THE GAME

Poker is played with the ordinary pack of 52 cards, either with or without the " Joker" though in some " schools " when there are only 3 or 4 players the 2s and 33 are removed, and when there are more than seven taking part the special 6o-card pack, containing two additional cards (n- and 12-spot) in each suit, is used. The cards rank from Ace down to 3, 2, the Ace always counting high, except that in sequence it may be either high or low (forming sequence of Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10, J, Q, K, Ace).

The object of each player is to hold the highest of the various possible combinations of 5 cards that are in play during any particular hand. In " Straight Poker " the original game from which all the numerous variations are derived, these had to be held in the cards as dealt; in " Draw Poker," the more usual form nowadays and, consequently, that which we proceed to describe, all have the opportunity of discarding and filling up from the un-dealt stock. The highest hand in the final show takes whatever happens to be in the pool.
DRAWPOKER
The dealer having been selected, and the shuffling and cutting effected in the usual way, the cards are dealt (one at a time from left to right), until each player has five, the last, of course, falling to the dealer, and the deal passing in rotation to the left. Preceding the deal there are three little points that should be settled. As we have hinted above, there is gambling in Poker (indeed, it may be said at once that it is one of those games which simply can't be played for " love ")—so before the start the company should arrange among themselves (i) the amount of the "Ante" (2) the limit to which the bets may be raised, and (3) the time at which play should end.
The " Ante " is the amount put into the Pool by the " Age " (i.e., the player on the immediate left of the dealer) before the cards are dealt (hence also known, in his case, as the " blind "), the same amount at least being put in in rotation by each member of the party who, after looking at his cards, decides to come in. It is open to the age to double the ante (" straddle ") if he wishes to do so; if he does each succeeding player must put in the new amount, unless the player next to him also straddles, in which case the twice-doubled amount is subscribed by each, dealer—if he decides to come in after looking at his cards—making up his blind to the requisite amount. Any player may straddle provided that he sits next either to the dealer or to a previous straddler.

Nowadays Clubs frequently take it upon themselves to fix limits, and incidentally, in many cases, provide a room exclusively for Pokerites, no mere spectators being allowed to enter. But as our exposition is intended to interest and be a guidance to the family circle as well as to clubmen, we will for the purpose of argument fix the stake at 1$ with 10 cent rises and 53. ante money. In other words, before the draw, betting can proceed in shilling stages up to 55. (the limit), and after the draw in as. stages up to £i (the limit). Thus if there are six players at the table and they all bet to the limit—a most rare happening—the winner after the show of hands scoops hi a Pool worth £7 IDS. od., plus 33. as penalty from each opponent if the winning hand happens to be a Royal Flush (see p. 125). So, on this selected scale, a player, venturing to the limit, is liable to lose £i 53. od. hi a round, leaving out the Royal Flush penalty. Counters are invariably substituted for coins at the table in Clubs (a banker being appointed for exchange) but we purposely refer to the coins of the realm, as " money talks" more convincingly, better conveying what can be lost or won during a flutter— though it may be mentioned that in actual play some are inclined to be more reckless with counters or chips than with legal tender !

The propriety of making limits of some kind is obvious, for in their absence he with the longest purse must inevitably empty the purses of all the others; the time limit is also of importance, as very little experience of the game will show.

Probably the ideal school at Poker is a party of six, more than seven is inclined to be confusing and unwieldy ; but one of the chief charms of the game is that—within limits—the numbers taking part may be indefinite, for in between hands anybody may drop out or come in. You can leave the table at your will; it is not incumbent upon you to run the risk of failing to keep an appointment, a danger which a protracted game of Contract or Auction Bridge might entail.

The Dealer temporarily presides over the proceedings ; he gives a ruling as to any alleged breach of regulations that may possibly arise, and is expected to see that everything is in order. The player on his immediate right (the "Pone"), has the privilege of cutting the pack after it has been shuffled ; and the player on his immediate left (the " Age" or " Ante-man ") is, as we have seen, the only one who pays into the Pool before the Deal commences, and it is the duty of the Dealer to see that this is done.

During the deal, if the Dealer should turn a card face upwards by accident, that card must be accepted by the player, who can, however, claim a fresh deal if a second card is exposed hi his hand. If a player exposes any or all of his own cards he has no remedy—he can either play on or throw in, and hi the latter event forfeits whatever he has deposited. When a player receives too few (or too many) cards and calls attention to the fact before seeing any card, he can, prior to any betting, demand a fresh deal. Alternatively, if the Dealer permits, he can have a card withdrawn when there is one too many, or be supplied with another to complete the five. In the case of one too many in a hand, the Dealer does not throw it away, but places it at the bottom of the pack, unseen. If the Dealer gives two cards in place of one to a player, he may rectify the mistake by passing the under card on to the next player ; if he deals out one hand short, it is a mis-deal.

