Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-14
GAMBLING AS A SCIENCE.
Evolution Of Certain Phases of Hu,
man Nature-H0w Certain
. Wen Play.

astutely remarked zone Of them" to a re-
porter the other day, as the two were
in the main room OF watering-place
gambling resort, and as the reporter
glanced down the vista of Turkish car
pets and frescoed ceilings, of rich draper
les and costly furnishings, and saw the
obsequious servants laden with their vi
ands and expensive wines gliding to and
fro at the beck Of the players, the thought
obtruded that If all this elegance and lux
ury were the superstructre, the foibles of
mankind made rather satisfactory bed
rock.
EYES," went on the card diplomat, sit
is truism to state that the successful
gambler must be close student OF hui
man nature. OF course he must, for his
whole business is an evolution, simple
and direct, of certain phases OF hui
while running down to New York,
on the special from here, l heard
two or three rich old Jews talking
about this very place. One of them was
complaining that he had left 81, 900 to en-.
rich the house.
"'Oh! ! said another, spreading out his
pudgy hands, Il left more than that,
| much more with a chuckle. But what
do you expect, man? We must have our
pleasure
THE PLEASURE OF PLAY.
"And that is just tho keynote Of the
whole thing. There is q large class Of
men who and their pleasure ut the gam
ing table alone, and 1t is this class that
supports it. No other form of dissipation
so panders to certain natures as game OF
chance, and these make and maintain
the bank.
"There goes man now" he contin-
ued, passing into the restaurant, who is a
fair type of the bone and sinew Of these
places. He does not come often, but with
fair regularity. He was in ten days ago
and made night Of it. took cocktail
with him just before he went to break
fast. He had lost but 500, but had sac
rificed his sleep, and would waste the
coming day in making it up, yet he con-
fessed with entire honesty to having fine
nights sport. He often leaves $500 be-
hind him, rarely wins, but he can afford
it, or thinks he can, and counts it only
paying for pleasure
"Of course other than these find their
way into this and similar places, but they
are comparatively new. Men come to re-
treive fortunes lost in natural channels, to
drown grief or disappointment, etc., but
not in the numbers that come to indulge
in the to them pleasureable rack Of sus-
pension, the pain Of loss and the always
to be hoped for flush of victory"
81 suppose them" observed the report
err, quietly, "that when man shoots
himself through the head in gambling
| den the pleasureable pain of loss has
probably been q little severe?"
at is possible" was the reply, ignor-
ing the sarcasm. "Nothing annoys the
proprietor more than tragedy. He will
take any measure to keep such emotion
al ,, high-strung temperaments from his
rooms. If all the sentimental and sensa-
tional story book frequenters of these
places were eliminated. the bank would
scarcely notice their absence. They are
not the bone and sinew Of the gambling
harvest. 1t is the great majority Of aver
aged, commonplace men that yields the
profits"
Undoubtedly, assented the reporter
rejecting that the average commonplace
man helps along most of the stupendous
movements of the worlds machinery
Then, not eager to discuss the moral
ethics Of gambling, a more practical ques.
ton was put:
"Can you tell me what is the real per-
centage OF risk the bank possesses against
the player?"
IN THE BANKS FAVOR.
"Well," was the reply, "the apparent
percentage is small and varies in the sew
eral games-roulette, faro, and others
carrying different rates-but the real per
centage is enormously in the banks
favor. 1t lies in this same principle o.
human nature that have just comment
ed upon. The average player if he wini
several consecutive bets becomes cautious
anticipates change in luck, and ven
lures his money accordingly. The re
suit is if his good fortune continues hii
winnings are small and unimportant. On
the other hand, let him lose continuously
and he becomes excited. He loses hit
head, and, pursuing the same line OF ar
gument that it is a long lane that has ne
turning, he increases the stakes. Thii
policy, with continued misfortune, end
in larger losses. Thus, when the bank i
loser it is for small sums, but when win
ming the gains are large.
"What the bank is afraid Of are tn,
conservative, persistent players, but Their
are not many Of them. There is elias
OF men at the European gambling places
duced the thing to fine point. Thes
|
ways the same amount. II the bet win
they continue to play, but only 80 lon
as their profits will permit. II, however
the first venture fails, they quit the tabl
until the following evening. In this wa
their loss is limited to the original bet
while ii fortune favors them they ma
win large amount. This policy is pu,
sued daily, and a single nights winning
will often furnish capital enough for
long period OF bad luck. These men
not enjoy gambling, but. it supports then
and have no doubt that they accum,
late valuable statistics in the ratio an
proportion OF games OF chance. They al
detested by the officials Of the place, br
their right to play as they please can M
be questioned"
"But ii this be fact said the RI
porter, "why is not the practice more un
e versal?"
Because" was the emphatic respons,
mot one man in thousand possesse
the requisite characteristics to SO contr'
himself under the spur OF such excit
ment as the gaming table can offer"
."Do professional gamblers, as rul
always havemoneyY
\. "The average professional gambler
was the reply, sis dead broke nil
l. months out OF the twelve. "-New 70