Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-02-14
Green's Exposition of Gambling at
Annapolis.

ANNAPoLIs, Feb. 2, 49,
1t may he interesting TO your reader to have
sketch Of one of Green's lectures before the Legs
lature, the public officers of the State, &C., in
this city. Mr.. Green commenced by exhibiting
about twenty different packs of car,ls in common
use. including those having white backs and
pointed out the various marks on the backs of
each, by which the protested gamblers could tell
them as readily as by the face. The maEufac-
ure OF cards, was exclusively in the hands of gam
bers and their agents.
Mr.. Green next remarked that the public gem
orally had no adequate conception of the degree Of
skill which was attanable by persons Who made
gambling their business, and that if he could only
succeed in fully acquainting the public mind upon
This subject, he had fears that any individual
well informed in the matter. would be so simple
minded ever to attempt an encounter with the
profeSsed gambler This great degree of skill on
the part of .pIoteSSei gamblers the result OF
some amount of science, strong powers OF memory
acquired by cultivation, an astonishing seight OF
hand obtained by constant practice, all aided by
the marked cards i'll general use, by which they
| were read easily as il they played with the
| faces upward,
| To convince gentlemen of the utter folly of at
| tempting 10 play cards with profeSSed gamblers
however amusing might lie their private games
| with each other, he would show them how COM
| pletey he could control the cards OF the entire
pack. The game Of whist was called for; the
| cards were shuffled by those around him. when he
Immediately dealt himself and partner all the i'm
portant cards in the pack. He then explained to
| lneul lnaI, kuOWlHS every caru IN the PACK, he
could deal the second, third or even lhe fourth
card from the top well the first, and this he
did again with rapidIty that defed the closest
scrutiny TO detect 1t, and with much apparent
ease as if he was dealing from the top oflhe pack"
"Hgh, low, jack and the game was next call
ed for. the cards thoroughly shuffled He mme
diately dealt himself the ace, deuce and ten of
clubs and turned the jack, and gave his opponent
the king, queen and tray, beneath score of
wa,cful eyes around the table, none ofwhich could
detect the cheat account for the result. until
| explained by Mr.. G.
"Euchre'' was next called for, the cards shut
fled, &c. Mr.. g., dealt himself the ace, king, jack
| of clubs, jack OF spades and ten of hearts, and
| turned the queen of clubs for trumpS dScardng
the ten, lie insured himself all the tricks. This
he done by making several changes in the relative
position Of the cards, which is done, and could
ly be done, by thorough bred gamblers.
"Bragg" was next introcuced-the cards shut
| fled and cut; partner selected, to whom Mr.. G.
said he would give large hand. lie dealt him
1.-TWO bullets and bragser,'' and the third man
| the same hand IN size-thus showing that the
gambler could, in his knowledge of cards by marks
deal Just such cards rs he chose 10 deal.
| Bluff was next called for, and Mr.. G. show
ell conclusivey that he could deal the cards from
| top, bottom, middle of the pack, with SO much
dexierity as defed detection.
The "Faro bank' was next called for. This,
Mr. G. said, might be considered the national game
and was supposed by the pablo 10 be the most fair
| and equal game played with cards. But his expo
| stion of the many modes of cheating by marked
| cards, false shutting, bending the cards they
were about to be placed in the box, stocking them
when gamblers ''show'' the cards, "a peculiar
shuffie,)-the "gar' as played on the finger to
push out two; (Which cheat, he said, is played a
great deal by Balt more gamble!s,) "strppers'' or
| cut cards, and the manner in which cards should
be shufed and put up to lose, all startling in
formation TO all present, some Of whom candidly
confessed that they had lost their thousands at this
game, but declared they would never play again,
and would advocate the passage law to punish
| those who had been instrumental in robbing them,
and to prohibit the continuance of gambling hous-
| es.
| great variety oftricks with cards was next pre-
scented, showing the extraordinary seight OF hand
and powers of memory that could be attained by
those who make gambling their study, and exhibit
ting the utter folly Of the attempt to play card S
with gamblers, who can rob their victims at thei
will, 10 any extent. Mr.. GREEN'S audience left the
room much wiser than when they entered.