POKER, or DRAW POKER. A game of cards said to be derived from primero or prime, a favorite English game of the sixteenth century. in France during the following century primer° became ambigu, and a little later another varia tion, (-tilled brag, sprang up in the west of Eng land, from Which poker is more directly descended in its American form. The game may be played by from two to six persons. A full pack is used and five cards are dealt to each player, one at a time, after which. beginning at the dealer's left, each one may discard any or all of his cards, calling for as many new ones as he discards. This is the draw, and the player holding the most valuable hand is the win ner. Beginning with the lowest, the values are as follows: a pair, two pairs, three of a kind (i.e.. three cards of the same value), a straight, or five cards in regular order (in determining the value of 'straights,' the ace ranks either below the two or above the king, but stands at the end) a flush. i.e.. where all five Cards are of the same suit ; a full house, full hand, or full, which con sists of three of a kind, and a pair together; four of a kind; a straight flush, in which the cards are all of the same suit ; and the royal (hush. in which the cards of the same snit are the highest obtainable. Of the various methods of keeping score in the :I:One of poker the following is the simplest: Before the play is opened counters are divided in equal value among the players. Before examining a hand each player deposits in the pool a value in vomiters previously agreed upon. This is the 'ante.' after which each player in suc cession after looking at his hand determines whether or not he will play. If he decides to play he is required to put up double the 'ante' or as much more as he wishes up to the value of his hand and the limit agreed on before the game commences. The player at his left has also the choice of staying out or depositing in the pool the same•number of chips as the player who preceded him, in which ease he is said to 'see' him; or he may 'raise' or 'go him better,' in which lie deposits in the pool more than did his predeces sor. The next or third player has also the choke
of staying out or 'raising' the preeeding player, and so on with each in turn, one or more times around. Should all the players except one fail out, the one who remains takes the pool without, showing his hand. Again, all the players in the game may 'see' the one that 'raised' last, in which case they are said to 'call' the player's hand. Should none of the others have a better hand they let the one who has been called take the pool without displaying their own hands, other wise the higher hands are tabled and the winner takes the pool. It is sometimes agreed that the players who desire cards in the beginning of the game must add to their 'antes,' and sometimes players make bets before they make their draw. The 'ante' is large or small. according as the 'eld est' hand plays; the common method being to require each player to 'ante' twice as much as the eldest hand, who will then have to make good at his next turn the rest of the 'ante,' or else fail out of the game. 'Bluffing' is where a player bets high on a weak hand in the hope that the other players, thinking his band justifies the bet, will stay out of the game and thus leave the pool to the 'bluffer.' Apart from 'bluffing' the only part of poker in which skill is requisite is in discard ing. Thus, when a player holds four of a suit Ile will often discard the fifth in the hope of secur ing a 'flush.' Some idea of the strength of a player's hand is got by taking note of the number of cards lie calls for.