St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-17
WHAT A GAMBLER DOES.
The Successful Manipulation OF q
Deck OF Cards.

The Successful Manipulation of a
Deck OF Cards.
S an Francisco Examiner.
No particular game is resorted to BY the
sharpers in which cheating is to be done
all games are included. With sure-thing
gambler as one of the players. even such
family games as euchre and whist are as
disastrous 10 the uninitiated as is poker
seven up, faro. lansquenet or baecarat.
The great American game. poker. which is
included in the list of short-eard playing,
from the fact that in playing it there is no
need that the full deck shorld be dealt out
TO the contestants, probably offers better
chance for cheating than any other game
A sitting can be made at any place where
pack of cards may be had. and it does not
require that the cards should be of any par
ticular make or be dOetored. That technical
term signifies marked cards, so that the
sharper may read them equally as we'll
from the back or face. Poker is essentially
a fast game, and but a short time. usually
a few deals. takes place before the victim is
robbed of all his coin.
The gambler generally is possessed of
such thorough knowledge Of the game
that on that score alone he is a formidable
adversary, but 10 hasten an issue the vari-
Gus card manipulatioHs with which he is
also conversant are brought to bear. Top
and bottom stock, " running up, ''shift-
Ing cuts. "''second dealing and ''cOld decks
are some of the terms by which the manip-
ulations are called. Top stock, for III
stance, is managed in this way: The sharper
during the course of the game finds numer-
Gus opportunities in which, as an illustra-
ton, three aces and three kings may be
placed together, taking them either from
his hand, the discards or any other place
from where they may be gathered without
suspicion. The six cards he places on the
top of the deck when he picks up the paste
boards 10 deal. The three aces being the
highest in value are placed Immediately be-
low the three kings, which are on the top
of the pack. The dealer is careful in his
shuffling not to disturb the six upper
cards, and passes the deck TO his opponent
10 cut. This being done, five cards
are dealt out to each of the two players
from the lower half of the deck. The re-
naming cards are then placed on the table
next TO the upper half of the deck, where
the kings and aces are. The general run of
the cards Will average about one pair before
the draw. and when the discard has been
made the dealer picks up the wrong half of
the deck and deals TO the victim the first
three cards from the TOP of the pack.
Those three cards are three kings, which.
with the pair already held by the sucker"
make full hand The dealer then deals
himself the next three cards, which are
three aces, making an ace full for the
sharper. Knowing how much stronger his
hand is than that of his opponent, the gam
bier does not hesitate to wager large
amounts. which, if answered in like man.
ner by the other player, soon leaves the lat
ter stranded. 1t is not necessary TO hold
more than one such hand in an evenings
play for the gambler TO possess himself of
all the coin in sight. Should the victim not
fall against the top stock at the first trial
| he probably will be mucted the second or
third attempt When the opportunity for ar
ranging the cards in a top stock does not
! present itself quick enough the sharp uses
! the bottom stock. As many cards OF a kind
| as may be conveniently gathered from the
discIrds after hand has been played are
placed at the bottom OF the pack. Gener-
ally after the cutting has been done and the
drawing of cards follows that portion of the
deck is reached where the good cards are
located. The dealer gauges their position
ana discaris from his hand as many as he
deems necessary 10 reach them. There is no
surety that the cut will be made exactly
| right for the dealer to secure cards, but it
does not always fail, and when a success OF
the cheat occurs it is generally sufficient to
| terminate the game in favor OF the sharpers.
| Should the proposed victim be dealt the good
cards the dealer passes out and renders the
| hand imperative. Second dealing is the
neatest and sureSt cheating device. DeX-
terity in card handling is an essential item
in this work. As the play progresses the
sharper, who keeps his thumbnail trimmed
to sharp point punctures the queens.
kings and aces which pass through his
hands.
The puncturlng is done at the upper left
hand and lower right hand corners of the
| cards, so that no matter how they are turned
around when placed OIL the deck. one Of
the punctured corners is so located that the
dealers left thumb rests right over the spot
where the puncturing is located. The i'm
| preston made on the card by the nail is
imperceptible 10 the eye. but it leaves a
dent in the card which may be easily felt by
| the dealer as the card passes under his
thumb. The pack is squarely shuffled and
cut and the deal begins. Each time
that the punctured cards are felt by the
dealer, and that card should be distributed
to the victim, the sharper, by a slight
movement of his thumb. pushes it aside a
little and with his right hand pulls out the
card Immediately beneath it, giving it to
the sucker and retaining the first card,
which is punctured, for himself. The re-
suit is that by the time the dealing of
five cards 10 himself, besides the cards
taken in the draw. the dealer has nothing
but face cards or aces. In other words,
the dealer virtually plays with none of the
cards but aces, kings and queens against
| an opponent. who has To trust 20 the entire
pack for a good hand. This occurs every
time the sharper deals, and i'll the course of
an evenings play he frequently meets with
a good hand against him; but as he always
holds the top hand the result can be sur
missed.
Second dealing may be played with any
| number of people in the game, and, in fact
the dealers advantage is greater under
| these circumstances because more cards
| pass through his fingers and naturally he
| has better chance of retaining a number
| of the kind he desires The least the dealer
/ can get before the draw is two pairs. which
| after the draw become either a full hand or
| four of a kind. Second dealers generally
like to have a confederate in the game. and
to a friend they always give the good cards,
| letting him win, so as 10 avoid casting sus-
piciOn by always winning themselves on
their own deal. When two second dealers
and confederates are in the same game they
give each other the good hands when either
deals.
This system of dealing was first intro
duced on this coast about nine years ago.
1t was played by two strangers, who reaped
harvest in very few months from the
habitues of club and card rooms about the
various hotels. In short time. however,
they could not find opponents at poker, as
every one feared them, although no one
could tell how the work was done. Other
players came after that, and being clumser