The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-03-05
POKER SHARP
QUITS GAME
FOR AYEAR
Raid" on Game GIeverIy En-
gineered and the Players
Are Mystified.

hu6u WElte my DOCK on POKER
I'm going to devote a special chapter
to 'alibls.' How to Make Graceful
Getaway after Coping the KaIe,
have decided on as one OF the sub
heads. 'Squaring Yourself with Friend
Wife offers another fruitful topic.
expect TO realize enough from the
royalties to enable me to play poker
for the rest Of my life"
The talk after the wind-up OF a
friendly session had drifted to poker
experience and the psychology of tho
game The speaker was a man whose
experience covers numbers Of years.
says the Washington Post.
"1f you can suggest an excuse Of a
series of excuses that will go with
3 the family when n man appears al ;
or 6 a. m. after an all night struggle
to get even. you won't want to play
poker again" said one OF his listen
ers.
Nothing less than $4,000 buy-out
would interest you.
Best to Tell the Truth.
'"The returns from the sale of such
a volume would make the combined
royalties on the Indiana authors look
like Tom Sharkey's contribution to
the Chinese missionary fund. I've
played poker some myself and I've
discovered that the best way of squar-
ing yourself is TO tell the truth.
''It's a good system" agreed the
first speaker, "but II has its draw
backs. One OF the most difficult things
in the world Is to explain to a wom-
an why you have lost They don't
approved of poker on general prin-
ciples, and if you have been con-
tributor there is no excuse you can
offer. The first question is, Why did
you play The second Is. When you
found you were losing why didn't you
quit and come home?' Splitting $3.50
on the winnings helps some. knew
a man once who never lost in n poker
game, so he told his wife, He liked
the same and devoted several even.
ings a week to it. On his return tho
first thing he would do would be tc
hand friend wife 500. This was her
BIT OF the winnings He could afford
It, however. as he had an income oil
about $4,000 year. For most of lis
such a system would be too expensive
SOciability is What Counts.
Viewing the situation from the
wife's standpoint. there is much to be
said. and 1t usually is. Offer sue.
cessful business man the amount oil
his average winnings to sit up al
night in an lily ventilated room filled
with tobacco smoke and add columns
OF figures and he would probably be
real rude. It's the sociability OF the
game that gets 'em, not the hope Of
getting something for nothing. though
in most mems natures there is lik,
ing for gambling.
II have friend who Is impatientlS
awaiting the arrival of June 10. Or
that date he will sit in poker game
Until then he will not touch a card
There's reason. This boy loves hi.
family and he also loves poker. HC
only played once week, hut that wa!
! too often. according to wiley Argu
ments, tears and entreaties failed t
prevail. He felt he was entitled 10 on,
night week, and told her so. Final
ly she landed him. and now has hi
sacred promise not TO play poker I'm
til the aforementioned date.
Against the Law to Play.
"The way 1t came about was this
The lad and certain of his cronie
gathered about a round topped tabl
every Saturday night in an apartment
the name Of which will add nothin
TO the story. They played small
game, Just enough to make 1t interest
ing. but Congress had decreed tina
poker Is a wicked pastime, and ha
afixed to the playing thereof pen
atty. Being absolutely ignorant o
the game, congressman cannot be ex
pected to understand or appreciate tn
fascination OF It. The wife had oftel