River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-01-26
PLAYING FAN TAN.
The Chinese Are the Greatest Gamblers
on Earth


Gamblers? Why. these fellows
around here don't know what gambling
is" remarked an old hand at the bust
ness, as he squared away to tell long
story. why, there is only one nation
of gamblers on earth. The gambling
among the Americans and English
compares to the Chinese game of fan
tan as do marbles TO draw poker. A
Chinaman will do more gambling than
dozen whites any time. I've watched
them, and | tell you they would make
al average bank player faint.
Il presume | am the only white man
in this country who has ever run tan
layout They made my partner turn
gray inside of three days in Denver.
and he said the bank would do him
after this. You see, it is the oldest of
games. 1t is the Chinese faro bank
and they all play it, from boyhood's
days until old age prevents China
man reaching tan game. No man
kicks against his son playing tan. 1t
is natural and they think the boy
might Just as well learn on the start as
later in life 1t is played in Frisco
and Denver now with Chinese bankers,
but they charge higher rate of inter-
est than we did. When l was dealing
in Denver was pulled three times in
side of eight days. and every time |
had to paw the fines. the interpreter.
and give the Cinnamon one dollar and
half each night they were held.
1T is the easiest thing on earth to
get game You need to have a China
man pay and take and as soon as he
is hired he posts notices in each Chinese
lodgeroom that tan will be dealt at
certain number, white men furnishing
the money. Before you can get open
they are there in droves They never
play in the morning, their hours being
from one to five in the afternoon and
all night. The man who is running il
has to furnish them cigarettes free.
The layout is simple There is
square on your table with numbe on
each side. The man bets on one of the
numbers. For instance, he LAYS his
money on the one against the three.
He gets no action If the two or four win.
and if the three wins he loses II the
one wins he gets almost even money for
his bet. There is regular sys-
tenn of interest which goes to the house
On bet of 81. so you pay s425, and so
on, paying 1913 on $780, The game is
played with buttons. The dealer takes
any number of white buttons and puts
them under an inverted funnel, and
then the Cinnamon place their bets.
When all the money is ready the man
who pays and takes for you counts
them off by tours with a bamboo stick
Whatever number remains is the win
ming number There viii be one, two,
three or four, and you pay on the num-
Der. The better can place his money
on the one against the two and three.
and If he wins he gets two for one,
with no action on the four If he takes
one number against all the rest he gets
three for one
There IS no limit TO the BETTING
The Chinese in this country have aeon
INFLATED a great deal of money, and
they bet heavily when they have il.
IL they win three times i'm succession.
they will quit the game for the after
noon or evening. They first bet to
win even money. put it all on a num-
Der at two to one and, if they win
again, lay it at three to one. Any time
they win at this system, they jump up
and run out. They bet on odd num-
bers, the customary amounts being
81. so. 50, SIS. SIS and $780, | saw
Chinaman plank down eleven $50 gold
pieces at three to one in Denver, lose il
and leave. They have very peculiar
way of losing TO each other. If one
goes broke he pays 3 per cent interest
on what he borrows from his country
men. You don't have TO carry them
along as you do the players around
here, for they can always get the stuff II
they stand we'll Detroit Free Press