QassJiiZIMl 
 Book Aa/^5 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 
 
THE GAME 
 
 DEAW-POKER, 
 
 MATHEMATICALLY- ILLUSTRATED 
 
 EG A COMPLETE TREATISE ON THE GAME, GIVING THE PROSPECTITE 
 
 I VALUE OF EACH HAND BEFORE AND AFTER THE DRAW, AND 
 
 THE TRUE METHOD OF DISCARDING AND DRAWING, 
 
 WITH A THOROUGH ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT 
 
 OF THE GAME AS PLAYED AT THE 
 
 PRESENT DAY BY GENTLEMEN. 
 
 HENRY T. WINTERBLOSSOM, 
 
 Professor of Mathematics, 
 
 NEW-YORK : 
 
 .^M. H. MURPHY, PRINTER AND PUBLISHER. 
 
 18Y5. 
 
,Ia/j-, 
 
 ^ 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by Willi J 
 H. Murphy, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washingtd 
 
INTRODUCTORY PREFACE 
 
 AMING, or gambling, in some form, has existed from time im- 
 memorial. If we consider the word in a pastoral sense, it will 
 lest to us the earliest efforts of the primitive savage to provide 
 ■elf with food, at a period of the year when fruit and herbs could 
 be obtained. In his various attempts to thus supply his wants, force 
 
 ratagem, as the occasion demanded, was called into play. The 
 pie of chances and the law of supply and demand were not, perhaps, 
 
 ehold words with him at this period of his existence ; but it will 
 for our purpose to believe that success or failure in his enterprise 
 
 ^dered in his breast emotions of a very opposite nature. 
 
 ■ excitement of gambling, which is nothing more than the mixed 
 
 lire and pain arising from the alternation of hope and fear, success 
 lailure, is a necessity which all men feel, though in different degrees 
 Iding to the difference of temperament. The savage who, as Taci- 
 
 forms us, will even stake him.self, when everything he possessed is 
 lied away, and the blushing, nervous girl of 14, who has (to use 
 ■English) "bet" her first dollar in a raffle at a Church fair, may be 
 
 iered the extreme exponents of this vice. It is not ojar purpose 
 Irm the reader by endeavoring to prove that gambling islindigenous 
 
 1 human family, and that primeval man was born with a dice-box 
 
 I hjand. Nor do we wdsh to emphasize the recent discovery in Cen- 
 l-frica, which goes to show that the Troglodytes^ progenitors doubt - 
 Mr. Darwin, use gold tooth-picks and are experts at the game ol' 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 backgammon. We wish, however, to put on record the following truism : 
 All games of chance create a morbid appetite in those who indulge in 
 them, in proportion to their ignorance of the mathematical basis itpon 
 which those games are constructed. This sentence, like the shakje of 
 Burleigh's head, may be too profound for the average intellect, so wQi^jsritl 
 explain it. ^;- 
 
 Suppose, for instance, two persons stake a dollar on the toss of a 
 copper, the chance of winning or losing is equal, and they might play 
 for a week without either improving his fortune in the least. But let 
 one of them lay $25 to one, that the other cannot call correctly th| fail 
 of the copper five times consecutively, and an extraordinary metamo^ho- 
 sis takes place. Instantly they are ranged in bitter antagonism. .vOne 
 of the contestants thus transformed becomes the '*Banque," cool am de- 
 termined, confident that the twenty per cent, which the conditicfe of 
 the wager place in his favor will, in the long run, give him possftion 
 of all the money that may be staked on the issue. The other w^ be 
 at once recognized as the infatuated dupe, whose cupidity the illsisive 
 prize has brought out in bold relief, and who will play days an(fifeven 
 years without power to check his downward progress in the destructive 
 current in which he is launched. Now it is not reasonable to suppose 
 that a person will thus play against an impossibility (in a mathematical 
 point of view) of winning, and be conscious of the fact ; hence we are 
 led to the inevitable conclusion that, in almost every instance, his infat- 
 uation with the game is in direct ratio to his ignorance of the doctrine of 
 chances. Everybody knows that the toss of a copper is an even chaace ; 
 to guess it five times running is one chance in thirty-two : theret ore, in 
 our illustration, every twenty-five dollars won costs in the loiig- run 
 thirty-one. Of course the toss of the copper is merely typical of Knes 
 of chance generally, all of which, no matter how played or deti itjuned, 
 owe their fascination to the insidious method of presenting to thv imagi- 
 nation a large prize and deftly concealing, as far as possible, tie difii- 
 culty of getting it. 
 
PREFACE, V. 
 
 The reader, at this juncture, may perhaps appear anxious to know what 
 all this has to do with the game of Draw-Poker. We will state it in 
 a few words. 
 
 In playing Poker, five cards are dealt to the player, which may be 
 tei^^ f. his preliminary " hand ;" he examines it and if, in his judgment, 
 :h the " ante" required of each one who wishes to be interested 
 in ill*- ' pot," he puts in the necessary sum. If not, he throws up his 
 canlti. Now as each one who " stands" has the privilege of *' discarding' ' 
 an ' df iwing fresh cards, equal in number to those discarded, it becomes 
 a ^'^.'] question to know what kind of hand one should stand on, and 
 what Vmd he should throw up. This, of course, is the first step in our 
 i:n'. .-;■ ration of the game, and we have endeavored to make it perfectly 
 ble to the reader. 4 All the various combinations that go to make 
 up ft^J^er hands are then analyzed, and their mathematical expectations 
 givenif We have throughout the volume laid great stress on the question 
 of pel centage, believing beyond doubt that the player who will avail 
 hiiiLsei ' of the advantage which certain combinations give, will, in the 
 majoifcy of cases, have it in his favor, and must, in the long run, win. 
 We bj^'e pointed out also, in a clear manner, the numerous pit-holes 
 into which the amateur, as a rule, invariably stumbles ; nor indeed is 
 ev^^ry'Jl<ne who thinks himself a proficient in the game, entirely free 
 from ^,ch mishaps. Under ordinary circumstances, many years of ex- 
 peri<jn|e and close observation, are absolutely required to perfect the 
 student in navigating the intricate passages that are always encountered 
 in rhe game. This, it is unnecessary to say, is not the least expensive part 
 of his a|.prenticeship. It has therefore been our object, in preparing this 
 volujT'^ to keep steadily in view the principle of conservatism ; and 
 wt lie ^4:is course may perhaps in a limited degree be open to the charge 
 of ui;tj(lity, no one will regret in the end having pursued it. The most 
 brill! 1^3 play is rarely satisfactory when it terminates in a loss. We 
 hav« 11 ed our best efforts to circumscribe, within moderate bounds, the 
 amoui t of money that should be involved in any one hand. Draw- 
 
. PREFACE. 
 
 Poker, unfortunately, is one 6f the few games that cannot be played so 
 as to afford any pleasure, without the interchange of money. Indeed 
 one might as well go on a gunning expedition with blank-cartridge, as 
 to play Poker for " fun." 
 
 In concluding these prefatory remarks, it may be looked upon as an 
 omission if no reference be made to, an important element in the game 
 known as "Bluffing." In former days, when the betting was unlimited , 
 this was frequently the determining feature of a hand, no matter what the 
 cards were ; and to bluff an opponent,- while holding yourself "nary pair," 
 was the pinnacle of ambition at which all players aimed. In modern 
 Poker however, bluffing is secondary in consequence of the numerous 
 'restrictions which are imposed on it. Notwithstanding, in the hands 
 of a judicious player, it will always remain a power that must, under no 
 circumstances, be slighted. To convey to the reader an adequate con- 
 ception of precisely what it is and how and when it is to be used, vv^ould 
 necessitate the invention of a new language, more copious and commu- 
 nicative than our present mother tongue. We have nevertheless, at 
 various points throughout the volume, given hints as to its use, trusting 
 to the skill and experience of the reader to thoroughly develop it a^ 
 occasion demands. 
 
 All calculations that appertain to Draw-Poker hands are necessarily 
 approximate ; and the degree of approximation is determined by the 
 nature of the combination presented, — some admitting of nearly strict 
 accuracy, others, again, being extremely variable. The early mathe- 
 maticians, Galileo, Cardan, Huyghens, and Bernoulli had to deal chiefly 
 with dice, the combinations of which admit of positive solutions. These 
 eminent men considered it a public duty to analyze and publish to the 
 world the results of their investigations. In England, the appearance 
 ot Simpson's Laws of Chance was more effectual in curbing the desire 
 for gambling than all the essays that had, up to that period, been written 
 against it. Id Prance, while gambUng was legalized, the government 
 had every game oi chance examined by mathematical experts, and the 
 
P H E F A C E . Vii. 
 
 per centage in favor of the * Ban que' was rigidly established, and never 
 permitted to exceed seven per cent, in the aggregate. As before re- 
 marked, Poker bands must of necessity be measured by an arbitrary 
 standard, for the reason that hands which involve in their drawing 
 similar mathematical difficulties are, when obtained, totally different in 
 value. For instance, it is as hard to draw three Deuces as to draw three 
 Aces, and the value of the latter, it is unnecessary to say, is infinitely 
 superior to the former. Hence each hand has to be equated, m accord- 
 ance with the standard erected to determine its relative value, and the 
 results arrived at may be considered, for all practicable purposes, suffi- 
 ciently accurate. 
 
 We have no disposition to complicate the volume with needless dis- 
 sertations on mathematical niceties ; our object is to give results in as 
 few words as possible. We think, however, that the reader should be 
 made acquainted with the principle upon which the calculations are based, 
 and a simple problem will illustrate it. Suppose a full pack of cards 
 is thoroughly shuffled and five cards are dealt you, which consist for in 
 stance, of four Hearts and a card of an odd suit. Your object is to make 
 a flush of hearts, and you discard the odd suit and draw a fresh card 
 from the pack. Now, before seeing the fresh card, you wish to determine 
 what your chance of making the flush is. You know of course that you 
 hold four hearts in your hand, and that there are nine others among the 
 47 cards which remain in the pack. It is clear then that your chance* 
 is as 9 to 47, which would be 5 2-9 to 1 against your making it. Al- 
 though m this illustration there is but one hand dealt, it is immaterial 
 hoiv many hands are dealt, the chalice remaining always the same. This 
 we will illustrate in the following example : let five cards be dealt to you 
 from a full pack ; let us assume that three of them are Aces, and that 
 you discard the two odd cards and draw two fresh ones from the pack, 
 and that before seeing them you calculate the chancers of getting \n 
 another Ace in the draw. It is certain that the fourth Ace is among the 
 forty-seven cards that remain in the pack, and that the two cards you 
 
Vlil. P R li F A C E . 
 
 draw entitle you to 2:47 of the certainty. It is therefore 23 J- to 1 
 against your drawing it. This is indisputable. Now suppose that five 
 others are playing with you, all of whom agree to remain "in," and, 
 that they discard and receive ten cards among them, making thirty-five 
 cards which they have taken from the 47, let us see if your chance of 
 drawing the fourth Ace is changed in the least. As they have had 35 
 of the 47 cards which contain the Ace, it is 36:47 that some one of 
 them has received it. It is, on the other hand, 12:47 that none of them 
 has received it, and that it remains in the pack, from which you are to 
 draw two cards. As there are but twelve left, your chance of drawing 
 it is therefore 2:12. Hence 2:12X12:47 (the chance that the other 
 players have not drawn it,) =24:564=1:23^, as originally calculated. 
 It may then be set down as an axiom that the number of players is a 
 central element which determines nothing, and that the reasoning must 
 ue based on the five cards which you receive and know and the 47 which 
 are unknown. 
 
