Show A BIRTHDAY HUNCH Interesting Story of a Poker P ker Game Played on a Transport A party of congressmen after a al bountiful dinner were enjoying their cigars and swapping po poker poker ker her yarns All kinds of ot stories were in order and some of the experiences were hearsay but a majority were of ot a per personal onal nature Charms lucky pieces superstitions of gamblers and every de device device vice utilized to tempt the fickle god goddess goddess goddess dess of ot fortune positions Jn n the T but it was reserved res for o 01 P of tC f the younger mem members members bers of the pa v to o 0 spring a new taIls talis talisman man mal Did any of in It ever eer have a birthday hunch he h qu red while conning over your cards to see soe what your hand was wa worth There was a chorus of negatives and the request followed to know what a birthday hunch was The best explanation I can give re replied replied replied plied the author of or the new term in po poker poker poker ker will be to relate an actual occur occurrence occurrence rence renee in fri which I was an active participant participant participant pant It was a balmy pleasant afternoon when a 3 party of oC five tIve gathered on the deck deek of a transport lying ling at anchor In Inthe Inthe inthe the harbor of ot Ponce Porto Porte Rico RI o Our captain a jovial Englishman and as asgood asgood good a sailor as ever trod the quarter quarterdeck quarterdeck quarterdeck deck proposed prop sed in order to while away the time that we indulge in the Ameri Amen American can game of poker There was a ready assent and five of us were soon Im Immersed Immersed immersed mersed in our hands and try tryIng tryIng trying Ing to relieve the other of a few dol dollars dollars dollars lars We played pla ed along pretty evenly and luck was fairly distributed for up upward upward upward ward of an hour heur During this period nothing larger than three of a kind had been held and two pairs generally suf sufficed sufficed sufficed to win the pot We Ve were playing ante and limit Everybody was feel ng good and the chips were rattling actively and merrily A Jackpot Started Finally a jackpot started It went wen t around several times each player sweetening it the amount of the ante When the seventh turn came around the man next to the dealer passed Our I captain opened the pot for the limit The fhe player next to him threw his cards in the deck It was my turn and in thumbing my cards I found an inside I straight a flush or a straight flush for forI I had four spades the six eight nine I and ten of the suite I stayed and when it reached the dealer he raised I the limit which had been started by the captain It was the tho turn of the player next to the dealer but he declined tak taking taking II ing lag part and threw his hand into the deck Being of bulldog tenacity the i captain raised the dealer and again I 1 simply stayed with the captain when i it was UP to the dealer again He raised only to be raised again and I pursued my trailing tactics This pro process process cess continued until there had been sev soy seven seven soyen en raises and before cards were drawn dra wn Finally the dealer deal r followed my suit ani did not raise the captain saying it was about time to draw cards Captain took one card I took one onO and an anthe the dealer took tool one Then hen the fun be began began began gan It was an unlimited game and if It ifa Ita ifa a player did not have haye the chips In front of hm h m he was privileged to dig down in his pockets as long as they would stand the strain With a satisfied air the captain laid his five fie cards face down on the table and an proceeded to bet the limit Cau Cautiously Cautious Cautiously y peering at my one card I found the seven of spades and it flashed over me that it was my birthday the of October To my m mind this accounted in a measure for my standing the raises and which had bad preceded the draw and it was was with rather a com corn complacent complacent air that I followed the cap captains thins example and turned my cards face tace down on the table at the same time raising the captain You fellows seem to be pretty well satisfied remarked r the dealer and my two pair look pretty good so Ill face my cards down too 00 As he said this he proceeded to raise me and the captain in nonchalant no natt ner ncr gave the pot another tilt which spurred me to do likewise Thus we seesawed back and forth raising re raising and double raising raisin the pot had assumed a most inviting and plethoric aspect I make you quit said the captain addressing me Not till I own the ship was my answer You two fellows dont take much stock in my hand snarled the dealer but my two pair still sun look good to me meSo meSo meSo So here goes gos for another boost and again the pot was tilted A Remarkable Game Poker is a most remarkable game said the captain and fascinating as aswell aswell well but hut I am In for a finish fight so my friend Ill have to raise you once more I 1 am playing according to was my answer and the rules are good goodenough goodenough gOodenough enough for me so cap Ill give you an another another another other boost This airy badinage and persiflage continued until all the chips and all the available coin and currency tf t t f the trio was in iii the center of the table No Nobody Nobody Nobody body seemed anxious to call can and when the last bet had been covered it was decided to have a showdown When I started to draw cards said the captain I 1 nad kings and queens I took In another king So I guess the pot Is mine 4 Hold on a bit captain I timidly suggested maybe I can beat a king full Before BeCore the captain could reply the dealer deafer blurted out If It you can beat a you ou must be able to beat two pair II 4 easy money for tor me was my response But my two pairs are all alike aUke chuckled the dealer All AlJ pairs look alike to me just now I hurled back at him Well my son I have hae two pairs of aces said the dealer and he reached for th pot the captain in the mean meantime meantime meantime time having displayed his A smile lit up the dealers face as he followed suit and displayed four aces At the th same time he started to pull pun the pot toward him I looked at him a moment and drawled out as slowly as possible in order to emphasize my re remarks remarks remarks marks I can beat four aces acts Of Tho h hl hi 1 you can ejaculated the dealer Poker is not only a remarkable game he continued but these th se are the most remarkable hands I ever eyer heard of coming together gether t There Is no kick on my m part for I dealt the cards and I have nobody to blame but myself What did I give you My answer was Skin those over and see how you like them Suiting the action to the word I displayed the six seven s ven eight nine and ten of ot spades This is my birthday boys and that filled a longfelt want In my hand When I get back to the states and poker palt r stories are on tap I will tell my friends a true story and call it the birthday hunch |