I was on board the steamer _Sultana_ one evening, coming up from
New Orleans, when a "Jew" came up to me, tapped me on the shoulder,
and said: "Mr. Devol, I have heard of you for years, and have sat
at the same table with you in New Orleans playing the bank. I
caught her this trip for over $4,000; but I have often wished I
could make as much money as you do; you bet I would take better
care of it than you. Come, let us go and have a nice drink." I
told him I did not drink anything but wine; and I was very glad he
had beat the bank, for they nearly always beat me; but I could hold
my own with any man at poker. He said: "Oh, Mr. Devol, I know
that no one can beat you at poker, and I would like to put my money
in with you and have an interest." Something struck me immediately
that I might as well have the $4,000 as not, so I said to him: "I
will see Mr. Bush (my partner), and let you know after supper."
The first thing to be done was to manufacture a sucker to play me
a big game of poker. I knew several good boys on board; some were
gamblers and some were horsemen. I selected one of the horsemen,
and took him to my room to teach him the ropes. I said to him:
"I will cold deck you, and give you three kings, a seven and a
eight, and you must put your thumb over one of the spots on the
eight, so that the Jew will think you have a king full on sevens
when he sees your hand. I will have an ace full, and will bet you
$200 or $300 before the draw; then you raise me $5,000." After
giving him full instructions, so there would be no mistake, I gave
him a big roll and let him out, with instructions not to know me
until the time of the game. I told Bush the plan, so after supper
we opened up with our three cards and took in a few hundred dollars.
After we had closed for the evening, I picked up my manufactured
sucker and commenced a divvy game of poker. I told my Jew partner
to see every hand that the other fellow held, and to attract his
attention so I could cold deck him. I came up with the ice and
bet $250 before the draw. The sucker came back and raised me
$5,000. The Jew was behind him and saw his king full on sevens;
he then came around and saw my ace full on trays. I pretended to
be a little short, and called for Bush to bring me some money.
Then my would-be partner commenced to get out his money, and was
in such a hurry (for fear he would not be in time) that he tore
the buttons off his vest. He put up his $4,000; Bush got $1,000
from John C. Heenan (the prize fighter, who was on the boat), and
I called the bet. The game had attracted the attention of all the
passengers; they were all around us, some on the tables and chairs,
and every one was holding his breath waiting for the result, except
my Jew partner, who was so delighted with the sure thing of having
won one-half of the money that he could not keep still a moment,
but kept dancing around, rubbing his hands and smiling as if he
had sold a suit of clothes without coming down a cent. When, to
everybody's great surprise, the sucker said, "Gentlemen, I have
made a mistake in my hand; can't I take my money down?" The Jew
said: "Oh, we don't rectify no mistakes in poker." The sucker
looked up at him and said: "What in the h--l have you got to do
with this game?" The Jew said: "I thought you was bluffin'."
The sucker then said: "Hold on, gentlemen, we have not drawn yet.
I thought I had a king full on sevens." He then threw down the
seven and eight and called for two cards. The Jew said: "We don't
care for your mistake," and then walked around behind the sucker
to see what he would get in the draw. I dealt him off two cards,
but the Jew did not get to see what he got. They had sent me some
money from the office, and I bet him $500. The sucker hesitated
a moment, and then bet $5,000. I put up all the money I had, my
big single stone, pin and ring, but that was not enough. Then the
Jew put up his Juergunsen watch, a large cluster pin and ring, and
called the bet. The sucker said, "I have two pair." The Jew was
so glad (thinking I had won) that he could not keep still, but went
up and down like a jumping-jack. I showed down my ace full, and
then the sucker showed down two pair of kings. You should have
seen my "new partner." He threw up both his hands, groaned, and
fell over on the floor dead. We had to throw water in his face to
bring him around, and when we got him up he started for the guards,
saying: "I go drown myself; I don't want to live." Some one ran
and got him a life preserver, and told him to put it on before he
jumped overboard. He finally quieted down and went to his room.
I took the horseman into my room, gave him $200 in money and my
"partner's" diamonds. He was the lion of the boat, and did not
have to pay for drinks from there to Louisville. I got off at
Baton Rouge at daybreak, and was soon on my way back to New Orleans;
and when I arrived there, every one I met would ask me about my
bad luck. My friends were sorry for me. I could have borrowed
almost any amount of money. The papers came out all over the
country that Devol had at last found his match.
I saw the Jew in St. Louis some years later. He knew me, and said:
"Mr. Devol, come and let us get a good drink. See that clothing
store? That's mine. I never play poker since that time on the
boat; don't you remember?"