The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-23

furthermore that every table at Monte
Carlo has it's good or bad days, just
the same as human beings. He has
noticed time and again that on some
days perhaps twelve of the tables are
invincible while the thirteenth is be-
ing repeatedly beaten.
He simply applies to roulette and
trente ct quarante the phenomenon so
often noticed at poker, at which game
the luck will run to a certain seat
no matter who sits in it. So he en-
deavors to find the lucky table. He
also has the curious belief that some
of the tables are affected favorably or
adversely by certain individuals. Let
me give an example.
The first middle table as one enters
the old rooms actully seems to be
afraid of Col. Power. 1t seems to
incapable of winning from him. His
favorite numbers-zero, three, five,
seven and nine-when he plays, invar-
iably win.
HE never plays Immediately upon
arriving at the Casino, but walks about
from table to take note which are
the lucky and which the unlucky ones.
Then when he finds one that suits him,
he plays.
IF he finds his luck not good at
that table he soon stops and tries an
other. But whether winning or los
ing, he never returns to the same table
a second time that day
His rule is to always play with
the run of the table, never against it.
If he finds the table running to a GER
tain color he plays that color; if to
certain combinations of numbers he
plays those numbers; in other words.
he always adapts himself to what the
table is doing
Another rule he observes is to play
with the banks money. Instead of
doing as some plungers do, playing
maXimums from the start, Col. Power
began at t-quarante-where he
won most of his money-with stake
of 5000 francs. When he has won 90
600 francs he increases his stake to T.
500 francs. When 10000 francs have
been won the stake is increased to L.
900 or maximums.
Upon losing two maximums he stops
playing. leaves the Casino, takes a
walk. goes for drive or listens to a
concert, then returns and starts play
ing on some other table.
HE doesn't believe in systems. He
says Monte Carlo is supported by sys-
TENS.
Systems involve the closest appli-
cation to the tables from the time the
Casino opens until it closes at night.
That represents the hardest kind of
work and then the results are uncer-
tain. To his mind the only use of
system is to protect oneself against
too great a loss.
Probably the most striking example
of his phenomenal luck was at Trou-
vile two years ago. Surrounded by
the most aristocratic plungers in Eu-
rope, among whom were Baron Ed
ward Rothschild. M. Ephrussi and NJ
Saint-Hilaire, Col. Power won 100000
francs in less than month at bacca-
rat.
"One night he won $4,000 francs and
gave probably the coolest example of
nerve in big gambling ever seen at
Trouville. Baron Rothschild was bank
err and Col Power banquoed him for
$4,000 francs and then coolly suggested,
Let us make the next play for 100000
francs but the Baron shook his head.
Col. Tom Ochiltree, who was pres
ent at the time, said it was the most
hair-raising gambling he had ever wit
messed. Col. Power would make a bet
of $4,000 francs and win, then make
his bet 40 francs and lose. He seemed
to have almost a supernatural instinct
as to when he was to win and when
to lose.
at is an interesting fact that a
greater part of that 100000 at Trou-
vile was invested by Col. Power in
his extensive Alaskan properties on
Baranoff Island and part of it helped
to complete the Alasfian Rodman Bay
Railroad, of which he is the owner.
1t is likely that considerable por-
ton of his recent winnings will be
similarly invested in Alaska"
Despite the winnings of Col. Power
the wheels twirl merrily and the bust
ness of the Casino proceeds as usual.
The winnings, considerable as they
were, made but an insignificant hole
in the company's treasury. The re-
ports up to the end of March announce
that the receipts of the Casino this
year are 2S,0O0,000 francs, as compared
with 21,0OOO0O for a similar period of
last year.
The philosophical attitude of Casino
officials may best be judged by the
farewell which one of them extended
to Col. Power.
Go away now he said, while your
luck is good, but come again and we
will get the money back and more,
too, we hope"