The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-25
TRAW POKER ASST
DlSN'TPLAYEDTO-DAY
A Sample Of the Real Game That
Was Played Soon After
the War.

, me was, SAID the gray haired, yOtIn
looking man IN the club smoking room,
when the great and nohl. North Ameri-
cen gam" of draw poker was played "a
a considerable extent right he,e IN New
York oily ~ well rs elsew here Now =
adays and he paused a little - II try
ing to select words sufficiently emphatic
to express his feelings
Nowadays. interrupted the John street
jeS eller. lit Is played In "A considerably
greater extent. Sometimes think 1t is
played a. good deal more than is really
conducive Co the host interests Of man
kind
You surprise me- returned the first
speaker mildly. Il have sought dill genily
IN many places. likely and unlikely. Ia find
such garr. for several years past. and
hay" been unable To discover that any
body plays IL in any part If the city. l,
" trn" that IN some of he clubs and in
such gambling houses a. continue h,isi-
ness de-pit. the strenuous efforts Of tn.
polio" Ia suppress them you may some
times find people niayinR something -
and here he paused again
lptown. where live said the Har-
lemitr. Il should say, Speaking from "A
general impression. that YOU would find
half dozen games going ON every night
IN any apartment house you might happen
, tn go into
i was spclklng os draw poker. re.
marked IN" gray haired. young looking
man even more mildly than b"snre
/ sure, said tn" Harlemitp. with some
enthusiasm That's whar they all play
or course there's good deal Of pinochle
PLAYED too but everybody plays poker
80,
Of tho children play IT It's a tolerahly
fierce game, To" They play all Jackpots.
and a two dollar limit is a common thing
have often seen IS and even a $40 limit
game
Yes, | see murnured the gray haired
young looking man -Jackpot- and "a
limi' have no doubt they play euchre
and seven up too in "a good many places
20 say nothing Of whist and Cribbagr
Rii said. | was speaking OF draw
poker
Well. # all jacks. dollar limit. isn't
draw poker. what - IL" asked The Har-
lemltc IN genuine surprise. while IN,
OF hers looked with interest
= don't know replied the gray haired.
young looking man Il have heard IL
called poker. and believe II IL PLAYED in
Will rof'l" pI IUt Fue- OF
poker. but IL might a. well b. called
auCt ion pitch
What they call draw poker now and
what nearly everybody plays under the
superstition nat they are really playing
poker is distinctly another gam. In
draw poker there - no such thing a. "A
jackpot and no such thing rs limit
Also there j. no such hand a. straight
or i flush
Bu: nobody PLAYS poker any more
haven't seen game for good mani
years The nearest - n that anybody
p'ay-. 80 far as know, J. a tab" stakes
game IN which the Two new hands ar.
uri'-,rsally recognized Personally ad-
INIT that his particular form of play
seems better TO III. than the oriGina
game. but most eriphaticallv y i not the
original game.
-Of rours" | don't pretend to saw thai
poker - nor played nov | only know
rhIr 1t - . long r3ulc nee hty. played
It or seem It PLAYED. W Tar - know 1t
= oNt.act But hly" sen gaines that
w"r" ~ - max" your hlr stand
with excitement and nav" PLAYED II,
rnor- than on" N which tn. tension wl-
dImo-' enough 10 snap nay nerves
i r-'n"inh"- one ~ particular tina;
began without any lndlc4t.on IT unusual
Interest bat which "ud"L IA a cIIraaN
th't no mau IN tn" party 'uui eyer for
~.
IT was played N on. - tu.. committee
rooms IN th. Capitol ~ one, 81 rh, southern
States. ~ what WI called tho recon
~tIu"tIpn prripd. In thI- particular
State recon- truot ION ran mot From rh,.
/ -
Of IA" State L..gI. tItIIr- u wl- hard tn
Ind m ndI"ltuni WHO was not using hl-
utmost "rG-av"r - appropriate L. him
self Try pos Iul" I,-ruv IL th,. public
fund.- that Wcr.. only guarded hy pItifu
iic'iOns 81 law and .u many cases by
hGp~l,.sSly corrupt unicILl. Nv own
hrIs,n"-- at ~" seat ~ tHu stat" Govern
meut wa- sufficiently clean to satisfy my
""fi-si-uc'.. but II brought me into clo--
and even confidential relations with 4
good many m,n whom krscw u" be- thor
uuRhly depraN-d though ! was p"w"rl..~
t" interfere II sI- for this r..a-o: rhat
happened TO b- m the committee. room
when. after a long business conference.
game Of poker va proposed
i happened - have about a thousand
dollars in cash with me. and was ready
rfblRn 10 JONI th'''ikIt rs ilN'+'i 'llfhtItIr
not 20 allow myself under Iuysclrcurn- I
stances To CIV" check for any NOR.
than that. for know enough It ia" party .
TO r.aIrz" 'hlt he play wa Ikciy 80 h.. =
high
There we're five PLAYERS when ". began.
Two "l them were typical clrp.rbag-
gers who had come 10 III" Stat. at an
opportrne time and who wer" elbow deep
N the public treasury Another va- an
avow.d lobbyist who was really serving
his clients while he was spending their
money prodiS1!ly. and still another was
the r"prss"Ttativ" " u Walls rect -yndl-
cate No one 81 them was llahla 20 have
less IN his pocket than had and any ou.
oi them was likely to have rn.uy times as
much
IT didn't begin furiously We made
the ante 81 call 81 and played along
for considerable time before there was
any determined contest A raIe. was
IS "r SO. or II. "a happened
-. H.