The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-07
HOW THEY WIN
Tricks Well Known to All
Gamblers.
Little Chance for Amateurs
With Professionals.
Very Few Games Nowadays Run on
the Dead Level.

$500" 1913 'fH aNNta, 49,,
out OF $50, 00o at a "brace'' faro game in
New York. Those "slick'' and pawky
gentlemen OF fortune know all about the
crooked appliances through which
''guys" are ''skinned," and this story
will contain nothing that is new to them.
1t is a story for %''guys" to reflect upon
and ponder over, and a story that con-
tains an unwritten moral.
The plunger mentioned above is young
smooth faced, nervy, and knows more
about race horses than almost anybody
else; but he does not know much about
cards. OF course, he knows more than
he did a few weeks ago, but he still has
a great deal 10 learn. The two men no
skinned" him were gamblers, cold
hearted, shrewd, aliigator-Dlooded pro-
f~es-ionals. On a very moderate estimate,
oct OF every hundred men who p az pro-
fessionally at games of chance, at least
twenty-five will cheat.
One OF the professional gamblers who
"skinnedh the plunger mentioned above
was his most intimate friend. Months
before, the plunger had opened a card
room I'm Sixth avenue, and had given
the gambler n half interest under the
agreement that the gambler should run
IL. There was NJ time that the gambler
could not have borrowed more than the
entire card room was worth from his
%plunging friend.
But he was not satisfied. Here was
game worth going after. A confederate
was all he needed. This confederate he
found. The confederate had the reputa-
ton of being a "deai square SPORT 1t
may be possible that he poses as such,
but there are men who will not believe
him. At the same time, he is as square
as the rest Of them.
So the JOB was put up. IL was not a
matter OF one day. two or three days, to
turn the trick. Ii took three weeiss to
60 IT. The game selected was faro-that
epotted and leprous king OF al bunc O
games 1t would not do to deal for the
plunger. The plunger must deal for
them. Then on the "sure" bets they
could swamp their victim in short order.
PRELIMINARY PLANs.
With this end in view they procured a
faro box with a "side ,ell.D In other
words, a confederate sitting at the right
of the dealer would be enabled to direct
the play OF the gamblers by a code OF sig
mails agreed upon. The mechanism of the
box was so arranged that the top card in
clipping out would expose the edges Of
the next two to the confederate. This con-
federate was one Of the usual Sixth avenue
brand OF young men who would do any
thing for money.
Next in order was the "working upn
process. This was left to the second
gambler, the reputed "square" man.
Two or three days after everything had
been arranged the p unger went into a
hotel, where he happened to meet the
square man. "Hello, old man. Have a
Drink with me?n said the gambler. The
plunger took a drink, then another. and
another. Then the talk turned on gambl.
ing. "It's all well enough to talk about
gambling" said the square man;
Understanding does not require any nerve.
Anybody can play the horses. II is cards
that tests a mans courage. You can gam
BILE at horsss, my boy, but you have no
nerve at cards.
1t was just a kind of remark to sting
the plunger. "I1l gamble at cards or
ANYTHING else right now.n he said.
Name your own game; I'll play you at
anythinglo
The gambler sugge ted faro. "Just the
thing ~ said the victim. Give got some
boxes and the layout over at nv place;
III either deal or go against you"
Things could not have gone in a more
lovely way. The first gambler ana the
confederate were easily found in the
bookmakers' club in Twenty-ninth street,
and the quartet went over to the Sixth
avenue cardroom. where more drinks
were obtained. The layout was rugged
up and the confederate took his seat to
the right OF the plunger. who dealt,
with the two cormorsnts in front. Here
was square" gambling for you.
Luck was varying until the cards ran
down to cases. Here the "side tell'' got
in It's work. The confederstes began to
make remarks. They sounded trivial
enough, bnt they meant volumes. Quite
as many bets were lost as were won, but
somehow the latter were slways the larger.
SO 1t went until the plunger lost st5, 600
and turned over the box. Would the
gamblers take his note fer more? Ger
tainly. Why not? They had a sure thing.
SO the plopger went at 1t again and lost
40, 00o more in paper.
Then he got up and paced up and down
the floor and tore his hair. Boys said
he, you've ruined me-. and / don't know
how III ever pay vou.n The gamblers pro-
posed a game OF hearts, in which the
stakes were tremendous. IL was not for
the purpose of winning more money.
They wanted the plunger TO win some OF
his paper back again. Not that thev were
afflicted with qualms of mercy. BY no
means. They were somewhat scared and
wanted the plunger 10 think that it was
all on the level. This Is why they allow
ed him to wia $4,000 of his paper back
again. OF the remaining $50, 900 the
plunger paid si5, 900 in ca.h when the
game was ended, So, 000 In cash the fol-
lowing dav ana notei for S16, 600 more.
He was advised not 10 pay the remaining
$4,000. "Oh, yes, l wiTl,n he said.
81 cannot afford to welsh" This trick
was turned by two OF New York's rep
49, NIaNNa o1abA'
men.
MANY OTHER wAYs
This is only one of a thousand ways to
beat the uninitiated. The "doubl 4 deck
er" faro box can be used on those who
are absolutely green at the game. Tn one
occasion, I'm Alt uquerque. New Mexico,
j saw n miner lose $1,000 on a "trace
game' OF faro without winning q bet.
and that, too, where a false move would
have meant death to the dealer and prob
a6ly many others. While this miner was
playing, a whole school OF small fry was
going against him. That is, they were
"coppering" him with small bets Because
they knew the game was "brace." III the
miner played the ace with a "copper"
for the hundred dollars, three or four OF
these small fry would promptly pot bets
OF 90 or $40 on the ace "open." OF
course, the latter would win, because the
dealer could not afford to lose n 500 bet
to win si5 or go. lie grew wild with
rage as the game progressed, but could
not help himself.
The legitimate advantage OF the banker