The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-30


point or high betting The two playing
now. however. are worth Watching The
rrund-faced man with the long hair.
who reminds ore OF q Circassaan prtn-
cess. is Gonart- q Belgian player faxs.oas
Tor fancy shots and trick playing. and =
good ioker. lie keeps the people In
constant roar with his funny remarks.
and frequently IN this way 50 breaks
rp'' his opponent as TO win against q
much stronger payer. sueh . man as
Pfot, for instance who generally Is irr5t-
able GofTartss opponent Is 3 little dried
up s1szn, with face like mouse. His
name is Beau. Monsieur Beau's strong
point is his uufaiiiug nerve and his anIl-
ity To make the best Of himself under ali
circumstances He has beaten the AM
erican Eugene Carter several times IN
matches for $s9o
The spectators, you see. are leaving
thkir seats and crowding around each
OF the players, giving them sums OF
money varying frorn 5-franc pieces to
10o-frane notes. Each player marks
down the sum received, crediting II to
certain Initials, for the people who be,
rarely give their real names. Some OF
them are Spanish noblemen some belong
TO New forks -Four Hundred" All
/ Of them are sure 10 lose in the long run,
as will presently explain
This betting goes on until each OF the
players has received precisely the same
total, varying frogn see TO 5000. ace3-.l-
ing TO the players and the recklessness
Of their hackers. Som sfi-saes as may be
imagined. one professor is mere OF a
fayosate than the others and so gets the
greatest portion Of the backing. Just
now you see Beau Is in that position.
and poor GosIart is making wit,ieisms
at his own expense. In order TO obyiate
that difficulty Beau will give points to
his opponent until the be;tors are salts
fed that the odds are even. Then both
books will be promptly filled. and the
game will begin.
Now. you see. all Is ready and the two
books with the two equal sums OF
money are placed in the little wooden
box and placed in charge of the black
haired lady at the desk. She smiles at
Goffart, the fat boy at the blackboard
Strengthens himself up for work. one OF
the walters brushes of the billiard cloth
very carefully and marks fresh chalk
lines fourteen inches from the cushions.
for they are going to play the baik-iine
game, 200 points up In that number
Beau has given his opponent twenty
points Sometinese the odds given are
as high as fifty. seventy -five. or even
100, which latter could only be given
when the great yignaux himself was
playing.
When the game is over the professor
who whistle boy at the board will
cali this out in a high voice. although
it is quite unneeessary--wil find himself
besieged by all the people who have
backed his skill. eager to claim their
winnings. And here Is where the es-
tahllshuent makes its chief profit. q
profit which amounts to several hundred
dollars day. No matter who wins the
house retains 20 per cent. of the sum
wagered. so that If You bet 20 francs
and are successful You will receive in
all only IS francs; II you bet 100 francs,
only $50. and SO on This percentage is
50 enormous that 1t is hopeless to ex-
peet to win in the long run. One might
as well play roulette with wheel hay
ing seven or eight zeros. In spite of the
hopelessness OF the scheme, however.
there are always enough cranks present
and Americans are usually among the
niinber-who are confident they can size
up the players correctly. to keep the es-
adjustment doing roaring business.
The next game win be that queer bali
in-the~corner novelty which lasts only
about three minutes and consequently
makes the profits larger. as the betting
goes more quickly. This ba.l-in-the-
corner game is not played in America,
h..f ell Il. a
accompanying diagram. It is as difficult
To play as II Is easy to understand. The
red ball is wedgsd into the lower right
hand corner. Then the player who be-
gins must drive his ball across the table
and back so that 1t takes two cushions
before it hits the red ball, which must be
displaced and driven into the triangular
space at the opposite side OF the table.
The player who accompiisiaes this in the
fewest number OF strokes wins, and 1t
is amazing to see the skill displayed in
doing this. have known the professors
to succeed in four shots. and they will
usually do 1t In seven or eight, although
sometimes IL take twice as many. Ii
would take q clever amateur fifty or six
ty shots TO accomplish this. and only
then would he appreciate the great deli
cacy and precision required
Another game in great favor at the
Paris billiard academies is the three
cuhion game which is played up 10
twelve or fifteen points. yignaux will
make runs OF three or four at this
game. and Page. the big square-shoal-
dered man. is also very clever In these
difficult caroms. Carter and CIbelIn are
also strong at this game.
At about 10 O'clock vignaux himself,
usually In his shirt-sieeves, and a for
nidable looking fellow he is. with his
coal-slack hair and a powerful frame,
will come forward for match with the
second greatest player I'm France. Luz
Glen Plot, a lsft-handed PLAYER. and a
wonder. IL Plot could control his iflfsa-
<ience and nervousness. he would be al
most a. not quite Nignaux's equal. As
Il is. yy,u see. the crowd back him readi-
ly AZ small odds yiguaux usually al
fows him thirty or forty in 900. Either
Of theru Is apt 10 run 100 or 80 in a sin
gle inning. and there Is absolutely no
way Of determining who viii win. What
ever happens. the fight between these
giants og tfse cue is sure IN be exciting,
and there are moments in the match
when the spectators fairly hold thssir
breath. and the only sound which breaks
the silence il the fat bays shrlu voice as
Re calls oGst Ss.s Score-s'luatre wing.
6eax gsIatre-yEugt trois.t-ans - on I'M