 The rules for the government of the game, which conclude the volume, 
 have been carefully revised and adapted to meet modern requirements. 
 Many of those now in force are simply preposterous, and are evidently 
 the threadbare ones whicli formerly applied to "Straight-Poker," noA\ 
 obsolete. Of course the enforcement of rules depends upon the players 
 themselves ; and as Poker parties are not slow to eliminate any discor- 
 dant element that may appear in their midst, it is to be presumed that 
 a conscientious interpretation will be placed upon the construction of the 
 Rules and Laws herewith submitted. This conceded, and the stake at 
 issue confined to moderate limits, Draw-Poker will hold its prominence 
 as a game while cards exist. 
 
DRAW-POKEE. 
 
 Chapter 1. 
 
 The game of Draw-Poker is, perhaps, tlie 
 most fascinating one played with. Cards. The 
 innumerable combinations that present them- 
 selves^ the rapid changes, and that never fail- 
 ing spring, w^hich Hope ever supplies so boun- 
 tifully with the nectar of the future, — all tend 
 to make it pre-eminently the game of games. 
 
 Apart fi'om the cards which the players 
 may hold, whether good or bad is, at times, of 
 no consequence, a thorough exhibition of each 
 individual character is revealed at every step 
 of the game, and even the most casual observer 
 cannot help perceiving that the commodity 
 known as selfishness predominates to an unlim- 
 ited deo:ree, notwithstanding; the various con- 
 trivances the players adopt to conceal its pre- 
 sence. Possibly this selfish element may be one 
 
10 BBAW-POKER. 
 
 of its chkrms. It is certainly an evidence that 
 each playei' is so warmly interested in the results 
 of tlie game, that the chances of his falling 
 asleep, during its progress, are so remote that 
 they are not worth considering. Indeed it mil 
 be found not only a selfish game, but one that 
 every subterfuge that can be brought to beai* 
 is introduced ; every artifice that the laws of 
 the game will permit, is pressed into sendee ; 
 and all directed at one object, viz : — to win your 
 money. To the majority of ]3layers it requires 
 no ghost to tell them all this ; they will, however, 
 one and all, vouch for its truth. Yet there are 
 a large and growing number of young men, 
 novices at the game, who imagine that they can 
 play it for amusement, like whist and euchre, 
 and confine their losses to a trifling amount. 
 Such is not the case. Draw-Poker is strictly a 
 gambling game, and one which, if they will take 
 the author's advice, they will shun as they 
 would a faro-table or a horse-race. 
 
 If they have never indulged in the game, 
 they are earnestly exhorted at this point to seek 
 no further information, but to remain happy in 
 their innocence, with the assurance that their 
 position in society mil not be imperilled in 
 
BRAW-POKEE. 11 
 
 the least by their ignorance of this accomplish- 
 ment. 
 
 It is unnecessary to say that the game should 
 never be permitted to enter the family circle^ 
 no matter how trifling the stake proposed may 
 be. 
 
 To those, however, who have played the game 
 and intend to play it, the author has endeavored 
 to point out all that experience on one hand, 
 and mathematical analysis on the other, can do 
 to protect them from the wary adversary, whose 
 insatiable appetite for gain is only stimulated 
 by each success. 
 
 The first great requisite in sitting down to 
 play the game is, that during its progress you 
 permit nothing to escape your observation. If 
 you are in doubt, at any period of the play, as 
 to the number of cards any particular player 
 took, you may be certain that you have been 
 indifferent to this rule, and must under no cir- 
 cumstances allow yourself to be placed at a dis- 
 advantage a second time. You must not only 
 remember the number of cards each player 
 draws, but endeavor to study his style of draw- 
 ing, which, Avith a little attention to the hands 
 
12 DRAW-POKER. 
 
 that are sliown, you can readily acqiiii'e. You 
 A\ ill find, for instance, in the course of the game, 
 a player frequently drawing two cards, and not 
 having improved his hand, throwing it up. You 
 must assume that he drew to a "bob-tail" 
 flush. Another will draw one card, and when 
 the hand is showm, will be found to have " three- 
 of-a-kind.'' But it is useless at this Juncture to 
 say more, as we shall have all such illustrations 
 presented in their due order and proper place, 
 and will only repeat, to impress upon the reader, 
 the importance of the assertion, that the first 
 great requisite, in playing the game of Draw- 
 Poker is to permit nothing to escape your ob- 
 servation. 
 
 The next point of importance to be consid- 
 ered is the kind of players that compose your 
 party. The respective temperament of each 
 player is admirably brought out in the progress 
 of the game, so that you can classify it mth as 
 much certainty as an experienced botanist can 
 determine the character and quality of a plant 
 that is presented for his inspection. Poker 
 parties, as a rule, consist of three elements : the 
 close player, the consen^ative player, and the 
 reckless player. In a party of six, you will 
 
DRAW-POKER. 13 
 
 be likely to find two of the first, fliree of tlie 
 second, and one of the third. 
 
 The close player is one who rarely '' bluifs." 
 He is content to wait patiently until he gets a 
 good hand, and then bets with almost a certain- 
 ty of winning. No matter how good his hand 
 may be, he will not yentiire beyond a certain 
 point, thereby escaping large losses, should an 
 extraordinary hand be opposed to him. At 
 the end of the game he is usually a small mn- 
 ner. His style of play, howeyer, is not to 
 be commended, as it is tedious and uninteres- 
 'ting, and can afford iDut little pleasure. 
 
 The conseryatiye player is one who adapts 
 himself to circumstances ; he plays a close or 
 a conseryatiye, or eyen a reckless game if he 
 feels that the conditions warrant it. He knows 
 the value of his own hand, and anticipates that 
 of his opponent. He is familiar with every 
 moyement that has been made during the 
 deal, — knows the nmnber of cards each one has 
 draA\m — whether there was any nervousness or 
 hesitancy exhibited — how any certain player 
 is betting, and if it is unusual — if he is a close 
 player or a reckless one — if he has been in good 
 luck or otherwise ; these points, and others that 
 
14 DEAW-POKER. 
 
 may have presented themselves to him, are 
 quickly summed up, and he governs himself 
 accordingly. If he still feels confidence in his 
 hand, and he perceives an indication of waver- 
 ing in his antagonist, he presses him without 
 mercy ; but if, on the contrary, he finds himseK 
 in error he " drops" instantly. /The distinguish- 
 ing trait of a good Poker player is, that he can 
 check himself at once. A poor one is stubborn, 
 and permits his pride to carry him on, even at 
 times when he feels morally certain that he is 
 throAving his money away. I 
 
 The reckless player is one who is infatuated 
 mth the game, and never permits an opportu- 
 nity of blufiing to go by without indulging in 
 it. Give him a good pair, or " four-flush," and 
 he mil raise the ^^ blind" to the limit. Should he 
 improve his hand in the draw, he mil bet it far 
 above its value. At times he will appear to 
 have eveiy thing his own way ; but in the long 
 run he is always a loser. His only chance of 
 success is with players reckless like himself ; 
 all others are obnoxious to him. 
 
 Draw-Poker, like eveiy other game of 
 chance, is based, more or less, upon mathema- 
 
DRAW-POKER. 15 
 
 tical deduction, in which the theory of proba- 
 bilities Inlays an important part. 
 
 We find, by every day observation, that 
 whenever an event of one kind happens per- 
 manently more often than one of another kind, 
 there exists some reason for such fi-equency of 
 occurrence, which, had it been inquired into 
 before any event happened, would have ena- 
 bled us to predict the frequency in question. 
 So much is this the case, that if we were to 
 take an observer to an urn in which were 
 black and white balls, but how many of each 
 he is not told, and were to make 1000 draw- 
 ings^ replacing the ball drawn after each draw- 
 ing, and shaking the urn before eveiy trial ; if 
 of the 1000 dra^^dngs 822 were white and 178 
 black, he would be iiTesistibly led to conclude 
 that there must be more white balls than 
 black ones in the urn. More than this, a per- 
 son used to observation would conclude, not 
 only that there are more white balls in the 
 urn, but that the proportion of white and 
 black balls does not differ veiy greatly from 
 that of 822 to 178. Suppose a box to con- 
 tain 3 white, and 4 black balls ; it is easily ad- 
 mitted that it is more likely that a black ball 
 
16 DRAW-POKER. 
 
 should be drawn than a white one, on the sup- 
 position that the draAver does not see the balls. 
 Or rather we should say it is easily admitted 
 that every well regulated mind oiiglit to think 
 a black ball more likely than a white one : and 
 that if any should imagine the contrary, he 
 has formed an opinion from prejudice, fancy, 
 or want of proper consideration. 
 
 Those who cultivated games of chance must 
 at all times have had a general notion of com- 
 binations which were more probable than others, 
 and must haA e seen that those cases of which 
 there were most to happen, always did in re- 
 ality happen most often. They could not fail 
 to know, by reckoning on theii* lingers, that 
 out of, for instance, all the throws of a pair of 
 dice, there are only six doublets, and thirty other 
 equally possible cases ; nor could they have mis- 
 sed knowing that this must be the reason wh}^ 
 doublets occur seldom in comparison \A\\\ 
 other throAvs. Notwithstanding the simple na- 
 tui'e of such problems, it is admitted, that 
 there are no questions in the whole range of 
 applied mathematics whicli require such close 
 attention, and in which it is so difficult to es- 
 cape error, as those w^hich occur in the theory 
 
BRAW-POKEIl. 17 
 
 of probabilities. And of all subjects, there is 
 no one in wliich writers of every grade have 
 so frequently or so strangely made mistakes of 
 mere inadvertence. Cardan's numerical rea- 
 soning on certain throws of dice is totally 
 false. Poisson, and even the great Laplace, 
 have been called to account for errors committed. 
 
