The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-07-10
CLEVER TRICKS OF cHEATERs.
0ne II ths vsisrsn Gamblers Exposes Some
Of The Wnss Of Dealers.
TELLS OF "xINuERGARTEK' OF FARO.
~ Game Is Il Should Bs Playsd, and - u Is
a Present Manipulated b. The
Sharp Crooks

"Faro dead In Providence? Not on
your life. OF course. it's not run so
openly as it was in the good old days:
in fact, it's not run openly at all. but
the man who really wants TO buck the
bank hasn't got to hunt very hard for
Z chance, provided he has lots of cash
and is known TO be game enough 10
stand big loss without a roar. Why,
could name at least two hotels in
which faro is being played right now
with a limit Of $3.50 TO cases and $25 to
doubles"
The speaker was an old-time gam
bier. who used to be a prominent feat
ure in the days when the tiger" made
its home downtown. He had been in
cited into giving away some of the
latter-day secrets OF the game by the
ignorant babblings of callow young
&er who never saw card pulled from
box, and yet imagined himself full
fiedged gambler because he knew how
TO shoot craps and play stud poker.
There's a big lot of faro being play
ed right here in Providence right
along" continued the old-timer. II
don't mean to say that anybody can
butt into game especially Providence
men, who are not wanted for obvious
reasons il they can be gracefully turn
ed down. But the stranger who looks
like ready money will always find
somebody willing TO steer him into the
Jungle IL he bangs around any OF the
downtown hotels. / was i'm the rotun-
da OF a certain hotel one afternoon
last week and saw four of the cleverest
eteerers in the country hanging around
on the watch for victims. call them
victims because the gambling features
In al Inn Tod da
hotel games. and the player has aboDt
as much chance TO win as / have of
wearing wings. Every one of the four
Gteerers knew me intimately. but we
didn't pass word of greeting. l got
the ONCE TO keep away. and fol-
lowed IL. But in the short time that I
wae there / saw three fat-looking pig
cons taken out the back way and up
q flight OF stairs TO the second story.
where the bank was being dealt. From
what heard afterward. ! guess the
game Is square enough there so far
as ordinary play is concerned, but they
are equipped 10 get the money when
conditions are right. and anything real
fat and soft turns up. The dealers are
experts in shufiling up and pulling the
odd, and the layout and boxes would
hardly pass muster under the scrutiny
Of experienced men who are after a
tair ueai. sliii. al that. they only do
the robbery act when LUCK is against
them"
KINDERGARTEN ON FARO.
What do you mean by pulling the
odd?' asked the callow youngster,
who thought he was a sport.
Well wouldn't that jar your" was
the old-timer's first reply. Say. sonny.
where have you been gambling, any,
how?"
Right here in Providence for the
past three years." responded the youth,
unabashed There hasn't been an OPP
en- faro play here in that time, and con-
sequentiy don't know anything about
''sit right down here, I'll open the
kindergarten. On the face Of 1t faro is
the simplest and squarest
gambling game in the world, and at
the same time the most fascinating In
the old Gays ii was always dealt on the
square, and I've seen such players Is
Thad Stevens, Ben Wood and John
Norrlssey bet from $500 TO $1,000 on the
turn OF a single card. 1t was only when
they put on a limit and took in the
pikers that crooked work began. When
played on the square the faro outfit
consists OF layout on which there is
q fac-simile of a full suit of thirteen
cards from the ace up TO the king: a
deck OF fifty-two cards and dealing
box; case-keeper. some tab sheets,
and supply OF checks. This is the
complete equipment. The box is made
OF German silver or nickel. and is so
arranged as TO just hold the fun deck.
which is put in face upward, the top
card showing through the top OF the
oox. which is open. On one side, just
under the top rim. is a nicely cut open
Ing through which one and only one
card may be passed at a time, and
q ol,
once In square game. The bottom OF
the box is movable and held i'm place
by stout spring beneath IL. BY press
Ing on the face OF the deck slightly
with the fingers on one hand the deal
er springs down the bottom of the
dealing box so that the top card comes
exactly opposite the opening. Then a
slight movement slides II out. The
Case-keeper In sort OF Chinese aba
Gus. or buttons OF red and black strung
on wires by which an exact record of
the cards that have been taken out
OF the box may be kept. For the con-
venience OF individual players tabs are
also furnished. These are simply sheets
OF stin paper or cardboard with the
denominations OF the various cards.
printed on them 30 that a player NAV
keep a record for himself.
HOW THE GAME is PLAYED.
Wnen man wants to play faro
his nrst move is to buy a supply OF
checks according TO his capital, and let
me say right here that it's the men with
fhe small capital who keep the faro
game alive. as a slight run OF bad luck
wipes them out completely. and even
1f they succeed I'm getting more money,
Che limit II kept down so they have n,
chance to get even except by the most
phenomenal kind OF fluck. But let's play
canceRs TREATED SUCCESSFULLY.