The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-10-22

surprise % tho Crowd.

On, ! don't know" murmured Mr..
Owen Pepper again, but nobody paid
any attention TO him. They were al
most stupefled.
The old man recovered first. hut the
effort he had made TO grasp the others
meaning had resulted only in miBap-
prehension Of the concluding sylla-
bles.
"Th' amt nobody round name O.
Cyarter," he said. "but ri keep II TO-
him II that's the way yo' all feels
about It," And he put the money in
his cash drawer.
The stranger ignored this His mind
had reverted TO the other proposition.
Il wouldn't mind sitting in for a
while" he said. 'if there he any who
are DESTROYS of learning the game"
"They sho' be- said the old man
eagerly,
Chips Must Have Real Value.
I'm that case. returned the stranger
II Will do my best TO elucidate the
principles OF 1t, but one thing should
be clearly understood before begin
ming. The game must be for keeps.
as lads express it in playing marbles.
There is no real zest in playing for
chips unless they are understood to
have actual monetary value. Begin
ners frequently err In the supposition
that they can learn the game by play
ing for chips"
Meybbe that's the reason the boys
amt never learnt the game no better
n they have long o. not hayin' never
played IT TO reel money" said tho old
man as II seeing n new light. Il rcck-
on, though" he continued, 'wnat
they'd be willin' to put up hundred
or so TO- the sake o. gettin nstruc-
ton"
II appeared that they we're willing.
and. excepting MIR. Pepper. the entire
party went into the back room. That
gentleman would talk TO himself nj
there was no one else present TO listen
to him.
Feared His Proficiency.
"Oh. / don't know" he said. FL
reckon If that yap can deal out cyards
like he does language, Jim Blaisdell
II have his hands full 70 to beat him"
Mr. Blaisdell. however. seemed not
to be troubled by any misgivings. lie
regarded the stranger closely but
calmly. even when the latter. having
neatly piled up the chips he bought, |
produced from his pocket slip of pa
per inscribed with many figures and |
aid 1t beside his pile.
Mr. Winterbottom, however. seemed |
more or less perturbed.
'Yo' all don't want TO take no 'dvan-
age o. we'uns in this game" he said.
ddressing the stranger, looks kylnd
J like 1t was playin' It low down 70
o keep the rules wrote down on paper
ghar yo' can see EN-. We uns is IL
BILE TO to make mistakes occasional.
lot havin' tn rules to look at, an yo'
ought To- TO take the same chanst"
These are not the rules replied
he stranger. They are simply menu
randa OF the percentages attached TO
he different hands that may be held.
find it somewhat difficult to remem-
err readily what the chances may be
! the draw and in the betting, and l
ave written them down so that ! may
I figuring them out in my head each
me"
Willing to Take Chance.
Comes to the same thing" said Mr.
Gives yo' all a ad-
long o. we uns bein' bleedged
0 figger EN- out in our heads, an
labbe not gettin 'em right hathaway
But Mr.. PearsalI, as II DESTROYS OF
delay, offered a suggestion.
'Kyind o. looks thatawRy," he said,
but reckon II the gent II let we uns
ook at the paper FIN time TO time so s
we en- see whether we're reck'nin'
he p'ceutages right or not, same's he
Ioes. they won't be no 'dvantage took
What's fair TO- one Is fair 70 all" And
o this the stranger readily agreed.
II soon appeared that the stranger
vas primarily percentage player. lie
consulted his paper carefully each
ime he took up new hand, and again
when he came to draw cards besides
ooking at it from time to time as the
odds in the betting changed after a
raise.
Mr. Bassett seemed greatly Impress
ed by this.
Luck vs.. Percentage.
u reckon mebhe done been playin'
this yer game all wrong up to now"
be said after a time Il al'ays reck-
oned what them p'centages was mo- r
less liable To- 10 be upset long O. one
man havin' mo luck a another. Meb-
be that amt so.
He spoke as one desiring instruction |
and the stranger gave il 10 him. /
1T is true" he said, that there is |
such thing as luck in a poker game. (
The fact is lamentable. since It mill |
tates against the really scientific as
pect OF the pastimc II is inevitable. |
however, according TO the immutablc
laws OF chance, that the average OF |
happenings will be the same in a Sc
ries Of events provided they are pro-
longed sufficiently Luck varies. but !
the average cannot change. Therefore
the player who invariably follows the
law Of averages must necessarily tri- |
umph in the long run over him who
relies upon luck"
Il sholy am Indebted t yo' all
said Bassett politely. Il never onder-
stood it right afo' Mebbe / en- do
better now. mo- special as my luck
amt al'ays S good as some"
Luck, 81 Course, n Factor.
This question Of luck is certainly
puzzling." said the stranger, thought
fully, but / am inclined TO think that
II is governed by the same law that
obtains in the matter Of the distrlbu-
ton Of cards. In other words. the win
ming hands will fall TO one man as