Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-12
A Gamblers Experience.


The latter was one of the most obliging
and best-informed men on the isthmus
One evening while sitting in front Of the
hotel with several persons who were strang-
ers, 1 made some comment on local condi-
lions, and the man next to me very courte-
ously explained that was mistaken Then
he gave me the facts and great deal of
really useful information. On my Incl
dentally remarking my failure to pick up
some comparatively rare coins, he obIiging-
ly said he thought he had some in the safe
and, disappearing for a moment, brought
them out. I'VE get a good many queer
coins, you know" he said as ne handed
than the face value for them Then he
strolled away, and l asked who the oblig-
ing stranger was. why, he's - He
runs the roulette Wheel was the reply
lnasmuch as he had not forced his ac-
quaintance on any one, there was no reason
why anybody should take offense and no
one did. Later when he returned he drifted
INTO a philosophical discourse on gambling
ana systems and human nature. The per-
centage of the roulette wheel, he told me.
was 5o.6 against 44.4. 1 thought that was
pretty heavy odds against the PLAYER. but
the roulette man explained that it gave only
a fair margin after paying for their fran
chise and the expenses of running the BUSH
ness, as well as for occasional losses from
counterfeit coins, which were worked in on
them in the hurry of the play
gambling was especially instructive He
told how the only system In which the
player stood any chance was by doubling
UP on losses in certain proportion and re-
turning to the original hazard on winning
1t seemed as though he was giving infor
nation which would put him out of bust
ness. But to a chance remark to that
effect he calmly replied, well, I have
run the roulette wheel for good many
years and am not out of business YETI
Human nature according to the roulette
proprietor is the element which beats any
system of gambling. Leaving out human
nature he was of the opinion that mathe-
NAUTICAL calculations on the doctrine of
probabilities would enable some players
who had systems to beat the game "They
never do 1t, though he added. and then
he gave circumstances of case which is
famous along the Pacific coast though +
suppress the names. 1t was commercial
traveller, who while stopping in Panama
announced that he had an infallible sys-
tenn and drafts with him for $4,000 to
prove 1t If the proprietors of the roulette
wheel would give assurance that he could
play the limit. His drafts were verified
and then not only the roulette proprietors
but all the rest of Panama gave the prom
Use that there would be no hindrance to
his play. AT the same time the financial
responsibility of the wheel was guarante ed
town wanted to keep that $4,000.
OF course there could only be one end
to the story. Along with other listeners I
waited for it somewhat impatiently and as
the details of the system were explained
broke in to inquire If the roulette proprie-
tors followed Monte Carlo and bought the
player with the system a steamship ticket
I'VE didn't have to-" said the gambler
quietly. HE got away with everything we
had. That was a case where human nature
worked to our disadvantage. He played
his system up to the turning point. Then
his nerve failed him and he fiunked on it,
You see that's always human nature to
drop the system at some point or other. III
he had gone little further we would have
had him and his drafts and the big gold
watch he sported. But just by that queer
kink in losing his nerve at the wrong time
for us he got away with all we had and
didn't hear of him losing 1t anywhere else
But he was an exception and he simply had
luck
l do not recite this incident either as an
encouragement to gambling or as dis
enlargement. 1t is merely an Illustration
which perhaps has been duplicated else
where than In Panama. The moral, If any,
is that the roulette wheel In Panama and
Colon heretofore has drawn its revenue
chiefly from players who followed systems.
1t Is possible that the owners OF the rou-
lette monopoly will make complaint that
their vested rights are interfered with, and
they may even think that the snap In the
Presidents order Is aimed directly at them.
But whatever their grievances or the conn