The Washington times., 1913-12-27
OLD ARMY PLAYER
ADVISES ON POKER
Major Hoffman, Retired, Writes
a Little Book on What Not
to Do and Why.

to Do and Why.
Major william Hoffman, U. s. A., re-
. tired. famous in the service as the
greatest poker player that the United
States army has ever known, will soon
celebrate his seventy-fifth birthday,
and in honor of that anniversary he
has published little book on poker Ip
the army they will tell you that what
the old major does not know about
poker is not worth knowing. and that is
the principal reason why Major Hoff-
mans friends begged and succeeded In
getting this. veteran of many wars to
write book for the use of generations
Of poker players yet to come.
The major sought the seclusion of his
den" In his home at Dorchester,
Mass. near Boston. and wrote a little
volume entitled, Draw Poker Or What
You Want to Know About Poker" a
little book that reveals this gallant old
soldier in his best humor. and which,
as the major himself points out, Is a
book intended for poker players who
timid man, the professional gambler,
are not among those for whom the
major wrote the book.
From cover to cover the little book
sophical comment with here and there
reference to a story of the table, such
as made Major Billy" one of the
famous story teliers In the army. The
book also contains many tables Of per-
centages, which show just how many
times In a game or an ordinary life
time q pair OF kings, flush, a full
house. or q straight flush may be ex-
pected to win. But what follows will
net deal with these tables of percent
study them has only to mail dollar to
the Army and Navy Register In WaRh-
ington and Major Hoffman's little booA
viii be mailed to that person.
Game of Bluff.
'sThe peculiar and distinguishing
characteristics of poker lies" the Major
observes in the beginning Of his book.
in the opportunities the game offers
for imposing on the Judgment Of other
players. This is done by means Of
play, looks, gestures, and even verbally
within the ruies-with the object Of
conveying the impression of ones hay-
ing a strong hand. and thus bluffing q
greater hand into surrender"
As a matter Of course, the Major
points out, there must be q stake Of
some kind at issue, and then he adds:
But people hardly ever play the
game as a gamble. They sit in for so
ciability and amusement, where the
play should be limited to the class and
means of the participants-hIgh enough
to give interest, but still low enough
where it makes no serious difference
whether one wins or loses.
1T has even been found" the Major
slyiy observes, that in Chicago they
play for amusement alone"
Major Hoffman contends that poker
10 pre-eminently and above all other
games a game of science. 1t is not
chance that wins.
Zone payer" the Major says, lis
as good as another on mere chance.
The effective winning the winning that
has no offset, the winning by one man
over another, can come only from a
superiority of skill in the Particular
characteristics of the game and from
the ability to turn TO best advantage
whatever chance-good, bad or tndif-
ferent-may bring to him.
Success in poker depends mainly on
knowing when to come in and when to
stay out-when to stay in and when to
these four points divide themselves,
half and half into mathematics and
judgment; and all this can then be
only a question of probabilities, |. E.,
the mathematical probabilities relating
TO the strength of the opposing hands,
thus showing generally, and in some
cases particularly, when to come in
and when to stay out; and the judg-
ment probabilities as to your oppo-
nent's strength. and as to what he is
doing, or will do, from which you must
determine whether to stay in or to drop
out
THE poker player. however, needs
TO learn when TO drop out even more
the more difficult decision to reach.
"1t often takes good nerve to back
ones judgment into calling; but II
takes a good player to step down and
him to abandon a pile OF his good
money. A poker player should be able
TO smile while having his teeth pulled.
Saving Is Winning.
When you are making a saving you
are making a winning. And thus you
can. In fact, make a winning on any
nand In the deck. II it is the best
hand out you can win directly; IL It il
the poorest hand, you can win indirect
ly by making a saving.
This is not said humorously; a large
percentage of all winnings at poker is
made by dropping out at good time
He who is first to discover the red flag
ries of the pot. Nor do We speak IN
humor when we say that what We must
do, and about all that we need do. IN
order to win, Is to find out what is In
the other fellows hanc.
Even though this may seem truism.
and at first sight Of frivolous applica-
tion in this place, IL is. seriously, the
paramount consideration-this very point
is in fact the whole game in its lowest
terms, the gist of all else being merely
detail.
Thus It is a question of mathematics
on the one hand, and of combined keen
ness of eye and ear. shrewdness and
eubtlety, acute and quick discernnent
on the other hand. We might say
mathematics and psychology. Neither
Of these singly can play the game.
while the latter is the more difficult
and important part
MANY successful players have but
a small appreciation of figures, their
success being due to good judgment
alone. Mathematics bears principally
on the pool In the earlier stages where
the pot is small. while to Judgment il
falls to deal with bluffs and big money:
and thus players lameness on figures
can easily be compensated by an other
very little Of mathematics that can be
applied at the poker table. We can de-
termine the average strength OF the
hands, as they are dealt and before the
draw; and We can find the strength OF
the hand needed to come in on before
the draw and before any raise. And
we can find the average strength OF the
various kinds Of the draw: and we can
deduce some valuable facts in Jackpot
play; but this IL about all there Is in
YractieaI poker mathematics"