 To Laplace, however, w^e are indebted for 
 his great work, which gives at one view the 
 whole state of the science and its applications, 
 particularly to Life Annuities and Life Insur- 
 ance, etc. 
 
 These formulas are applicable to all games 
 of chance, in which the conditions are clearly 
 defined ; Draw-Poker, from the fact that the 
 bluffing element is fictitious, and the winning 
 hand variable, presents insuperable difficulties 
 in a mathematical point of ^dew ; yet the cal- 
 culations heremth introduced, mil be found 
 to cover every point of interest in the game, 
 and are not only coiTect in their general re- 
 sults, but entirely original in their application. 
 
 It will be proper, pernaps, at this point, to 
 dwell a moment in considering the part that 
 ^^ ImoTS'^ plays in the question of probabilities. 
 
18 BEAW-POKER. 
 
 Matliematically speaking, there is no sucIl 
 thing as luck ; and if it Avere possible to ex- 
 punge the word and its several definitions 
 from all the vocabularies in existence, man- 
 kind would be a decided gainer by the act. 
 It is the universal ignis fatitus that has lured 
 millions into the quagmires of destruction. 
 Ever put forward by the idle and incompetent 
 to excuse and palliate their short-comings ; and 
 it has never been known to aid its votaries at 
 the critical moment of their existence. To 
 the beggar, and to the King, it has proved 
 equally false and illusive ; and while it smiles 
 approvingly on ^ intelligence', ' perseverance' 
 and ^ frugality,' it is prepared to trip them up 
 at the earliest opportunity. It is incredible 
 how completely the masses are held in sub- 
 jection by its lurid glare, and that even the 
 most improbable event is considered mthin 
 grasp, Avhen looked at through its medium. 
 Every fruitless attempt to clutch the prize^ 
 only stimulates still greater exertions, equally 
 fruitless. 
 
 The multifarious schemes of '^ lotteries," 
 " gift concerns," ^^ faro," and '' banque" games 
 generally^ owe their existence^ and live upon 
 
DEAW-POKER. 19 
 
 the credulity and stupidity of its followers. 
 The per-centage in favor of these games 
 A\4nning, is enormous. Twenty fiye per-cent. 
 is considered moderate by the harpies who 
 o\ATi them, Avhich is simply robbery. On the 
 Continent, where gaming up to a recent period 
 was legalized, 7i per cent, was the most allowed 
 the '' Banque/' and with this, the profits were 
 some seasons fabulous. 
 
 To make this question of per-centage clear 
 to the reader, and prove to him that where- 
 eyer it exists it must invariably win, I will re- 
 fer to the experiments of Lacroix. This mathe- 
 matician was noted for putting his theories, so 
 far as possible, to practical tests. He tossed 
 up a coin 4000 times, and found it came 
 '^head'' 1982, and '^ tail" 2018 times. He im- 
 mediately suspected that there was some dif- 
 ference of weight in favor of the " tail," which 
 proved on inspection to be the fact. He next 
 had two ivoiy balls made, about the size of 
 marbles, A\^th a black speck in one, to distin- 
 guish it from the other. They were precisely 
 of a size and weight, and were revolved in a 
 box made for the pui^pose, before each draw- 
 ing. 100,000 drawings were made, with the 
 
20 DRAW-POKEJl. 
 
 following results ; black was drawn 50,002, 
 and white 49,998 times, thus proving theory 
 and practice, within an infinitesimal fraction 
 identical. 
 
 Now suppose for every black ball that was 
 drawn the " Banque" paid one dollar ; for every 
 white one that was drawn the ^'Banque'' received 
 one dollar and one cent, which, as per-centage, is 
 extremely small : yet it would be so apparent 
 to the comprehension of every body, that no 
 one would consider himself fool enough to en- 
 gage in it as a player. 
 
 The ^^Banque" understands this perfectly, 
 and at once makes a '^ combination" far more 
 palatable to the player, and more profitable to 
 itself. Its manager shakes two dice in a leather 
 cup, — ^' Now gentlemen, name your ^doublet' 
 one dollar gains you thirty, if you guess the 
 right one." Here the chances are thirty-six to 
 one that the particular doublet named will not 
 come up : — this is twenty per cent, in favor of 
 the " Banque ;" illustrated by the ivory balls, 
 before mentioned, would read, for a black ball 
 dra^vn, " Banque" pays 80 cents ; for a white 
 ball drawn, ^^ Banque" receives $1. This is 
 precisely what per-centage means. A combi- 
 
BEAW-POKEE. 21 
 
 nation of tliree dice liowever is the usual game 
 played at the present day, and a dollar bet on, 
 for instance, three '' sixes," should they turn up, 
 gains $180. This looks very large, and the 
 players imagination conjures up pictures of 
 endless wealth. Yet a mathematical analysis 
 shows that the chances are 216 to 1 against the 
 three " sixes" (or any other three) being thrown. 
 The per-centage, as before, is nearly 20 per 
 cent, against the player. Let us illustrate this 
 so that a person who cannot appreciate 20 per 
 cent, may understand it. 
 
 Suppose two persons agree to throw dice, 
 say for a dollar a side each throw ; the one who 
 represents the '' Banque" has three dice to play 
 with of the usual character; the other, who 
 may be termed the ^'outsider" has three dice to 
 play with, each one of vhieh has a hlanh side — 
 the 1 is absent, which counts nothing, when it 
 happens to turn up. Each player is to throw his 
 respective dice, and the one having the most 
 points turned up wins the stakes. A few throws 
 win satisfy the "• outsider" that he is bound to 
 lose^— indeed the first throw will be sufficient, 
 if the blank side of even one die turn uj). 
 His reason at once supplants his imagination. 
 
22 BRAW-POKER. 
 
 1 
 
 he! 
 
 and he sees that the contest is hopeless. The 
 per-centage in this illustration is precisely the 
 same as where the ^^Banque" pays 180 for 1, and 
 the playerSj in either case, will lose in the long 
 run equal amounts. 
 
DEAW-POKER, 28 
 
 Chapteb II. 
 
 We have thus glanced at a few of the ap- 
 plications of the theoiy of probabilities to 
 matters, not strictly, perhaps, called for in this 
 volume ; but the reader will unquestionably 
 derive a benefit from their perusal, as eveiy il- 
 lustration that bears upon the doctrine of 
 chances, only serves to make clearer to him 
 the important but complicated subject we 
 have undertaken. 
 
 We have assumed in starting, that he is no 
 stranger to the game we are about to investi- 
 gate ; that he knows that it is played with a 
 full pack of cards; that he know^s a ^^pair,'' 
 "two pairs,'- " three-of-a-kind," a "sequence,'' 
 a "flush," a "full-hand," " four of-a-kind,'' and 
 a " straight-flush,'' are names given to certain 
 hands which determine, on a call, to whom the 
 stakes shall go ; that he knows that the play- 
 er sitting immediately to the left of the dealer 
 starts the game by anteins; a chip, and that the 
 
24 DRAW-POKER. 
 
 otlier players are entitled to '^ come in" by put- 
 ting two chips in the pool ; the first player 
 then puts in an additional chip, so all interest- 
 ed in the hand have deposited in the pool equal 
 sums. He is also aware, that the dealer, in 
 dealing the cards, begins with the player at 
 his left hand, who holds the '' age," and give^ 
 one at a time alternately, until each player has 
 received five cards. This, which by the way, 
 the reader may not know, is termed the 
 " original handy 
 
 Each player has the right to discard any or 
 all of the original hand, and to receive from 
 the dealer cards equal in number to those so 
 discarded. The hand so amended is termed 
 the ^^ ])layinci liandP Where a player stands 
 ^^ pat," his original hand becomes his playing 
 hand. ^' Straddling," and raising the ^^blind/' 
 AN'ill be referred to in the proper place. 
 
 To simpli£y, as far as possible, the calcula- 
 tions upon which the game is based, six play- 
 ers are supposed to constitute the party, four 
 of whom remain in, two throwing up their 
 cards. This Avill be found a fair average. 
 
 The original hand is now dealt, and foui* 
 of the six players remain in. The mathemati- 
 
DEAW-POKER. 25 
 
 cal calculation Arhicli proves that the average 
 value of the four hands in question consists of 
 a pairofS''s, would occupy too much spac<". 
 and is therefore omitted. A player holding ij i 
 his original hand a pair of 8's, or better, ha,s 
 a mathematical expectation in the game equal 
 to the stake he has invested in the pool. C)f 
 course the reader ^^A\\ understand that we iise 
 the term average in its strict sense ; the four 
 hands here referred to, might each be superior 
 to a pair of 8's in this particular deal ; but in 
 a long series of deals it will be found as we 
 have stated. The reader can deduce from this 
 fact, that, in playing a close game to win, it is 
 necessary to have at least a pair of 8's to start ^N\i\^ . 
 One of the weak points Avith young players is 
 their anxiety to be in every time, and of course 
 stand on any pair, frequently on odd cards ; 
 but in the long run it is found to be a losing 
 game. The rapidity A^th which, they dispose 
 of their chips is the best evidence of its trutji. 
 A\'here amusement, however, is considered more 
 than chips, the rule should be relaxed, and the 
 player will occasionally draAA' to a pair of Deuces 
 a hand that sAveeps the board . But to return to 
 our starting point. The f ou r original hands now 
 
26' DRAW-POKER. 
 
 discard, and take in return from the dealer, 
 the number of cards they require. The ma- 
 thematical calculation shows that the improve- 
 ment culminates in two pairs^ — Jaehs and Six- 
 es. In other words, the four playing hands 
 turned up and exposed, without bluffing, Jacks 
 and Sixes will be, once in four deals, the mn- 
 ning hand. In this, Eke all average calcula^ 
 tion, none of the four hands may have im- 
 proved — and again, each of the four may have 
 improved superior to Jacks and Sixes ; but in 
 the long run, the result above mentioned will 
 be found strictly accurate. 
 
 The advantage the reader derives from this 
 knowledge is not, at a glance, very apparent ; 
 but it is sufficient to point out to him the stand- 
 ard by which he can measure the value of his 
 hand — if it is inferior to the average, or supe- 
 rior to the average, and can govern himself 
 accordingly. It also brings up another very 
 important matter, and certainly one which will 
 repay a careful perusal. 
 
