The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-19
MONTE CARLO GAMBLING
AN AMERICAN GIRLS RECENT BIG
WINNING ONLY A FAKE.
Instances of Luck, When Fortunes
Again-The Bank Never Broken.


Henry Haynie, in Boston Herald.
There was either a misstatement a
misunderstanding in a recently published
account of the extraordinary run of luck
experienced by an American girl on a rou-
lette table at Monte Carlo Casino. The
story ran thus: 'She went there merely
to see the gambling, of which she had
heard so much and, becoming excited, OBJ
tanned permission from her escort to ven
ture one gold piece, and ore only. If she
lost it, she would play no more if she won
she would play with her winnings until
they were gone. She placed the coin on
No. 10, and the turn of the wheel was in
her favor. Her escort entered into an ami
mated argument with her to take what she
had gained and to be content with her ex-
perence. She reminded him of the terms
of their agreement, and while the contro-
versy was going on the croupier gave an
other turn to the wheel. which, when it
stopped, showed the same number as WIN
ner AS her money had remained on the
table it was increased thirty-fold Again
urged to remove her gains and to cease
playing, she became angry, and left the
money on the same number with the inten-
ton of losing it. Once more the ball
stopped in 49, and her single gold piece had
increased to a handsome little fortune,
which she was at length prevailed upon TO
pocket.
The rules of play and the memorable law
of limit, or maximum, which prevail in
Monaco make it impossible to do anything
of the kind thus outlined. No single bet is
ever accepted at Monte Carlo that can pos
sibly win more than the maximum, and no
unused money is allowed to remain on
either of the two ''tableaux" which make
up a roulette table. If the surplus-that
is to say, the money not actually betted-
is not taken away by the player it will be
raked into the bank by a croupier.
AT the gambling game of Monte Carlo.
roulette, the lowest sum one may bet is
5 francs. and the maximum may be aimed
at in several different ways, where one has
time to do so, which is very seldom, how
ever. 1t matters not, though, how many
or how few stakes one puts down, there
is a positive limit to the amount of each,
as only this maximum will be paid by the
establishment. The American girl placed
her gold coin on No. 10; this means that she
bet zen plein on one of the thirty-six
numbers, and where, il you win, as 1t APP
pears she did, you are paid thirty-ffve
times your stake. The smallest gold coin
is a 5-franc piece, the largest is 100 francs.
gold piece on account of its small size.
This is true, too, of a 10-franc gold piece;
but the croupier willingly gives you silver
coins for such gold coins. AS this Ameri-
can girl staked gold her coin was worth
20 francs or more. We will suppose 1t was
2O-franc piece; that is to say, louis
WON ON NO.e19
1t is not alone the value of the coin; it
is the maximum we must bear in mind.
With her one louis she gained thirty-five
more louis. and the statement is she left
these thirty-six pieces on No. 1S. Then an
other turn commenced. when the wheel
stopped" Qt is really the ball. or round
white marble, that stops the wheel does
not) "it showed the same number as win
ner, and as her money had remained on
the table it was increased thirty-fold'
There is no bet whatever in the game or
roulette which increases thirty-fold. The
only possible win of a single bet is thirty
five times zen plein," seventeen times "a
cheval," eleven times "transversale a
trois," eight times ''carre." eight times for
the "quartre premiers, five times for a
''transversale a six, two. times for either
at the bias de colonies" or on "dou-
zaine." one-haf for one on "deux
COLONIES" or on "deux doUzaines," and
equal for the red or black, for odd or even,
or for over or under No. Is.
So much established, it follows that, in
asmuch as the first turn of wheel and stop
of ball were in this girls favor, she had
pier for her side of the "tableau," that is to
say, the end of the table where she was
playing-there are two paying croupiers for
each ''tableau' would at once have paid
over that amount by stacking thirty-ive
gold coins on her coin, and so, II she had
really, left it all on the table, there would
have been SO louis lying Zen plein' on No.
49, But they We're not there, for the in
spector never permits any sum beyond the
correct amount-that is to say the amount
" ~ m m -fr,
remain. The only exception to this rule
is where the player throws down a bank
note for 500 or LOCO francs, and then he or
she must declare how much of it is bet, and
the sum thus announced is repeated loudly
SO that everybody at the table can near
by paying croupier and by an Inspector
Admitted, however that this rule may
have been neglected in this one instance
an employee who breaks a single rule at
Monte Carlo is discharged at once, and
there is no exception to this law--this
American girl would, when the wheel
stopped the second time, and inasmuch
as all her money was on No. Is, which won
again, have won 252O0 francs as thirty-fve
times 720 francs would be that amount
That, however, is far in excess of the max
bet any more than $50 francs, no matter
how much money she had on the table, for
thrty-five times $50 francs makes $500
francs, and $500 francs is the maximum
possible win on single bet at roulette in
the Casino of Monte Carlo. do not be-
lieve she was allowed to let all her money
remain on No Is, but suppose the rule was
broken at this particular time if No. 10
won she would be paid only the bank 8
maximum that is to say, $500 francs, and
if she had lost the croupier would have
raked in only her largest possible bet that
is TO say, 8 louis.
That She won twice and was paid 35 for
l each time, up to the maximum, is not
denied; her money, after the second turn, -
would therefore amount to Sc louis plus
the 3l5 louis just won, or a total of 1920
francs. Again. so we are informed, she
permitted all this 70 lie on the table, bet
ting it on the same number. But l repeat
it, she would not have been allowed to have
so much No. l3, for it is the rule that
the tables must be kept cleared off as
cleanly as possible between each spin OF
the ball, so that there may be no confu-
sion as to bets or where money belongs.
Moreover she would, most likely, have
been paid this second win in paper money.
The croupier would not have asked the gicl
whether she wanted gold or paper; he
would have handed her or pushed over to
her the total of her second winnings IN
banknotes of 500 or 1000 francs each, plus
three 100-franc bills, as French paper
money is as good as gold throughout Eu-
rope
And even if the inspector permitted Ter
to leave all her money that third time on
the same number with the intention of
losing it, because she was angry, she could
not possibly lose it all by any single push
of wheel or spin of ball. Betting Zen
than louis. or 10S francs; and even If
she had moved it all on to one of the "sim-
pie chances" where they pay one for enc
only on the red. for instance, and red had
won she would not have been paid the fun