Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-07-11

There was some discussion OF how
smart some men are and what fools
others are TO play against sure thing
games when an old timer said to San
Francisco Chronicle reporter:
''Poker's all very well for small
money, but when you want to gamble
you want to play the king OF games
faro. Now, there's game where you
win or lose quick, and it's strange
thing that no matter how gambler
wins his money he always sooner OF
later runs up against bank.
"Faro bank, when it's square deal,
is the fairest game on earth, put the
trouble is it amt fair any more. III they
don't give you the worst OF 1t In one way
they will in another, and all the Time
you think your system is wrong, ana
change from three-one TO douole-out,
and then to break-even, but the result
always the same. You drop your pie.
Why, when most OF the players had gos
onto a crooked box aud some one gave
away the single and double odd a hrm
right in San Francisco went to Work
and employed an expert mechanic, ana
thew have Just completed the silckest
faro box ever made. | saw it at work
not more than month ago, and l
Thought | was UP to all the tricks my
self. for l have dealt faro from III Paso
to British Columbia, but l was fooled,
and il cost me $50 to find was sucker.
The layout and box are just the
same as any layout, so far as you can
see, but the dealer can make those
cards turn a somersaut in the>boX If he
wants them to. Suppose you are play
ing the nine TO lose, and the dealer sees
by means OF q small reflector that Il
nine will lose, be just makes that nine
chang places with the card under II,
and instead of coming out first II comes
second, and you lose. The layout at
the place in front of the box is followed
out, and when the cards have been
shullied and put in the box the dealer
pushes the box close up against the lay
out, and this pushes spring and the
rim of the layout against the box ialls
back and stays back just as long as the
box is held up against this spring.
NOW, in the box there is small,
highly polished mirror, ahd 10 IS so
placed as TO take In the card under the
top card In the box and the dealer can
see lust what that card is. lie keeps
mis- hands on the left side OF the box,
where he can reach small spring
which shoots blade as thin as sheet
of paper under the second card and
raises it up just the thickness OF the
blade, then he uses his knees, to which
are attached the fine catgut, and this
manipulateS spring connected with a
clamp which comes out OF the opening
under the layout and catches the sec
ond card, and pulls it out OF
the end of the box, the end
opening outward and into the
opening under the layout when
the thin blade goes under the card.
The left hand releases the spring In the
box and the under card takes the place
of the one withdrawn. When the spring
is again pressed the thin blade flies out
and the card which was under the lay
out comes back into the box. This can
all be done in three seconds, while the
dealer Is paying a bet or raklng up his
checks or asking player what his bet
takes I've seen good many tricks at
faro, but that is the sickest | ever saw.
OF course the firm making these boxes
charges high for them, but what's
50, 900 when you don't need any bank
roll in the drawer and every dollar put
down is sure money!?