Wichita eagle., 1888-09-01
GAMBLERS TRICKS.
METHODS BY WHICH THE PRO-
FESSiONAL REAPS A HARVEST.

FESSlONAl REAPS A HARVEST.
Cards Marked So That tho Backs Are Is
Significant as the Fronts-Double Faro
Boxes, Reflectors and Hold Outs-A
Sure Winner.
"Fair gambling7 There is no such thing"
remarked commercial traveller, whose ter
rltory lies In the west, but who makes fire.
quent trips homo to Philadelphia to see his
wife and little ones 81 never touch the
cards any more,n continued he, shut used
to be an inveterate gambler, and have lost
many dollars at keno, faro, poker and other
games l played every kind Of SYSTEM
thinking would strike one that would in
sure success. But found that while some
times Won, more often lost, and began
an investigation that ended in q decision
that l wonld never gamble again, and have
kept my resolution so far. But did 1 never
find an honest gambler! l can't say that
ever did; that is, a professional. Some Of
! them are good hearted fellows, and are al
ways ready to extend q helping hand and
purse to the needy. But they get into game
they would cheat their own relatives it has
become so much of a second nature to them.
Many of them look upon their gambling as
trade, and consider the cheating necessary
part of it.
But about my investigations into the
gamblers tricks Yes, l was coming to that;
only give me time / concluded that the
only way was to get ON the INSIDE as it
were, and began to cultivate the acquaint-
ance of a man who had run game at one
ti,r,a hr1tyy tof- Ha EnQyx
that had gambled considerably, for l had
lost many dollars at his place, and when in
timated to him that wanted to purchase an
outfit and start house on my own account,
he said he was just the man to put me through
in good shape He said he was interested in
place where all kinds of gambling para
phernalia, and especially those for sure
things or trick games, were manufactured.
l made an engagement with him aud met
him week later After cautioning me to
be very careful, he took me to the top floor
of large building, where we found an ex-
tensive manufacturing establishment, and
introduced me to the man in charge. In this
room were countless numbers of chips, cards,
deal boxes, faro and roulette layouts, red
and black, hazard, sweat, keno and all con-
ceivable kinds of gambling devices. The
room was large, and everywhere the eye
wandered it rested upon gambling nipple
mentS of some kind.
THE DOUBLE DEAL BOX.
1.-THE man handed ne price list of ar
ticles and then showed me his trick faro deal
boxes, made of German silver. He also
showed me an article By which the cards
were cut for the box, and then putting the
cards in the box, showed me how, as tho
cards were cut IL a certain way, the dealer
could always tell the next card to the one Oh
top. He then showed me what they call the
double deal box-that is, q box out of which
two cards instead Of one can be taken at
once, and the players cannot discover the
trick. These are what are called sanded
cards, and stick together, requiring q certain
amount of pressure to force them apart. He
also showed me a circular containing a fac
simile of the backs of eight different sets Of
marked cards, which he said were new de-
signs. These were about No. 70 on the list,
showing that they manufactured that num-
Der OF differently marked packs of cards.
For these new designs he asked S1.50 pack.
He then gave me an estimate of what faro
lay out would cost, and figured it up to about
ninety-one dollars.
Talking in a general way, he said tho
business was worth S25,O00 a year, as they
dealt with parties all over the country and in
Europe, but they did not want it known that
they manufactured implements for cheating
or trick games They did their business en-
tirely through the mai, and no one, as rule,
was permitted in the room My friend, the
ex-dealer, said that the proprietor Travelled,
selling the gambling devices in the west and
southwest, and disposed of great many
"He then explained the trick cards to mo
and showed how man could always win
with them. In game, when it was bis deal
or edge he could tell the next card that was
going to be dealt, and could have thus virtu-
ally six cards to the other players five. One
of the packs, upon which he particularly
prided himself as beyond detection, was
card marked with very fine brush. bought
this pack and showed the cards to number
of persons, who declared the marks to be be-
yond detection by any one not acquainted
with them. The ink used for marking was
such that it could not spoil the glaze on the
cards, and the marks consisted Of few moro
veins in one leaf than in another, and in the
bunch of leaves was combination The in
itiated gambler could read this combination
across wide table and tell the cards his adj
versary held in his hand.
TIE GOAT HOLD OUT"
''The device which was next shown me was
declared to be the perfection and acme Of all
devices. He called it a coat hold OUT 1t is
a contrivance by which. in a game of poker,
from one to three cards can be held up the
sleeve until they can be used to advantage.
This clamp or spring in the sleeve is worked
from the knees While tho knees are kept
pressed together the cards are held, and when
the knees are separated the cards drop down
in the hand for use To accomplish this trick
without the possibility of detection it Is well
to wear large cuffs, that can be sid down
partially over the hand to cover the cards
falling down from the sleeve. For this con-
trivance he wanted $50. He also informed
me that he had ring hold out and a vest
hold OUT but these did not see. Then be
showed me what he called refectors, which
consisted OF mirrors set in silver dollars and
ffty-cent pieces, and by dexterous and
proper use Of them the skin gambler can tell
the cards held By the other players For
these he wanted $40 apiece. Many other de-