St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-23
FAROIS FASCINATING.
An Old Gambler Tells Of His
Fights With the
Tiger.
The Fallacy Of Systems Point
ed Out in Most ConVine-
ing Style.
No Royal Road to Success in
Front of the Seductive
Layout
An infatuated Roa Iette Play-
er's Belief in Ultimate
Success.

Charles F. Gysi, the diamond broker.
IS torty-two years of age, and spends
half OF his time in New York and the
rest IN Philadelphia. He has been for
twenty years self-eonfessed deyotee
OF the game of faro, which he calls 1.-The
intellectual mans amusement" and
says the passion has cost him, since he
was twenty years old. S20O.000. Sitting
at Boldt's Bellevue, Philadelphia,
with Charley Kahn. the famous
gambler, enjoying modest lunch. Gysi.
who is of middle size and we'll dressed.
and, as his name Indicates. of Swiss
origin Though born in Ameriea), was in
| an exceptionally good humor. He had
| Just returned from flying trip to New
York, whence lie had come from John
DAYS game. at No s Barclay street,
SEQ winner. When asked to tell how
| he regarded the game of faro he replied.
J with playful twinkle in his eve:
| DO you want me to write a book?
| his | would be compelled to do if told
you all | know. l fIatter myself | am
| one OF the few men in America who
Know how to properly unite business
| with pleasure. l have studied this
! game for quarter of century because
| l was and am still fascinated with it.
| resemble Charles James Fox. the emf
| nent English statesman, only in one
| thlng; second to the pleasure of winning
IS my pleasure at losing at faro. You
ask me TO go all the way back to nv
early passion for this remarkable game.
| Well, will 90 far back, and YOU news
paper men may find my story interest
ing. L have sat at the faro table with
some OF the most famous PLAYERS in
America. But let me tell you something
about the game, which is very little un-
derstood. 1t is the most seductive, and
to my mind. the most fascinating game
on earth. as we'll as the most ancient.
1t was originally written 'Pharao' and
'Pharaon from figure formerly on one
Oh the cards representing Pharaoh, King
Of Egypt.
Unlike poker. which is a game of
skill. TO my mind faro is blind luck.
pur ct simple. | have known PLAYERS
10 reduce the percentage in faro to al
most nothing by playing cautiously,
with their wits about them. and stick
Ing chiefly to ease cards., while others.
OF less experience, by dashing their
money on ten cards at once cut of the
thirteen In the layout give the bank
enormous advantages. The cards are
always cool. Not SO the player. Aristotle
has said that every man mas one wild
least in him. and | think every faro
gambler has two, and nine men out of
ten, particularly if they are losing, lose
their beads. especially if they have a
passion tor drink in the same ratio with
their passion for the game.
I'm my opinion no proper estimate of
Il
thing l say deliberately, after twenty
i've years experience as wOrshiper OF
the tickle goddess of faro that all regu-
lar players. sooner or later. are reduced
to poverty, while dealers and bankers.
especially those who do not piay against
their own game, amaSs large fortunes,
but, as IS frequently the case. they take
their own medicine and rapidly diSsi-
pate their ill-gOtten gains at some neigh
bering bank If the chances were
not seven to one i'll favor
of the house. how could the
higher order of faro rooms be so COR
geously furnished, for they are luxurious
palaces. with Madeira worth S25 a gal
Ion ana the eoStlleSt wines of France
sparkling UPON their Bullets, and among
the gamblers of the olden times at sup
perS that Lucullus might envy. these
costly VlntageS were gratuItOuSlv of
fered to PLAYERS. And men who gamble
know TO their sorrow that all this is Sus-
tanned by the percentage of the game
drawn IN by the man behind the table.
Every faro player has some system
peculiarly his own, which he solemn
believes will beat the bank. Temporar-
lily he may realize his hopes, but if he
sticks to his system he is sure to fail
The truth IS, the game is based upon
certain mathematical principles which
give 1t percentage in favor of the
dealer, which no system or cunning
method of play can eventually over
come.
The most celebrated day game in
New York city was at No. II Ann street
1t was run as an adjunct to the cele.
brated game at S1S Broadway. 1t was
a fayOrite resort for actors and the
gambling men who were employed at
night. Here | saw Herman. celebrated
Chicago gambler. now dead, win $4,000
and then lose $4,000 inside of two
hours. He did hot put down at first
dollar. He told the dealer, which is
often allowed to men of financial stand
ing, to consider him 800 fiat foot on
the thigh caTd.'' Herman won s.. 900
on the high card on the first deal He
then called the turn 'ace-deuce' for
$3.50. 1t came 'ace-deuce,' and he
picked up another $1,000 His luck for
half an hour was extraordinary. He
had drawn out of the bank in cash S1O,-
900. and had &. 600 in blue chips in front
| of him. Fortune favored him no longer.
The next deal he lost $500 on the high
card and i'll three deals the SD, 600 he
had won disappeared like the snow
| flakes on the Sod 1t was all blown in
af bn ,aEo
eeDtional. Not being a man of large
capital, and depending always upon my
business. which l sedulously took care
OF outside my moments or pleasure, |
never ventured more than 5000 at a
single sitting. Among the peculiarities
of this game is the belief, founded on
| fact. that at times the cards run in the
same manner from New York to San
Francisco. For example. L won what [
| never did before Or since, $4,000 on
twenty-one straight bets to win OH the
seven. This never happened to me
again. Had [ possessed the courage of
| my convictions, for felt a moral GER
tainty that the seven had taken on a
winning run. could have won fortune
and learned later on that at Baltimore,
Washington, Richmond. Atlanta, New
Orleans, and even at Jacksonville the
seven spot had been unaccountably
winner all along the line, in some places
as often as fifty times without d single
| break. I cannot vouch- for this, but [
believe it to be true. | have seen some
big gamblers so superstitious that they
would not play for week. though eager
to win and willing to lose, if they would
see the sun in the morning rise over
their left shoulder, or see black cat
cross the street
Perhaps [ was more cautious than
| the majority of the habitues of No. II.
| If / won 800 made an excuse to leave
the faro bank, went over to the Astor
house. took "a bracer' for nv nerves.
and either mailed or teIegrapEfed IN NV