The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-02-19

TEXANS POKER GAME WITH THE
HEIR APPARENT.
Rules OF Etiquette Observed Until
Players Sporting Blood Wac Up,
and Then He Started Out
10 Win.

did YOU eyer play poker with g
prince Of WaIes? asked Col Tom
Hopkins. OF Texas. now promoting
gold mines and formerly a buccaneer
in Wall street. as he sat in the grill /
room Of the Breslin talking with q
New York Telegraph man:
a have" continued the colonel,
medltatively Il sat in a game with
King Edward when he was entitled to
only three ostrich plumes and the Ich
Diem motto. II was at house party
not far from London, and I am willing |
to confess that It was not a pleasing
game at all IN the early stages.
1T was during those delightful days
when our government was represented |
by Schenck, a past master in the art
Of poker and one Of the first men to
properly hedge in the game with rules
and laws. Some Of the best poker lit |
erature we possess has been written
by schenck, and the popularity Of
draw In Lugland is wholly due TO his
exploitation Of IT'S merits.
1T was he who first initiated the
prince Of Wales into the beauty Of
poker, and Albert Edward soon be-
came quite fond Of the game, 1t was
schenck who introduced me TO the
prince. and made 1t possible for me to
meet his roval highness at one Of the
most old manoTs in one Of the pretti
est counties IN all England
Before the game began schenck
took me to one side and impressed me
with the necessity Of observing the
many rules Of etiquette that obtain
when playing with the prince He
laid particular stress upon the fact
that was not to raise unless Albert
Edward had raised and showed dis
position to stay. Even In that case II
was regarded as proper to simply see
his raise and allow him to take the
bridge and set the course. There we're
other minor regulations to be observed.
but that one in particular was Inn
pressed ipon me.
Il stuck to that rule for four hours,
and It cost me money. laid down
many a strong hand Just because
did not want to be regarded as lack.
ing in courtesy to the prince. but final
ly / got tired Of seeing whole bundles
Of good American money going across
the table, and my sporting blood was
aroused. 1t hurt me to see my blue
and red bits Of ivory going across the
blaze to the first gentleman in Eng
land, and felt that. while the privi-
lege Of playing with the prince Of
Wales was worth great deal did
not care to pay for It in that way.
1T was while / was in this mood
picked up a hand that looked almost
too good to be true. Four kings
nestled together by themselves. crowd
ing a poor. weak, little tray. looked
over the hand carefully and then an
nounced ! would stand pat.
THE prince was unlucky enough to
get full house in the draw and an
other player filled flush. OF course
such a run as that made for a killing
and, in an ordinary game, unhampered
BY the presence OF a prince and hell
apparent, the betting would be lively
when started in placing my chips
on the table forgot all about the rule:
Of etiquette The prince made tenta
tive raise Of pound just feeling oui
my hand, as it were. OF course, il
was expected that ! would see the bet
but gave It a slight raise Of &5 and
the man with the flush stayed in. The
prince also got In for 95 and raised
and when it came my way lifted i
e2o.
We'll, IT'S q terrible story. Ths
prince tried to intimate to me by darl
looks and other evidences Of dlscon
tent that he was not pleased with M
methods, but It was q table-stakei
game and he couldn't easily get awal
without showing a trace Of the whit.
feather, and when, after another raise
It came my way again, made Il cos
the prince q level hundred pounds Z
cali.
= won, Of course, but could see i
a minute that | had made q bad break
The prince really took It better thai
the others, for they looked frlghtenel
and hurt. He was bit vexed, bu
when the game was over he shool
hands and expressed himself as great
" pleased with the run ] had givsl