The sun., 1897-01-17
NEW YORK'S POKER SHOPS.
30 PROFITS ~ cLUBs orInE IrrB
BI0 rHu gur DEFuyCT HOLLAND.

m. Ths. sr,ns. us R.s.s. ,s- Prof.
year or the M-mbership-Fro-
,I,,., Players. nud Loeters.
.,,.,oue was so clearly suggest'Ve ol o'uo.
Is a" financially able membership that
o'' n,ny residents OF this town not weh in-
to man, norhaps n matter OF no little sur
formeu ~ IN the papcrs that the Holland
prssU " w., THIRTY. first street had been taken
oiuoV, ne the sheriff and its effects sold by
10 ns.r claims Of creditors" said New
Nun .ho il evidently not among tho num-
i"A 40, weu.informed citizens; "conse-
pc' ~ 1, may surprise them again to know
Qu', club of the aristocratic name was
tns' A.. NJ many elegant New York clubs OF
m,.,,.r cbaracter-a poker shop pure aud
Ths belongings OF this Holland
,bousands OF dollars. and were beau
oi,ok upon and go about among, but tho
vi, real attraction to its members were three
80. round tables. covered with green, ana
.oh with narrow slit in the centre. Tho ad-
'.onitory and pleading 'Going--roing-Eoin
n,,h. sheriff's auctiuneer could only induce
"a a, hIuh as $3.50 for those three tables, but
,,or, ,hem the Holland club could not have
-i.,.d ,vo hours; and II had the money that
,s..,,.d hands over them | think l might
n..n. IN maintain a town house and country
rms. in great shape. and have yacht, and
n.vbe keer stable OF horses.
"r,ny thousand dollars Is . toierably snug
.u, >, nay as annual club dues. don't you
,hIpt2 II seems so to me, anyhow. and yet know
.nan who has been paying that for some
r.ar,. and as he keeps right on doing 1t l
imagine he must be satisfied with his member
,hip in that club I'll tell you how that Ia.
Th... clubs. like the defunct Holland CLUB. are
VAI "a Has ha
,.w. governing the formation of clubs in New
York state. This is dono TO prevent police
ID. Although each hns its duly elected Of
se,r,, one man is usually the promoter. sponsor.
and proprietor. Thus the greatest Of all the
hlsh.toned poker shops, which is located
farther downtown. is a one-man club Its pro-
n,,.,or started some years ago with poker
came IN Park place, hear the Post
oeaee lie made money there, and was
AMI, finally to expand into the club, where
h. Ia. a most distinguished member
,hip-united states Senators, Judges, Con-
xr,s.men, and statesmen OF less degree.
bankers. leading tneu in business aud profess
,onAl l!fe and distinguished society men who
have all the leisure there 10 and almost as much
money as leisure. The club apartments are
fitted aud furnished without regard to cost
fhe nne.t OF wines and liquors. the choicest OF
yiands. the most expensive cigars, are always nj
the order OF the members with no charge for
them attached. Cab aud telephone service ID
fres All the newspapers, magazines. and perl
otIcals are regularly on file and on the tables OF
the reading room. but none OF them is much
soilsd By handling or thumbinE. Billiard and
pool tables are there for members to while
away the time on, but the time that
Is wAied away on them wouldn't cover much
space on the face of a watch. Literature and
billiards and pool make big blum at the mem
bsrs Of the club. but 1t is only blum. Poker I,
what they are there for. and poker 10 what they
get There Is a stock ticker in the club, and
once they tried to establish q stock broker,
once there. 30 that members could have Wal
street at their elbow and take q fall out Of 1t 4
they wanted to, but even that was not maguei,
eaoush to pull them away from poker, and 1
failed.
while there is no aggravatinz and dilator,
waiting list TO keep . candidate for admission
othese clubs In suspense, and no shadow Of
hAeibAl hanging over his head when HE turl
comes he can't get into the club save by invita-
ton Of the proprietor, or when vouchod for b.
one who Is already member The proprieto
Ia supposed to know the antecedents OF ever,
one no admits 10 mem bership. and thus pro
tect the members against the possibility o.
card sharps ga ning admittance and lootinI
them After the manner Of their kind. Forme
members OF the late Holland Club refer to tha
club. with rather positive ailegations. as a
instance where this protection may not Away
protect
"Once admitted to the club . man Is . mem
Der. But he must be player Of poker. Tn
club Is not there for its health. 1t doesn't car
how much man may win or how much b
may lose. He is not winning the clubs none
nor losing TO the club. That is the beauty o
owning club like this one. or tho Holland. o
any Of the poker shops. A faro or roulette o
similar gambling Joint has to shove out Its ow
money when player wins. The poker sho
does business on the money OF its member,
lhey furnish tie entire capital The club
capital ls merely sundry stacks of ivory chip
which II sells to It's members. Then. wheneve
alaeEpot Is played. the club rakes OF q "a
cent chip from the pot and also second chi
from the same pot when three or more person
contest for the pot. An idea OF tho assiduit
eno diligence with which the men
beu Of the club devote themselvs
" the great American game, and tn
ease ard Willingness with which they fall In,
the iaekpo, habit, may be had from the fas
ha'the rak,-ofi into the kitty by the club foot
up every day TO an average OF $500. Thi
represents 600 jAckpOts. II you cared TO do
h'ue tgurInpy you would find out that at th
emu OF year over 100000 In twenty-h,
cent chips Lad thu. dropped through the litt
"i's In the round green tables. That woul
represent an almost inhnitessimal proportion
,ne money that passed to and fro across I'll
.o,es during the year, how-yer. II the owns
o,,ae ,,ae club doesn't Ind himself IN possessio
we end u tue yrar the Kitty will hay
nettl him 100000 showing you that IL
amer comfortable thing to be such a club
as 70 !. y. Is that the club may have o
hshu and are not likely to be paid: You woul
uaSnB expect that among u membership
1,nusNe and apparently well guarded as thi
" uls club there would he any who would d,
,Aut IN Obligations of that kind, but II Ia by d
heshs rarity. New York Judge. who mi
pseeh AZ one Of these club at least four afte
sTo Yyns ana evenings out OF every week. owes
RsUQO and has owed the money a long tim
Az bES ue owner doesn't bother him about Il
49, ~. III the least. This member II n hea,
ppet ana graceful and pretty rel
N loser. Consequently he Is much sougl
otners ms good one TO sit down with. an
Nu' ihulfrctj Keeps games going that prot
~ oluO largely, whereas without him tn.
nkht iAhHiish or be unpeasantly slow for u
.aAo'oH' IN TINS way the club argues that IL
Ntung not only very good interest on q
.uuges Hebt, but that II viii not De n matter
s.siy l'hs lime before the principGl will ha'
t ,e"'lEeu, whereas, II the line WAS drawn {
nm !hc ciub would lose SO much.
-, ,rul lew Items OF indebtedness OF mem be