Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1905-01-01

| placed under foot, and by throwing
these metal loaded dice over the mag.
netized surface he can beat any throw
his opponent might make. The bat
teries used are generally secreted under
the table and weigh sometimes forty
to fifty pounds. The magnets are noise
| less in operation and cost considerable
! for installing, but this is secondary
consideration, as the dice games are
| played heavily and always result in
large profits for the house.
Poker is a game that offers UNI
! limited opportunity for the use of var
ious devices and methods of manipula-
ton; in fact, they are too numerous
to mention. The magician performing
his tricks before large assemblage
/ is the recipient of applause and ova-
ton, but the average professional gam
bier is far more proficient in the use
of cards. But in his case even sus-
picion is liable to result in financial
loss, and sometimes the raiding and
arrest of the house and players, the
action of a swindled player for re-
venge. BY the following means the
gambler artfully controls the cards and
is in a position to invariably win from
his opponents.
An attachment known as the picture
frontwall mirror" is hung on the wall
back of an opponents chair. and is
operated by wires running down the in
side of the wall, under the floor and
up the hollow leg of the table. BY pull
ing a wire the gambler can uncover
the mirror, read his opponents hand,
and by releasing another again con-
ceal the mirror with a false picture.
The blackleg trick consists of having
confederate concealed in the wall or
over the ceiling. He with the use of
field glasses and small openings in the
wall or ceiling surveys the hands and
by the use of string or wire concealed
from view and attached to the gam
bler's trousers or shoe notifies him of
the hands held by the other players.
Some TeIegraphc Codes
Another method used is called the
gamblers telegraph" A wooden peg
supported by a coil spring is located
flush with the flooring underneath the
gamblers foot; other such pegs are
located back of each players chair
and are all connected by wires and
levers under the floor The gamblers
confederates, who are Longing about
and watching the game, have a small
spike set in the heel of their shoe and
they, upon reading a players hand,
step upon a peg, which in turn pushes
up that of the gamblers, and by a SER
les of knocks notifies him of the hands
held by the other players. They also
convey information by varying the
tone of their conversation and by other
signs. especially the hand-in clenchin3
the fist, raising fingers, doubling the
thumbs and other hand movements.
A dealer using a stacked deck will
notify his partner or accomplice the
number of cards to draw by using a
sentence containing the same number
of words. indicating that one, two or
three cards should be drawn. The hold :
out is a machine used for secretion and
delivery of cards and is especially fine
in construction and is expensive, a
good one costing as high as $500. It
is very complicated, and it requires no
little art in its successful operation.
The sleeve holdout is made of q
haircloth slideway about the same size
as a deck of cards, with it's narrow
sides laid in fine pleated folds, so that
it will lie fiat or expand. This is
sewed in the sleeve of the coat or
shirt and reaches from the cuff to the
elbow joint. One of the wide sides
is sewn to the near end of the sleeve,
the opposite wide side is sewn or
pasted to the cuff, both ends being
open. At the elbow strap fits around
the arm, to which is attached a metal
tube that reaches down to the near