The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-08-18
GAMBLERS WAYS.
An Old Dealer Talks About the Enttce-
ments of the Green Cloth.

AA.S.~So ~ >'e~
A white-haired, solid-looking man
with tiny diamond studs in his dress
shirt sat behand glass of green Char
treuse in the Hoffman cafe and told
stories to little group of friends who
had known him when he used to deal
faro for living. 1T is remarkable, !"
said he, ''the number Of people who
fancy they have discovered a sure way
or system to beat the tables. VI
course the game wins in the long run
and they give it up, but not before their
pockets have paid heavy tribute. The
man who backs eases at faro, that is,
only bets on card when three similar
ones have been withdrawn from the
box, and thus avoids split, or two
similar cards turning up at once. which
Is the banks percentage, is the most
common Hewill sit throug n the night
'tabbing' away for dear life. Then
there is the progressive man. It's all
or nothing with him, with the odds de-
cidedly on the nothing. There are
players with systems elaborated upon
mathematical principles and algcbraic,
ally demonstrated to be infallible; and
so they are, but the Instability is always
on the wrong side. Roulette, however,
is the paradise of the system producers.
1t is limitless prairie upon which to ex'
ercise their peculiar talents. The
repeater player is never absent.
but persistentiy believes the ball
will fall tw &c in the same num-
Der. The fellow who protects him
self on the .0's' and plunges on the
colors is an old acquaintance OF every
roller. Rather an ingenious line Of
play is to select a segment OF the vince
and cover all the numbers in it, follow
ing them through the evening. l have
known some heavy winnings on this
plan. But run Of bad luck will east
player in this line of large sum.
Fright here lies the great secret O
gambling. When fortune smiles the
player almost invariably grows cautious
risks small Sums, experimenting
change OF luck. When it docs come ant
continues for little time he fancies tn
turn for the better is coming again, ant
goes at it tooth and nail. The result il
that by the tine the game does run hi
way again his money is exhausted. On
of the most singular customers l eve
met encountered a few years ago il
New Orleans He used to come in jus
on the stroke of nine each night ant
play dollar on the number five in tn
roulette layout. If he happened to strik
it, which he occasionally did, he woul'
pile up the limit for a repeater. II h
| lost his first bet he would turn and wal
out without word, but under no Gil
cumstances would he make more thai
the two plays Finally, one night n
won both bets. 1 knew it would com
some time, he mnttered, as he slippe
the $21O into his pocket and stalked out
never saw him again.
"The coolest customer ever SAY
came under my hands about the sam
time as the one-number friend just mer
toned. He took his seat at the far
spread one night, extracted big roll
bills from worn, greasy pocket booi
and, tossing them across to the dealer
took chips for the amount-$75O. II
played along for about two hours an
cot up broke. We'll, he said, i serve
six years in the army to save tn
money. ] guess I'll have to try
again And he did. He enlisted tt
next day. IN. T. Cor. Cinctnna
Times.