The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-27

III lle pot 10 Salt lueTe WAC tehiP'A
ton to draw to anything that looked
like hand and most OF EN- did. 1t
wasn't the sort Of game where a
man could sit and wait for EN-. Hav-
ing 10 ante q dollar every time the
deal comes around will put dent In
any mans stack unless he picks up
an occasional pot.
IN about thirty minutes there be-
gan to dawn on me the suspicion that
It wasn't going 10 be my night. Open
ers were few and far between. When
| improved a short pair It was to find
that the opener also had helped his
hand or that some seed had connected
with straight or flush. In an hour
and n half | was $40 to the bad and
breathing hard.
500 to the Bad.
"The vacation fund was fast disap-
pearng. | thought OF the remarks
the wife would offer in the event Of
It's loss and broke into gentle per-
spiration. At the end OF two hours
and half counted up and found my
self 500 to the bad. AS nine men out
OF ten will when losing. | was playing
poor poker. was in every pot. The
wonder is that wasn't 5000 to the
bad but just as | was becoming des-
perate the luck changed. Sitting to
the right OF the dealer / picked up
two little pairs, nine and deuces. 1
opened for 81. The man to my left
made it 81 more. Two men stayed
and the dealer lifted it again for the
limit. A man of sense would have
thrown those two pairs to the dis
cards, but l paid 81 to draw to 'em
and gathered In the third nine, The
man next to me had three aces and the
other chap small straight. From
that moment my stack began to in
crease.
AT the end Of an hour | counted
up and found | was 50 winner. l
looked at my watch and it was just
1890. the hour | had promised my
wife I would be home. 1t was time
to make the getaway, but | figured
that luck had turned and it would be
foolish to run when there was a
chance of picking up $50 or $50, so |
fingered.
Looked Like Falls Church.
THE next round convinced me Of
my error. | had two sets Of threes
and aces up beaten. Inside of the
next thirty minutes l was $40 out. At
the end OF an hour ! had in front Of
me nine blue chips, all that remained
OF 500 buyout. That vacation has
resolved itself into week end at
Falls Church, | thought to myself.
There's no hope Of getting even now
and don't deserve it.
"A couple OF hands later found
myself with aces and tens. Being
under the guns, opened for 50. The
next man named made 1t ST. The
others, with the exception Of the deal
err, dropped. stayed for the 81. The
man to my left raised again, and the
dealer came hack with another hit.
was between two fires, but was de-
termined to go through on those aces
up. After four or five raises the
player to my left called. Both men,
as | knew they would, declined to
draw. 1t was up to me to catch an
other ace or another ten, or lose not
only all the moned | had with me but
the respect Of a loving wife as well.
AT that moment the man to my left
reached for box of matches. The
card that was coming to me struck
his hand, turned over, and was dis
played face upward on the table. 1t
was the ace Of spades. hope that
never again will be seized with a
desire to murder The turning OF the
card was unintentional. OF course, but
not being allowed under the rules to
take 1t. | was prevented from max
ing the biggest full hand in the deck
and winning the largest pot Of the
evening.
"I'm through said, and reached
for my roll.
You're entitled to another card.
said the dealer,
Il know | am / answered, but
with the breaks I'm getting I'll sell
my chances in this pot for two bits.
Does anybody want it?' Apparently
nobody did.
Slip me the card and be careful
not 10 turn this one over said. |
looked at it. The next thing | heard
was the faraway voice Of the dealer
asking me for the love O. Nike what
! was going to do.
Bets the Limit.
"Do?' I says, I'm going TO bet two
beans ....
They knew as we'll as you that I
had upset all the laws OF chance. but
both called, one with a queen high
flush and the other with jack high
straight. had caught third ten,
completing my full house on the small
end. Then for the second time I be-
gan 10 come hack. At 1880 was $50
winner. At 1881 wished the boys
good night and good bye.
Where's your argument against a
limit game in that yarn?' asked one
OF the listeners. Did the fact that
you came back twice in one night af-
ter being in a hundred each time con-