I got an e-mail asking for more info on this antique WHO IS SHY "JACK" dealers buck. There are at least two interesting versions about the history of this old chip.

The way I first heard the story first is: JACK is printed on the SUGAR BOWL. Poker was illegal in the late 1800s & early 1900s and the money would be put in the POT in the middle of the table in this case a sugar bowl or some other easily emptied or covered container in case someone would come knocking on the door. There were also false bottom BREAD bowls used during this era in the same manor. Poker terms like BREAD, SUGAR, and POT were born during this era.

Don Lueders shared another story about this same chip with me a while back that is also very interesting. Don said that the POT in this case is a CHAMBER POT used in that era for a relief alternative in the middle of the night rather than to make the walk to the outhouse. In this case and in this era, a whole family might be sleeping in one comon room of the house. The WHO IS SHY in this case is a question asked to a person who would have to go to the corner of the room in the middle of the night to use it. Forgive me and correct me Don if I have this wrong.