 Notwithstanding that two pairs — Jacks and 
 Sixes — constitute a full average playing hand, 
 it is almost worthless as an original or pat hand. 
 This sounds paradoxical, but we will endeavor 
 
to substantiate it. Two pairs pat, it is no exag- 
 geration to state, has cost tlie amateur more 
 money, and deceived liim more frequently than 
 any other combination in the pack. Let us il- 
 histrate this : the four players who remain in 
 the game, have, for instance, the following origi- 
 nal hands : Jacks a^d Sixes ; Four-flush ; a 
 Straight, open at both ends; and a pair of 
 Queens. The player holding Jacks and Sixes 
 has, it is unnecessary to say, at this point the 
 advantage ; but the draw at once reduces it to 
 zero. This will be evident when we consider 
 that to improve his hand at all, he must draw 
 a Jack or a Six, of which there are, in the 47 
 cards unkno^vn to him, but f oui' ; consequently 
 his chance is one in 11|, or nearly 12 to 1 that 
 his hand vrill not be improved, and as there is 
 no other way by which it can be improved, this 
 chance is absolute. The Four-flush has nine 
 cards to draw from out of the 47 unknown, his 
 chance of filling is 1 in 5|, or a little more than 
 5 to 1 against him ; the Straight, or Sequence, 
 open at both ends, has eight cards to draw fi^oni, 
 in the 47 unknown, making his chance of fill- 
 ing 1 in 5i, or a little less than 6 to 1 against 
 him; the pair of Queens draws three cards and, 
 
28 DTtAW-POKER. 
 
 as tliere are two Queens in tlie 47 unknoMTi 
 cards', liis chance of taking in another Queen, 
 is about one cliance in 8^ or, of course, 8 to 1 
 against Mm ; — but the Queens may be improved 
 hj other cards, and the chances are only 4 to 1 
 that such ^Yill not be the case. Hence it will 
 be noticed, that the combined chances of the 
 three hafids make the fourth one, holding Jacks 
 and Sixes^ nearly or quite Avorthless. 
 
 Inexperienced players are invariably dazzled 
 on finding two pairs in theii' original hand ; it 
 looks so large that they raise the ante to the 
 limitj which is responded to by several players. 
 Mr. Two-pairs draws a card without any im- 
 provement to his original hand, but nevertheless 
 feels duty bound to make a demonstration, and 
 bets the limit^ which the owner of three Fives 
 accepts^ and goes as much better ; the counten- 
 ance of the former shows defeat in every line^ 
 but his pride urges him to call, which he does, 
 and therefore loses on every side. Once in 
 twelve times he is entitled to fill — and when 
 he does, and is anxiously suppressing the tor- 
 rent of vengeance Avhich is oozing out of his 
 finger ends, he finds to his intense disgust, that 
 he has no opponent, ^^ every body out." An 
 
DRAW-POKER. 2?^ 
 
 erperienced player by no means despises twoV 
 pairs; being his age, with Aces or Kings at 
 the headj he will raise a moderate amount, and 
 if not raised back, mil draw one card and bet 
 pretty well up to the limit. If, however, he is 
 raised bach, he will consider: if by a close 
 player he will throw his hand np ; if by a con- 
 servative player, he will stand the raise, and 
 drav/ one card ; if by a reckless player, he mil 
 stand the raise, play his hand pat, taking the 
 chances that the reckless player is bluffing. 
 The best players, as before remarked, while 
 they do not despise two jDaii^s, put veiy little 
 trust in theii* efficacv, and alwavs treat them 
 as doubtful property. 
 
30/ DRAW-POKER. 
 
 Chapter III. 
 
 We have now arrived at a point where it 
 will be 2^roper perhaps to explain wliat we un- 
 derstand by " poor original liands." We have 
 bef(^re i^eniarked substantially, that the funda- 
 mental error of all amateurs is their anxiety to 
 be ^' in'' every Iiand^ notwithstanding the cards 
 to which they are to draw are nearly worthless. 
 It is hardly necessary to say that occasions will 
 at once be recalled by every Poker player^ 
 where very large hands were drawn to very 
 poor cards. While admitting this, we are free 
 to say, that more money is chipped away in 
 drawing to frivolous cards than in any othei* 
 way. We have here tabulated a series of orig- 
 inal hands (from which the discards have been 
 made) showing how much the drato A\dll add 
 to their value. This calculation is of course 
 based upon an average adjustment of all the 
 possible combinations that can be drawn. 
 
DRAW-POKEE, 31 
 
 STANDING ON. CARDS DRAWN. AVERAGE YALUE. 
 
 An Ace, 4 pair of 8's. 
 
 Ace and King, 3 , pair of 8's. 
 
 Ace, King and Queen, 2 pair of 5's.- 
 
 Ace, KingjQneen, Jack, 1 pair of 2's. 
 
 Four-flusli, 1 pair of Jacks. 
 
 Tkree-flusli,... 2 0. 
 
 Fonr-straiglit, open, . . 1 . pair of 9's. 
 
 Fonr-straiglit, closed,, 1 pair of 2's. 
 
 Pair of Dences, 3 pair of Jacks. 
 
 '' Treys, 3. . . . . .pair of Queens. 
 
 '^ Fours, 3 pair of Kings. 
 
 Fives, 8 . . pair of Aces. 
 
 ^^ Sixes, ...,,... 3 . .two pairs, 7's and 2's. 
 
 '' Sevens, 3 " 9's and 5's. 
 
 '' Eights, ...... 3 '' Jacks and 6's. 
 
 '^ Nines, , 3 '^ Queens and lO's. 
 
 '[ Tens, 3 '' Kings and 2's. 
 
 Jacks, 3 ''- Kings & Queens. 
 
 '^ Queens, 3 ^' Aces and 3's. 
 
 Kings, 3 '^ Aces & Queens. 
 
 '' Aces, 3 Three 2's. 
 
 In drawing to small pairs under 5's, it will 
 be well to keep witli the pair an Ace, should 
 you have one, and dravr two cards. There is 
 
82 DEA"W.POKER. 
 
 a trifle advantage in this, besides it helps to 
 conceal your hand. 
 
 Instead of standing on an Ace, as many do, 
 and drawing four cards, it is better to throw up 
 your entire original hand and draw five cards. 
 It is found by experience that the cards can 
 rarely be shuffled so as to separate entirely pre- 
 vious hands, and taking five cards in a lump 
 will sometimes produce an admirable hand. 
 
 Starting with Three-of-a-kind in your original 
 hand, you have a decided average advantage 
 in yom- favor. If it is your age, and therefore 
 last say, you should raise the pool an amount 
 that you think the majority of those in mil 
 stand. You must not over-do this, else you 
 may frighten them out. Should you be sitting 
 to the left of the age, and of course your first 
 ante, it will be well to omit the raise, takino- the 
 chances of other players doing it, and giving 
 you the opportunity of going over them. In 
 discarding, with such a hand, it is sometimes 
 good policy to keep up an odd card with youi' 
 triplets, to disguise them, and draw one card. If 
 it is evident, however, from the raising that large 
 hands are out, draw two cards. In the first in- 
 
DBAW-POKER. 33 
 
 Stance, having triplets ^Yith an odd card and 
 drawing? one card, your chances are as follows : 
 it is 47 to 1 against your making fonr-of-a-Mnd ; 
 and it is 16 to 1 against yonr making a fnll- 
 kandj making your mathematical expectation, 
 say X2- I^^ '^^^ second case, yon draw two cards 
 and yonr chances are as follows : it is 23 i to 
 1 aofainst yonr makino;four-of-a-kind ; and it is 12 
 to 1 against yonr making a full-hand, your math- 
 ematical expectation is therefore s. Hence the 
 advantage lies with the two card draw. Triplets, 
 Nines and upward, make a strong hand, and 
 must never be abandoned without due consid- 
 eration. Do not give too much weight to the 
 fact that one of your opponents drew one card, 
 and another two cards ; yours is a hand above 
 the average of " threes," and should be played 
 accordingly. Even with three Deuces in your 
 hand, you must reflect before thromng it up. 
 
 A Straight, or Sequence is, as the reader 
 is aware, five cards of any suits following con- 
 secutively, as Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace ; 
 the Ace may be reckoned as 1 or as Ace ; 
 when as 1, the Straight is one of the smallest ; 
 when as x\ce, one of the largest ; it cannot be 
 reckoned both ways in the same hand. In 
 
34 DBAW-POKER. 
 
 inodeni Poker^ tlie Straight is superior to Three- 
 of-a-kind ; it is matliematically inferior kowever, 
 but from tke fact tkat it gives more scope for 
 bluffing, it is permitted to retain tkis position. 
 Hence wken an opponent stands kis kand pat, 
 and you kave not improved your triplets, it be- 
 comes a nice question for you to determine 
 wketker lie is bluffing or not. You mil of 
 course be guided to a certain extent by kis an- 
 tecedents, and if ke is in tke kabit of standing 
 pat on two pairs, or witkout anytking in kis 
 kand. Skould you kave a straigkt j)at, endeavor 
 to get all you can by raising wken it is your 
 turn to ante, as you draw no cards, yom' kand 
 is at once disclosed. A Straigkt is a very strong 
 kand, and must not be tkrown up witkout a 
 struggle. Having a four- straigkt tke ckance of 
 making it, as before mentioned, is about 1 in 6. 
 If but one end only is open, or you require an 
 intermediate card to make it, your ckance is 
 about 1 in 12, precisely tke same ckance tkat 
 you kave in making two pairs a full-kand by 
 dramng one card. It is not judicious, under 
 ordinaiy circumstances, to split a pair of. Nines 
 or upward, to draw for a Straigkt. Yet, if ap- 
 pearances point at large original kands, and be 
 
BRAW-POKEE. 35 
 
 fore your turn to draw some one stands pat, it 
 will be well, not only to split a pair of Nines, 
 but even a paii' of Queens. 
 
