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four-card spread

A method of cheating in poker requiring two partners giving the impression they are strangers to each other. One partner deals a short hand to the other while secreting the missing card of a winning hand. When the hand is called, the dealing partner demands to see the winning hand. He then spreads his partners hand out on the table for all to see while secretly slipping the missing card into the hand.[1]

Point Blank: In July of 1871[2], Bret Maverick was hired by Mike Brill as a spotter for the Golden Chance Saloon in Bent Forks,[3] Nebraska[2[ and caught Fred Callahan and Fletcher working the spread. Callahan had dealt Fletcher two jacks in a four-card hand. Fletcher claimed to win the pot with three jacks. Upon the call, Callahan demanded to see the hand and, in spreading the hand across the table, added the third jack. Bret confronted the two card sharks and sheriff Wes Corwin immediately arrested them for cheating.[2]

Relic of Fort Tejon: In July of 1878[2], Bret Maverick was playing poker with brace men Connors and Ferguson in the Square Deal Saloon in Silver Springs,[4] New Mexico Territory.[2] Bret caught the brace men running the spread and foiled it by pointing out that Connors didn't have a full hand before Ferguson could slip in the missing card. Bret played it in such a way as to not alert the other players of the deception, but the tactic forced Connors and Ferguson to report Bret's expertise to the saloon's owner, Carl Jimson.[4]