Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-01
CONFESSIONS OF A GAMBLER.
Methods OF Protecting the Bank and
Of Fleeing Innocent Players.

From the Pttsburg Commercial Gazette
"What are the chances against player in
square game of faro?" the reporter asked of
an old gambler who stood on Smithfield street
lamenting the restrictions that were placed on
his business by the Pittsburg police.
against sucker-a producer mean?" in
quired the gambler.
81 mean the clerk or merchant that drops In
to tackle the gamer" said the reporter.
'Well, that's what we call the producer"
the sport explained, and then went on. That's
the class that produces the wealth that makes
gambling business. 1t is the producers
money that keeps the game going. The chances
he has of winning, with nothing against him,
and if he hasn't got system. and isn't betting
high, are about one out of two, or. maybe. two
out Of ve-tflat is, he willose In two out of three
or in three out of FIVE plays against the bank,
and no matter how often he wins he is sure to
be dead loser i'm the end. fhe PLAYS big and
has system the dealer soon gets on to it. If
he Is struck on card or plays three on q eide,'
or odd and even or both ends against the mid
die it will take the dealer time to find it out
and as it is his duty to protect the bank, he will
shuttle the cards so as to lay the PLAYER out cold
The player generally sticks to his system and has
no chance. II there are a number of persons
playing of course it is difficult for the dealer to
handle the cards in this way, but often the
numerous players seen at a table are staked
WIN are pldylIlS WIFI Tie Dank money.
and OF whom the dealers takes no notice, as it
makes no difference whether they win or not so
his whole attention can be given to the pro-
Queer. In nearly every bank they have lot Of
cappers hanging around. and when producer
comes in they are 'staked' to start the game
1.-The dealer has another trick, the sport con-
tinued, that we call taking the card by the
ear If the player is high roller that u.s. q
big better, and has favorte card. 1t may lose
for him all the time. In that case the dealer
,fci f<c, -,,s14 h,,A
winning, the dealer will throw this card down
carelessly, SO that it dosent lay squarely on the
pile. Pretending to straighten them up, he will
slip the card under the pile, and then shuttle
them 80 that in the next deal the players
chances are to lose; IL the player wins again,
the dealer will again take the card by the ear.
These things cannot be done where there are a
number Of genuine players. for in that case it
makes little difference to the bank who wins or
loses, the players playing each others money
and the bank having the benefit of the splits"
''And this is what you call square game?'
'Why, of course; all this is done merely to
protect the bank. which must have some pro-
lection. In brace game the player stands no
more show OF winning than he does Of swallow
ing lightning-rOd. In the square game there
Is some show for him. But every player has his
system with which he expects to break the bank,
aud he finds out in the end the truth of the
saying that there never was Q system the dealer
couldn't beat. These things are necessary, as !
S0iU, W pTOtcCI tue Uduh ~ 10 Oltcu suUlcCL W
losses by shoe-string players, who, being deeply
in debt. manage to get hold Of q few dollars,
and, having nothing much to lose, conclude to
try their luck. Sometimes . fellow wins $500
or e70O OF shoe-strinQ.' "a We call q small
stake, goes out and pays his debts and that's
the last the bank sees Of the money. The
chances are II he has e5 or $40 left he'll come
back, and, II luck is still with him, may win
q few more hundred. But talk about it as you
may, faro is the fairest and squarest game, and
II man must gamble I'd advise him to tackle
nothing else.'
'Can faro be beaten?"
mot unless you play q nmitless game and
have mint Of money to do it with. If bank
has $4,000 you can bet s., 600 on card and If it
wins the banks busted and there's an end Of it.
If you lose you have to keep on doubling your
bets until you do win, when, Of course the de-
sired end Is accomplished. But every bank has
its limit. and when you get to 1t you've got to
stay there. The fact that few gamblers have
money shows which way the wind blows. It's
rare one dies RICH The banks make the
money. the producer furnishes, and the pro-
fesionai sport kind Of hangs In between the two
until women or whisky bring him to his grave"