Schenck On Poker

WHILE General Robert E. Schenck was the American Minister to England, he won the very unjust title of “Poker Schenck.” I am told that at one of the Queen’s receptions he fell into con­versation with a noted English duchess about cards. During this talk he described to her the beauties of poker in such a way that she became intensely interested, and begged him to write her out a set of rules and directions for playing the great American game. This Mr. Schenck very kindly did. The duchess learned to play poker, and as it wove its fascinating toils about her she wanted her friends to learn also. For convenience she had Mr. Schenck’s letter printed in a neat pamphlet and distributed among her friends of the court circles. A malicious scrib­bler heard of the fact, and telegraphed to the American newspapers that our foreign minister had published a book on poker playing. As many persons feel a natural interest in General Schenck’s rules, I append them herewith.

RULES FOR PLAYING POKER BY THE HON. ROBERT C. SCHENCK

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten­tiary of the United States of America near Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland.

THE DEAL

The deal is of no special value, and anybody may begin.
The dealer, beginning with the person at his left, throws around five cards to each player, giving one card at a time.
The dealer shuffles and makes up the pack himself; or, it may be done by the player at his left, and the player at his right must cut.

THE ANTE

To begin the pool, theiplayer next to the dealer on his left must put up money, which is called an “ante”; and then in succession each play­er, passing around to the left, must, after look­ing at his hand, determine if he goes in or not; and each person deciding to play for the pool must put in twice the amount of the ante. Those who decline to play throw up their cards face downward on the table, and, per conse­quence, in front of the next dealer.
When all who wish to play have gone in, the person putting up the ante can either give up all interest in the pool, thus forfeiting the ante that has been put up, or else-can play like the others who have gone in, by making good”; that is, putting up in addition to the ante as much more as will make him equal in stake to the rest.
If a number of players have gone in, it is best generally for the ante-man to make good and go in, even with a poor hand, because half his stake is already up, and he can therefore stay in for half as much as the others have had to put up, which is a percentage in favor of his taking the risk. This, of course, does not apply if any one has “raised”; that is, more than doubled the ante before it comes around to the starting­point.

RAISING

Any one, at the time of going in, must put up as much as double the ante, and may put up as much more as he pleases, by way of “raising” the ante; in which case every other player must put up as much as will make his stake equal to such increase, or else abandon what he has already put in.
Each player, as he makes good and equals the others who are in before him, can thus increase the ante if he chooses, compelling the others still to come up to that increase, or to abandon their share in the pool.
All “going in,” or “raising” of the pool, as well as all betting afterward, must be in regular order, going around by the left; no one going in, making good, increasing the ante, or betting, except in turn.

THE DRAW

When all are in equally who intend to play, each player in turn will have the privilege of drawing; that is, of throwing away any number of his five cards and drawing as many others, to try thus to better his hand. The cards thus thrown up must be placed face downward on the table, and, for convenience, in front of or near the next dealer.
The dealer, passing around to the left, will ask each player in turn how many cards he will have, and deal him the number asked for from the top of the pack, without their being seen. The dealer, if he has gone in to play for the pool, will in like manner help himself last.
The players must throw away their discarded cards before taking up or looking at those they draw, in the game every player is for himself and against all others, and to that end will not let any of his cards be seen, nor betray the value of his hand by drawing or playing out of his turn, or by change of countenance or any other sign. It is a great object to mystify your adversa­ries up to the “call,” when hands have to be shown. To this end it is permitted to chaff or talk nonsense, with a view of misleading your adversaries as to the value of your hand; but this must be without unreasonably delaying the game.

BETTING

When the drawing is all complete, the betting goes around in order, like the drawing, to the left. The ante-man is the first to bet, unless he has declined to play; and in that case the first to bet is the player nearest the dealer, on his left. But the player entitled to bet first may withhold his bet until the others have bet around to him, which is called “holding the age ;” and this, being an advantage, should, as a general rule, be practiced.
Each bettor in turn must put into the pool a sum equal at least to the first bet made; but each may in turn increase the bet, or raise it, as it comes to him: in which case the bets, proceeding around in order, must be made by each player in his turn equal to the highest amount put in by any one; or else, failing to do that, the party who fails must go out of the play, forfeit­ing his interest in the pool.
When a player puts in only as much as has been put in by each player who has preceded him, that is called “seeing” the bet.
When a player puts in that much, and raises it, that is called seeing the bet and “going better.”
When the bet goes around to the last bettor or player who remains in, if he does not wish to see and go better, he simply sees and “calls”; and then all players must show their hands, and the highest hand wins the pool.
When any one declines to see the bet or the increase of bet which has been made, he “lays down” his hand - that is, throws it up with the cards face downward on the table. If all the other players throw down their hands, the one who remains in to the last wins, and takes the pool without showing his hand.
To “bluff” is to take the risk of betting high enough on a poor hand, or a worthless one, to make all the other players lay down their hands without seeing or calling you.
When a hand is complete, so that the holder of it can play without drawing to better it, that is called a “pat” hand. A bold player will sometimes decline to draw any cards, and pre­tend to have a pat hand, and play it as such, when he has none.
A skillful player will watch and observe what each player draws, the expression of the face, the circumstances and manner of betting, and judge, or try to judge, of the value of each hand opposed to him accordingly.
No one is bound to answer the question how many cards he drew, except the dealer; and the dealer is not bound to tell after the betting has begun.

DRAWING

If the player determines to draw to a pair, he draws three cards. If he draws to two pairs, he draws one card.
If he holds three to begin with, he draws two cards, in order to have the best chance of mak­ing a full, inasmuch as, in playing, pairs are apt to run together; but to deceive his adversaries, and make them think he has nothing better than two pairs, a sharp player will often draw but one card to his three.
It is advisable, sometimes, to keep an ace, or other high card, as an “outsider,” with a small pair, and draw two cards, - thus taking the chances of matching the high card, and so get­ting a good two pairs, or something better pos­sibly, while at the same time others may be deceived into believing that the player is drawing to threes.
When drawing to cards of the same suit to try to make a flush, or to cards of successive denominations to try to make a sequence, as many more cards are to be taken as will be needed to fill out the flush or the sequence. But it is seldom advisable to venture in to draw for either a flush or a sequence when more than one card is required to complete the hand.
When a player holds fours in his original hand, it is as good as it can be; and yet it is best to throw away the outside card, and draw one, because others may then think he is only drawing to two pairs, or for a flush or a sequence, and will not suspect the great value of the hand.
When one is in (as he ought seldom to be) without even so much as a pair, his choice must be either to discard four cards, or three cards, and draw to the highest or two highest in the hand; or throw away the whole hand, and draw five; or look content and serious, stand pat, and bet high.
The player determining to try this last alter­native on a worthless hand had generally better begin by raising when he goes in, or else nobody will be likely to believe in his pretended strong hand.

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