Always count your cards before turning them, for it is fatal if you discover after seeing any of your cards that you have one too many. Then you have no option but to throw it in, and lose your stake—if any. In case of a player finding on looking at his cards that he has only four, he can remain in if he chooses and make up for the deficiency during the subsequent draw. Finally, if in the course of dealing, the back of a card be found with a " foreign " mark, the pack must be cast aside and a fresh one substituted. A deal out of turn must be stopped before it is completed, or it stands. No player who has glanced at his cards can claim a new deal for any reason, but for that of an imperfect pack.

The deal completed, each player picks up his hand of five cards and mentally weighs up its possibilities, separating the " wheat from the chaff." As already mentioned, the Age has, prior to the start of the deal, put up his ante money—a shilling. The player next him on the left must put up the same amount if he wants to draw cards to improve his hand. Perhaps he has all the " chaff " and no " wheat," so he throws his cards into the centre of the table. If he comes in, he can cover the ante money or straddle, making 2S. in all. The next player, if he plays, puts down as. or if he likes he can again straddle (putting in 43.), while the next player (only) has the option of raising the contribution to 55., our agreed limit for the ante money. The remaining players (say six in all) declare in rotation whether they remain in or not. Those who do stand their ground have to put 55. (or whatever limit has been put up) in the pool, and the Age, if he decides likewise, has to cover his " bund " with another 45. or lose it.

When all who are coming in have put up equal amounts in the pool, the Dealer picks up the stock and asks the player nearest him on the left how many cards he wishes, and so on in rotation. Each player when asked (and not before) may discard as many of his five cards as he chooses or, if he prefers, he may stand " pat" (i.e., keep his original five cards)—" throw outs " are deposited in the center of the table, face down. Every player must announce distinctly the number of cards he wants, so that all at the table can hear. Why this is essential the novice will soon realize; it may (or may not) be valuable information, showing strength or weakness, and very possibly affecting subsequent draws. Even the Dealer must state (when he asks himself " How many") how many cards he draws. After the work of discarding has been entirely completed, no one is allowed, however, to ask, or to mention, how many cards were drawn by any particular player; if the question should be put there is no penalty, but it is quite within the rights of the examined party to refuse the information.

Harking back to the commencement of the discarding: the Dealer's pack in hand must not be shuffled or cut again, and the additional cards must be distributed, one by one, from the top. If any card is found " faced " in the pack at this stage, it is deposited with the discards. Should a card be accidentally faced by the Dealer, it cannot be replaced until all the other players, including the Dealer himself, have been handed their desired number of cards.

A card thrown among the discards cannot be returned to a hand under any circumstances. If a player asks for too few or too many cards, and they are placed before him by the Dealer, the mistake may be rectified should he discover it before he has glanced at any of them and before the next player has been served, otherwise (if he has asked for too many) he must discard so as to keep them, a proceeding that may mean destroying a Pair or Threes, or any other combination he had in view. If he eventually discovers (after he has drawn) that he has only four cards, he can remain in, but if he finds he has more than five, he has to throw in at once, sacrificing whatever he has previously staked. If the Dealer hands himself too many cards he must take them. If a player allows another on his left to draw cards out of his proper turn, the wrongdoer is not penalized, but the other is for neglecting to apply at the proper time. He must either play his hand without drawing, or abandon it. It may be that in the course of the passage of a card from the Dealer to a player, the latter has caught sight of it—an instance of careless or slovenly dealing. The player for whom the card was intended can, if he chooses, state that he has sighted it, declare its denomination, and have another, but not until after the other players have drawn. Should he be mistaken in his declaration he has to retain his original card.

When there are more than six players, it may happen that there are not sufficient cards to go round ; in this case the last card must not be handed out, but be placed by the Dealer among the discards and abandoned hands, which are then gathered together by him, shuffled, and cut by the Pone. The Dealer then completes the work of " filling up " hands by using them as a new stock. In parenthesis—those who have been kept waiting to be replenished must retain their throw-outs until asked how many they require. It is obvious that if discards are placed among those cards that have been requisitioned in the shuffle, there is a danger of one or more of one's own throw-outs finding their way back.

We should mention here, that, as a point of etiquette, it is highly unsporting for a player who has thrown in his hand and become, temporarily or otherwise, a spectator, to overlook other players' hands—unless, of course, invited to do so. In this way one may glean valuable information for future guidance, learning, for instance (without paying for it), that a particular party is fond of drawing two cards when he has only a pair, of keeping a " kicker," or that he places an unusually high value on his cards. In fact, many valuable inferences may be drawn through peeping at other players' hands.

