The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-11
GAMBLERS LUCK.
Superstitions Of the Devotees NJ
the Faro Bank.
Santa Fe Letter to the Philadelphia Press.

Santa re Letter TO the Philadelphia Press.
"When the kerds are comm yer
way, why play 'em for all THEY'RE
worth. Make the dealers eyes stand
out in the socket, and don't stop
till you've busted the machine, or
luck changes" This advice was
given me the other day by one of the
old timers, during the conversation
regarding faro, and other games
which are played at most frontier
towns publicly and openly.
II made a run at Galcia's one night
and scooped 'em to the tune of $4,000.
and before they know'd they were
hurt, and when Charley was bankin'.
I tapped him for over $1,000 inside
OF thirty minutes, and then turned
damned fool and blew it in at Colds.
My rule, young fellow, is to stop
when luck changes, and it's a burned
good rule, but I can no more followit
than a doctor can take his own med
icine. When I'm winnin', l want to
break the bank; when l lose, / play
on, hoping for a good deal. Some
times she comes, sometimes she does
not"
"Speaking about good streaks,
gamblers are very superstitious about
signs and tokens, l suppose"
"Superstitious! I should say so.
They may look bold and free and
easy, but I tell you every one of 'em
has more superstition to the square
inch than a mule has kicking power.
Look at old Hiil-quiet, clever man
as ever lived, generally speaking, but
if you want to e him riled just in
terfere with one of his pet supersti.
tons and he'll curse a blue streak.
He is a great believer in spiders.
Let one of them black, ugly things
be about him while he's dealing and
he's as happy as a dead Injun. Why,
one night a stranger dropped in dur
ing the game; the bank was winning
every layout, and, spying a spider
crawlin' on Hill's shoulder. be
brushed it off and killed it. Well,
such yelling and swearing! Hill
stopping the game, and the startled
stranger left the place in a hurry.
Since this Hill has had bad luck, and
attributes it to the SPIDERS death.
Il lost a cool $1,000 one night by
Just having a feller's loot on my chair
during the game. When | found out
the cause [ just raised my voice with
both hands and made a pretty speech.
The Teller apologiZed and staked me
with a hundred and took his foot
away. / started in and soon swamp
ed the bank. / tell you |
want no mans foot on my chair
while I'm handling the pasteboards.
Why thar's Brownie, Ive seen him
throw many a S. gold piece away,
Just because some one would beat his
ta'o game. He'd look through his
money, and if he'd find the piece the
player had changed in, he'd throw it
over the house tops, just because the
money was bad luck for the bank.
ooh! 1 tell you these things sound
funny, but there's something in
hem. Why, sir, one of our boldesG
dealers gets nervous and shaky if
certain men visit their rooms during
a game. Now, there's Mac. he's a
good 'un and bold; still, he thinks
Murphy's a hoodoo, or bad luck for
him, and sometimes he'll stop deal
ing when Murphy comes i'll. His
partner, Eddieman, is just as super
stitious.
"There's Joe. Just let him meet a
strange lady and the devil himself
couldn't persuade him that he wasn't
going to have good luck. But let his
washerwoman bring him a collar
ironed on the wrong side and he be-
lieves bad luck will follow him for a
week. I've seen him stop a big game
because he happened to find he had
put on a different pair of socks from
what he intended. If his servant
should forget to black the heel of one
of his boots, Joe would consider this
sign OF good luck, and would back
his faro game to any amount.
"Ned's the coolest of all. He be-
lieves in a streak of luck; and also
has some pet superstitions. He be.
lieves good luck will follow him II
he, by mistake, puts or his stockings
wrong side out, and is eve so hap
Ply at dealing faro as when he hnos
the bow Of his necktie has slipped
under his right ear. II it's gotten
under his left a he gives the deal
er's box to Brownie"
"How about the players who BUCK
the game, are they cranky also"'
Eyes. There's Cooley Bearer, tor
instance. I've known him to follow
an old woman along the streets Just
to get the nib of Der cigarette. ms
he'd keep for several days in his vesI
pocket on the left side, and then 60
and buck the tiger. If he'd win;
he'd say the cigarette brought good
luck. If he lost, then he'd say lle
old woman must have been praying
when she was smoking.
"Then there was Lance; his HOBBY
was that if he could touch a hump.
back person upon the hump without
the party knowing it, he would Ut
very fortunate and strike a bonanza.
Last summer enc of the Boston
tourists had a hump. Lance 50"
him and prepared to louch mn ~
He followed him to the ola
churches, curiosity shops anu
other public places, and several tliles
was on the eve OF stealthily touchlna
the hump, when the gentleman
would turn around. So persistent
did Lance become that the gentiein":
reported him to the police and the -.
noyance ended, much to Lang
modification and chagrin. He ol!.n
said, If | could have done it, then ~
goodbye to banks but he didn't W
it.
'.Auother favorite superstl'lon
some players have is to bet hlgh os
some fav0rlte cards il certain tnlnss
occur during a game. If the oea,sl
drops any money in making cha H i,
then the ace and king should .b Us
played to lose. If a negro enters enters 'h he
room smoking, the jack shoulu tsr
played to win. If two negroes eh
arm in arm. then play the tel d."