The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-06
CONFESSION OF A GAMBLER.
Methods of Protecting the Bank and of Fleece
ing Innocent Players.


From the PittsburgCommercal Gazette.
What are the chances against player
in square game Of faro2" the reporter
asked of gambler who stood on Smith
field street lamenting the restrictions that
where placed on the business blythe Pitts
burg police.
Against Sucker-a producer |
mean?' inquired the gambler.
II mean the clerk or merchant that
drops IN to tackle the game, said the re
porter.
well, that's what we call the produ-
Ger, the sport explained, and then we Mt
on" That's the class that produces the
wealth that makes gambling a business.
II is the producers money that keeps the
game going. The chances he has of win
ming, with nothing against him, and if
he hasn't got a system, and isn't betting
high are about one out of two, or maybe
two out of five-that is, he will lose 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 in the end If he plays big and has
system the dealer soon gets onto it, If
he is struck on card or plays three on
a side, or odd and even or both ends
against the middle, 1T will take the dealer
no time to find it out, and it IS his duty
to protect the bank, he will shuttle the
the cards so as to lay the player out cold
! The player generally sticks to his system
and has TO chance. If there number
of persons playing of course it is difficult
for the dealer to handle the card IN that
way, but often the numerous PLAYERS
seen at table are staked PLAYERS, who
are PLAYING with the banks money, and OF
whom the dealer takes no notice, as il
makes no difference whether they win OIL
| not so his whole atten ton can be CIV
en- to the producer. In nearly every bank
they have lot of cappers hanging
around and when producer comes in
they are staked to start the game.
The dealer has another trick, the
sport continued, that we call tackline
the card by the ear If the player is q
high roller that is a big better, and
has fayoritc card, it may lose for him
all the time. In that case the dealer puts
it on its proper pile, but if the player is
winning, the dealer will throw his card
down caralessly, so that it doesn't lay
squarly on the pile Pretending to straigten
them up, he will slip the card under the
pile, and then shuttle them so that the
next deal the players chances are to lose;
if 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 playing each
others money and the bank having the
benefit of the spirit.
And this is what you call a square
gamer
Why of course; all this is done
! merely to protect the bank, which must
have some protection. In brace game
the player stands no more show of WIN
| ming than he does of swallowing light
ening 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, and he finds out in the
end the truth of the saying that there
never was system which the dealel
couldn't beat. These things are neces.
sary, as said, to protect the bank. 1t il
often subject to losses by shoe string
players, who, being deeply in debt mar
age to get hold of few dolla rs and, hav
ing nothing much to lose, conclude tc
try their luck. Sometimes fellow win!
$500 or 800 of shoe string as W,
call small stake, goes out and pays his
debts. and that's the last bank he sees Of
the money The chances are Iif he hal
So or $40 left he'll come back, and il
luck is still with him, may win few
more hundred. But talk about it as yor
may, faro is the fairest and squarest gamt
and if man must gamble I'd advise hin
TO tackle nothing else"
j Cant faro be beaten?"
Not unless you play limitless gam
and have mint of money to with. If,
bank has $4,000 you can bet $4,000 on I
card, and if it wins the bank is busted
and there's an end of it. If you lose 20,
! have to keep on doubling your bets unit