New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-02
GAMBLING ON THE SEA.
sHARPERs WHO INFEsT TRANsATLAN-
TIC LINERS.

Every once in a while public attention Is d.
rected anew TO the professional gamblers VINO
cross and recross the Atlantic ocean on the first
class steamships for the purpose of inducing
passengers with more money than caution to
play with them In these games Of alleged
chance the professional gambler takes rev
chances and allows his victim none at all That
the vocation is a profitable one seems certain, or
else it would not be pursued so industrtOusly-
The heecer's expenses are heavy He must pay
for first class saloon passage, must be dressed
well, must be willing to spend money freely for
drink and be able to lose considerable cash over
the cards at the start Of the voyage without
wincing. BY so doing he acquires the confidence
Of his fellow passengers. averts suspicion from
his real motive, and makes the way clear for
his swindling operations
These fellows generally travel in pairs. OF
course they put up the time honored pretence
OF not knowing each other at first They play
cards with everybody who asks them. but man
age never to get together in the same game for
the first few days. They show no eagerness to
play. but assent in good natured and rather
bored manner when asked to take hand. They
generally manage to lose and always pay cash
promptly and without grumbling They seek to
acquire the reputation of being good" losers
Having in this way made several acquaintance
they have difficulty in getting one of these
TO introduce them one to the other. Their man
ne- is cordial to the mutual acquaintance, but
decidedly distant between themselves.
NEXT THEY PLAY TOGETHER.
The next step is to become casually engaged
in the same game with a man who has shown
that he has considerable money and is not afraid
to risk II. II such a man can be found, who is
also rather stuck on himself a poker
player then the sharpers are indeed in luck.
lieve him of his surplus wealth and also of his
conceit. One OF the clumsiest is by marked
cards. This method is so crude. however. and
so easily detected that 1t Is seldom resOrted TO
in such company as is found in the saloons of
first class steamers.
Another way is by dishonest dealing or stack
ing the cards. This plan presents insurmOunta-
bic difficulties to all but the cleverest manipula-
tors OF the pack. The man who can stack
cards accurately enough 20 make betting the
result sure thing probably do better
professor OF legerdemain in a variety show
than by gambling for living. II the cards are
carefully and conscientiously cut after the aver
age gambler has got through shutting them he
is pretty much at sea as to what cards he is
dealing out to the players
The most approved scheme for fleeing the
unwary is for the gamblers. before they board
the ship. to agree upon a code of signals which
shall convey back and forth between them the
news whether they hold bad or good hands
II A. after the deal. shifts his cigar the left
corner of his mouth, for instance that may be
an infallble sign TO his pal" 3 that he holds a
moderately good hand If the cigar goes to the
right corner of his mouth. his hand is very good
! indeed. II IL stays in the middle Of the mouth
his hand is poor. The cigar signals have been
chosen merely to illustrate this article. More
obscure signals, less likely TO be noticed. are
generally used by the cIeverest swindlers but
it can be easily seen that the trick is easy
IN
RAISING THE STAKES.
Signals having been exchanged and noted
between the dishonest gamblers. 1t then becomes
the duty of the with a poor hand TO raise
the bet steadily and Jauntily to as high point
| the intended victim or victims will stand.
OF course the sharper with the poor hand loses
his money by this means, just the same as the
victim does. but all losses and gains are
shared equally by the dishonest partners after
the play is over it is only the feeced one who
really suffers. There are many professional
poker players. OF course who do not have to
depend on such dishonest methods for winning
! If they are playing with greenhorns. or even with
| amateurs of only average skill at the game.
| The professional poker player would not be a
| professional in the first place if he had not a
natural aptitude for the game. which he has
| cultivated almost into clairvoyance. He has
/ gained, from long practice, a clear Judgment OF
1 the ValueS or handS ana mas also ATTAINED
I much proficiency in estimating the character Of
| other This gives him a facility and an
| effrontery in "blufing'' which the amateur can
hardly hope to equal, and by such accomplish
ments the professional may often fleece the
amateur to a serious extent without the use of
4 dishonest methods at all.
This goes to show that persons should be ex-
ceedngIy careful how they play cards for high
| stakes with strangers The sharpers who ply
| their trade on transatlantic passenger steam
| ships are usually Of good manners and agree
/ able department. They dress we'll and look we'll
| The ships officers cannot detect them at first
sight from ordinary passengers who desire to
/ play cards to while away the hours When
| their faces become known to the officers of any
one boat their game is generally inteTfered with.
/ Then they transfer their patronage 10 other
/ boats of the rival lines, and go on
| with their tricks until forced to move again.
| The recent reported posting OF a warning
| against dishonest gamblers the steamship
| Campania OF the Cunsrd Line was probably
1 FoC tbat of thoSa sharks had