Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-21
POKER AS PLAYED I'm PARIS A WERG AMAZING DISTORTION

ing done, thus, to the other two-spots of
the pack. With the deuce of spades as
joker you could have five kings, or
queens, or anything: but you could only
have four deuces.
Evidently there ought to be another
deuce for such deuce occasions. Other
wise, for example, when you hold one
deuce and the joker. you must sacrifice
the pair of deuces to utilize the joker
Thereupon they made this plain rule: If
you have another deuce along with the
joker in your hand, you may call any of
the other cards the joker.
Of course these exceptional features
confused new men somewhat
ut is to equalize the game" the ladies
said. You play better than we do!'
To which, obviously, there was no reply.
The trouble came with an unimaginative
Britisher. Mastering the uses of the
joker with difficulty, he failed altogether
to remember the extra virtue of the deuce
of spades joker accompanied by another
twospot
1t was fat jack sprightly damsel
named Augusta. now famous grand
opera star. held the deuce of hearts, the
deuce of diamonds, the deuce of clubs,
the deuce of spades the joker. and the
queen of hearts.
Some one opened it. The Briton raised.
Augusta raised him back He raised Au-
gusta. And Augusta came back on him
hard
Then they drew cards; the others had
dropped. Augusta asked for one. The
Britisher took two. He made four tens!
Augusta drew nine.
think l mentioned that this was la
dies poker. They bet back and forth
while, and stopped to breathe when there
was $50 in the pot. Then, Augusta, TO
tantalize him. said:
tn show you two of my cards. Lock-
Whereupon she laid down the nine of
spades and the deuce of hearts.
AS the Englishman had four tens, he
argued thus: 1--WE got her beat. Even If
she holds the joker, she can only have
four mines or four deuces. I'll give her a
lesson
So they raised each other back and
forth some more. until it came to writing
paper. There must have been SI3 in the
pot before he stopped in pity. saying:
My child, can't allow you to go on.
Really! See. I have four tens"
Stop said Augusta. do not touch
that gold:''
"Huh?"
Il have five deuces!' said Augusta, and
she showed them. That is to say, she
showed four deuces and nine spot.
uc OlHcI SIlo CAPiaiitd tiidt ENG was
right The deuce of spades was the jok-
er. wasn't it? They quoted the rule: IF
you have a deuce and joker In your
hand you may call any other card the
JOKER"
And l call the ninespot the joker"
said Augusta
We had to ''give her reason" as they
say in French. The ninespot becoming
the joker. she had the right to use 1t as
a fifth deuce, and five deuces beat four
tens-in the Avenue d'Antin.
The Briton took 1t better than you
might have expected. So the game went
on, with various fortunes.
At last there came another portly jack
pot We saw the EngliShman's face
brighten. The Jackpot being opened
some one raised it and the Englishman
raised back.
Augusta dropped, but a young thing
who ought to have been in bed stayed
with him so hard that they got again to
writing paper, making l. .. US before
the draw
The young thing stood pat. So did the
Britisher He raised her once to give
her a flutter, then he called, not to seem
greedy.
Il begin to see the beauty Of that two
spot rule of yours" he observed, pleas
antly, as he laid down the deuce of
spades Che joker. the three, four and
five of spades and the queen of diamonds.
What is that oddage?" asked the
young thing.
"a straight fiush," he answered. 81
have the two. three, four and Ave of