Preservation Poker at Missionary Ridge

[Silas]

Shortly after the cracker line was established, another important item arrived in camp : four months back pay. And then the games commenced.

PRESERVATION POKER

In commemoration of that wonderful moment, the federal color company will host an on-site evening of Preservation Poker on the Thursday night before the Mission Ridge event commences from 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM. Three games of chance will run : poker, chuck-a-luck and faro. For twenty bucks, the participants receive four months back pay. A limited amount of whiskey and tobacco will be provided to participants. Net proceeds go to the Brown's Ferry preservation effort.

But why Thursday night?

Normally, folks arrive sometime on the Friday. Companies and battalions assemble later in the afternoon or early evening. Although folks are present, their minds are still consumed by the sojourn to the event. Then there's the socializing, show-n-tell of kewl new gear, responding to some nonemergency at work/home and et cetera. I call Friday, Farb Night. Your body may be clothed in period attire, but your brain is still in modern time. You're often not in the right frame of mind until the following morning. This is why the show often does not go live until Saturday morning. With things concluding by noon on Sunday, you're really talking about a two day event.

Mission Ridge is a three day event. The show goes live sometime in the early afternoon on Friday. Arrive when you'd normally arrive, and you'll miss a great scenario. How can you be ready that early? Arrive on site Thursday. Get Farb Night out of your system and be in the right mindset when the event goes live. There will still be time to make a quick run to Chickamauga or Chattanooga on Friday morning if necessary.

Most folks are making trips of many hours to make this event. Some fools are actually flying to this event... Get to the site on Thursday night and crash there. Arrive early enough, and you can while away your time in a period appropriate manner. This is a nondenominational event. Confederates are welcome. Just don't expect southern script.

The featured game will be faro which was the game of the day. It's an easy card game which resembles craps in some ways. Here are three resources about faro. Two are from an 1859 and an 1864 Hoyle. The other is a great book about cheating. To understand how to cheat at faro, one has to know to play it. The house had very little advantage over players aka punters. To increase the odds, the house cheated. So did the punters.

Here's the 1859 Hoyle : https://books.google.com/books?id=lh...page&q&f=false

Here's the 1864 Hoyle : https://books.google.com/books?id=dS...page&q&f=false

This is "Sharps and Flats," the book about cheating : https://books.google.com/books?id=Xt...page&q&f=false

MISSIONARY RIDGE LIVEFEED

This Saturday, 16 March, at 4:00 PM Pacific Time (7:00 PM Eastern), we'll have a live feed from Silas Casey's quarters at historic Fort Steilacoom, a pre-war army fort along Puget Sound and about 45 miles south of Seattle. This is part of a weekend drill hosted by the federal color company as we prepare for Mission Ridge. We'll talk a some about Mission Ridge being a three day, not a two day event. We'll also talk some about how you can help preserve Brown's Ferry by playing some games of chance. See you then.

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[Eric Tipton]

Re: Preservation Poker at Missionary Ridge

Watch Silas’s Livefeed Video about Preservation Poker here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/AuthenticCampaigner/permalink/1064956543691946?sfns=mo

[Eric Tipton]

Re: Preservation Poker at Missionary Ridge



Please Join Silas Tackitt live tonight at 7:00 AM Eastern for an AC LIVEFEED about the rules for Poker, Chuck-a-Luck and the featured game, Faro. To tune in to the LIVEFEED, just go to the AC Facebook Page here.

[Silas]

Booklet on Poker and Chuck-a-Luck

During the one man interview, I mentioned a booklet about the rules for Poker and Chuck-a-Luck. Downloaded in this thread is said booklet.

Source is the American Hoyle, or Gentleman's Hand-book of Games (1864). Text was copied as pictures directly from the source and and pasted into the booklet. What you see is the same thing you would see if you looked at the book from the shelf.

Or you can follow the link to the section on Poker aka Bluff : https://books.google.com/books?id=NR...page&q&f=false
Or the link to the short section on Chuck-a-Luck aka Sweat : https://books.google.com/books?id=NR...page&q&f=false

I could have used an 1863 Hoyle's Games rather than the 1864 American Hoyle, but the 1864 had a better explanation of Poker/Bluff. See for yourself : https://books.google.com/books?id=_S...page&q&f=false

As for the booklet I've compiled, download the pdf. View it on your tablet or computer screen. Even a regular print is only four sheets of paper. I'll probably print a few in true booklet format and have available at Preservation Poker.

[Silas]

Chuck a luck!

Chuck-a-luck was also known as Sweat. The odds are crazy stupid in favor of the house, but sometimes the house loses anyway. From "A little fifer's war diary," by Charles William Bardeen (1910) :

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"Aug. 30. Pleasant. Had Sunday Inspection. Lost $10.00 at Bluff & Sweat and set up a board winning more than I lost. Paid $25.00 to Hull for watch.

It did not take a profound mathematical operation to demonstrate that the dealer must win at sweat.

It was played on cloth on which the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, were painted, and three dice were shaken. I have forgotten just how it counted but there was a frequent contingency under which the dealer beyond his even chance took half of all the stakes.

Aug. 31. Pleasant. Had Inspection and Mustering in. Started a sweat table and 19 dollars but lost it in the P.M.

Sept. 1. Pleasant. Won $20.00 at Bluff A.M. A Full hand, two Flushes. I, the Full. In P.M. won twenty dollars at Sweat. Got a $30.00 Draft."

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In Bluff, five cards dealt down without any new cards.

Bardeen is relating how, in one game, three players received high hands. Two players had flushes. A flush is five cards all of the same suit. Per the rules of the day, "Should it so happen that two Flushes are dealt in the same deal, the winning hand must be decided by the denomination of cards composing the Flush. Thus, a Flush with an Ace highest, would beat a Flush with King highest."

Bardeen received a "Full hand" aka a "Full house" which is three cards of the same denomination plus a pair. A Full hand beats a Flush. Bardeen won. Imagine the stakes in that game of Bluff where no one had showed their cards or gave any indication of hand like in Draw poker.

Source : https://books.google.com/books?id=16...page&q&f=false

[Dave Hull]

Re: Preservation Poker at Missionary Ridge

Wish I had time in the schedule to get down for the event, especially preservation poker night. Did you find an old Faro table to use or make one? Been kicking around a Faro night for a future event but have not come across affordable Faro equipment.

[Silas]

Re: Preservation Poker at Missionary Ridge

Faro tables aren't very portable. This will be a field created table from an old door atop a sawhorse. Surface will be felt with cards varnished to it. May place the felt upon a blanket or shelter half depending upon dealer's perogative.

Will have three tables for three different games. Make a twenty dollar donation and get back fifty-two dollars of greenbacks.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Preservation Poker at Missionary Ridge

Will have three tables for three different games. Make a twenty dollar donation and get back fifty-two dollars of greenbacks.

$20 for $52 bucks??? Sounds like a deal, Silas... :)

[Dave Hull]

Re: Preservation Poker at Missionary Ridge

Thanks, I had not thought about varnishing cards to the felt, might just have to give that a try. Did you all buy or make a case counter?

[Silas]

Re: Preservation Poker at Missionary Ridge

Playing a variant called Stuss which is dealt from the hand rather than from a box. More campaigner friendly.

[Dave Hull]

Re: Preservation Poker at Missionary Ridge

Thank you Sir, I will have to look that one up.