The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-05-25
Marked Cards.

There are many ways of cheating at
poker. One is by marked cards. One
way of marking cards is on the backs at
the time of their manufacture. Here
are seventeen different sty les of marked
cards which / sell all over the United
States. To an ordinary observer the
backs are of an intricate and symmet-
rical pattern; but can tell at glance
every card in any one of the seventeen
packs.
"How can one remember so many
mar4sP''
- It is very simple when you once
learn. / will guarantee to teach any in
telligent person to read any one of these
marked packs in two hours. 1t only
needs seventeen marks to pack. Four
marks will expose the four suits, and
thirteen marks will expose the cards in
each suit. Although the marks are so
plain that they can be read as far as you
can see card, they are so covered up
in the scroll work and patterns that you
would not notice them unless they were
pointed out to you. Sometimes the
marks are in the fold of a flag; some
times in the turn of an ornamental
scroll Here is pack that is apparent
ly ornamented on the back with mar
bic pattern. By looking at the upper
left-hand corner you can plainly see a
heart, spade, club or diamond careless
ly thrown into the pattern. All the
high cards are denoted by the different
positions Of a little scoop. This gentle
reminder of the way the boys get
scooped By them. All the low cards
are marked with various positions of a
little device that looks like the butt of a
pistol. "A casual observer might think
the backs are all alike on each card in
the pack. Yet, in fact, each card is
printed from a separately engraved
back These cards are sold at about
$1.50 a pack. aaa
"But do not these printed marks soon
become known among gamblersg'
"Yes. Then there is a way of mark
ing cards specially for one pack, which
costs 81 or $8. This is done to cheat
gamblers. knew man who went in
to a gambling game up town, and
played and lost several nights at poker.
Then he put private marks on an ordi-
nary pack of playing cards, staked the
darky who furnished the cards to the
players to put in his pack, and he went
out of the game 81 200 winner that
night"
q What is the advantage of marked
cards in pokerP'
You can tell every man s hand as IL
IS dealt before he knows il himself II
he gets a low hand you can often bluff
him out of his stake at the start. II he
gets high hand you know when 10
keep out. But when your turn comes
to deal you can give each player what
ever cards you please Watch me deal
this pack. / viii give you, while you
are watching me, either the second or
third card from the top without deteo-
ton. If 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, il choose, so that your
chance Of getting 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 a little tool called
a poker ring. 1t is apparently an ordh
nary diamond ring. Look at it. You
see nothing peculiar about it. Pass your
finger over the part that is inside my
hand You win 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 prick
er. Every time an ace or a king comes
in my hand / will prick a little hole IN
the corner. That throws up a small
burr. When / deal the cards can tell
with my eyes shut when come to one
of these pricked cards. You may bet
your life ] viii never deal one of them
70 YOU. Sometimes, to avoid suspicion,
Il will prick four deuces or fours and
deal you three aces. Then I make you
feel sorry. The slight embossing that
is. done BY the pricker will not be no
tieed. The old-fashioned way of bend
ing C0rners to mark cards Is out Of use,
e bungling and easily detected--M r.
Sa1t Is7fer1ie81.