The sun., 1910-05-22
LIS FOUR SEVENS
IL ONLY THREE
Visitor to ArkanRas City Meets a
Heaven Inspired GCnis
az Poker.

hFMAthtl1a Ntty were lnchueu 20 WINK hAai
Jim Blaisdell. who played there fro
quently, was a heaven inspired Eenius
They maintained that Il was impossible
for an ordinary human being 90 perform
the stunts that he did.
There were others who derided this
theory aud declared that he did not pos
seSs exceptional faculties. but that being
Of a pains,aking disposition and having q
keen insight into the mysteries Of the
great American game he had cultivated
his natural gifts until he had reached a
point At which he could BE- relied upon
to do remarkable things indeed. but not
in the strict sense Of the word miracles.
They admitted freely enough that
many of the things he did easily seemed
impossible. but they oOnGended that he
had made them possible by long and dlh-
gent practice and that Il was entirely
within reason 10 suppose that not every
other man indeed. but some other man.
might accomplish what he had done u
they would wOrk equally hard and long In
preparing themselves. Old man Green
law inclined to tho former belief
'HitsAysin IN Good Book. he remarked
one day. how poker players is nascitur
non NJ. An h you translate that outen
the original Hebrew Il means how Y a
man amt born a poker player he won't
never be AZ to play into a reely first claas
game.
-NOw, Jim must a been horned q
purpose. There couldn't nobody play
no such game az he does, moro special
with regard 10 the dealin'. 'thouten Prov
idence done ordained him for 20 do it
So far a. MF Riaisdsll was concerned
the controversy appeared n trouble him
not a whit. Seemingly content with the
fact that he was recognized n the ablost
man in the Southwest In his chosen line
he remained silent whenever, a. was
often the case his admirers debated the
question In his presence.
Whatever the truth may have been
IL IL certain that he never neglected the
cultivation Of his faculties. and though
he spent a. much time a. his associates
did in sitting around smoking and con
versing in apparent idleness he never
scomed 10 regard anything but poker ~
worthy of serious attention.
IL was therefore no, q great surprise
IN old man GreeulaW when Blaisdell
entered the saloon early one morning
when Greenlsw vas sitting alone, await
ing the opening of business, and walking
up 20 the bar asked for a fresh deck Of
cards instsad oF his usual morning ap-
petiger. The Old man handed the cards
% him without remark. and when Mr.
Blaisdell took them into the hack room
and seated himself at a table the old man
followed and looked on with interest.
His thought was that he Was about 10
500 sorne practice IN the twin aFts Of
shuiiling and dealing. and familiar a. the
sight was he had never Loaf the enthusiasm
which Mr.. Blaisd@ll's Reats usually in
voled TO his surprise the artist began
by taking oH the wrapper very carefully
without marEing or dishguFing u In any
way and laying IL 20 ono side. then
running over the cards till he came 10 the
ak Of clubs he laid that apart NeXt he
took from his pocket a pacEAge contain.
ing q small quantity % fine paste and 4
lRttie piece Of black paper, which the old
man perceiy I'd 90 be cut In the shape Of
the club pips on the card.
Handling these various articles with
exquisite dextsrity he quickly trans.
formed the siX spot into the sefnblancs oi
a seven spot excepting for the indicators
IN the left upper corners. A. matter OF
~Otirae a moments scrutiny would reveal
20 a novice the fact that something wal
Vrong about the card. but a heetine
glimpse would almost certainly oouvinua
even an expert that he was lo0king az the
seven spot Of clubs.
Then with look of entire satisfaction
Mr. Blaisdell put the cards all together
again and replaced the wrapper with such
care that no one would suspect that the
deck had been tampered with
Handing j, back 10 old man GreenlaN
he said:
-YO' want to put that away careful
an fetch 10 in some time when Joe Basaeti
calls f'r red deck ! dunno Just when
i'm happen. but IN tell Joe what he ain I
TO call rr no red deck ull ! give him the
oiiice
-wot good il a seven spot'' asked ths
old man somewhat disparaginEly, though
he took the cards hack. evidently with a
partial comprehension ~ the intent Of The
prOceeding and with the evident inten-
had received
We'll. that p'tic'lar seven spot amt
liable for 10 he no Rre't good 20 the man I
gets H. replied Blaisdell with a grin. "bui
u mought do a heap O. good 10 somebody
elsa in the game done studied Il out
last night
-S'posin' was 20 deal an the age was
10 get three sevens cold an was 20 have
y idee in his head what the next card in
the deck was the fO'th seven Mo n
likely he'd bet consid able money on his
hand. wouldn't he' Well. then, II he was
~ get that p'tic'lar seven an one o. tn
spots was 20 get rubbed on 70 he 20,
Il somebody else mOught SCOOP the pot
Old man Greenlaw Aid nothing. but
with an expression indicating bis intenas
admiration and some awe he walked hack
81 the haF and set out a bottle and two
glasNes Then opening a freah hOX Oi
cigars he set that on the bar and re-
marked:
Help yo'self, Jim
When Mr. Basactt appeared a little
later in the day ne was duly instructed
not 70 call for a red deck 81 cards in any
game In which he might BE- playing until
Mr. BlAipdell should notify him IN some
way N do 10. Ne seemed somewhat
puzzled az the direction. but not being
given % conversation he asked no ques-
tons and Biaifdell knew he could he
relied On
A. Il happened there was not long 10
wait n often happened that AF. Owen
Pepper who travelled SAe river almost
constantly and frequently visited AFkan-
sas City. would bring important intelll-
Renoe n the movements u professional
and other players. and that very evening
he dropped In AZ old man GreenRW's
salO0n with an exciting tale ~ how an
unknown man had SAT IN the night before
with three OF tho hhlost PLAYERS on the
river and had more than held his own,