 Tlie ordinary ^^Flusfis an interesting hand, 
 not only from tlie fact that it is really a very 
 strong one, but that it presents at least | of 
 itself at the immediate opening of the game, as 
 if it took a personal interest in the proceedings. 
 In this form it is known as four-flush, and is 
 constantly appearing during the game, first in 
 one hand, then in another, but always coquet- 
 tish in its actions, and requiring a good deal of 
 coaxing to put in an appearance in full costume. 
 Its stubbornness is proverbial ; notwithstanding, 
 it performs, in the long run, all that can rea- 
 sonably be expected of it. Some players imagine 
 that they ought to fill a f oui'-flush nearly every 
 time, which is of course absurd : the chance of 
 filling, as before referred to, is 1 in 5|, and you 
 are entitled to fill tmce in eleven times. Oc- 
 casionally, in a fit of desperation, a player 
 draws on what is known as a ^' monkey," or 
 '"^ bob-tail" flush, which is three cards of a suit, 
 in expectation that the two cards which 
 he draws Mall be of the same suit^ making 
 a flush. It is sometimes accomplished, but 
 
36 DEAW-POKER. 
 
 it is an expensive luxury as the cliances mil 
 sliow: 4jox5i==24:| to 1 against making it. 
 There are some players who always raise the 
 blind on having a four-flush; it is^ however, 
 playing against a strong per-centage, and should 
 not be indulged in more than a few times dur- 
 ing the game, and then if the hand does not 
 fill, it must be bluffed through, if possible. A 
 pat Flush should be played precisely, as pointed 
 out in the case of the Straight, your chances of 
 Avinning are however greatly enhanced. AYhen 
 two players stand pat, the one holding a flush 
 has nearly two chances to one of winning the 
 pool, for the reason that for four pat flushes^ 
 there are seven pat straights and but one pat full 
 In splitting j^airs above Mnes, to clraw for a 
 flush, you can risk more than in dramng for a 
 straight, as the flush is easier to make and a 
 stronger hand when made. With but one in 
 besides yourself, unless the blind is raised, 
 stand on Tens in preference to splitting them. 
 But at any time, should you think it necessary, 
 do not hesitate to split even a pair of Aces. 
 
 A full hand is a combination that requires 
 but few comments ; to have it is to say that 
 the pool is, almost to a certainty, within }^our 
 
DRAW-POKEK. 37 
 
 grasp. To get it -pat, is an occurrence 
 that cannot be expected many times during 
 the game ; if you get it t^\dce in that time 
 you are doing well. It must be played cau- 
 tiously, like all pat hands; you must start 
 with a small raise which, should it be return- 
 ed, you must repeat. Your opponent mil then 
 possibly go the limit, and you can follow suit. 
 But if you go the limit at the first start, you 
 will keep some out who would otherA\dse ven- 
 ture in on the small raise, and at the same time 
 call attention to your hand. * If it is your first 
 bet go the limit, as it may induce some to think 
 you are only bluffing. Should you hold a full, 
 made by standing on one pair, and you are 
 fii^t to bet, go merely a chip ; if second, and 
 the first goes a chip, go something over him, 
 (no matter how many are behind you: they 
 may all drop out, or but see the chip) and the 
 first player has then a chance of going you bet- 
 ter, which is what you desire ; bet quietly at 
 the start, and allow yourself to be dra\vn gent- * 
 ly along, as it were. 
 
 We have now glanced at the combinations 
 that usually constitute the ordinary hands at 
 Poker ; the few that remain to be considered 
 
38 DRAW-POKER, 
 
 may be classed as exceptional^ as their appear- 
 ance cannot reasonably be expected, save at 
 long and unequal intervals. Four-of-a-kind is 
 a liand of this description. A gentleman who 
 kept a record for six months at a private club, 
 whej^e the game was played every evening, 
 stated that four-of-a-Mnd pat occurred, on an 
 average, once in two weeks ; that a hand hold- 
 ing '' fours" was dealt once every three hours. 
 The chances are as follows : the first card dealt 
 you is, say for instance, an Ace, it is 5202 to 1 that 
 in the next four cards, you do not get three 
 more Aces. It is therefore 5202 to 1 that your 
 original hand will not have fours pat in any 
 particular deal ; 867 to 1 that none of the six 
 players will hold fours pat in any particular 
 deal. With two Aces in the original hand, 
 discarding three cards and getting from the 
 dealer three others, the chance of having two 
 more Aces in said three cards is 1 in 364. 
 With three Aces in the original hand, and two 
 cards are drawn, the chance of getting the 
 fourth Ace is 1 in 23^. Of course the same 
 chances apply as well to all other cai'ds as 
 to Aces. Four-of-a-kind pat should be played 
 like all pat hands, — moderately at the start; 
 
DRAW-POKER. 39 
 
 if YOU raise tlie blind and it is merely seen, 
 draw one card, as if you had two pairs ; if 
 there is considerable raising and it is e^ddent 
 that there are good hands out, play your hand 
 pat, and you mil get credit for holding a 
 straight, a flush, or a full. Should you stand 
 on a pair, or three-of-a-kind, and make fours, 
 your object mil be to conceal as far as possi- 
 ble the strength of your hand, as the ultimate 
 result is almost certain. It wdll be perceived 
 here, from the calculations made that it is no 
 easy matter to draw four-of-a-kind, and the 
 reader should bear this in mind should he at 
 anytime hold an ace-full. 
 
 The Straight, or Sequence Flush, is the final 
 combination in the game, and to which all other 
 hands must bow. Unlike four Aces, which, in 
 ancient Poker, w^as the highest hand and certain 
 to win, this offers no such advantage, at least 
 in a mathematical point of ^dew, as the four 
 highest may be out in the same deal, and in 
 that case the pool is di^dded equally among the 
 holders. Although there is no absolute cer- 
 tainty, then, of winning any pool in the game of 
 Draw^-Poker, the holder of even the smallest 
 sti'aight-flush may consider his moral claim in 
 
40 BBAW-POKEE. 
 
 the premises pretty siire, as the chances will 
 show : assuming that your first card is an Ace, 
 it is 249,900 to 1, that yon will not, in your next 
 four cards draw King, Queen, Jack and Ten 
 of the suit; again, standing on an Ace, it is 
 124,950 to 1 that you ^Yill not make either the 
 highest or lowest straight-flush, in the next f om^ 
 cards you draw. The most favorable way by 
 which this flush can be made is to start on a 
 centre card, say a Seven spot, as you have either 
 side with you; even in this case it is 15,619 to 
 1 that you will not make it. Suppose you start 
 with a 7 and 8, it is then 2450 to 1 that you 
 will not succeed. Very few players attempt 
 to make a straight-flush without having in their 
 original hand at least a sequence of three cards, 
 say for instance, 7, 8 and 9 of a suit, and the 
 chance of making it is 1 in 275. With a se> 
 quence of four cards of a suit in your original 
 hand, your chance of making a straight-flush is 
 not unreasonable, being but 23i to 1 against 
 you. In this combination, there is the chance 
 to make the ordinary flush, and also to make 
 an ordinary straight, hence its appearance in 
 the hand of a player is hailed mth pleasure ; 
 its failure to benefit him, however, is expres- 
 sed in no very flatteiing terms. 
 
BBAW-POKEB. 4x 
 
 Chaptee IV. 
 
 The game of Draw-Poker has been verj^ 
 mucli improved during tlie past twenty years, 
 and at tlie present time is unquestionably at tbe 
 head of all games played mtli cards. Its lin- 
 eage may be traced back^ without difficulty, 
 to its progenitor, the good old game of ^^Brag/' 
 in which, in former years, many of our great 
 statesmen indulged their propensity "to go 
 better," even if it involved the loss of a small 
 plantation. At the present day the amount at 
 stake at any one time is usually limited to a 
 moderate sum : this is an important feature, as 
 it is a very easy matter, even among friends, to 
 provoke a contest over a game of cards that 
 might result disastrously. But mth the amount 
 that can be bet at one time limited, either 
 contestant can bring the issue to a conclusion 
 at once, mthout much pecuniary sacrifice. 
 Among gentlemen who play the game for 
 amusement the limit is fixed at $2.50 to $5 ^ 
 
DRAW-POKEE. 
 
 in some few cases it will be placed at $10. It 
 mil be found tliat $2.50 is limit large enougli 
 to bring out all the pleasure the game is sus- 
 ceptible of, and not unfrequently, even at this 
 small amount J $100 "will change hands during 
 an evening. If the reader prefers a large or un- 
 limited game, it is to be presumed that he 
 requires no advice at our hands. 
 
 We mil now assume that a party is f onned, 
 and that six persons sit around a convenient 
 table all anxious to begin "business." Two 
 packs of cards are procured, ha\dng backs of 
 different or opposite colors, which are to be 
 dealt alternately ; a box of ivory " chips'' or 
 counters of three sizes : $2.50, $1, quarter doL 
 lar; a package of small blank cards, or any 
 stiff white paper cut up will answer, and a lead 
 pencil or two. The blank cards are for the use 
 of those Vv^ho may run out of chips and wish to 
 give their neighbor a "coup," representing for the 
 moment a due bill. Each player takes twenty- 
 five dollars worth of chips, say 6, 8, 8, of the re- 
 spective sizes, which he has to account for, 
 together mth any due bills or coups he may 
 have out, at the end of the game. The cards 
 being new requii^e considerable shuffling ; which 
 
done, cards are dealt arouBd face up, and he wlio 
 receives tlie first Jack has the first deal. The 
 pack is shuffled hy the dealer and cut, and 
 he proceeds to give each player five cards, one 
 at a time alternately, commencing with his left 
 hand adversary, and ending with himself. 
 
 The player who receives the first card dealt, 
 and of course sits immediately to the left of 
 the dealer, . holds the '^ age." This position 
 entitles him to "ante," or as it is better 
 knowTL in modem Poker, to go blind any sum 
 that does not exceed half the limit which has 
 been agreed upon. Whatever sum he goes 
 blind must be placed on the table before he 
 sees any of his cards, and usually indeed be- 
 fore any are dealt ]^o matter whether he 
 mshes to be in or not, the amount of the blind 
 has to remain as a basis for the pool to be 
 played for. The players then in turn, who 
 Vvdsh to be in, put into the pool double the a- 
 mount of the ante, and the age makes his 
 blind '^ good", so that all "will have contributed 
 alike. A system of betting on the original 
 hand, kno^vn as " raising the blind," is one of 
 the most interesting features of modern Poker, 
 unknown in the old game, and is often earned to 
 
44 DRAW-POKER. 
 
 an extreme. Any player, wlien it is his turn 
 to ante, lias tlie right to raise the blind to the 
 limit ; the next can raise him the limit, and so 
 on indefinitely, and before the discards are 
 made and the final cards dealt, even mth $2i- 
 limit, it is not unusual to see $50 on the table. 
 Each player who mshes to raise must do so in 
 turn, and all who are interested in the deal, 
 must, as before mentioned, have equal sums in 
 the pool. With a superior original hand it re- 
 quires some tact to make the most of it. The 
 age in this case is of great advantage, as the 
 holder of it knows how many are in, and can 
 calculate pretty accurately how much of a raise 
 it is Judicious to make. Notwithstanding the 
 age belongs to the player on the dealer's left, 
 his neighbor sitting at his left, has the pri^a- 
 lege to '' straddle" his blind, which then be- 
 comes a double blind ; this gives the straddler 
 the opportunity to be the last in, he must, how- 
 ever, make the first bet. It is an error to sup- 
 pose that there is any advantage in liaAang the 
 blind, and it is a still greater error to straddle 
 it ; a close player rarely straddles. 
 
