St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-17
thony avenue, whether she could play

thOny avenue, whether she could play
craps.
"Craps?" queried the astonished
maiden. "What on earth are craps?"
Don't know craps?" exclaimed the
st. Paul fairy. Good, gracious!
Down sat the expert in sevens and
elevens, and in very few moments the
Eastern and Western beauties were
shooting the worries for all they were
worth.
The New Orleans coon who first in
vented the game of craps perhaps
never imagined that the game would
ever become popular with the poker
playing people of the great republic. 1t
is a fact, however, that the game OF
craps is being played everywhere now
adays. The smooth mahogany tables in
many st. Anthony hill mansion to-
day are clipped and Scared from the
falling of the dice upon them, and
through the halls and corridors of
the mansions IN upper tendon ring such
lucky lev" etc. Poker is for the nonce
relegated to the second place, and craps
is all the go. The game OF
craps has a somewhat peculiar history.
1t was first played by the roustab0uts
along the leyees in New Orleans. The
great river steamboats, carried 1T along
the Mississippi, and 1t was fully devel-
oped as gambling paStime by the
sporting fraternity of Kentucky. The
sports of the state feel that it came to
them at very Opportune time. Inc
legislature had just made iI both dlffl-
cult and punishable for players in faro,
keno and poker. The Kentucky legis-
lature never thought that the gambling
methods of New Orleans roustabouts
would ever find place upon the green
cloth for gentlemen, and so rallied TO
'legislate against it, Craps" being
beyond law, grew rapidly III popularity,
and is now generally played.
1t was at one time called ''oOutz," so
named from the pig-like cry of the
player as he throws the dice. 1t is by
this name that the game is known
throughout the West. 1t is a game easy
to learn, and by it you can lose your
money as conveniently and as rapidly
as you may desire. You may play for
cent and upwards neither the amount OF
money staked or the number of players
permitted being limited. The necessary
''lay-out," for the game consists OF
pair of ivory cubes, called dice, upon
each of the sides of which are black
dots running from one to six. Each
player deposits with the stakeholder
given sum, the limit in some places be-
ing 81 to each player.
Again, some ''gamekeepers" permit
players to "throW'the dice for position;
the player making the highest number
secures the first throw. The first play
er takos the two dice in his hands, and,
after shaking them, spills them out upon
the table. If the dice ''come seven" or
''come eleven, that is, if the sum
OF the spots on the upper face of
the dice count the thrower seven or
eIeven--he takes the stake, less 5, 10 or
Is per cent, which goes to the game
keeper This player is again entitled
to the first throw, new pot being con-
tributed to by all the players, and he
holds the first throw until he fails
to cast a seven or an eleven. Ii
upon his first throw he fails to cast the
numbers seven or eleven he is en-
titled to throw again, the number
of his first throw being his
point, and he continues shooting until
he throws that point, which entities him
to the pot, or until he throws the number
seven, when he loses, and the throw
passes to the next player on the left
For instance, if, failing on the first cast
to throw seven or eleven, the player
turns six, he shoots again. and so on
until six is made, when he wins, or until
the result is seven, when he must con-
tribute, if he stays in the game, oeyery
pot until the throw returns TO him. Ere
Quently the throw passes round several
times, and the stake swellS with every
round.
A rather funny vocabulary has been
originated by the games. The numbers
made by the dice are known by the fol-
lowing names:
Six ................. ........Jimmle Hic
1en...... ..''..'''''''' -''''''''' Dig DIcA
Nine. Observation-Disclosures. ......... Ninety days
Deuce =. .....,.......... ...:... pig beSs
Tray. ..-.... ............'. ''''''DeFll stichef
The ace is considered very lucky, the
tray very unlucky. The meaning of
expressions used by the players seem
very odd:
Shot his load'' means the player has
last his last cent.
'I'm hot In luck or winning.
''l've got YOU faced''-Player'S money
covered by another.
Il amt passn' Don't be scared.
"Run through me like Sieve"-Player
has lost every time.
II shoot in dime"-Deposits that
amount.
Il come for you'll want to play.
Uncle Sans money has been re-
named, as follows:
one cent ....'.'''s'..'' '''''h ploWu
Five cents......... ............ "A plc@
Quarter. ....,......... ....,..........I Two p!ts
Dollar. .:.... ........ .....ElghC plts
TWO dollars .....A suout
In st. Paul the game is played openly.
Newsboys delight in it. Pedestrians on
the side streets readily understand when
they see unemployed youths in a door
way all attention while two dice are
being thrown.