The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-07

1000 prepared LOT urco ana weak
digestions.
soc. and 500 Mt all ~druggistA
sometimes happens that even old time
gamblers are duped by means of the
poker ring. There is a story to the
effect that a famous New York short card
player was the inventor OF the poker
ring; aud TINT he made a our of the
Western cities, completely swapping
everybody with whom he played.
He returned TO this city with a quarter
OF a million dollars, which he soon fritz
tered away against faro and roulette. IL
Is a strange fact that professional gam
blers are quite az foolish as the uniniti-
ated about these games. The money they
make at Boston and hearts and poker Is
almost sure to fade away in roulette or
faro.
Appliances of various other sorts are
used to fleece poker players. One of these
appliances is the vest "holdout." IL Is
a pocket book made of leather and steel,
a little broader, longer and thinner than
a pack Of cards and having an inside
wallet with steel edges to which Is
attached a spiral spring that runs down
inside the trousers and is fastened 10 the
foot. This machine is sewed fast be-
tween the vest and the vest lining hori-
zontally within easy reach of the right
hand. For the sake Of comfort the per-
son who uses IL opens a couple OF but
tons of his vest, the room being warm,
and affects TO keep his handkerchief there
and To use il occasionally.
His plan is to put away in the holdout
one card OF each suit in order to fill
flushes, and perhaps a couple OF aces, al
though ii is dangerous to hold out aces
for any length Of time, since they are
liable to be missed.
But should the player with the holdout
get four clubs or hearts or diamonds, or
whatever suit ne may. ell that he has to
do is TO stretch his leg and out comes the
inside wallet with the required card.
This card joins the other four, the hand
kerchef is used TO wipe the face, is put
back with a flourish and the flush is
probably a winner.
TuE INTELLIGENT "BUG."
The "Bug' is another familiar inven-
tion of the devil to enable skin gamblers
10 fleece their prey. II is designed to
hold out any number of cards. With 1t
you can shift and make up your hand to
suit, while your hands and person are at
perfect liberty. Your opponent may look
up your sleeve and in your lap, but will
discover nothing.
1t will doubtless be a comforting
thought to those who have gone up
against brace games that a great percent
age of professional gamblers nave TO he
buried by subscription. "After all"
said Pat sheedy recently, ga professional
gambler Is a TOOL. IL he were not a fool
he would not be a gambler"
The victim of the SKIN gambler de-
serves no consideration. Any man who
habituslly plays AGAINST the shrewd, adroit
and experienced New York gambler de-
serves his fate. The futility of playing
another mans game is we'll kpoHn, and
no man who plays cards intermittently
can hope TO equal N who plays all the
time and plays to earn his bread.
AS far as faro Is concerned, the long,
~sitters, usually mere tyros at the game
never win great amounts OF money. They
may get ahead a large sum, but before
they Quit playing they are inevitably
losers. The house is always very friendly
and cordial to these Il yers. 1t paws
them to be SO. Even when the banK has
all their money and they are leaving late
at night without a COPPER they are treat
ed with excessive geniality. But they
never win, whether the game is ''square"
or brace"
Not one man in half a dozen knows the
first principles of working a first ci SIS
poker holdout. In Chicago about ten
years ago a young man went TO the police
and complained that he had been tieeced
by a gambler. The latter was arrested,
aud when searched a sleeve holdout was
found which he claimed cost $1,000. He
had won S25, 900 with il.
Mirrors and reiectors of various kind
are also used by "skin" gamblers. Some
Of lhese ret,eclors are attached to rings;
Others are intended to lie on the knee
directly under the cards that are being
dealt.
AT the present time gambling In New
York is almost entirely confined to poker
rooms and private ..sHRFs This does
not effect the general virtue of the COM
munity In the least. The real truth OF
the matter is that wherever there is pri-
vate gambling there will always be dis
honesty aud scandal.
len years ago in the ston paved yard
at police headquarters superintendent
Byrnes, ANTHONY Jomstock and several
cartains of police gathe. ed one day to
watch several stalwart members of the
Broadway squad demolish gambling fur
niture TO the extent OF sac, 600. Roulette
wheels, faro l%ayouts, black to1rds, poker,
hagard.and baccarat tables where ruthle, S.
ly hacked TO pieces and consumed in a gi-
gantic bonfire. Another bonfire took place
later on, but since 1890 there have been
no extensive raids by the police and con-
S quently MIR. HaTriott, the property
clerS, has no gambling imp .emeuts on
hand.
You are undoubtedly a clever young
man, and you undoubtedly have a great
idea OF how clever you really are. but it
~ Just as well 10 remember that there are
at least one million gambling devices of
all sorts scattered throughout the United
states and the chances are that at one
times or another you may run against
some of them.
Whenever this happens II may also be
we'll to remember That five hundred thous-
and OF them are "not on the level
Therefore keep your money In your