HAND OF POKER

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 June 1938, Page 14

HAND OF POKER

LOS ANGELES COURT CASE. LONDON, May 3. The poker hand at which Mr. Harry de Vere Clifton, a British visitor, claims to have lost £30,000 was played over again to-day, but. this time the scene was at the office of the District Attorney instead of a hotel room, stated a dispatch of ■ yesterday in the “Daily’ Telegraph.” The point which the authorities are seeking to establish before proceeding further with the case—in which Air. Clifton claims the stoppage of two cheques —is whether the kind of poker played was “draw” or “stud.” The first is legal, the second illegal in the State of California. Stud poker is regarded as gambling, but if the game was draw poker then the winners may have a right to their money. In the game of straight or draw poker all cards are dealt, face downwards. In,the case of stud poker the first card is usually dealt face, upwards and the second card face downwards. Then the betting begins and cards are bought. There are, however, many forms of stud poker, including a sevencard hand well known in America as “Down the river.” The hand that induced Mr. Clifton to indulge in such heavy betting was mediocre, consisting of two pairs— Kings and Jacks. The winner, Mr. Lew Brice, brother of the comedienne. Fanny’ Brice, held three sevens. In an interview this evening, Mr. Clifton, explained why’ he had gambled so heavily. “I was amazed,” he said, “when Lew Brice called my’ £lO,OOO when I had a King showing and he only had a nine, but of course I am not used to Hollywood poker. “When he continued to bet against me when his second card was seven and I had a Jack I was more amazed, but I thought perhaps he was playing a game of poker that I knew nothing about. I would not call anyone's bet if that was all I had.

“George Lewis was dealing, but no one was betting except Brice and myself. Lewis said he did not care to play for such high stakes, although he told me he was a millionaire oil man.” Brice made a statement to the District Attorney’ to-day, insisting that the game played was draw poker. It is learned that after the game Lewis flew to New York to cash Clifton's cheques. One for £20,000 was cleared at the Bank of Manhattan and sent back by air mail, but one for £lO,OOO was stopped. Air. Clifton is squire of Lytham, St. Annes, Lancashire. He is a member of an old English family, which has owned almost the whole of Lytham St. Annes since the Middle Ages. In 1926 he sold ground rents in the town for about £500,000.