The sun., 1910-05-15
ICHREWD GUESSING
y WON AT POKER
Trick That Overrsaehsd ItSslf
When Tried on
Professional.

'Serihg that there are more than two
aud a half millions Vt different poker
hands any &C which may come 20
any player IN any deal IN the game. :
said the gray haired. Young louking nan
IN the club smoking room. IL seems
wonderful that any player. no matter
how skilful he may be. can ever estimate
with any degree OF accuracy the strength
oi hie opponents hand
1t Ia therefore with great interest
that always listen TO the stories that
are told from time 10 time Of the remark.
able plays that are made when one man
hy some subtle reasoning 10 able 10 tell
what another man has and governs his
own play accordingly You will hear
sometimes Of a player laying down a
strong hand because he knows before
hand that he is beaten or Ot his recOg.
niaing a hun Nhen it is made Such
= thing is always interesting 10 a poker
player even when he thinks he can de.
,sot weak pOln, In the reasoning
-Fnr instance. reckon the verv hest
poker story that was ever told IL that Of
the gambler who laid down four aoes with.
out a call. knowing that he a. beateD
As the story was originally told II
was about an experienced player who
was In a game m which his antagonists
we're men whose style Of play 10 was
perfectly familiar with and one vi whom
a. least was ~ finished and skilful player
as himself Ne opened jackpot on
four area. cold and by the Wav the betting
vent In the two rounds before the draw
aud the further fart that this one par.
ii"ilar ilayer drew one card the opener
knew that h" must be trawing to a four
straight flush
That Of itsen seems remarkable until
the particulars " the betting are told.
but Il IL easily demOnstrable that a good
player sitting where this man did would
not have played as he did on any other
hand. but having that hand and being the .
skilful player that he was he would play
exactly as he did
so far the story il admirable and
proves itself. 50 20 speak. with an the
accuracy Of chess problem: but the ne1t
part Of II IL less positive II is told that
the opener het a white chip after the draw
and that when the other man unhesitat- /
ingly pushed his pile into the pot the I
opener laid down his hand. knowing that !
the other would not have betted that I
way unless he had filled-nOt merely a
straight or a tOsh. but a straight flush. |
Now ngh, there ls the weak point of /
the story do not say that the openers /
reasoning was bad or that he erred a.
10 the facts. for the statement ia that tho /
other man had actually iilled his straight |
flush and the opener was. a. he con
GUIDED he was. beaten on four aces but
what do say IL that'the opposing player.
beinE a. skilful a. he vas and having
played his four straight fush correctly
up t0 the draw undoubtedly knew thar
he opener recognized. a. In fact be did.
what he was playing for Then being a
good player and knowing the Opsner's
style u play a. well a. the opener knew
lis it was az least possible that be would
play his hand after the draw preciasly a.
q he had hlled, regardless Of whether he
had OF not.
In other words he had an deal posi-
lion for a bluff. and although the story
goes that the opener knew that he WoulI
rot attempt a blun against a hand that
rad already been shown TO he strong yet I
he fact remains that daring player /
gould he extremely likely tO attempt it
10 eNHctly that situation, and the TACT I
hat the opener laid down bis four aces
Without calling proves that the bluH Z