The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-16

save themselves from being bit going up
against big hands by heading off the
play"
would be a fortune If it could be
worked"
TT started out all right. If Bill came
into a pot and was boosted up pretty
high and didn't like the look of things
he would Just signal to his partner, Joe
Harris, and Harris would suddenly stop
counting his chips and skin over the
cards in front of him, he having passed
without looking, and then he would hol-
Ter that he had six cards, and itNwas
misdeal"
THAT'S a good oner exclaimed the
barkeeper HNo calling down that one,
reckon"
ut didn't work more than once or twice
before the doctor got wise to it, and he
used to reach over and count Joe's cards
for him every time he was bit slow
about coming in, so they broke away
from that and tried something not quite
so plain
deals being void if the pack amt just
right cards torn or marked or two of
'em alke so when one of the partners
was getting the worst of the raises after
the draw the other would find that he
had two Fights of clubs in his hand or
something of that kind, and then he
would shout that the deal was all off
cause the pack wasn't right.
1.-THE doctor got another fifty out of
them on that, cause the papers decided
that 1t was too late to kick about the
pack after the draw. And what made
Bill mad was that the paper explained
why that was the law, and the doctor
read 1t out loud to the whole gang. 1t
said any one could make a pack wrbng
by sticking a card into his hand if he
was getting the worst of it.
at should think they would have bought
a book of rules and studied them up
before the doctor got all their money
away from them on side bets" suggested
the barkeeper a trihe impatiently.
'''They was too busy putting up jobs
with the cards to bother about that, I
suppose and I rather calculate they
didn't think there would be any more
disputes to bet on. But that's where they
lost their guests.
"Doc Wormer had a way of always
holding on to his cards in Jack pots,
even If he didn't come in. He never let
go his five papers till he'd seen openers.
Joe Harris said 'cording to the rules every
man that wasn't coming in must throw
his cards into the deadwood and one
night when there was eight in the game
and not enough cards to go round for
the draw he demanded Docs cards, but
Doc wouldn't give them up"
'InatB where Ine DOCTOR was III the
wrong, sure" remarked the barkeeper.
'Well, the doctor said the rule didn't
apply to jack pots, and that he had
interest in the pot until he saw 1t fairly
won, and he offered to bet another 80
on that, but Joe was a little shy and
wouldn't take him for more than 20 and
he lost that all right"
"The devil he did" exclaimed the bar
keeper.
Eyes, sir. Tt happened this way.
'Bill. was in jack against two Others
and he'd raised them both out, both of
'em throwing their cards away. When
1t come to showing openers Bill had six
cards, and the doctor said that being a
foul hand he couldn't win the pot with it.
"Joe wanted to know who was going
to dispute it if the other fellows that
was bluffed out had thrown up their
cards. Their hands might have been foul,
too, he said. The doctor said he would
dispute it, as he still had his five pa
pers in his fist and he was sitting there
to protect his interest in that Jack pot.
If any one took that pot he would but
Bill shouldn't get 1t a foul hand
while the doctor had fair one, even if
he hadn't come in"
That's q new one on me-" remarked
the barkeeper. But its worth remem-
bering. Seems all right and logical, too,