The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-16
"A RUINOUS GAME.
BAccARAT AND IT'S POWERFUL FAs-
CINATIoN FOR IT'S DEvoTEEs.
II Is Very High-Toned and Altogether
Too Expensive to Ever Become Pop
ular--How It IL Played--Piaces in
New York Connected with 1t.
New York Letter in .hc Chicago Ucald

propfiate name for n game that has swal-
lowed up q thousand fortunes for the gilded
swells 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 Twenty-fifth
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 Havre.
Far up town dwells an ex.broker who
still cuts q broad swath az 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
second generation OF the Vanderbilt princes,
so richly endowed by mammon. Hun
toon's poker-rooms, furnished in carved
oak, with rich and quaint designs, on
Twenty-fifth street, Is the one spot In all
New York where millionares' sons and
the last young generation OF downtown
brokers oftenest worship the goddess Of
pleasure. Huntoon's dinners are the best
in town and make Delmonico grow green
| WIN thNg. tit toSt rfDu,OUU uuFlng the
last year, but Is still well 10 do and his
poker tables never have any vacant chairs.
| Ills festive board Is always crowded. The
Kitty yields him often $500 night, a
princely income for even swell gambler
--Sl2, 900 month. Baccarat finds con-
genial home among his votaries, and for
tunes are lost and won here in twenty-four
hours. Nine. Pompadour, the beautiful
/ mi IA ,,.h
lors nj u 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 amusc her royal lover and generally
came out first winner
| You have first q square, sometimes a
round table, eight feet In length The in
strnments 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
q pack, 3l2 cards for the one game.
The table has hole in the center in
which the cards go 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 10 one
against the player. In baccarat the cards
counted run from the ace to the ten spot.
Five Is good average, and the eight and
nine spots are called "naturals." The ten
| spot, carrying out the same idea, should
be called an unnatural" card, for Il Is
never counted. In baccarat the ten SPOT
don't exist. A party Of gentlemen come
nto Huntoon's and the highest offer
TAPS" the bank. Berry Wall, for exam
Pile, ofien Sl0,0 for the bank. lie, ipso
facto, becomes boss OF the game.
We suppose Mr.. Wall, the king OF the
dudes, 10 be the dealer. He gives each
player who sits around the table two cards;
the player calls for 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 n good average" and II
nobody has better the man with the six
spot takes everything on the gaming table.
The three cards are now played out, f"
having performed their duty In that deal
and are thrown into the hole In the table.
The game goes on in the same way, three
cards for each player, till the whole $40
cards are exhausted and that deal Is ended.
suppose one player gets king, queen
and jnck he has no hand at all, and AZ the
end OF the deal, the six packs having per
formed duty, the player with the best av-
erage, leaving ont the ten card, takes all
the money for which the bank" has been
tapped" and II may be $1,000 or Il may
he $4,000, the size Of the blank" having
no limit, save the financial ability Of the
players 10 put up the cash. In the great
baccarat game John Pondir, one Of the old
timers, tells about In which Pondir, Rel.
mont, John Phoenix and Lorillard played
against Mr.. James baccarat bank, they
broke the banker In one night and won
$4,000. The banker mortgaged his farm
and sold his race horses 10 pay the losses
during the play OF a single evening.
Hunioon IL able 10 pay 5000 a year
rent, keep mp magnificent establishment
and mover goes broke. The biggest bac.
carat game In New York used 10 bc played
at 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 A dozen
young men with millionaire parents fosi
4
their rich patenal ancestos. The youns
Jeromes weo formerly the heaviest lac
carat players In the city.
A swell young Hebrew, who rejoiccs Ia
the name Of Billy Dutch, was born will
one gold spoon In his mouth aud one In
each pocket. lid became infatuated with
the seductive pleasures of tins old French
game. lilo heat his New York compan
Ions In Tow lair games out OF n fortune
lie sighed for new worlds 10 conquer n,
went 10 Paris with $50, 900 In a letter o
credit lie lost II all. lie went out int
, the night, reused rich companion nj th,
Hotel Louvre, Paris, borrowed $500, has
astonishing luck, aud in two or thrc'
nights won $4,000. With $4,000 III
paid his debts, came back 10 America, mar
RED wife, soon lost all his money In th'
big hole I'M New York baccarat table, ans
IA now wine faster" for big New Yorl
liquor house, and pushes brand Of cham
payne before the swell clubs In this city
When the governing committees are no
loo strict baccarat holds its midnight swa'
In many opulcnt New York clubs In pr
vale room Tor that purpose first had nn'
J obtained Several fortunes OF colossal pro
portions have been lost at the clubs befor
abaccarat table In n single night during tn
last wear.
tits game that win never largely -four
! ish ON American sporting soil oniside. Q
! New York city II n an anaconda whicl
/, swallows too much for one meal. IL Is Ia
jugrcrnaut Of games which brushes on
: princcly heritages I'LL they fade like IN