It is now time to explain just what the object of the game is; we have already mentioned, in brief, that it is to hold the highest of the various combinations, but we have not said what they are. There are ten of them, and we give them here in their relative order of value, beginning at the lowest:

(1) FIVE ODD CARDS that bear no relation to each other, such as Q of Spades, J of Clubs, 9 of Diamonds, 6 of Clubs and 3 of Hearts. This is an almost worthless collection, and yet there are times when it is the best hand out, for in a show against a similar set the highest card in either hand wins. This hand would be declared as " Queen High," and could be beaten by a " King High " or " Ace High." Almost invariably such hands are " thrown in."

(2) A PAIR—i.e., two cards of the the same pip-value, say a pair of Sevens of any suit and three other cards. Ordinarily the three outsiders are discarded, but some players prefer to retain the Ace as a " Kicker " (a worthless but high card kept in the hope of getting a similar one), or with the idea of deceiving opponents. There are three possible developments in drawing to a pair. The two Sevens may finish as three, or even four Sevens, or may be turned into a " Full Hand "—

(3) Two PAIRS—e.g., two Jacks and two Eights. In this case the fifth card is generally thrown in, and if the replacement happens to be another J or Eight, the holder has a " full hand." That is the only possible way of improving, hence many players are not keen on being " born " with " Two Pair." The odds against them filling the " Full Hand " are so great that on occasions they are prompted to stand " pat" in the hope of leading opponents to believe that it is a hand that cannot be improved—as a " Straight," " Flush," or " Full Hand."

4) THREES—i.e., three cards of the same pip-value—three Kings, Queens, Jacks, Tens, etc. The remaining two are discarded in the hope of securing " Fours " or a " Full Hand." It has been mathematically worked out that it is more difficult to improve on Threes than on Two Pair, but a lot of seasoned Pokerites are difficult to convince on this point.

(5) A STRAIGHT—i.e., a hand containing all five cards in proper sequence, but of mixed denomination— say, Ten of Clubs, Nine of Hearts, Eight of Spades, Seven of Diamonds, and Six of Diamonds. Of course if you are dealt with this you stand " pat." Should you originally have the first four cards, and the Five of Diamonds instead of the Six, you throw in the latter. You may pick up a six or a Jack, either of which would give you the sequence. In Straights, the Ace, as we have seen, plays a double role. A Straight hand of five, four, three, two and Ace is declared as " Five High," and a Straight consisting of Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten is declared " Ace High." If two players hold Straights, the highest value card decides the winner; when two or more are of equal value, the pool must be divided.

(6) A FLUSH—i.e., five cards of the same suit. When two flushes are shown against each other, the winning combination is the one that contains the highest card or cards. In a Flush, the Ace always counts highest, so a hand formed of Ace, Two, Three, Four and Eight would beat a Flush with a King High, whatever the other cards. If in the deal you have four Diamonds and a Heart, you throw in the latter, hoping to draw another Diamond; should you fail the hand is worthless—though even then you may, by a bold bluff, frighten away the opposition.

(7) FULL HAND—i.e., a Pak and a Three. If there is more than one Full Hand shown, the tie is decided by the highest Three. Thus three Sixes and a pair of Aces are inferior to three Sevens and a pair of Twos. The unbeatable Full Hand (" Full House " some term it) is three Aces along with any kind of Pair. No two Full Hands can be of equal value, so there can be no division of the Pool.

(8) FOURS—i.e., four cards of the same denomination; four Tens, for instance. The fifth card is of no consequence as—unless the Joker (see p. 130) is in use—the Hand cannot be improved. Yet the worthless one is invariably discarded solely with the idea of mystifying the opposition. They might conclude you are drawing to Two Pair, Straight, or Flush, and the last thing they would think was that you were born with Fours, so rarely does it happen. Only when you start wagering will you make the opposition sit up and take notice! It is hardly probable that you will find yourself confronted by another hand of Fours—it is millions to one against such a possibility. With " pat " Fours the wagering prospect is better than the player who comes in with Threes and fills Fours, for then the opponents deduce that he starts with Threes, but when one card is drawn, the opponents are kept wondering what is the actual objective. Of course there are times— but they are few and far between—when a Pair develops into Fours, and then the lucky holder is on velvet.

(9) STRAIGHT FLUSH—i.e., a Straight and Flush combined—a sequence all of the same suit. There is no difference in value or rank as far as suits are concerned.

(10) ROYAL FLUSH—this is the last and best of the possible combinations, a glorified Straight Flush, viz., the Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of a suit; it cannot be beaten. So rarely does the combination turn up that the holder, in addition to scooping up the money in the pool, draws a certain amount (in proportion to the stake prevailing throughout the game) from each player at the table. It is called " penalty money," and in most clubs it is the practice that when this most rare event happens, the Royal Flush holder stands a round of refreshment—as, in golf clubs, a member is expected to celebrate his performance of " holing in one " by hospitality to all members at the " nineteenth " hole.