The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-01
THE GAME OF CRAPS.
Tho Chances of the Play and the Super
stitlons It Awak ems.

| mo finances of the Play and the Super
stitions It Awak ems.
From the Providence Journal.
| Among those who constitute the fringe of
society in Providence crap has achieved a
considerable popularity. 1t is a modern
game on an ancient basis. and is particu-
larly attractive 90 gambling men woo have
desire to gain ''quiek decision" for their
| money. Overhearing peculiar noises eK-
pressions of exultation and disappointment
in several mingled dialects, a wayfarer
paused the other evening at all alley not far
| from the city hall, then proceeded curiously
! in the direction OF the sounds and found
den OF crap Players motley group of
street boys, barroom sports, bootblacks,
| Janitors, hucksters and men of the shabby
genteel sect engaged in the seductive game.
| Some we're on their knees, hands filed with
| coppers and nickels and an occasional green
back; others were lying prone, dallying
| with coins OF various denominations; all
were excited, eager, aggressive, expectant.
| In the center of the circumference formed
| oT each group was a clean space, techni-
cally called the track, down and around
Which the wary ponies dice, propelled by
| nimble and skillful fingers, were ready to
trot at the command, shoot UNI out"
One had just made click" or winning
throw, raked in the pile Of coin wagered
against him and was preparing to cast again
A
dat las fade, yo' doan shoot dis dime" 81
| does" cried the caster. "a nick more"
said the setter. "Ise got dat bet." replied
the thrower, "dese bones knows me better
| dan de hen knows her chickens" This lit
tie speech inspired confidence in the breasts
Of those who were waYering between the
desire to bet 'in" IN support of the thrower
or "out" and against him, and they rallied
| round their champion. He shoot dis dve,"
''he shoot dis ten, they said. He doen't,"
yelled dozen anxious betters, whose bets
were eagerly snapped as is the fly by the
| hungry trout
The Shooter" raised the two dice oare-
fully between the foretinGer and thumb of
his right hand, drew them across the left
sleeve Of bis coat, examined them closely TO
see whether they had been cogged or
changed during the brief time they had
been out OF bis grasp, put them to his lips,
kissed them affectionAtely, let them drop
into the hollow OF his haud, shook them
uatil they ratified to the satisfaction OF
every lin" hettor, and sent them spinning
down "the track" exclaiming, "seven,
| eleben st9y away crap. Whar youse guine
| dere, chilluml Whoaw One of the
dice had ceased to move, remain
| ing upright with a six on its upper face,
while the other continued to spin. II it
showed an ace or a five the shooter and
those who backed him would win off-hand,
and that would be "a natural" If a six
| appeared 1t would be craps and lose out
right. If the figure two, three or four, at
least another throw would be necessary.
| Hardly player dared to breathe until a
| four appeared. Ten then became the
| thrower's pint or main and the out
bettors were happy, as ten and four are the
hardest combinations for the shooter to
| make, though charms Of various kinds have
| given masters OF the art complete control
over the cubes gyrations.
Now was the time for the shooter and his
adherents to wear doleful and grotesque
looks. II the combined face value of the
| dice should reach seven before it reached ten
the caster would lose. The odds were
| against him ir the proportion of two to one,
| but he was not daunted. Cnressing them
fendly aud imploring them pathetically TO
| remember dat my house rents due and de
chillun am crying for bread. Dice doan'
| leave me, he cast them again and again
without the fatal seven or the lucky ten
turning up, and finally with courage born
| of desperation he made dexterous and sue
| cessful throw, which revealed the elusive
ten. Then there was re joicing as pronounced
| and loud as the proximity of the police Off
| GERS would allow, and some OF the winners
grew 80 reckless over their easily acquired
riches that they bet Is cents to 10 cents on
their champion. Straightway the tide
| turned and there was waillng and gnashing
OF teeth in the camp of the shooters"
The game continued with varying fort
unes, and finally eliminated in the complete
discontinue Of the Shooters or lin bet
tors" who found it necessary to stake
divers articles of apparel on the result of a
single throw. One pickaninuy, who bore a
striking resemblance to the Syracuse Base
Ball Clubs mascot. literally shot himself
into suit of clothes several years IN advance
of his growth, and no peacock could have
| been more self-conscious than this successful
"crap shooter" decked in plumAgs he had
| won.
In every gambling den where craps is
played signs are conspicuously posted in
forming the players that everything goes. /"
j. e., II the shooter throws out the dice and
they are obstructed, whether the throw is
for or against him, it is lawful throw. A
| pass or luck" is a successful throw.
Little Joe" and "Phebe" are pet names for
four in the aggregate, aud big Joe from
Chelsea" is the name given to the combina-
ton which produces ten on two dice They
are also called the "poor house lights" as
they are the hardest main" points made,
and the odds are two to one against the I'M
lucky wight who may throw either Of them
| on the first throw.
The arithmetic of the game is plain but
| it is not well understood by a majority of
the players, who do not know the real Odds
Given two straight" or honest dice, each
regularly mum oered on six faces from one
to six, and tue highest combination they
yield is twelve, the lowest is two. The
chances of making any number from two to