The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-28
WARNED THE GAME.
Gamblers Tip TO Faro Dealer That
He Was "On."
"I Walked Fifty-thrce Miles Today"
He Said, "Aud Then Stumbled.

=
the scat beside mo at the faro table and
began betting on the high and low cards
/ always observe little things, and when
this man sat down / noticed that the deal
er paid very little attention to him. None
of the attendants bowed to him either, and
gathered from this that, like myself, he
was u stranger in the place Most of the
other players seemed 10 be known; that is,
all but the man at my other side He was
a short, stout, red faced fellow, who kept
up a rapid fire of conversation all the time
he played. He seemed to have 1 900 sys-
TENS, aud he informed me that he rarely
lost at faro bank when the game was on
the level. When my keen eyed neighbor sat
down, the fat man vls slightly bewildered
over the failure OF his systems TO work Ho
was about 500 in the hole and didn't
seem TO understand it, j was some $50 be-
hind myself, but / wasn't at all worried
over it, for / never gamble heavily and al
ways lose anyway.
WELL the keen eyed man had varying
luck for half an hour. He played in a
cool, precise way, which told even inexpe-
rienced me that he was an old hand When
he tired of playing the high and low, he
switched to tho numbers and began cop
pering on tho odd ones and playing the
evens TO win. At the end of the half hour
he had lost at least $3.50, but he didn't
seem at all worried about it. The luck con-
tinued against him until his losses aggre-
gated $500. When the last Of it was hauled
In, he. pulled eel in bills from his pocket,
leaned a little bit forward, and, placing IL
on the high, said very quietly to the deal
er: That's my last bet tonight 1 walked
90 miles today and then stumbled, so I'm
very tired. Now, to my mind, that was
tho most innocent sort Of n remark, but
my fat neighbor almost had fit over It,
He had laid bet of $50 on u card but like
n flash no seizei il back and glued his eyes
on the box. The high card turned up, tho
quiet man rose from the table and started
away, while my fat neighbor leaned over
greatly excited and whispered In "a husky
voice:
"'Watch himl Watch himr
II watched and saw an attendant ap-
proach the man. The latter seemed to ex-
pect some one TO come TO him, for despite
his assurance that no was going right
home, ho stood In an off corner Of the
room. No ono was paying the slightest at
tention TO him save my neighbor and my
self, and / wouldn't have even glanced
around but for the fact that my attention
had been directed his way.
well, the attendant was very obsequi-
Gus, and after n few words he escorted my
late neighbor TO another end of the room,
where they met dapper looking little fell
low. There was some handshaking, and
then the three men went out of the room
together. Well, sir, you never saw such
mad man as my fat neighbor in your life.
The oaths he Missed into my ear were
something awful. went to make bet,
and he stopped me. Get me out of here or
I'll bust he said Then he gathered up
his chips and gathered up minc, not hav-
ing the least idea why was doing 1t, and
after cashing them in we went away. Out
side In tho street the pent up rage of my
companion broke loose in all its fury.
"A hundred dollars, "a cool hundred
he roared, and you, how much did you
drop
"Only about $50, replied, but what's
the use of making such fuss about it2'
"'Fussp he fairly shricked. DO you
think Pm making fuss over that Si00p
That isn't 1t, but tho idea of being done,
cheated, makes me crazy
Ny friend, said, don't be foolish
am satisfied that lost my money in a
fair game. You mustn't yell murder every
time you get the worst OF 1t In faro
''Ho looked at me for moment in
plying way. All tho rage was gone.
"'You don't mean it?' he asked.
why, of course, said.
"'Well, well, well y was all he could soy
for n moment Then he turned TO me
again. Tell me- he said, did you hear
what the man on your left said, and did
you watch him after he loft the table, as
told you tog'
"I replied that / had, whercupon he in
dulged in some more well, wells, and
then explained his remarkable conduct as
follows:
"'If you knew as much about gambling
houses as / do, you'd know that that was
a crooked game tho moment that man
spoke. He was a professional gambler
you sec, and was stranger In the house.
They didn't know him at all and went
right on with their crooked dealing. He
was "on' In a moment, Of course, but gam
blers never mako "a fuss It wasn't his
business to inform you and mo and that
fine array OF other suckers around the Ia
BILE that we were being done. All he want
ed was his own money. So he played on
until he had dropped his $500, then he
made that remark 20 let the dealer know
he was on, walked away and waited for
the invitation to sec Mr.. Blank. He didn't
have to wait long, "a you yourself know,
and as no knew, too, when he quit the
game
That sounds very nice said, but
may ask how such simple remark con-
veyod oil that you say IL did 20 the dca1crS'
Il was rewarded with another look Of
pity. Then my companion began TO laugh
: He said he had walked SO miles Ho
meant by that that no was perfectly well
aware Of the fact that there were SO cards
In the deck being used Now when there
arc 90 cards In deck which is being used
for faro the odd card is stop card. IL will
break up any combination that was ever
made, and an expert can manipulate &c in
way 60 mako my hot lose that ho likes
There is ono danger, and that is that some
one outside Of the regular man may DO
keeping cHscs. The odd card IL kept low
then, but players don't often bether 20
keep track of tho played cards, and no one
did tonight.
"'Weli, our smooth friend said he stun.
blcd. He meant by that that the house