Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-12
1.-TWO cards'll do me-" called Gates as


cards. So far as the onlookers could
see each man must have three Of a
kind. for they both knew poker too
we'll to hold "kickers" or to draw to
three card flush. Furthermore, bluff
ing would not work, for neither of the
players would lay down his hand with
out at least calling the other.
In attempting to get a look at the
game one of the attendants inadver-
tently tipped over a stool. Alarmed
by the noise, their nerves on edge, the
crowd of observers fairly jumped up;
but the two players never moved
muscle. They were intent upon the
game.
Gates had no chips left He rarely
carried money in large amounts. He
felt for his card case and pencil.
Scribbling some figures on card. he
then tossed it into the pot, smiling
meanwhile at Davy. The latter lean
ed over and read the penciled inscrip-
ton. It ran, according to bystanders
close enough to observe, II. o. U.
$500 ]. w. G."
The financier had seen Davy's $5,-
900 bet and had gone back at him
with a $4,000 raise.
Davy sized up the pot. 1t was
rare one, representing the tidy little
fortune Of $4,000. Slowly and care
fully Davy skinned his cards and then
laid them down. He alone knew what
he held, so carefully did he spread the
pasteboards until the indicators were
barely exposed. In a low tone-al-
most a whisper, in fact-he spoke to
one of his faro dealers who stood near
by, requesting slip Of paper and
pencil His own supply Of chips was
exhausted.
Accounts differ as to what Davy
wrote on the slip Of paper, but the
consensus of opinion Is that 1t was
an I. o. U. for the staggering sum of
$4,000.
Roseben's owner had not only seen
the Steel and Wire mans $4,000
raise, but he had "come back" with a
$1,000 raise, probably the greatest
sum of. money ever wagered at one
raise" in the history Of poker.
John Gates, usually a rapid think
er and player, hesitated. There was
an even s150,000 in the pot at this
juncture. No one has ever ventured
to explain why he paused, for he was
accustomed to deal in large sums of
money, frequently carrying from $685.
OO0, 900 to $35,0OO,0O0 worth Of stocks on
a margin and often cleaning up a
million or two in the course Of a short
business day.
Leisurely he produced his card
case once more and then felt for his
pencil. A milk wagon ratified by in
the street below. One of the negro
attendants, absorbed in the game,
gripped the arm of another onlooker
so hard that the latter turned and
pushed him away. Neither Gates
nor Davy paid any attention.
Then a silence ensued, disturbed
only by the labored breathing Of the
watchers. Verify this was draw
poker for fair What was Gates
going to do?" That was the question
each man asked himself.
Slowly the pencil of the financier
crept over the face Of the visiting
card. his left hand shielding the
writing. All present knew that he
would call Davy, but all wondered II
he would raise, and. if he did. what
the amount would be.
The writing finished, John Gates
leisurely replaced the pencil In his
pocket He turned toward the card
face down upon the green cloth, but
made no move to put it in the pot.
The smile left his face for an instant
as he shot a glance at Davy, but if he
expected to learn anything from the
expression upon the plunger's face he
was disappointed.
Davy's expression resembled some
what that of the Sphinx on a rainy
afternoon. He glanced carelessly at
Gates and then at the card.
What are you doin', John?' he
asked finally.
Without reply the financer turned
the card face up and pushed it to-
ward the middle of the table.
The inscription upon it ran. Il. o.
U. s71,0OO."
John Gates had simply "called,"
and it was up to Davy to show his
hand.
For some minutes Davy Johnson
sat like a statue. He seemed not to
realize the fact that his hand had
been called, and Gates grew somewhat
impatient.
1t was Davy Johnson's time to bet.
Without looking at the two cards he
had drawn he threw 10 chips into
the pot now representing the sum of
$4,000. Gates smiled. He then
looked at his hand, and the bystanders
noticed that the smile neither broad
ened nor faded. Gates was a poker
player. No one but he himself knew
whether the draw had bettered his
hand.
play cards. Davy," he said. 1--WE
called you. What've you got?"
One by one Davy laid his cards
down face upon the table. Three
queens and a pair of kings were dis
closed-a full house of great merit.
Davy peered over his glasses at Gates,
Does it look good to you, John?''
he asked.
IT'S no good, Davy!" Gates
shouted, the nervous tension over.
i've got an ace full here!"
Banging his left fist down upon
the table, Gates then slapped the five
cards upon the cloth. He had spoken
the truth. Three bullets" and a
pair of kings appeared. He had won!
The big game was over and Gates
raked in the staggering pot Of $221,-
900, nearly a quarter of a million.
Accounts differ as to the exact
amount contained in the huge pot.
Accounts differ as to Davy's hand,
some Of the bystanders asserting