A BIG CHANGE AT POKER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7156, 22 July 1901, Page 2

A BIG CHANGE AT POKER.

THELUCK OF A "DRUMMER." PLAYING WITH HIS EMPLOYERS'MONEY. " There was a game of poker played : in Little Rock c few weeks ago," said the gray-haiied, young-looking man, "that came near -winding up in a general shooting scrape or a suicide, * And that it didn't was owing to the desperate chances taken by a New York drummer. 4< The salesman's name was Murphy. It was a professional game that fee was in. One player was named Robinson. Another was a Texas gambler called *Doo' Hammond, whose imputation was not so good i$ RobihgWa. The fourth, player I sized up as the player for the house. So Murphy was certainly up against a, hard .proposition. "ft didn't look to be a. very dangerous, game. --Tfo*y were playing tabte stakes, each anon, with a hundred up. As I look at it now, it seems pretty clear that their gams was to let Murphy win enough to get him excited, and then fleece him heavily, v At all events ihe was lucky lor the first half hour after 1 came into the room. "One after another the three professionals declared more money in the game, until there was 900dol- on? the. table, of which Murphy had more than one haif in front of him, when, as I had expected, the luck began to turn. There were no phenomenal contests, but foe lost right along till he had to declare another hundred in. Having my own ideas beforehand, about Hamanond, I could not help noticing that either RobinV son. or the house player, whom they called Brown, won every tittle Hammond dealt, and lhat Murphy got good enough cards to induce him to bet each) time. . " When Murphy bought his second- hundred in chips there was a quick play. It was Hammond's deal! again and Murphy opened the pot— they were playing all jacks— for SOdol on a pot, flush, ace high. Brown laid down and Robineoa raised it fcwenty-flva. Hammond threw his cards away, and Murphy made good.. Of course he stood pat. [Robinson drew on© card and Murphy bet a white chip. Robinson- raised it for the si?e of (Murphy's pile which was a little over 50dol. The only thing, for Murphy to do unless 3k' were extremely suspicious, was to call and he did so, whereupon (Robinson shewed down a small full.- . "C"' ' . ■■;■ ', " There was nothing on the face of it that could be criticised, but <t«he play confirmed my notions of the dealer. So- 1 was seri< ously concerned when Murphy declared five hundred more in the game. I did not believe that iae had so much money of his own in his pocket, and if he had not, he was playing with the firm's money, in. which case he was in terrible danger. "The next deal was 'Murphy's and the pot was not opened. On Brown's deal Hammond opened, and they all cam* in, Murphy catching a .third ten to the pair that he drew too, and winning 1 the pot" against the opener's two pair. ( "Robinson then dealt, and again there 'were no- openers, so the cards passed t0,,; Hammond, and I had a strong feeling that the climax of the game was at hand. I could see Murphy's hand as he skinned it down, and I was not' surprised to see that he had openers — a pair of jacks. Being as small as they were, I rather expected to see him pass th«m, but he opened the pot for 20dol, as the usual play wa% Brown pame in and Robinson and Hammond both laid down. "When it came to the draw, I "was tbiin-.-derstruck to see Murphy 'throw 'his jacks? in the discard pile together with another card, and draw three to an ace and a king. Brown drew three cards' also, showing that he could not have bad 1 better than a single pair to draw to. V "Murphy's composure was magnificent. Witbou'o- lifting his draw from tfche table he bet a' white chip and looked steadily . at Brown, waiting to see what he woukt do. " Brown looked at his cards carefully and studied them, or pretended to, for sojne. moments before he did anything. Finally; he pushed his. pile- in the middle of the. table. There !was nearly 300doi in it. " Murphy looked at j* carefully, and even/, counted it up, carefully before lifting his own cards. Then he shuffled !his iband for fully a minute, still holding it face down,/ so that neither he nor anyone else could see what he had. At length he spoke : ."'You've bettered your pair, evidently enough. I'll have to see what % got. If I caught a second! pair I'll call you.' "Still he hesitated 1 a little before locking at his hand. If he was trying to control his nerve I don't blame him, but he showed no trace of nervousness even yet. It seemed' as if he were simply studying Brown's face to find if he were bluffing or not."Finally he skinned down his own five cards, and I must confess I had 'hard work to 'keep still when I saw what ho had, but he was still as composed as ever. Carefully counting his own chips, be pushed! in enough to call Brown, at the same time saying: ; • "'.What did you catch?' "''l got a third eight,' said Brown, spreading his hand, and I'll swear I caught a flicker of a smile on Hammond's face as he saw th» three eights. It was gone in ah instant, but it was enough to confirm, my suspicions, and, as I learned afterward, it was the proof that was also looking for. ■ \ "'Three eights are no good,' said Murphy; slowly. 'I caught another ace.' And he showed down three aces. "The silence in the room just then was like -the darkness in Egypt. You could feel "■> it./ The other oonspirators saw, of course^ that they had been outwitted, though I don't believe they understand even now how it happened. They were too well trained to show their surprise, though, by anything more than a momentary look which I would not have seen if I hadn't been, watching for it. v " Neither did they show any surprise at the next development, for they were all thoroughbreds in their line- As they ■were preparing for the next deal, Murphy , said quietly : ' I think I'll casb in. I won that pot by a fluke, but the luck is running against me, and I'll quit before I lose anything.' "To my great delight he did cash in, and we walked out of the place together. I didn't ask him a question till I got 'him into my room* at the hotel «and looked the door. .Then I turned on Mm and said: 'What on .earth did you make that play for?' Then he broke down and laughed and giggled like a •hysterical woman till I was actually afraid he would cry. "•Wasn't it a corker?' he exclaimed. 'I didn't Janow for a minute or two whether I'd be dodging bullets the next minute or not. You see it was this way. I'd been watching Hammond's play all the evening and I noticed that on his deal I always got fair cards and somebody else always, get a something a little better; that is, after they got (through letting me win. I saw, too, that he was too cunning to deal out very big hands, but I was cart&in that he knew pretty we'll what lie was going to hand out, and I saw that bis favourite trick was three of a kind against two paiiv3. " ' Then when I bought the five- hundred, I knew they'd make a play to get it all in one or two bets. You saw that my seoond hundred went on one ihtund.' So I figured that if I could -turn tie table otf one beb it would be* time to quit, and I laid for the first chance. " 'When I got the jacks I felt that the game was to make me open and then give me a second pair against somebody's threes. And when I saw the aoe and kin» I concluded they were accidents. All Hammond thought of was to bury the other two jacks and give me any old cards for filkrs. He was dead sure to give me another padr to my jacks and they would bs big ones so as to msko ma confident. Anyhow, he ifi&ve me the aces, not drearoinje; of course

that I was drawing to the third one, ■It -was a -thousand to one shot, I suppose, [ but I pulled it off.' And ihe laughed again as nervously as before. " : . "'But supposing; you had! lost it,' I said, * and be stopped llaugihing on the instant. I "'lt was won for me, and I uidln't much i care whether I got shot or nob, far zo irw ! the firm's money. Bu* I'm done •*s& I poker, m nev»rpl»y i 6 again ermiritib my owb money."*