The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-04
TOLD OF GAMBLING AT SEA.
IT rs USUALLY DONE As 4 PAsTIME
AND ron SMALL SUNS.

Occasionally = Mnn Loses Hts All and
Drops Overboard-A Bet or $4,000 20
81 on n Dice Gnne-A Jack Pot 40 Full
the Players Divided ia Man Who Lost.
What was the most exciting Rame you ever
saw In the smoking room :" was asked OF a stew
ara OF ten years experience on Atlantic liners.
II was a dice game" was the reply. "A
party from California was bound over, and they
were a very liberal set OF gentlemen. They sat
IN the smoking room a good deal after the first
uay or So and played poker most OF the time,
but they always shook the dice when they or
dered anything. This time I'm telling about
they got 10 talking about the chances Of certain
numbers being thrown in succession. and one
of the gentlemen was saying that when any
combination had been thrown n certain mum.
Der Of times 10 succession the chances were
growing less and less all the time that IL would
be thrown again. So to explain what he was
saying he put two dice In the box and handed IL
TO the gentleman on his right, who turned them
out. AS It happened he rolled up skies.
"'Il bet you i've to one you can't do IL
again said the man. taking a handful OF gold
from his pocket, or I'll bet you twenty to one
you can't do 1t twice more
"'Ill take the twenty to one.' said the other
and he pulled out a silver dollar. Tho money
was covered and then he threw the dice, double
skies coming both times.
That's no great luck said tho man who
had lost, though IL don't often happen so: but
now I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll bet you s5, 600
TO 81 you can't do 1t ten times straight, count
ing In the three you've got
I'm go you better than that said the other.
IN Just rake Off three OF the flyers for velvet
ard leave one and the silver against your
check
You see they were all friends together Just
having a comfortable time. but they got I'M
comfortable enough in just a couple OF minutes
more. The man with the box rolled out tho ivo-
ries and double skies turned up. That made
four out OF the ten times. Then he rolled again
z1nANsSoip. and. aEatn-doublemIxSSSyey tims>
lie began to grow pale, but the gentleman with
the check up just pu fed away at his cigar and
was as cool over 1t as II he hadn't bet but a
single sovereign.
Tho next throw was eight times. and double
skies showed up again. That startled the rest
all but the man with the check-and two OF
them got up to watch. while the man with tho
box couldn't hold 1t still, he was that excited.
He hesitated n moment after he'd dropped the
dice In. and then with a couple OF shakes just
rolled them out once more, and that made nine
times double skies had showed up.
What will you give me to stop p he said to
the other.
"'Wait a minute said the man with the
check, and he took a pencil from his pocket and
made some more figures on o piece of paper.
"'S40o,' said he.
81 guess not was the reply. I'll go you for
s 1000
mo more than $500. Go ahead he said.
So the dice were rolled out again. and they
showed no deuce, ace.
49, told you So said the winner perfectly
cool.
Now that's what I call sporting blood. 1t
makes me think OF another game | saw that was
Tue, ~ ,th>r ttol Tha.n y.aa n al, . ~
playing a very tidy and fashionable game Of
draw-a guinea ante and skysnil yard limit It
looked like when they sat down. but you shall
Judge for, yourself. They played away with
stead Of chips until they fell into q Jack pot.
Talk about luck In throwing double SKIES there
shufled and cut and dealt with no one to open
1t, and then again and again for Just thirteen
''@ @iir T b. bs "92 luck OF thew Fl w. ' sS on with ,ht, after
reaching the thirteenth deal. Let's divide the
Rpt, And they did {. never saw anything
is gambling dying out or increasing among
passengers on the liners :" was asked.
board ship runs In tides. II will be Hood tide for
u number OF years gradually increasing in
tide for a season. It's a difficult matter for the
sporting man himself. All the big liners pro
hioit professional gambling. but all must per
init gentlemen to amqse themselves with games
what is a small limit Ten cents might be a
bigger limit TO come passengers than ten pounds
What wa, the biggest win you ever saw p"
IN ,do aos s,sc Hno W EXCEPT rsGs TINS, ! saw a man cash
hand was broad in a game wherea white chip
cost a guinea. He had a couple Of handfuls Of
more than tl,O0O at a sitting has ever been
noticed by any one in N eIperience."
loses os sSsr y : Hs lie S'a and % al. IL E; drops %' HI, T Pile
case. A Young fellow came on board at Queens
town. and for two days played agains, a steady
seek his fortune, and was losing his capital.
When 1t was all gone he borrowed half a crown
tributed, pocketed the change. lighted lis cigar.
and, saying he'd take n turn on deck. went out,
Ana thnt was me last ever seen OF him. us
I've noticed that the officers were unusually Wig /
orous in enforcing orders against EamblinG
after the news, got around about the suicide"
IN z, proportion to popa!ati3n there Is more
steamers plying acros, tho Atlantic than in any
shore community in the world, perhaps not cI-
mond broker, whose business carries him to Eu-
rope often, But that Is not TO say that the
to the pockets or the morals OF the players. In
fact. tho bets are generally insignificant in
SRI9G roinr in nscs" pool iS ON the fs" tine aSe5 Of tGe ' pss-
sage. The pools are commonly a shilling a
fSe' set saG ,hsm S sG1' a S snin. sr u na'f T : sF %Sn ~ SnS
gue.ses nearest takes the pot It's a fool bet,
one chance In tfty or in a hundred. but there
are always the nifty or the hundRed 10 chip in.
Then another POOL will be made on the hour OF
taking a pilot. A very common pool In the old
days, when ali tho Sandy Hook pilots were in
sailing vessels. was on the number OF
the boat that would give us q pilot when
we were homeward bound. Now you would
think all ofthose pools would be managed fairly.
wouldn't you Every one knew or learned tho
average passage OF the steamer. and all could
learn the numbers OF the pilot boats. So it APP
peared as fair for one as for another. But the
fact was I've sailed with ono shipmaster who
boosted OF winning a score of those pools. He !
learned. for instance, that certain pilot boats
were laid up for repairs, and kept MS informR-
ton. He learned what boat was TO be on station
at the lirhtship on his return here, and was
careful as possible to take no pilot until he was
at the lightship. There, are daily pools on the
days run, OF course, and pools and bets on the
Everybody bets because II relieves the monot-
ony OF q sea VOYAGE.