The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-17
A RUINOUS GAME.
BACCARAT AND ITS POWERFUL FAS-
cINATIoN FOR IT'S DEvoTEEs.
1t Is Very High-Toned and Altogether
Too Expensiye to Ever Become Pop
ular-How II Ia Played-Places In
New York Connected With 1t.
lew York Letter IN ,he chicago Herald.

anu ~ means ',buSteu, palne ucapy up
propriate name for game that has swal-
lowed up thousand fortunes for the gilded
sweils Of New York city. When Maurice
Bernhardt was here with his chere mamma,
the divine Sara, that brilliant, frolicsome
youth lost 10000 francs in one night at
Frank Huntoon's game in TYenty-hlth
street. near Broadway.
The immortal tragedenne Sara, satisfied
with her untamed tiger cub in her rooms,
did not relish her sons fighting the New
York tiger, and she summary shipped the
offending and reckless gamester by the
next steamer TO Ilnvre.
Far up town dwells an ex-broker who
still cuts q broad swath rs the best dressed
gambler In town, with pair OF spanking
bays, whose sleek skins and harness, in
laid with gold, rival the dashing turnouts
OF Bonner and the famous teams of the
secondgeneration OF the Vandcrbiltprinces,
so richly endowed by mammon. Hun
toms poker-rooms. furnished in carved
oak, with rich and quaint designs, on
Twenty-iifth street, is the one spot in all
New York where millionaires sons and
the fast young generation Of downtown
brokers oftencst worship the goddess OF
pleasure. Huntoon's dinners are the best
in town and make Delmonico grow green
with envy. lie lost $500 during the
last year, but Is still well TO do and his
poker tables never have any vacant chairs.
His festive board is always crowded. The
"Kitty" yields him often 800 q night, n
princely income for even u swell gambler
-$l2, 900 month. Baccarat finds con-
genial home among his votaries, and for
tunes arc lost and won here in twenty-four
L.. a..tsf al
mistress Of Louis XIV, looked in her par
lors at carp in its glass prison seeking the
bottom. "Ah," she said, sadly, "the fish
signs for its native mud" History tells
us that Nine. Pompadour played baccarat
to amuse her royal lover and generally
came out first winner.
You have first square, sometimes q
round table, eight feet in length. The in
slrumcnts OF vice used in this seductive
game, which ought TO be tabooed by all
save Jay Gould and his fellow millionaires,
are six packs OF playing cards, fifty-two in
pack, 3l2 cards for the one game.
The table has hole in the center in
which the cards 90 when the packs are ex-
hausted and each game ended. Profess
sional gamblers have very little use for the
game, Ms the chances are nearly even. In
faro the man who dallies with that game
or fondles too long with the tigers fur Is
sure TO meet ruin, because the chances in
the game, Hoyle says, are seventeen to one
against the player In baccarat the cards
counted run from the ace 10 the ten spot
Five Is a good average, and the eight and
nine spots are called "naturals." The ten
spot, carrying out the samo idea, should
DO called an unnatural card, for IL Is
never counted. In baccarat the ten spot
don't exist. A party Of gentlemen come
nto Iluntoon's and the highest offer
TAPS" the bank. Berry Wall, for exam
pie, offers $40, 900 for the bank. He, ipso
iacto, becomes boss Of the game.
We suppose MIR. Wall, the king OF the
dudes, TO be the dealer lie gives zach
player who sits mound the table two cards;
the player calls Cor the third. Each man
before the table, behind which the dealer
sits gets three cards We may suppose
one player gets six spot, one king and
the ten spot. The ten spot never counts,
neither do the face cards, king, queen and
jack, count for anything, and the man with
the six spot has a good average" and II
nobody has a better the man with the six
spot takes everything on the gaming table.
The three cards are now "playcd out, F"
having performed their duty in that deal
and are thrown into the hole in thestable.
The game goes on In the same way, three
cards for each player, ill the whole 3l2
cards are exhausted and that deal isended.
Suppose one player gets king, queen
and jack he has no hand nj all, and at the
end OF the deal, the six packs having per.
formed duty, the player with the best nv.
erage, leaving out the ten card, takes all
the money for which the "bank" has been
tapped" and II may bc $4,000 or Il may
bc $50, 900, the size Of the "bank" having
no limit, save the financial ability Of the
players TO put up the cash. In the great
baccarat game John Pondir, one Of the old
timers, tells about IN which Pondir, Bel
mont, John PhGnix and Lorillard played
against Mr.. James baccarat bank, they
broke the banker in one night and woi
$4,000. The banker mortgagcd his farm
aud sold his race horses 10 pay the lossc,
during the playof single evening.
Iiuntoon Is able 30 pay 5000 n yeal
rent, keep up magnificent establishment
and never goes broke. The biggest bac
: carat game In New York used 10 be played
, ut what was once the Union League Club
house, Twenty-sixth street and Madison
avenue, before the league took the build
ing but the club broke up when dozer
/
, all their money and nearly bankruptcd
their rich paicrnal ancestors. Tho young
Jeromcs were formerly the heaviest lac
carat players In the city.
: A swell young Hebrew, who relolces II
. the name Of Billy Dutch, was born will
one gold spoon In his mouth aud one II
each pocket. Iid became infatuated will
the seductive pleasures Of this old Frcncl
game. lilo heat his New York compan
ions In few fair games out Of fortune
lie sighed for new worlds 10 conquer. IL,
r went 10 Paris with 500 600 In a letter o
. credit lie lost u all. lie went out int,
the night, reused rich companion at IA,
4, Hotel Louvre, Paris, borrowed $500. has
astonishing luck. and In two or thrcI
nights won sg5o,0O0. With $4,000 M
/, paid his debts, cahc back 10 America, mar
: ried n wife, soon lost all hi. money In IN,
, b,g hole in New York baccarat table, ane
J. Is now wine ''tnsler' for big New Torl
LIQUOR house, andipushes brand Of cham
, payne before thu swell clubs In this city
!, when the governing committees are no
: too strict baccarat holds Ia midnight swa,
. In many opulent New York clubs In q pri
I waite room for that purpose flint had an,
4 obtained Several fortunes Oi colossal pro
! portions have been lost nj the clubs bcior
I, abaccarat table Inn singlonight during tn
last year.
Its game thai will never largely -four
ish ON American sporting soil ontside O
New York city,. II IL an anaconda whicl
. swallows too mtich Tor one meal. II Is In
iuyvcrnaut OF gamcs which brushes on