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A Hand from the Past

Near the end of World War II in 1945, 1st Lieutenant S.A. Lincoln Sack was stationed at the Alexandria Army Airbase in Alexandria, Louisiana. By age 26, he had flown more than 50 missions as a combat navigator over Europe, and his present orders for the United States Army Air Corps were to instruct other navigators-to-be.

Passing time on base in Louisiana meant playing poker: "In the Officer's Club, everyone gambled on payday," says Sack. "It was a form of relaxation and recreation for us." The preferred game was Jacks or Better.

On a day Sack will never forget, he got in early on a no limit game that started at 9 a.m., and he was hot. As players folded early leaving their money in the pot, new guys quickly took their places. The hours ticked by and over a hundred men had played and lost. The pot was now at about $1,000 and Sack was still in and ahead $15,000.

As word spread through out the base about the high stakes game, at least 200 spectators were crowded around the table watching the action as the tension grew. After about 6 hours of play, Sack was dealing and opened the hand with 3 aces. Four people called him and two others with bad hands dropped out. Sack, still on his lucky streak drew a fourth ace.

"When it came time to bet, there was about $1,000 in the pot and another fella raised me to $4,000" said Sack. "When he raised me I knew he had a flush or at least a straight. But since I had all the aces I knew he didn't have a royal flush."

Sack took a chance and raised the pot $8,000. The remaining player, another first lieutenant, countered with $3,500 and elevated the stakes to $15,000. "I didn't raise him again I just called it," recalls Sack. "I didn't know what he was holding but thought he was either an idiot or had a really good hand."

The final hand was dealt, and the challenger, holding a 5, 6, 7, and 9 of clubs requested a card. Sack knew the odds were astronomical that the guy would be lucky enough to get the one card he needed to win the 8 of clubs. So, with a cool $15,000 on the table and odds in his favor, Sack dealt the last card.

Unbelievably, it was the 8 of clubs! "What were the odds? I had four aces and I lost to a straight flush. I was astonished."

After flying so many dangerous combat missions, with enemy fire coming at him from all directions, Sack wasn't rattled over the loss. Plus, he was still ahead $1,500 or 2,000 from playing all day. "I wasn't a sore loser," he says. "When the other fella won I went back to my locker and brought out a bottle of whiskey and passed it around."

Sixty years later, after a full rich life, the details of that incredible game are still fresh in Sack's mind. He knows too that others haven't forgotten that remarkable day. "I'm sure people who were at the game still talk about it today."

Today, S.A. Lincoln Sack lives in Michigan with his wife Dorothy. He enjoys a little poker now and then for fun, but no game will ever compete with the $15,000 hand from the past.