St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-15
The Arithmetic of the Game
is Accurate and
Plain.
Something About the Queer
Nomenclature Of the
Game.


sions of exultation and disappointment
in several mingled dialects. wayfarer
paused the other evening at an alley
not far from the city hall, then pro-
ceeded curiously in the direction of the
sounds and found den of crap players
"a motley group of street boys. bar
room sports, bOOtblacks, janitors, buck
sters and men of the shabby-genteel sect
engaged in this seductive game.
Some were on their knees, hands filled
with cOppers and nickels and an occa-
sional greenback. others were lying
prone, dallying with coins of various
denominations; all were excited, eager,
aggressive, eXpectant. In the center of
the circumference formed by each group
was clean space. technically 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 urn out"
One had just made click" or win
ming throw, raked in the pile of coin
wagered against him. and was prepar-
ing to cast again, when voice cried:
stop dere, Phi double dat las fade,
yo' dOan shoot dis dime"
81 dOes," cried the caster.
GA nick MORE" said the setter.
''Pse got dat bet." replied the throw
er; ''dese bones knows me better dan de
hen knows her chickens"
This little speech inspired confidence
in the breasts of those who were waver-
ing between the desire TO bet Tin" In
support of the thrower or s'out' and
against him. aud they rallied round
their champion.
''He shoot dis fiye," ''he shoot dis
ten." they said.
HE doan't," yelled dozen anxious
settlers. whose bets were eagerly snapped
as is the fly by the hungry trout.
The shooter raised the two dice
thumb of his right hand. drew them
across the left sleeve of his coat, ex-
amined them closely to see whether
they had been cogged or changed dur
ing the brief time they had been out of
his grasp, let them drop into the hollow
of his hand, shook them until they rat
tied to the satisfaction of every ''in"
bettOr, and sent them spinning down
1.-THE track" exclaiming:
'Seben, eieben, stay away crap. Whar
youSe gulne dere, chillun? Whoaw
One of the dice had ceased to move.
remaining upright with a six on its
upper face, while the other continued to
spin. If it showed an ace or five the
shooler and those who backed him
would win Offhand, and that would he
"a natural" If a six appeared it would
be crap" and lose outright. If the
figure two, three or four, at least an
other throw would be necessary. Hard
ly a player dared to breathe until four
appeared. Ten then became the play
er'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 gyra
tons.
Now was the time for the shooter and
his adherents to wear doleful and gro
tesque looks. If the combined face
value of the dice should reach seven
before it reached ten the caster would
lose. The odds were against him in the
proportion of two to one, but he was not
daunted. Caressing them fondIy and
imploring them patheticaily to remem-
Der ''dat my house rents due and de
chillun am crying for bread. Dice, doan
leave me-" he casts them again and
again without the fatal seven or the
lucky ten turning up. and finally, with
courage born OF desperation, he made
dextrous and successful throw, which
revealed the Elusive ten. Then there
was rejoicing as pronounced and loud
as the proximity of the police officer
would allow, aud some of the winners
grew so reckless over their easily ac-
CURED riches that they bet Is, to 10 on
their champion. Straightway the tide
turned and there was wailing and
gnashing of teeth in the camp of the
shooters"
The game continued with varying
fortunes, and finally eliminated in the
,lnto ri <>e& ~
OF ''ln bettOrs," who founp 1t necessary
to stake divers articles of apparel on the
result of single throw. One picka-
ninny, 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 sue
cessful ''crap shooter" decked in plum
age he had won.
In every gambling den where crap is
played signs are conspicuously posted
informing the players that everything
goes''--i. e., if the shooter throws out
the dice and they are obstructed, whether
the throw is for or against him, it is a
lawful throw. A pass" or "lick," is
successful throw. Little Joeo and
'Phebe" are pet names for four in the
aggregate, and Big Dick" is the name
given to the combinations which pro-
duce ten on the 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
unlucky wight who may throw either
of them on the first throw.
The arithmetic of the game is plain,
but it is not we'll understood by a ma
jOrity of the players. who do not know
the real odds. Given two "straight' or
honest dice, each regularly numbered
on six faces from one to six, and the
highest combination they yield is
twelve, the lowest Is two. The chances
of making any number from two to
twelve are give below:
No. of The No. of The
No. Ways. Ways. No. Ways. Ways
1........1...-.... IL (2-6