Sunday Washington globe., 1902-05-04
LOCKED UP IN HIS SAFE.
New York Banker Has a System
Which He and His Friends Assert
Will Beat Monte Carlo.

One of the recreations of a well-known
New York banker, who has no need to
break the bank" at Monte Carlo to pro-
vide funds for himself, is to play imaginary
roulette on a complicated system of his own
invention Although yearly visitor at
Monte Carlo, he has never staked a sou on
the spin Of the ball at the Casino. Back in
his college days he was an honor man in
mathematics, and he still delights in odd
computations that have no connection with
dividends and money rates. One day last
spring at Monte Carlo he amused himself
by making graphic chart" of the rouge
ct noir'' croupier for 500 consecutive rolls.
Governed by the immutable laws of chance.
the zigzag line, tracing the variations from
one color to another appeared to have GER
tain sub-zigzags of similar O-tliue occurring
at irregular intervals.
Taking the daily record sheets of the rou-
lette wheels the New York banker plotted
more charts, all of which showed the same
characteristic zigzags. with high levels, "
"low levels" ''criss-crosses, runs" and
"shutes." and other peculiarities, for which
the mathematical American has an elaborate
nomenclature.
Coming back to New York he privately
engaged, in another part of the Office build
ing in which is his banking house, small
room, which he fitted UP as a miniature
Monte Carlo. Six young women spent
three weeks there spinning the roulette
wheels and making charts OF the fall
of the balls These charts represent the
equivalent of years play at one Of the
tables at Monte Carlo. The banker keeps
them in a safe deposit box marked strictly
H.oera.raH
These charts, too, have the same easily
recognized zigzags. From the study OF them
the New Yorker has evolved a graphic
system" of beating the bank" which has
met with marvellous success although the
major part Of the winnings has been made
in imaginary play. Al odd moments he and
several club friends played the charts.
Starting with a capital of $1,000 they won
small sum every day and at the end Of
the year" had won s256,ooo without plung-
ing. Had they given a larger increment to
their wagers they would have broken the
bank" They are all satisfied that the chart
system is based upon good mathematics and
will beat the bank"
While he was at the Carlton, in London,
the banker met Dutch diplomatic officer
on his way to America, TO whom he gave
tue ICSuAlo uI MS Ou5GINdNlDu5 az kuG AdplSA
at Monte Carlo. The nobeman from Ann
sterdam, who is greatly respected among
the baccarat players of Paris, had just had
some very costly lessons in American poker
from his New York friends. He was de-
lighted with the mathematical beauties of.
the graphic system" and offered to furnish
a capital Of 6Io,ooo If the banker would go
with him to Monte Carlo and instruct him
how to make his wagers. The American,
of course, declined, but he gave the Dutch
official enough of an outline of the method
of play so that when he made recent visit
to America he spent several profitable
nights IN a we'll known gambling house
near Fifth avenue. The first night he won
$3.50, the second $40. the third sI,2oo and
the fourth s97o. The one fault he found
with the system was that the winnings we're
made at the expense Of brain tissue, He
said he would not attempt to follow it
longer Meanwhile the secret Of the
graphic system" of breaking the bank at
Monte Carlo lies in a safe deposit box in
Broad street, and the man who has the key
refuses to indulge in public gambling