Deceptions used in Various Games. - Poker.

tricks of the professional gamester, will, after receiving a few such uncommonly good hands, become highly elated, and think himself in the extreme of good luck; and after having won a few unimportant bets, he becomes imboldened to venture with more freedom. He is then just in that state in which the gambler has been trying to get him, that is, in the humor for betting; and from that moment he is destined to experience a sad change in his fancied good luck. And though he now continues to lose at almost every game, he rashly continues to hope and play, until he is completely drained of his last dollar.

This is one among the many methods used by men who depend chiefly on gambling for a living, to succeed in their diabolical designs upon those whom they can by any means entice to the card-table. The unfortunate victim, by holding such good hands, believes himself to be extremely lucky; he then becomes flushed with his winnings, and risks largely, and is soon stripped of all he has. This is not done by any change being made in his hand; for the unfortunate man will still have as good hands as he at first got, and sometimes better; for it is to the gambler's interest that he will readily venture to brag on. For instance, he will deal out three aces and a pair of kings: this is a splendid betting hand, and would win nine times out of ten in fair play, but is good for nothing but to lose large sums on in playing against those patent players, who, against such a hand as this, will give themselves four queens, or four jacks, by which they are sure to win the game, which the other felt so certain of gaining, and on which he bet so freely.

There was a time when this game was not so dangerous as it has come to be of late years. It was then common to see men of almost all classes amuse them

Deceptions used in Various Games. - Poker. Reflections.

selves at this game; and landlords would join their guests in a game for social amusement. Captains and other officers of packets and steamboats, generally, would engage freely in a game with their passengers for recreation. And little, if any thing, was wagered or lost at the game, and all got up pleased, and seldom had any cause of dissatisfaction.

The rage for gambling had not then cursed our land as it does at present; nor were its evils so generally felt and experienced by thousands as at present. The merchant or tourist, while travelling through the southern and western portions of our country, pursuing his business or pleasure, did not, as now, look upon every man who proposed a game as an inveterate gamester; but could sit down and take a game in comparative safety, if, indeed, it can be said that there is any safety at all in gaming, which I very much doubt; for the card-table has other evils attending it besides that of robbing your pocket. What I mean is, that he was not besieged and watched by a host of gamblers, who, like hungry tigers, stood ready to spring upon their prey the first opportunity. I do not mean to say that we were ever without gamblers; for I believe they have, like other evil spirits, stalked up and down the world in all ages, augmenting, immeasurably, the crimes and wretchedness which it has been the lot of this world to contain since the days of our first parents. But this passion has prevailed at some times to a far greater extent than at others; and in some parts of the country, it seems at times to be entirely dead. There are, it seems to me, many causes which have, for years, been tending to revive and spread this evil over our country, and among these, and not the least of these, is the general countenance that is given to

Deceptions used in Various Games.- Poker. Reflections.

card-playing as a respectable amusement, at which it is common to make some kind of a bet, to heighten the interest of the game; and the encouragement thus afforded, for a man to make himself a proficient in intrigue for base purposes; and then the facility with which he can transport himself from one part of the country to another, and thus obtain access to men who will readily be enticed to amuse themselves at card-playing. And I think the excitement attending horse-racing has, perhaps, as great an influence in inclining a man to bet, as any thing with which he can become acquainted.

In addition to the causes above enumerated, we may mention the unexampled prosperity of our country a few years since, and the abundance of money, which enabled men to expend large sums in excursions of pleasure, during which card-playing was the principal amusement. Taking these, and various other causes not here alluded to, into consideration, I think there is no great reason to be surprised that gaming has attained such an ascendency in our country. Few need be told that within the last twelve years, it has raged in its wildest fury in large portions of this country; and small, indeed, I believe the portion to be, that was entirely free from its evils. And the duty and importance of guarding against it increase certainly in proportion to its spread and prevalence through the country; and at no former period, perhaps, did this evil exist to a greater extent than it does now. It is not the young only that need to be reformed and forewarned: I have often seen men far advanced in years, men whose furrowed cheeks and silvery locks told that they might be grandsires, busily engaged over the card-table, men, some of whom were of high standing and men of business, who, in their daily inter

Deceptions used in Various Games. - Poker. - An Incident.

course with their fellow-men, could not be impeached in any respect. I have seen such men in a room with gamblers, condescending to practise the various mean tricks resorted to by that class of persons with which they suffer themselves to associate. And still they would

be cautious, in visiting and leaving such places, that no one should see and suspect them, for it would hurt their reputation, for which they often have much regard left; men, too, who, when away from home, will often do what they would not at home. I have often known men who would refrain from indulging themselves in a game while among their friends, or if they did, it would be nothing more than what is termed an innocent game of whist, in their own parlor, on which no wager was pending — I have seen such men, when away from home, venture to play until they had lost thousands of dollars, before they would quit.

I will here relate one of the many cases which have come within my knowledge. A few years since, I was a passenger on a boat ascending the Mississippi River, and became acquainted with a gentleman, who was a merchant from Philadelphia. He was a very intelligent He was on business,

man, and a shrewd business man. south, via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. We got into a friendly conversation, and he related to me many of his adventures since leaving home, together with his adventures in gaming, while a passenger up and down the rivers just named, on different boats. He said, I left Louisville on a boat for St. Louis, and had not been long aboard before card-playing was introduced at different tables in the cabin; and as far as I could see, all engaged in it appeared to be genteel persons; and at one table there was one wanting to make the requisite num

Deceptions used in Various Games. - Poker. An Incident.

ber. A very genteel-looking young man very politely asked me if I would not like to take a hand, as they were only killing time, by amusing themselves in that way. And as there were none of my old acquaintances on board, and the sums which they bet were small, I thought there was no great risk in sitting down and taking a hand; so I consented to do so, and we played the most of the time on our way to St. Louis; and when we got there, I was by that sport minus one hundred and fifty dollars, by playing poker. This would not have been the case from the sums bet, had it not been for the extremely short duration of the games; by reason of which the stakes were so very often removed, and as often required to be again replaced. While in St. Louis, completing my business, I saw nothing of this young man during my stay. I finished my business there, and took passage on a boat for Memphis. The boat had not left the wharf more than fifteen minutes, before I espied, among the passengers, this same young man, with whom I had before played. He saw me nearly at the same moment; a very polite recognition passed on his part, and was returned by me. He approached, and a friendly conversation passed between us, and he left me. Now, as usual, it was not long before the card-table was spread out, and various of the passengers began to amuse themselves, and my new acquaintance was one of three at a table; and as they wanted one more, I consented to play, and we played until we arrived at Memphis, where I got on another boat for Vicksburg; and there I got up from the table six hundred and seventy-five dollars loser, in addition to what I had before lost. My business now called me to Yazoo city. I took a boat for that place, and this same young man was also a passenger. We