 In dealing the cards, care should be taken 
 that they are neatly distributed, without show- 
 
DBAW-POKEE 45 
 
 ing any of them. Each hand should be a dis- 
 tinct pile in itself ^ and no player should touch 
 his hand until all the cards are dealt. No bet- 
 ter preliminary test of the relative merits of 
 players can be presented than their respective 
 methods of dealing, discarding, and examining 
 hands. The good player when dealing rarely 
 makes a misdeal, but distributes the cards neat- 
 ly and in proper order. "When the hand is fin- 
 ished, he gathers up the cards, shuffles them 
 and places the pack near the player who has 
 next to use them. When playing, he never 
 touches his cards until they are all dealt ; he 
 then takes up his hand and determines in an 
 instant what it contains ; he is ready to discard 
 the moment his turn comes, and ready to make 
 his bet mthout any delay. If his hand is not 
 good he announces that he is out, and at once 
 places his cards, without exposing any of them, 
 near the dealer, and without delaying the game 
 in the least. The poor player, on the contraiy, 
 deals the cards in a slovenly manner, giving rise 
 to disputes and misdeals; when he examines 
 his hand he appears to be in doubt what it 
 contains, and has to be repeatedly asked what 
 he intends to do ; if he has resolved to stay out 
 
4(> D^AW-POKER. 
 
 lie still holds on to his cards, often confusing 
 those who are m ; he never appears to know 
 when it is his tnrn to deal or to ante ; always ap- 
 ]3ealing to those around him to mtness his bad 
 luck ; — ^uproariously elated when he mns a 
 pool, and uproariously depressed when he loses 
 one ; he seldom knows the number of cards his 
 antagonist drew ; owes small amounts to eveiy 
 body at the table, and disputes about them af- 
 terwards. It is unnecessary, perhaps, to tell the 
 reader that if he labors under any one of the 
 foregoing faults, he should abandon it at once. 
 We will permit the party to proceed with the 
 game, as we \^dsh, for the moment, to discuss a 
 new subject. 
 
 JACK-POTS. 
 
 We have, as the reader is aware, substituted 
 the term ^^JacM^ for that of '-' Knave/"' in speak- 
 ing of that well known card. We have done 
 so in no capricious spirit of innovation, but 
 
DEAW-POKER. 47 
 
 simply because nine-tenths of those who play 
 Poker designate the card in question by that 
 name. So well established, indeed, has it be- 
 come, that one of the most important modifi- 
 cations of the game, known as the Jack-pot, is 
 noAv recognized ; and it is determined by the 
 player who holds in his hand a pair of those 
 cards ; a few words therefore as to its orioin 
 may not be out of place. 
 
 In ever}^ poker party one or tAvo players aiT 
 to be found who invariably play an exceeding- 
 1}^ close game. Experience having taught them 
 that unless they.held fair average original hands 
 their chances of winning were limited. Hence 
 these gentlemen never came in unless they held 
 the requisite cards. This, of course, did not 
 infringe any rule of the game ; still it was not 
 calculated to make an harmonious party, espe- 
 cially at times when a liberal player was obliged 
 to throw up good hands for want of opponents. 
 It was suggested that some method should be 
 dcA^sed to compel every player to contribute 
 at intervals to the pool, whether his hand war- 
 j'anted it or not, and the Jack-pot was the re- 
 sidt, and it has been found in many cases to 
 equalize the players admirably. 
 
48 DRAW-POKER. 
 
 There are two ways of playing it : one is tlie 
 simple Jack-pot ; the other the graduated one. 
 In the former a chip is put in the pool by each 
 player nntil some one holds a pair of Jacks, or 
 better, in his original hand, and announces that 
 he will ^^ open" it ; the game then assumes its 
 usual character. 
 
 The graduated Jack-pot is more elaborate, 
 land frequently contains a large amount of 
 chips. Each player, as in the former case, puts 
 a chip in the pool, and if no one holds a pair 
 of Jacks, or better, in his original hand, the 
 cards are dealt again, each putting in a chip as 
 before; this time it requires a pair of Queens, or 
 better ; if not opened, the next deal requires a 
 pair of Kings, or better, and finally a pair of 
 Aces, or better. It remains at Aces until it is 
 opened, and, as before stated, as each one puts 
 a chip in each deal, the pool is often very large 
 and usually gives rise to a warm contest. When 
 it is opened, that is to say, when a player an- 
 nounces that he has the required cards in his 
 hand, and fixes the amount at which it is to be 
 opened, any, or all the other players at the ta- 
 ble can come in, no matter what they may hold in 
 their hands, and can even raise the party open- 
 
DKAW-POKEK. 49 
 
 iug it if they wish. After the discards are 
 made, the player who opened it must make the 
 first bet and show, if he is not called, the cards 
 mth which he opened the pot. 
 
 Jack-pots afford unusual scope for finessing 
 and bluffing, and are frequently made a feature 
 of the game towards its close. A ^ao;orous 
 style of play is essential, else you Avill see pot 
 after pot go to the reckless player. With a 
 strong hand, it mil be well to open it for an 
 amount that will induce everybody to be in ; 
 with a hand just sufficient to open it, make it 
 the limit to come in and draw one, or two cards, 
 and bet the limit : by these means you will 
 keep some out, and intimidate those who re. 
 main in. 
 
 A great error is made by many persons in 
 their method of playing Jack-pots. The rule 
 they lay down is this : " any player having the 
 required hand must open itP Now Poker is a 
 game in which no one is obliged to play his 
 hand unless he wishes to do so, and by adopt- 
 ing the above rule you change entirely its spirit 
 and policy. The object of this pot is to in- 
 crease the pool, so that it will be of substan- 
 tial value to the individual who may mn it ; 
 
50 DEAW-POKER. 
 
 hence the conditions of opening it, or not, may 
 be left untrammelled witli the players, self in- 
 terest being quite sufficient in all such cases. 
 Therefore the rule should be, any player holding 
 the necessary hand, beginning with the one at the 
 dealer's left, the dealer himself having the last 
 say, may open the ^' pot ;" It is the dealer's 
 business to ask each one in turn, '' mil \ou 
 open it :" if the response is '^ no," he passes to 
 the next ; if a player says ^^ no," and wishes to 
 Avithdraw it, he should do so at once, and before 
 the next one answers^ else he will be obliged to 
 pass out. Any one opening it all can come in, 
 after putting up the required amount. Many 
 good players have adopted this method, Avith 
 entire satisfaction. It A\dll be perceived that 
 there is nothing obligatory whatever. If you 
 have the necessary hand you can open, or not, 
 as you think proper. But if you have the 
 cards with which you can open it and fail to 
 do so, taking the chances that some one else 
 will do it, you cannot be permitted to avail 
 yourself of the privilege when you see that all 
 the players are about to pass out. Each one 
 should therefore examine his hand carefull}', 
 and say '' yes," or " no,'^ imderstandingly, and 
 the rule should be strictly enforced. 
 
DKAW-POKEK. 51 
 
 Jack-pots are usually introduced when a mis- 
 deal occurs^ or when all the players pass out of 
 a hand. Frequently the game tenninates ^^dth 
 a series of such pots. 
 
53 DRAW-POKEB, 
 
 Chaptek v. 
 
 Onr party of six liave no\Y brouglit their game 
 to a close^ and a commentary on what may be 
 termed ^^ good play/' and its opposite, or "bad 
 play/' mil convey to the reader all that can be 
 properly set forth in an elementary work of 
 this description. There is no royal road to 
 sHccessful poker playing, unless we pave the 
 way onrselves : coolness, patience, sagacity and 
 tact being essential in its construction. 
 
 The fundamental error of the " bad player,^' 
 (who is the representative of bad playing gen- 
 erally,) has been mentioned repeatedly ; he 
 wants to be in every hand, and to do so, he 
 stands on bob-tail flushes, intermediate straights, 
 and odd cards. Once in, he will stand a raise 
 on the cards Just mentioned. Now if one will 
 reflect a moment on the absurdity of this course, 
 he must see that it is almost impossible to mn 
 under the circumstances. Thirty- three per-cent. 
 of all the hands dealt are mathematically woHh- 
 
BEAW-POKER, 53 
 
 less, hence it is easy to calculate the amount of 
 money thus ihrovm away. A further illustra- 
 tion may he found by inspecting the "widow," 
 Tdiich receives a chip at a time,"and at the end 
 of the game mil be found one of the chief win- 
 ners. It may be set do^\m as a rule that losses 
 at Poker, where the game is limited, result al- 
 most entirely from standing on inadequate 
 original hands. This being admitted, it A^dll be 
 necessar}^ to call attention to an error which 
 even good players make, riy. : bet their hands 
 for more than their value. With these two 
 points guarded, the rest of the game Avill j^lay 
 itself. Of course it is not easy at all times to 
 determine the value of what is usu all}-. termed 
 a good hand. Take, for example, an unlooked- 
 for-hand, Avhieli is one that is sometimes drawni 
 to odd cards. A player, for instance, stands on 
 an Ace and King, and draws in two more Aces. 
 Now the point of this is that he A^-ill bet t^^^ce 
 as much on it as if he had had it pat. He is sur- 
 prised at receiving it and bets it far above its 
 value before he can check himseif. In like 
 manner, Avhen your opponent proposes to di\dde 
 the pot ^vith you, which is a subterfuge on his 
 part, you ^\-ill of course refuse, ha^dno- a o-ood 
 
 ^ 9 9 
 
54 BRAW-POKER. 
 
 pair in your hand. ; lie will tlien bet you the 
 limit, and you will be induced not only to call 
 him, but frequently to raise him several times, 
 his hand, on being shown, proving far superior 
 to yours. 
 
 It would be tedious, perhaps, to dwell upon 
 the thousand-and-one peculiarities that are to 
 be found from time to time in poker playing. 
 Each player has a certain idiosyncrasy peculiar 
 to himself, which no language can convey to a 
 reader, and to be studied to advantage must 
 be studied over the cards. With the principal 
 points of the game clearly defined and under, 
 stood, the ability to determine the delicate 
 pencilling that marks its subtile organism will 
 quickly follow. 
 
