Telegram-herald., 1889-10-07
OUR NEW YORK LETTER
LOUIS n. Msgargse Writes or the
Big Gambling Houses.
They are kaM for Proft aad Not ~ Give
ths Players al Even Ch&ncs-A sys-
ten said ~ Bs s4rs, bat WhiSh
VIII Net Bs AIlowsa


g. AL II tiger = 1DSG ca. a 3 are sJfcLelco
forta On the grssn s~ard on which Dame
F0rtuEs dLsPOTts = expected by his lctims -
have ever snsrpansd ~eapoas oUt toAI par
tieGLaT species Of csTnlsorous feline = kaowla
somsumss 10 naaks Sir Reyusrt ais much DO
loved bsdfsllow, aud It : q TIE cuEeness %
shs Latter rather than ths cruelty OF TIE for
ner that rhs devoured ones complain.
Ia other wordss are the Big gambling games
q this eountry-ths oorruptnsss of the small
ones needs 10 Questioning honestly coz
ducteii The inquiry pr-sents Itself BY rea
son of the recent wall of the 80 called French
noblsman, one Baron do Pardonnet by came
who claims 70 have been nlegItimately de
privsd OF several thousand dollars while play
ing oaecarat al Phu Days Pennsylv ania
club house a. Long Branch.
Subsequent investigation as TO the pseudo
barons character suggests a strong prob
ability that % Is one % that numerous class
of adventures who make a living by submit
ting 70 small losses In gambling houses And
then blAekmailing the prOprietOrs By sworn
complaint OF large de6cit. That American
weakness. however, which confers upon even
bogus nobleman a notoriety and a signid.
canoe which distinguished American might
never hope 20 attain. gave 10 the alleged
barons allegation a prominence which doe<
not naturally belong 10 IL, and has set atoot a
discussion as 70 the actual character of the
| sporting houses az the we'll known places
where they are permitted 70 carry on their
work
Apart from the question as 20 whether n
man calling himself Pardonnet is one Of
! that numerous class of blackmailers who hive
| upon the fears Of gambling house proprietors.
/ the query naturally suggests itself why those
| who hold watch and ward over the tigers
/ lair should feel called upon 20 impair the
/ popularity Of their dens by doing anything
| which might give rise 70 z suspicion thai
] everything was not square and abovebOard
| The chances 81 the game are IN their fave.
I even when everything Is honestly conducted
/ The absolute facts bearing upon this phase Of
what Is really social question may surprise
even the most inveterate patrons Of the hckle
/ goddess sport
| OF course anything bearing upon this
/ question has no reference 10 the small gam
bling places frequented by hashy young men,
/ criminals and plug uglies Such resorts a.
/ these present. no enticement 70 any but those
/ who are naturally depraved. L Is II the
swell establishment where money Is staked
upon the fall OF die, or the lropoi marble,
or the turn OF a card, where young men are
I lured to ruin. The frequenters OF these are
the higher grades Of professional gamblers.
meu about town, youngsters with more
money than brains, and wealthy business
men out on lark The games generally
played are faro. roulette, rouge et noir and
English hazard. Faro is essentially the gam
bler's game. Each has a system Of his own
I BY which to play it, the object of which Is to
reduce the chances Of success to q mere toss up
between dealer and player
/ Tie professional gameSter knows that none
/ but fools play q other games OF chance, for
| the reason. which Will be hereafter explained,
| that the percentage Of gains is bound TO be In
+ tine dealers favor. In fact, the same rule
applies 70 faro. except in the case OF an ex-
perienced adept, who plays it by a system.
when, although he may lose, he stands an
even chance OF winning. For instance, many
professional players adopt what they call
the double ont" system They place half
dollar bets on the layout until they noice
that any two cards-say the ace and deuce
have come ont together three times. leaving
one Of each in the pack Then they bet
heavily, say on the ace, when they stand an
exactly even chance with the dealer OF win
/ ming.
This style OF playing may make the banker
! very angry. DAt Lc Gil lest Dc
should attract the attention Of any inexperi-
enced dupes about the baize and thus instruct
them in a secret Of the game. If everybody
played faro in that way, instead of the tigers
lair having palatial surroundings and the
velvety claws extending champagne gratis
and charming lunches free OF charge the
iealer would not be able to even give ice
water to bis guests.
But this style Of play and the comparative
II slow game OF faro are not exciting enough
for rapid American blood, ard consequently
young sweIls crowd about the roulette wheel
aud watch the throwing OF the dice in Eng
/ lish hazard or the turn Of the card ia rouge
/ et uoir Ro1lette, however, Is the favorite
game because u is the most rapid and it is
/ PLAYED with a recklessueSS which plainly
shows that those who engage in il have no
+ conception OF the chances against their win
ming.
The percentage figures familiar to gam
blers may Spsn the eyes Of some Of these cal
/ low ones. II roulette there are thirty-six
I numbers and two "bars"-a technical term
sigpifying the 0 and 0O-making thirty-eight
In all II player puts his chips upon a sin
gle number-and every other bet is relative
/ tSthis proposition guesses Alright, be is
paid thirty FIVE dollars for one. But, mind
you. there are thirty-seven chances against
him 10 one IN bis favor. Consequently, II
the play is continued FOR an indefinite period
OF time, and the game should run with exact
evsnness. out Of thirty-eight plays the game
ster win be successful one time. which will
pav him thirty-Gve times his investment
be has, however, lost thirty-seven times
Assuming. therefore, that the losses and
gains ara even, the bank earns 6 per cent. on
al the money that passes over is table. IN
rouge ct noir the percentage against the
player is estimated by professionals al ~
Per cent
OF course the votaries Of toe wheel will
I laugh at anY arithme.ical application 90 their
F favorite game. They quote newspaper stories
of heavy winnings 30 prove that no one can
tell In which direction fortune vil smile
! Every Few weeks there comes from Long
/ Branch and Saratoga during the simmer
months. aud from toe big cities during The
I winter time tales of fabulous winnings b.
desperate players, who are generally sn-
n0unoed ss haihng from some heretofore On
heard Of town IN the FAR west. Il is an un-
eontestabie fact. easily capable q proof, that
/ nearly al these tales are mere action iatcn1
+ ii - lure victims, CT whore fneu have made
winnings q a Few hundred dollars TIE sums
srs msgnifed into thogsandx Ihe fact shat
the Creas gambling houses. 20 n'at'cT vuers
/ located. are magEiGceutiT appct4tei, That
the daest liquors an the most expensive
/ vianis are furnished free 60 al couers ao
natter rassser they pay or n7t' should he
/ sufficient answer IN any discussion - O. wlo
So ou the hest sie u The green cloth.
To ~ s'8rs there sre saen via svste-ls. :
buf 'rrs.e--r~- don, a'wavs V,-f g.
tsalers ~ ala permit it 20 remain "A ercen-
( slrn which -e.l sss % sav. cher 30 nra