Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-11
GAMBLERS TRICKS.
METHODS BY WHICH THE PRO-
FESSlONAL REAPS A HARVEST.

Boxes, Refectors and Hold Outs-A |
Sure Winner.
''Fair gamblingl There is no such thing"
remarked commercial traveller, whose ter
ritory lies in the west, but who makes fire.
quent trips home to Philadelphia to see his
wife and little ones 81 never touch the
cards any more,n continued he, "but used
to be an inveterate gambler, and have lost
many dollars at keno, faro, poker and other
games. | played every kind of SYSTEM
thinking would strike one that would in
sure success, But | found that while l some
times won, more often l lost, and l began
an investigation that ended in decision
that wonld never gamble again, and have
kept my resolution so far. But did l never
find an honest gambler' can't say that
ever did; that is, professional Some of
them are good hearted fellows, and are al
ways ready TO extend a 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, | was coming to that;
only give NE time. | concluded that the
only way was to get on the inside as it
were, and began to cultivate the acquaint-
ance of man who had run a game at one
time, but was then taking rest. He knew
that had gambled considerably. for | had
lost many dollars at his place, and when in
timated to him that l 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.
| made an engagement with him and 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 Inc 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 eve
wandered it rested upon gambling nipple
ments of some kind.
THE DOUBLE DEAL BOX.
1.-THE man handed me a 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 the
cards were cut in a certain way, the dealer
could always tell the next card to the one on
l.. A. n
double deal box-that is, box out of which
two cards instead of one can be taken al
once, and the players cannot discover the
trick These are what are called sanded
cards, and stick together, requiring certain
amount of pressure to force them apart HI
also showed me circular containing fac
simile of the backs of eight different sets o.
marked cards, which he said were new de
signs These were about No 70 on the list
showing that they manufactured that mum
Der of differently marked packs of cards
For these new designs he asked $50 a pack
He then gave me an estimate of what fart
Law out would cost, and figured it up to abou
Dinety-one dollars.
Talking in general way, he said tn
business was worth S25, 900 a year, as the
dealt with parties all over the country and il
Europe, but they did not want it known tina
they manufactured implements for cheatin!
or trick games They did their business en-
tirely through the mail, and no one, as rule
was permitted in the room. My friend, tn
ex-dealer, said that the proprietor Travelled
selling the gambling devices in the west an
southwest, and disposed of a great many.
He then explained the trick cards to m
pl,n -n1 hly 1nr,lA
with them In game, when it was his sdea
or edge he could tell the next card that wa
going to be dealt, and could have thus Writ
ally six cards to the other players five On
of the packs, upon which he PARTICULAR
prided himself as beyond detection, was
card marked with very fine brush. bougf
this pack and showed the cards to a numbe
of persons, who declared the marks to be b.
I | yond detection by any one not acquainte
> with them. The ink used for marking W,
: such that 1t could not spoil the glaze on Il
2 cards, and the marks consisted of few moi
Q veins in one leaf than in another, and in Il
bunch Of leaves was combination The il
: itiated gambler could read this combinatic
across a wide table and tell the cards his a
3 versary held in his hand.
D THE COAT HOLD OUT
1.-THE device which was next shown me VI
r declared to be the perfection and acme of g
Y devices He called it coat hold out It
J a contrivance by which, in a game of poke
r from one to three cards can be held up &
sleeve until they can be used to advantag
/, This clamp or spring in the sleeve is work
= from the knees. While the knees are Ike
:, pressed together the cards are held, and VIII
the knees are separated the cards drop doy
i in the hand for use. To accomplish this tri
= without the possibility of detection it is W
\ to wear large cuffs, that can be slid doy
partially over the hand to cover the car
falling down from the sleeve For this &C
trivance he wanted $50. He also inform
me that he had ring hold out and v,
d hold out but these did not see. Then
Is showed me what he called reiectors, viii
4 consisted of mirrors set in silver dollars a
le fifty-cent pieces, and by a dexterous a
q. proper use of them the skin gambler can t
ID the cards held by the other players. T
Of these he wanted $40 apiece. Many other
ir vices for the use of the skin gambler
Vi swindling his victims were shown me, AM
Id thought that it was little wonder that
If lost so much when was one of these victiI
ID Il promised to decide in few days VI
% the artic es | would purchase and left
to place, 1t is unnecessary to state that l
in not go back again. With the pointers
in gained it was comparatively easy for me
Id detect the use of the swindling devices in
a many games | visited for some time at
Or that. l found some of the tricks at ev
at place, and was not long in coming to the C
if cluson that all gambling was more or
~ crooked and much of it more. did not z
up gambling for some time, however, fo
wanted to be sure of it, and | associated "
many professional card sharps when out
trips to observe their tricks. All appea
" gentlemanly and obliging-that is, thos
went with, but it seemed impossible for tt
~ to help cheating when they had the cards
~ their hands,
IL "Did ever see the marked cards used
u side of regular gambling housesa / she
~ say have. Many times in private par
u have | seen an otherwise reputable L
III swindling his friends with them "-Phila
,Nl,, Dbl