 In concluding this part of our subject, we 
 must call attention to the ^^ good player," and 
 point out some of his characteiistic actions 
 while engaged in playing the game. To start 
 ^vith, he vnll not play where the limit exceeds 
 five dollars ; he never antes, when it is his blind, 
 more than a chip ; he will never straddle the 
 blind; he never stands on less than a pair 
 of Sixes in his original hand, except it is his 
 blind; he considers a "fom^-fiush" equal to 
 
BEAW-POKER. 55 
 
 a pair of Tens, and a fonr-straiglit eqnal to a 
 pair of Sevens, and plays them accordingly, as cir- 
 cumstances may suggest ; lie is always doubtful 
 of two pairs, and does not take mucli stock even 
 in threes, unless pretty large. He plays a defen- 
 sive game generally and considers the secret of 
 winning to consist of husbanding your chips and 
 betting even strong hands moderately. He does 
 not like Jack-pots, but of course plays them. Not- 
 withstanding the almost adamantine rules with 
 which he governs his play, he appears to be in 
 as often as anybody at the table ; bluffs occa- 
 sionally but effectively, and never shows his 
 hand except he is obliged to. T\Tien he bluffs, 
 he selects a time when the player who has the 
 last say is of the weak-kneed order. He prides 
 himself upon the suavity mth which he can 
 lay down a good hand, when he feels that he is 
 overmatched, and also upon the many varia- 
 tions he introduces in his style of play, to pre- 
 vent its becoming at all familiar to his oppo- 
 nents. Now if success is the criterion of good 
 play, then his style is perfection, for he leaves off 
 nineteen times out of twenty a Avinner, and 
 when he does lose, the amount is insignificant. 
 Poker limited to $2,50, or even $5, will be 
 
56 DRAW-POKER. 
 
 pooli-poolied by many who consider it, when so 
 restricted, beneath their notice. They want an 
 unlimited game where, according to their story, 
 pluck and science are brought into play. 
 
 The truth is, there is no science whatever ne- 
 cessary in the unlimited game ; it is purely a 
 question of intimidation. The limited game, on 
 the contrary, is highly scientific. Every bet 
 made is liable to be called ; therefore a thorough 
 knowledge of all the various combinations that 
 go to make up Poker hands is absolutely essen- 
 tial. To be a successful player, competent to 
 defend yourself against all comers, you must 
 be able to determine quickly and accurately, 
 from the conditions presented, the results likely 
 to be attained ; and while of course infallibility 
 is not to be mentioned in connection with a 
 game of chance, the law of per-centage invari- 
 ably decides in favor of those who comply T^dth 
 its statutes. j 
 
 We have now examined all the points that 
 have a bearing, remotely or otherwise, upon the 
 game of Draw-Poker. In our discussion, we 
 have not been unmindful of the old adage, 
 ^' Wise men often allow themselves to be taught 
 
DEAW-POKER. 5Y 
 
 many things which they know." A proficient 
 in the game ^yill see the application of the 
 maxim. Eveiy poker player, however, is not 
 a proficient. On the contrary, considering that 
 it is played in all sections of the conntry, there 
 is really less kno^yn about it than almost any 
 other game. A knowledge of the several com- 
 binations by which the valne of the hand is 
 computed, is not sufficient to make an accom- 
 plished player. It is the first step, however, 
 and an important one. To be able to read the 
 actions and expressions of your opponent, and 
 at the same time mask your own, is a step in 
 advance of the former, and equally important. 
 "We mentioned in the earlier part of the 
 volume the importance of studying each oppo- 
 nent's style of play, and the manner in which 
 he acts under the various circumstances that 
 present themselves during the game. It mil 
 be found that a large majority of the players, 
 if carefully scrutinized, give certain indications, 
 unconsciously on their part, no doubt, which, 
 almost to a certainty, disclose the character of 
 their hands. Then there mil be found those 
 who always bet according to a scale, determined 
 by the cards they hold, and who may be tenn- 
 
58 DRAW-POKER. 
 
 ed stereotyped players ; and as they rarely ven- 
 ture to bluff, tlie strength, of their hands, is 
 quickly discovered. While you must avail 
 yourself of every trifle that may in any way 
 tend to your benefit, }'ou should be extremely 
 cautious not to permit the faintest glimmer of 
 your intentions (if the expression may be allow 
 ed,) to reach your opponents. Some players, in- 
 deed, are so constituted that they find an extreme 
 difficulty in controlling themselves when they 
 get a large hand ; and, as this is instantly no- 
 ticed, they labor under a serious disadvantage 
 as a consequence. It is impossible to be per- 
 fect in the game, unless you have absolute 
 command of youi'seK, under all circumstances. 
 A very great advantage is gained by accustom- 
 ing yourself to examine your original hand at 
 a glance, as it were, the moment you raise it ; 
 and never dw^ell upon it a second more than is 
 necessary. AVhen you receive the draw, glance 
 at it as you take it up, and direct your atten- 
 tion elsewhere ; you mil find time enough to 
 re-examine it. This rapidity on your part gives 
 time to prepare yourself, and also to study your 
 opponents. In your manner, always treat a 
 hand that you intend to throw up when your 
 
DEAW-POKER. 59 
 
 turn comes, precisely as you would one mth. 
 whicli.you expect to win the pot. The expres- 
 sion of your countenance must not exhibit too 
 much anxiety ; but rather partake of what Mrl 
 Swiveller had the happy faculty of putting on, 
 when things ^A^th him were about to culminate, 
 ^' an extremely careful assumption of extreme 
 carelessness." 
 
 It may not be out of place at this point to 
 say a word regarding the ethics of the game : 
 indeed it is not certain but that a chapter could 
 be A^aitten to advantage on the subject. We 
 must, however, be brief. 
 
 In playing the game of Poker, (or indeed any 
 game,) always control your temper ; never per- 
 mit it to gain the slightest ascendency over 
 you. Win and lose with equanimity. Nothing 
 can be more childish than the ebullition of 
 boisterous gratification exhibited by a player 
 who wins a large pot, except, indeed, it be his 
 silly, melancholy whine, when he loses one. 
 Poker, to say the least, is a manly game, and 
 should be played in a manly way. One who 
 cannot meet its losses without losing his temper 
 should never play it. 
 
 Do not owe anything around the table ; set- 
 
60 DEAW-POKER. 
 
 tie at once, if you liave anytMng pending, the 
 moment the hand is played, and exact like 
 treatment from your opponents. Should it oc- 
 cur, that at the close of the game you find 
 yourself indebted to some one of the party a 
 sum that, at the moment, you cannot liquidate; 
 — ^then do so the next day, mthout fail. If 
 you find this course does not agree with your 
 purse, give up playing the game. 
 
 Never induce anybody to play whose posi- 
 tion, financially or othermse, is not calculated 
 to sustain the expensive amusement that Poker 
 sometimes proves itself to be. 
 
 Before taking final leave of our readers, we 
 feel Justified in calling their attention to a mat- 
 ter which each one should consider personal to 
 himself, and use his exertions to modify it, if 
 it cannot be entirely removed. We refer to 
 the protraction of the game, long after the houi- 
 agreed upon at the start that it should close. 
 This has become so intolerable, that every 
 player who considers self respect an element in 
 matters of recreation, should set his face against 
 it. It is useless, of course, to lay down any 
 rule in such cases ; the good sense of the players 
 must be called out for common protection, and 
 
DRAW-POKER. 61 
 
 then it is to be hoped, that this serious evil will 
 disappear. Each player, then, should resolve 
 to stop at the appointed time, no matter how 
 blandly the ^^jiist once (m^oimcV is urged, and 
 should feel it to be a personal duty to carry 
 out his part of the contract. 
 
62 DBAW-POKEE. 
 
 Chapter YI. 
 
 LAWS a:nd rules. 
 
 The laws and rules constructed to govern 
 any game should be few and simple^ and as 
 equitable as the conditions mil permit. Many 
 of those now in use w^hich relate to Draw-Poker 
 are^ however, contradictory in their character, 
 and embarrass players who endeavor to comply 
 with them. 
 
 We do not propose to insert in this volume 
 rules that are no^v acknowledged and assented 
 to by every one who ever played Draw-Poker. 
 We have assumed that the reader knows that 
 a full pack of cards is used in the game; that 
 five cards are dealt to each player, one at a time 
 alternately, commencing with the player im- 
 mediately to the left of the dealer ; that the 
 deal passes to the left, and each player takes 
 it in turn ; that the cards must be shufiled above 
 the table, that each player has the right, after 
 placing the required chips in the pool, to dis- 
 
 i 
 
DBAW-POKER. 68 
 
 card an}^ or all of liis original cards and I'eceive 
 an equal niiinlDer from the dealer ; that when 
 a bet is made the next player must respond^ 
 or pass out; that the age, or eldest hand, is 
 entitled to the pool, if no bet is made after the 
 draw ; that each player must i^ep his hand on, 
 or above the table ; that on a call, each player 
 must shoAv his hand to the board, and that the 
 best poker hand mns, even if its holder mis- 
 called it ; that the player to the left of the age 
 may straddle it, and the player next to him 
 double straddle it, and so on ; that if the player 
 entitled to make the first straddle decline it, 
 none can take place that hand ; that the age 
 has the last say, and passes to the left, if the 
 original holder announces himself out. 
 
 In many sections of the country rules are to be 
 found somewhat different from any we have here. 
 But really this is of no consequence, provided 
 that those they have are equitable, and that the 
 players are aware of their existence. So long 
 as all at the table ao;ree that certain conditions 
 shall govern, no trouble can arise. But the 
 difficulty to "be apprehended lies in the fact that 
 some unusual circumstance may occur, in which 
 a rule may be constinied to suit a certain con- 
 
64 DEAW-POKEK. 
 
 tingency, to the detriment of some particular 
 player. Every party, then, should announce 
 before beginning the game the precise rules 
 under which they expect to act. 
 
 We wish to consider but a few, which have 
 been variously ^ interpreted, and remain at the 
 present day unsettled. 
 
 / Rule 1. 
 
 The deal is determined by throwing cards 
 around, face up, to each player, and he who 
 receives the first Jack has the first deal. 
 
 J 
 
 [The first deal is a matter of no consequence ; but the object of de- 
 termining it by a certain card, Tivhich may require a quarter of the pack 
 to be exposed before it appears, is not without a purpose. The dealer 
 sees from the manner in which the cards run, the extent of shuffling 
 they require ; and the trifle delay gives the players an opportunity of 
 seating themselves properly at the table.] 
 
 Rule 2. — The Dealek. 
 
 The dealer has certain duties to perform, the 
 enforcement of which, to a certain extent, is 
 incumbent on the entire board. He must have 
 his cards properly shuffled and cut ; and he 
 must deal to each player five cards,, one at a 
 
DEAW-POKER. 65 
 
 time alternately, mtlioiit exposing any of them. 
 
