The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-05
TRICKS OF CHEATS. AT CARDS.
APPARATUS NOW OUT or Fashion
AMONG GAMBLERS.
Its Use Was Common n Few Wears Ara
hut Was OvcrtiOne In Which
Gamblers Can Generally Win Withou,
Being Caught Cheating 49, S,:rprIs.
Ing Sklll Some Of Them Ait,,n

Gamblers Can Generally Win Withou,
Being Caught Cheating $50 S,:rDrls.
Ing Skill Some OF Them Attain
Fashion cuts just as much Of a Ggura
in gambling MS it does in clothing, said
man who has made and lost several fort.
uncs through his fondness for games a,
chance, Il mean, of course. in the method
of cheating
lew years ago apparatus was the
thing, and no gambler, whether first second
or thiId class, sat in game without n 'buy'
ready for instant adjustment to the Under
surface Of tho table, a reflector hidden in
stack Of chips, a pipe or roll of green.
backs, or hold-out attached either to his
sleeve or waistcoat. These came into
vogue mainly through the success Of K.n-
pinger, San Francisco gambler. who
invented the finest sleeve hold-out in the
business and won a fortune before his
secret was discovered.
Then the use of apparatus became
overdonr and gamblers chucked the bugs
and rcnectors, and marked cards and
sucithings and went back to manipulation
and sleight- of-hand. To-day, the best
gamblers play with fair cards only
They play in partnership, secretly, Of
course, and are practically inNincible.
The most successful gamblers are of this
class and all Of them can do the finest
work with pack Of cards.
"The second -class gamblers arc those
who have generally given up III" usc OF
apparatus. but play marked cards, The
most successful players in this class use
their own cards, that is marked by Il tytt m
Of their own dcvising, so that no oue
not acquainted with the key could nnd il
out in a lifetime. These men. If they rnn
get their own cards into a game, are sure
to win.
Then, after these marked-card players,
come the class of second dealers, bottom
Dealers and cheap sharps who ha1nualy
do primitive stunts with the pack TO Win.
These men always get caught in the long
run.
"'The skilful men, the first class gamblers,
do not rely upon much Straightforward to
offset the elements OF chance Their ms ct
expert work consists in putting up hands
while shutting, and to do this with the
rifle, which is the shuttle in common use,
demands skill such as is not possessed by
one sharp in a thousand.
In theory, the process is absurd!y simple.
1t consists Of riffling between the selected
cards the proper number of Indifferent
ones. The great difficulty, obviously, is to
know that the right number of cards are
held up each time and that the right num-
Der is put between the cards that the
gambler has held out for his own hand.
at seems almost impossible that it can
be done with certainty, but there are plenty
of first class gamblers who can do it readily
enough without any mistake. In fact,
some are so skilful with this shuttle that
they can find any cards they please by
simply looking at the .turned-up corners,
and can place them in any position within
the pack This is the master degree in
gambling.
Next to the skilful use of the rifle
shuttle In putting up hands, the most useful
accomplishment by which a man may
cheat at poker is system OF sharping
known as counting down 1t is by all
odds the most sc ientific mode ofswindinE..
Counting down Is an operation that
depends more upon memory than sleight
of hand 1t requires long practice and
great skill II ia nece ssary that the sharp
who practices it should be able to memorize
instantly as many cards as possible.
Now, very few persona can remember
person in 10000 who can remember ten
cards. There are some persons who can
memorize the order OF fifty-two cards,
but this is accomplished by system OF
artificial memory. The gambler who by
constant practice has trained his memory
to retain the order OF ten cards can count
down to perfection, and in short time
he should own country home and an au-
tomobile.
"How ia counting down accomplished?
Well, in theory 1t is really simple, but it is
extremely difficult in actual practice, and
the first-class sharp invariably practises
it on his own deal, whether he needs TO or
not, merely as a matter Of routine, for he
cannot exercise himself too much in the
menta al and physical requirements OF the
system.
Suppose, in a game of poker, that it is
the sharp's next deal. He looks al ms
hand. and if the cards no holds are not OF
much consequence he passes.
while the other players are battling Tor
the pot the sharp gathers up the Gl'scards
and the remainder of the pack, and keeping
the faces Of the cards away from him, he
evens them up in readiness for tne deal.
Then he waits until the hands that are
being played are shown up.
With glance he remembers as may u
these cards as he can, places them either
al the top or bottom, and Keeps them IN
position by means of false shuttle by
utilizing a use full dodge known a. tAe
bridge he causes the pack TO he cut 50
that when the hands are dealt the last
card that comes into his hand on the deal
is one Of the sequen nee that he memoriHed
and that are now at the top of the pack
Consequently he not only knows What
he is giving of in the draft 10 the other
PLAYERS, hut also what remains for hlln
when it his turn to draw. In dlscardlng
for the draw he does not stand in dunpt
as the other players do, but throws away
according to the nature Of the cards no
will have to draw from the pack 30 replace
his discards.
lit is an advantage great enough to ai!"w
him to win in every game he sits IN MS
method makes skilful shuffl"r WIN n
good svstom of artificial memory prnctl'aIy
invincibIe in n poker game.
"Sklrul shutting and counting-down fl"'
of course, beyond the skill of Oh" common
gambler, and this class of swindl"rS r'lys
almost entirely upon certain forms u
sl,ight Of hand to deceive their dNFs
Nearly every card player Is NOR, or "'s
acquainted with such lodges a. IN" pass
palming cards, and top and bottom DEAN -
so that in q mixed company there Is u
variably some player with suH lent Nho"I-
edge 10 detect the gambler vino Icsorls
to these methods Of manipulating The cares,
"One of the oldest forms Of cheating IS
the bottom deal This simply consists w
picking up the cards preparatory I" d'"nnnS
and in placing certain cards that "oHm
In shutting of course, he will TAX" go.a
.listtr -, h, m