SEE [PAGE 33].
“Thirteenth.—
Whenever you find yourself [39] ]between two parties who ‘raise’ each other while you ‘call along,’ until this ‘see-sawing’ process finally drives you out, and the other two come to ‘a call,’ be sure and have the defeated hand exhibited on the table. The probabilities are they are ‘playing in together,’ and that there is but one good hand, if even that.
“Fourteenth.—
A good poker player never indulges in strong drink, and especially to excess; neither does he talk much, or pay attention to the conversation of others while playing. A deaf player has the advantage of others, for he watches and sees all that is going on, and is not distracted by talkative players, or those who talk for a purpose, which many sharp players do. Your Uncle George decides that too much loquacity is indicative of ignorance of the game, inebriety, or sharpness.
“Let me here speak of what I would call petty wrongs that annoy good players. Such as habitually discarding to the wrong place, throwing up hands out of time, looking over a [40] ]neighbor’s hand, or asking such questions as: Well, what’s the ante? Who’s in? Any one straddled? What does it take now? How many cards did you draw? etc., etc., etc.
“These are annoyances that no gentleman should inflict upon his friends.