The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-17
FINE FACTORS IN
 DRAW POKER Old Man Greenhut Outlines
 Science Of Game LURE OF A ROYAL FLUSH Charms and Skill In Dealing-Not Not Much Dependence To Be Put On Providence In Filling
 skillful Thumb.
LURE OF A ROYAL FLUSH
From the Washington Post.

There a many things HdppSHS III playin' poker" said old man Greenhut, what goes to show how a man is blame sight better off to put his trust in providence nor he Is for to think he's the hull works his own self.
 "Take that there winnin' t Tete Ken ney made outen tn ony royal flush Us been held legitimate in Arkansas City fr matter O 20 years or more. 'Traint noways likely t he'd ha' did nigh so well if he ha' been one O them players what fo'ces their luck holdin' cards up their sleeves as he done pluggin' along patient till such time as tn good Lord seen 1t was proper an fittin' fir him to hold that royal"
 "Oh. l don't know" said MT. Owen Pepper. T ain't sayin' nothin' az in providence as a gen1 proposition, but 'cordin' to what I been told about that hand O Kenney's pears like he kep' hisself tolable nigh dead broke f'r some years, always pullin' f'r a royal an not considerin nothing less n that wuth playin'.
 70 course he win out in the end, but I reckon it must ha' been more or less accidental, seein as how there aint much dependence to be put on proyi- denee in tn way O f1llin' that kind of hand. O course It's filled sometimes, but more often 'taint.
 Looks to me like it thought be well enough for to look to providence, as you say, but it's a hell of a lot better for to plug tn game VT ownself when 1t comes to fllin a hand. 1 notice Jim Blaisdell is some good player when it comes to havin' the cards drop where he wants 'em to, but 1 hain't never give Jim credit for settin round wait in fir providence to send him any ptic'lar card he may need.'
 It was not often that MT. Pepper said so much as this at one time in old man Greenhut's saloon, one reason be- ing that the quality of his remarks was usually such as to move his hearers to interruption, often of a violent sort. This time, however. the boldness, not to say the irreligious, character of his challenge of the old mans statement seemed to compel the attention of his audience.
 Sat as If Stunned.
 Even old man Greenhut himself, though he looked thoughtful at his bungstarter l for a moment sat as if stunned, offering no reply, and the others stopped smoking while they gazed at the irrepressible MT. Pepper in surprise. Presently Joe Bassett said, with a half laugh;
 T reckon it's up to you, Blaidsell. | Fem what I cn understand this here yap f'm Tennessee pears to have the idee t youm a bit more skillful nor the rules O draw poker calls for"
 Blaisdell knocked the ashes from his pipe and put it in his pocket. Then, pro- ducng a plug of tobacco from another pocket, he bit off one corner of it and be- gan eating it with evident satisfaction.
 "speakin O dogs" he said after con- siderable pause, "therss a nigger lives up in the woods a mile or two to the no thard O town what's got "a bulldog whats considable p'cooliar, f'r bulldog He aint a mite quarlsome.
 "Ary one O the pups in the place cir humble his ears, r even steal his vic tuals, an he won't growl. Pears like hf hain't got no use fr nothing in hghtin
 
 Again there was a period of silence while each man in the room paid stric attention to his tobacco. There seemed to be a general impression that MT. Pep per was about to speak and disposition to allow him to do so without interfer ence That gentlemen, however, had nt apparent interest in anything but hi' l pipe for some minutes.
 Then he said: "Queer how somll pu arf in plays poker. There useter be schoo teacher up in tn Cumberland mountains what had that trouble tol'able severe. never heer' him say nothin' about Provi dence, but he had nigger baby's thuml t he useter carry into a hogs bladde hung round his neck what a youdo' priest give him. he said. He sure did ge away with the chips when he set In.
 Couldn't Never Lose."
 "Peared like he couldn't never lose There was some said his own thumb wa more use to him nor the voodoo charm was bein' as the boys want none ol em slick dealers up in them parts, an they just nachully mistrusted him coun O him ala avs winnin'' but l reckon f he'' ha' been crooked he'd ha played mor'l he did.
 Might ha been just practicin" u country, though. l heer"d he took to tn river boats later on.''
 You shure do make a man think c the sloshin O water when you talk, Pep per-" said old man Greenhut. T reckol them voudoo charms is some powerful if some purposes, but l hain't neve heer'd O one t d work into poke game"
 "Ain't sayin' it did, said MT. Pepper shortly. "Alls l said vast he afays wi when he played.
 There mought be somepin' into 1t, said Jake Winterbottom, whose earl days had been spent in Louisiana. Any ways, l ain't hankern' to play poke with no man who carries genooine you doc charm"
 T wo>edn't mind," said Blaisdell. '' reckon 'taint worse n gun.
 "Oh, I don't know" said MT Pepper .They say the reel voudoo's toP able dan gerous.
 ''Mebbe you mought get chanst ( tryn' of it, though, if yourn hell bent I seen Baker-thats the fel1er l wa telin' of-onto the Prairie Bell last week He looked tol-able prosperous, an 'peare to be doin' well into the game when seen him.
 First-cass Game.
 Well all he's got to do it to stop Of at Arkansas City if he's look fir a first class game" said Blaisdell, carelessly 'I reckon he'll find it."
 The others, however, did not seem t be as confident as Blaisdell. Winterbot tom flatly refused to have anything t do with the game should there be one and Bassett said he reckoned he didn' care to stack up against nothin h couldn't tackle into a fair fight
 Pearsall was noncommittal and oil man Greenhut said that, bein' as ther didn't pear to be no show f'r A reesla