Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-03-20

1890
rately engraved back. These cards are
sold at about 81. so a pack"
"But do not these printed5, ms marks n, soon
7 UeIauIrs- krnI,prr urun,nSy SosnOicrs e'
"Yes. Then there is way of mark
ing cards specially for one pack, which
costs 81 or So. This is done to cheat
gamblers. I knew man who went into
a gambling game up town, and played
and lost several nights at poker. Then
he put private marks on an ordinary
pack of playing cards, staked the darby
who furnished the cards to the players
to put in his pack, and he went out of
the game 81, 900 winner that night"
"What is the advantage of marked
cards in poker 2
"You can tell every mans hand as it
is dealt before he knows it himself. If
he gets a low hand you can often bluff
him out of his stake at the start. If he
gets high hand you know when to keep
out. But when your turn comes to deal
you can give each player whatever cards
you please. Watch me deal this pack.
J. will give you, while you are Watching
me, either the second or third card from
the top without detection. II I see a
good card on top slip it down and keep
it for myself, and deal you the next one.
Or / can slip that down, too, if I choose,
so that your chance of getting a good
hand is very SLIM
Suppose some one else furnishes
cards that are not marked. Have you
any way of marking them ?"
"Several. Here is little tool called
poker ring. It is apparently an or
binary diamond ring. Look at it. You
see nothing peculiar about it. Pass
your finger over the part that is inside
my hand. You will feel little sharp
steel point. Suppose you take out
fresh pack of cards which [ have never
seen. In ten minutes play will have
all the good cards marked with my little
pricker. Every time an ace or king
comes in my hand I will prick a little
hole in the corner. That throws up
small burr. When I deal the cards I
can tell with my eyes shut when I come
to one of these pricked cards. You may
bet your life [ will never deal one of
them to you. Sometimes, to avoid sus-
picion, will prick four deuces OF tours
and deal you three aces. Then 1 make
you feel sorry. The slight enclosing
that is done by the pricker will not be
noticed. The old-fashioned way of bend
ing corners to mark cards is out Of use,
as bungling and easily detected. An
other way by which [ can read your
hand is by the spy, or sinner.
"The spy is very simple advantage
tool. Tt is merely little mirror which
you fasten to your knee. It is con-
vex, and catches the reflection Of the
cards at various angles. This is gener-
ally used at pretty large table, as it is
likely to be observed where the players
sit close. All l have to do is to look
down into the mirror to tell every card [
deal you. This is used where the cards
are not marked. IF you suspect that
you are watched all you have to do is to
cross your leg little while and the mir
ror is covered up. Sometimes you may
hold one in your hand. The price of
this beautiful little instrument is only
$3.50. But it is not simpler than the
bug"
ga 'bug?' What is the function of a
'bug?"
ga bug is an entirely new invention
for the purpose OF holding over cards
when you are playing poker, so that
when you need them you can slip them
in your hand at another deal. This is
done without detection, as the cards are
seldom counted. The instrument
consists Of o strip OF steel,
which has at one end little
spike that is struck into the under side
of the table. The spring lays up against
the under side of the table. You can
easily slip one or two cards in there with
out detection, and take them out at your
leisure. This gives you two or three
more cards from which to make your
hand than the other players have. You
keep discarding into the bug, and you
can soon make any hand you wish. I
caught fellow once playing a bug on
me. I never said word, but went out
of the room. When [ returned 1 had
changed my ring, and it WAS not long
before 1 had all the cards pricked. [
dealt him an ace full and took four tens.
Then he wept. He knew nothing about
the pricking game. He got quite ex-
cited, and began making remarks when
he found he could not win pot with
four jacks. After that I went halves
with him, and we worked the bug and
the ring together. The ring only costs
$1.50."
"But was not that risky business ?
Suppose you were caught with those i'm
plements p
"You mustn't get caught. A genu-
inc gambler goes fixed with all his tools.
He cheats you in 30 many ways that you
cannot possibly conjecture how it is
done. You may furnish the cards your
self, and he will beat you. Why? It
is his business. He cannot afford to
keep room and pay for furnishing it
and give you a square show. You are
trying to get his money He is trying
to get yours. You lose, of course. You
oug int to know better than to play.
Here is another nice tool for concealing
cards. It has good deal of machinery
about it.
"This is called the vest holder. The
plan of it is to rig continuance inside
of your vest that will pull In any num-
Der of cards that you place in it, and
carry them Gear out Of sight in your
bosom. A string runs down through
the leg of your trousers, and
is attached to your foot. When
you want to take card out, or put
one or more in this receptacle, you let
l,o