The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-12
A HONOL UEU ROYALTY
WHO PLAYED POKER
washington Starr

Now visiting in Washington Is a sug-
ar planter from Hawaii who prefers
that his name remain unknown in the
following connection. There are some
good men so finical that they dislike to
have their names mentioned in connec-
ton with poker stories.
did you ever happen to sit into
game of poker where one king beat
four queens?" was the singular ques-
ton that he submitted to party of
gentlemen the other night.
None of the group. it appeared, had
ever heard of it's being done that way,
and they all said SO.
WELL" observed the sugar planter
from Hawaii, with great confidence. Il
not only saw it done that way, but
was the victim of the play"
Kind o. wahm around heah this
evening. subs. don't you all Think
put in the southern merchant, hopping
his brow thoughtfully.
But the king. 1 ought to elucidate,"
went on the man from Hawaii, was
not a card. That is TO say, he was
card right enough. but not a paper
one. He was a sure enough king, and
his name was Dave Kalakaua- Dave
was the king of the Hawaiian Islands,
as all of you know.
Now. don't form the idea that I am
with the impression that 1 customarily
play poker with kings or that 1 am
stuck up over having played poker with
King Dave Kalakaua. Dave was the
only king I ever dished a hand for. and
that was because he was, so to speak.
one Of my neighbors and pals. But
Dave played poker and was pals with
lots Of folks down in the islands. l
should state right here that most of us
used to soak Dave good and plenty
at the game of draw. Not that he was
not a good player. for he was. but he
had the proverbial luck of kings at
gambling. He never caught much to
what he held out. He was not what
you call a natural born hand helper,
and he was some reckless with the
kings revenues on poor looking truck
in the way of poker hands, That is
why he had big poker deficit at the
windup of every poker year when he
did his casting up.
kaua get by with a big bluff was once
when he looked up with All Fong. the
noted Chinese millionaire of Hawaii.
There were five men In the game on that
occasion. and the turquoise sky of Ha-
wall was the limit. / was the dealer at
| the beginning Of the two final rounds of
| jackpots and each man skated $50 to the
| center Kalakaua picked up the corners
| OF his papers as I sifted them over to
| him. and never took them into his hands
| AT all before cracking the pot. He broke
! II for hundred. All Fong. the next man.
| tilted it. and none OF the rest of us had
| the least thing to make II worth our
| while sticking around at a fitting match.
| So we faded in turn.
| Dave danced back at the Chinaman
| for $500, and All Fong was right there
| for a 81 900 push-along. Dave boosted the
| Celestial another 81 .00O which was seen.
| and then 7 was ready to hand them some
| naners. Kalakaua hadn't taken his cards
! IN from the table yet, having only pulled
| m the corners. So when / asked him how
many cards he wanted. he merely pushed
| a s50o stack to the center to indicate
that he was pretty well fixed In the mat
ter of papers as it stood. All Fong didn.t
| think he needed any. either he oldn,
| saw So out loud but instead OF fooling
| around with chips he said that his was
! q Thousand better: and then. seeing that
there were going to be doinss. ! got Out
nenciI and began to keep tab on the
chipless raises back and forth what was
in the center and what was represented
on NV pencfled schedule OF Dack-and-
| forth bets represented something like
s.. 500. when. upon lending his ears TO the
kings final boost All Fong gaZed OUT OF
the open window at the whipping blue
sea. with the early morning sunleh'
dancing upon it, and SAID: -
| THAT is very good. David,
"'WeIi. let's call it a night. then, sus.
Rested one of the party. and. as we were
ali tagged out. the suggestion went
pave said All Fong then. leanine
back In his chair with his hands back OF
his head the ordinary man hasn't any
right IL he wants to be popular, 70 eno"
a hand that he has used to oiuIt some