bidding, just to
make the other fellow over-reach himself,
hoping TO beat him II he tries TO do too
much. Every now and then this bluff Is
called and then the buffer has to make
the best Of a bad bargain and usually gets
we'll thrashed whatever game he tries.
Skat is only beginning to attract attention
from the Intellectual card players. among
the native born Americans, but in a year
or two we shall probably have a number
Of good stories about the peculiarities OF
famous lawyers, doctors and statesmen,
lust as we used to have poker stories about
prominent men In DAYS gone by. There are
no good bridge stories. There is something
about that game which does not seem to
bring out the bright side of a players char
acter.
In Europe there are many prominent
names connected with the game of skat.
Everyone knows the wonderful null ouvertc
played by Prince Piambino in The Mas
cote" when he held the whole heart SUIT
and two black aces in his hand.
-,t- ----t.r 1oo1 No. n Iiarnpnn and his
lucky star prompted him to discard the
| ace Of clubs. As the third player had to
win the first trick. and had nothing left in
his hand but clubs and diamonds. nothing
could prevent the prince from discarding
the ace Of spades and winning his game.
This hand stands today as the classical
example of luck in cards.
Report says that Edward VII is very
fond Of skat, but has few opportunities TO
plav It in England. bridge being still the
fashionable game there. The kaiser Is a
great skat player, but he is very moderate
in the matter of stakes. Although 1t is
lese majestic in Germany to repeat any OF
the things he does at the skat table, a story
occasionally leaks out.
story of the Kaiser.
1t is said that during one of his visits in
ThurinRen he had occasion to talk over
some state matters privately with his host,
after which he expressed a desire for a
game of skat. His host, knowing that the
kaiser did not want his visit known, sug-
gested that he might be allowed to call In
one of his ~gamekeepers who was a very
fine player.
The man came, but had no idea that the
guest was the kaiser, so he felt himself
quite at ease. having frequently been called
upon to make up the table for his master
before. In Germany 1t is the custom, II
the adversaries make the single player
schneider or schwarz, for them to get W
and bow with mock Difference. Should the
player, on the other hand, succeed in max.
ing his adversaries schwarz, he is allowed
to retaliate in his turn by applying to then
any opprobrious epithet he can think of
"ludus'' being a favorite term.
Now it so happened that during the play
the kaiser was made schneider twice II
succession. The first time the gamekeeper
rose, bowed and laughed as usual. TIL
second time he chucked the kaiser under
the chin and asked him If he thought h,