 1. Sliould lie, in dealing, expose a player's 
 card, the player may take it or reject it, at his 
 option, if he has not raised his other cards. 
 
 2. Should he deal a player more or less than 
 five cards, the player may demand that cards 
 be added to or taken from his hand, whethei^ 
 he has raised his cards or not, or demand a new 
 deal, at his option. 
 
 [It will be perceived that the entire board is interested in this rule, 
 as it gives the player a nominal advantage. Notwithstanding, it is 
 strictly jnst. The old , rule that obliged the player to discover the 
 dealer^ s error before the cards were raised, was illogical. Each player 
 is entitled to five cards ; should he find more than five in his hand, he 
 might, under the old rule, be induced to dissemble rather than be thrown 
 out of the hand, and discard more than he intended to draw, without 
 caUing attention to the error. And, besides, it places the player at the 
 mercy of the dealer, as it is impossible at all times to tell the number of 
 cards dealt you until the hand is raised.] 
 
 3. The card or cards drawn from a hand which 
 contains too many, must be placed at the bot- 
 tom of the pack. The card or cards added to a 
 hand which contains too few, must be dealt 
 from the top of the pack. 
 
 4. After the discards are made^ should the 
 dealer expose any card or cards of the draw, 
 in dealing them to the player, he must 
 
66 DKAW-POKER. 
 
 place tlie exposed card or cards at the bottom 
 of tlie pack, continue to supply in turn tlie rest 
 of the party, and then return to the player 
 whose cards were thus exposed and supply 
 him. Should the player, however, expose his 
 cards by accident, or otherwise, after receiving 
 them from the dealer, he must keep them. 
 
 [The players are entitled to the cards that would naturally fall to 
 them, if no accident occurred ; and it is justly claimed that the diversion 
 iihould effect only the hand that caused it, and not extend to any other 
 interested in the pot.] 
 
 5. The dealer must announce the number of 
 cards he is about to draw to complete his owm 
 hand, and he must take them, if he has set them 
 apart for that pui^ose. Having once announced 
 the number of cards he has drawn, he is not 
 obliged to repeat it ; nor is he allowed to tell 
 the luimber of cards any other player has 
 drawn. 
 
 It ought to be noticed perhaps that formerly 
 the dealer paid a chip for the privilege of deal- 
 ing, such chip forming the basis of the pot. At 
 the present day, however, this course is not 
 adopted. The player sitting to the left of the 
 dealer, who always holds the age, must start 
 the game by placing at least one chip on the 
 
DRAW-POKER. 67 
 
 table, whiclL becomes the nucleus of tlie pot and 
 the property of the board. This amount is 
 termed the ^^ blind/' and may consist of one 
 chip up to half the limit. 
 
 Rule 3. — ^The Player. 
 
 The player has certain duties to perform, 
 which must be strictly enforced. 
 
 1. He must not raise his cards until they are 
 all dealt. Should he do so, he is obliged to 
 accept any card, even an exposed one, that may 
 be dealt him. 
 
 2. After he discards, he is responsible for the 
 number of cards which he receives from the 
 dealer ; should he raise them and find more or 
 less than he called for, making more or less than 
 five cards in his hand, he forfeits all his inter- 
 est in that deal to the board. Should he dis- 
 cover the error before raising his cards, the 
 dealer is obliged to correct it, and give to or take 
 from the draw such card as in his judgment 
 is the coiTect one. 
 
 3. When he passes out of a hand, he must at 
 once throw up his cards, without exposing any 
 of them, and he must not make any remark cal- 
 
68 BKAW-POKER. 
 
 Ciliated to influence the otlier plaj^ers. After 
 liis hand has been thrown np^ he cannot recall it. 
 4. All antes, straddles, and bets must be made 
 in chips and placed in the pool. Should* he fill 
 his blind at the start, and not wish to come in, 
 throwing up his cards and not drawing any, he 
 is entitled to withdraw half of it. 
 
 EuLE 4. — FoiJL Hais^d. 
 
 A foul hand, which is one that does not con 
 tain precisely five cards, cannot win, no matter 
 what the circumstances may be, and the pot 
 must be given to the best poker hand among 
 the remaining contestants. 
 
 Should it occur that on the call of hands,^ a 
 foul hand is the only one that is shown, the 
 others having been thrown up, the entire pot 
 remains the property of the table, to be played 
 for and determined the next hand, in the usual 
 way, and the double pot thus created goes to 
 the winner of it. 
 
 [The old rule that allowed the foul hand to win the pot, when the 
 other hands had been thrown up, is pernicious in the extreme. It is 
 not based upon either equity or reason, as it evidently permits the 
 holder of it to be benefited by his own wrong, contrary to the spirit of 
 all law, written or otherwise.] 
 
DEAW-POKER. 69 
 
 RiJLE 5. — Value of Haisds. 
 
 Hands are determined by the highest cards ; 
 the highest Paii^ ; the highest two Pairs ; the 
 highest Triplets ; the highest Straight : Ace 
 and King being in the highest, and Ace and 
 Deuce in the lowest ; the highest Flush ; the 
 highest Full-hand (the threes of which deter- 
 mine) ; the highest Fours ; the highest Straight- 
 flush. The Ace is always high, except in the 
 lowest Straight, where it is reckoned as One ; 
 the King is next ; and Queen, Jack, down to 
 Deuce, follow consecutively. 
 
 All ties are decided by the highest odd card 
 or cards., Should the hands be an exact tie the 
 pool must be equally divided between them. 
 
 Rule 6. — The Stake. 
 
 The stake, or amount of chips, taken by each 
 player, must be paid for at the time, and the 
 money placed in the chip-box, which should be 
 in charge of one of the players. When the hour 
 aiiives that has been mutually agreed upon at 
 which the game is to end, any player has the 
 right to demand the redemption of any chips 
 which he may hold. 
 
70 DRAW-POKEK. 
 
 Any iinsettlea indebtedness tliat may have 
 been created between players during the game, 
 
 must be satisfactorily arranged at its close. 
 
 [Modern Poker, with all its pleasures, has brought with it in its train, 
 one very objectionable feature. We mean the credit system. To make 
 rules for its adjustment, satisfactory both to winner and loser, would | 
 require the genius of Micawber ; and even that gentleman would find! 
 at times his creative power taxed to an unusual extent. i 
 
 The credit system originated in the idea that some one of the playera" 
 could get along without using any money during the game. Each one 
 of course imagined himself to be the favored person, and took a cettainj 
 amount of chips out of the box as his stake, merely as a matter of form,* 
 agreeing to return them at the close of the game. Well, at the termi- 
 nation of the play, the fortunate player found himself, as he predicted 
 a winner, and the labor and annoyance of paying for his chips at the 
 start, were thus saved. If each of the others had fared as well, there 
 could be no objection raised against the system ; indeed it would be 
 perfect. But, unfortunately, in this important particular, it has invaria- 
 bly failed. We must therefore class it among certain problems, in which 
 if is an important element, and if it could be but eliminated all wx)uld 
 be well. 
 
 Some improvement in the matter of borrowing chips became necessary 
 when the box was found to be exhausted, and a gentleman hit upon the 
 liappy expedient of making and issuing paper due bills, representing cer- 
 tain sums for which he was personally responsible. These issues passed 
 freely from hand to hand, and for a time gave promise of a happy solu- 
 tion of the entire difficulty. But when the game came to an end, the 
 uld trouble appeared, and money was found to be as necessary as ever. 
 
 The issue of due-bills was not original with our friend the poker 
 player. Mr. William Patterson, who organized the Bank of England in 
 1694, was unquestionably ahead of him, and extended the promise-to- 
 pay system to its supposed utmost limit. It may be remarked, that even 
 Mr. Patterson found some difficulty in convincing unreasonable people 
 that one issue could be redeemed out of the proceeds of another, without 
 impairing the value of either. But in the end, it was found that a car- 
 
DEAW-POKERv 71 
 
 tain quantity of money was absolutely necessary, to mafiie the scheme 
 perfect. 
 
 Since Mr. Patterson's time, however, many great improvements have 
 been introduced in his system ; and at the present day, among ourselves, 
 an experiment of gigantic proportions is in full blast, in which the high- 
 est tribunal of the land has enacted that a piece of paper shall possess a 
 positive and intrinsic value, and that the quantity of it which may. be is- 
 sued, shall in no wise circumscribe or retard its functions as a money. 
 
 In this experiment, as printing presses and paper are the only ex- 
 penditures necessary, it is expected that great national prosperity will fol- 
 low in its wake. If it prove itself a success, the legal luminaries who 
 invented the process are expected to immediately set about repairing and 
 altering a few of the more obsolete laws of the planetary system, which^ 
 in their present state,* do not appear to benefit anybody. 
 
 But to return to poker credit. It is perfectly clear that, as the play- 
 ers cannot avail themselves of the national prerogative to laugh at their 
 creditors, they must pay up or be disgraced. Hence no one should 
 play who is not prepared to settle his losses at the end of the game, or 
 within a reasonable time thereafter ; and that a stringent rule, tacitly- 
 acknowledged by all, making a player with outstanding poker indebted- 
 ness ineligible to play with the party, should be adopted and enforced.] 
 
 KuLE 7. — Custom. 
 
 Slioiild any disi3ute arise in determining tlie 
 value of any particular hand, or any particular 
 method of i3lay, in a party of gentlemen who 
 usually jjlay together, the decision must be in 
 accordance with the precedents Avhich they 
 liave established in similar cases, and a majority 
 of those in the game should so decide it. 
 
72 BEAW-POKEK. j ^' 
 
 G *^ ... /^"^ 
 
 I '^ We must now bring this little vofiime to a>4. 
 
 close. We offer no apology for its appearance ; 
 
 nor do we "wisli to liint tliat it was hurriedly 
 
 AAaitten, without any view to publication. The 
 
 latter indeed was an af ter- thought. -i .^.^ fi^ 
 
 It was discovered by Dr. Johnson that works 
 not written to be published, were, nevertheless, • 
 published to be read. And so (if a slip or two 
 in orthography, and the eccentricity of a few 
 punctuation points be pardoned) we mil say 
 no more on that head. 
 
 The morality of card-playing has been a I 
 fruitful theme for discussion. "We do not pro- 
 pose to enter the lists. Those who have mnk- 
 ed at it, and those who have denounced it, may 
 both be in the wrong. It must be admitted, 
 however, by its most bitter enemy that, as -a 
 source of recreation, when moderately indulged 
 in, and stripped of its objectionable features, it 
 presents advantages not to be obtained in anv 
 other amusement. 
 
 THE EKD, 
 
N^