Texas Bluff

CHAPTER 9

Al Newman drew two cards. No secrets there. He had three of a kind. He might have been keeping an Ace kicker. No pro would do that, but Newman was not a pro.

Coe drew one card, probably trying to fill a straight or a flush. Also could have had two pair.

Now it was Butler’s turn.

“I’ll play these.”

That woke everybody up, although Coe looked the least surprised.

“I’m going to take three cards and hope for the best,” Jack said.

More than likely he had a high pair, jack through aces, Butler figured. Although in Butler’s mind if you were going to call with kings, why not call with, say, fives? You still have the potential of three or even four of a kind. Even four deuces was a powerhouse hand.

“All right, gents,” Jack said. “We all have our cards. Let’s see how we do against Butler’s pat hand.”

The play moved to Newman, who had opened and drawn two cards.

“I have to check to the power,” he said, with a nod toward Butler.

Coe looked at his fanned cards, then folded them into his and said, “I check.”

Butler knew Coe wanted to fold but couldn’t do that until the play went around the table and somebody made a bet.

Now Butler had to make his bet. Nobody was going to want to go in against his pat hand, especially if he made a high bet. What he had to do was make a value bet—a bet that was not too high for someone to want to pay to see his cards. Considering the money in front of them on the table, either Jack or Newman might go ahead and pay to see them, just out of curiosity.

“I bet a thousand,” Butler said.

“Hmm,” Jack said. “That’s not a very big bet for a pat hand. You’re tryin’ to tell us somethin’.”

“What’s he trying to tell us?” Al Newman asked.

“Here comes a poker lesson, courtesy of Three-Eyed Jack,” Dick Clark said good-naturedly.

“He’s tryin’ to keep us in,” Jack said. “Tryin’ to get some money out of one of us. If he bets too high, we’ll all fold, so he’s making a value bet, hoping one of us will a least be curious enough to see the hand to pay.

“Or,” Jack went on, “he bluffed a pat hand and doesn’t want to risk a big bet on a bluff. If one of us raises back, he might fold.”

“If he’s bluffing that he has a pat hand, wouldn’t he bet bigger to support that fact?” Newman asked. He was enjoying his time at the table, and that included all the poker lessons.

“He might,” Jack said, “but this is Butler. I’ve played with him before, and Charlie you’ve played with him for hours now. What do you think?”

Coe smiled.

“I think I’ll wait my turn before I make my play, or even a comment.”

“Touché,” Jack said. “So the play is to me, and I fold to Butler’s pat hand.”

Newman stared across the table at Butler, and at his hand.

“Okay, I’m the donkey,” Newman said. “I want to see his cards, so I call.”

“I fold,” Charlie Coe said quickly. “Even if Butler doesn’t have a pat hand I can’t beat your three of a kind, Al.”

“Butler,” Jack said, “you’re called.”

Butler laid out his hand and they all saw the full house.

“Nice,” Clark said.

Newman showed his hand, three jacks.

“Full house wins,” Jack said. “Very nice hand, Butler.”

“I know,” Newman said, putting up his hands, “I wasted a thousand dollars.

“Hey, nobody’s judging your play, Al,” Dick Clark said.

“Did you want to see his hand?” Coe asked.

“Very much.”

“Then your money wasn’t wasted.”

“Unless Butler would have shown his hand anyway,” Newman pointed out.

Before Butler could respond, Jack said, “Oh, no, with Butler you have to pay to see his hand.”

“That’s the way the game should be played,” Charlie Coe said. “If you want to know somebody’s hand without payin’ for it, ask them later, away from the table. Believe me, every poker player remembers every hand.”

“A poker lesson courtesy of Dick Clark,” Jack said.

Coe looked at Jack, smiled and said, “Touché.”