The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1892-04-16

t'The idea of honesty among card
sharpers in the practice of their profes-
sion is romance" said an old and ex.
perienced gambler to Kansas City
Star reporter 1.-THE only place l ever
noticed any fairness or truth in a
gambler was in some third-rate novel
by some author-usually woman
who didn't know anything of the mat
ter discussed. A gamblers business is
to win; that's the way he lives, and
you can figure that he's not only look
ing for the best of it, but nine times in
ten he's going to have the best of it.
There are thousand ways to cheat
and rob victim, but a gam bier does
not call it robbing or think of it in
that way. He gets SO used to it as a
proposition that it strikes him as per-
fectly legitimate.
Gamblers divide card games into
two sorts short card and long card
Short card is the name of any game in
which hands are dealt, like seven-up,
poker or high five. Faro is a long-card
game. Men who follow cards to live
generally have some speciality. There
is always some form of roguery or
cheating at which a man is more ex-
pert than at others. He will practice
this necessarily when alone One may
be able to deal second, another shifts
the cut anothers strong point is
holding OUT then there are top or
bottom dealers-I'm talking of short
cards now-and any of these tricks, if
the proper work can be done in con-
nection with it, will keep man from
want
Nowadays an expert with cards
does all his work with his hands and
right on top of the table. He can't be
regarded rs master and do less. 1t all
goes on the theory that the hand is
quicker than the eye. IN an earlier
day card people used various devices to
cheat with. There were divers forms.
OF 'hold-outs,' like the sleeve hold out
and the cat gut Then some used a
little mirror while dealing. Others
would mark deck; there were men
whose strong point was dealing sec
ond.' l always looked on this last as |
the best and safest way to rob man
A man would file the head off a
thumb with gold bea1ers' skin. The
sharp filed point would project slight
y. This was used to mark the cards
By the time dozen hands were dealt
Mr.. Sharp, with his pin point, would
give all the cards he cared to mark,
such as the ace, king, queen, jack and
zen, wen say, a punch which would
cave little protuberance on the back
Of the card in what would be the right
land corner as one dealt. This punch
vas made at varying distances from
he corner certain distance like one
ourth of an inch marked an ace, a
,alf-inch king, and SO on. When Mr..
sharp dealt he was always feeling for
hese points. When one came along
md he didn't care to give it to the !
'ictim, but aimed to reserve it for him i
elf, he gave the victim the next card. {
n second card below, and all so deity s
hat none could tell This is called {
dealing second and by picking out r
is cards in this fashion the robber in I
vitality got the upper hand. a
Glow was the mirror used? The a
ealer just rested it on his raised knee S
nd dealt over it, He could see the re- q
ection of every card and a strong 2
aimed memory kept him posted as to a
lie value of the hands. These two 4
themes are specimens of what one can n
'ork while dealing The 'hold-out ?
ea is good at any time The catgut o
as one sort of hold-out 1t was har- d
ess of catgut which went on the Shout
'rs of man and extended by an at
chment down the left leg. 1t was 4
ted with German silver fiat clasp t
hich held the cards just as you've seen
street bands for holding music This d
asp was under the left arm of the
carer and his hand of cards was in it il
ready when he sat down. When he 81
It ready to use it he would palm his s.
oper cards and reach inside his vest 81
rearrange his clothing, fix his shirt al