Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-25
CHINESE GAME OF CHE-FA.
Is Very Similar to American Method
Of Policy-Playing.

From the Hawaiian Star.
1t Is curious thing that here In a COM
munity where the Chinese gambling game
of che-fa has ftourished for many years
comparatively few outside of those who
are devotees at the shrine of the goddess
OF chance have even the faintest idea OF
how the game Is played.
Che-fa is very simple game, indeed, and
In It's very simplicity lies the difficulty
which the authorities here, as elsewhere
find in suppression. 1t needs no apparatus
or LAYOUT" do roulette, faro and other
games of chance. 1t does not even need a
pack of cards a supply of chips.
Simply judged as a gambling game and
conceding for the moment that it is played
on the square, che-fa has it's allurements
for 1t Is on that basis a game In which
every player has an equal chance and the
bank simply collects a percentage of the
money staked. Unfortunately for the
players, however, there Is not the slightest
reason for doubling that the game as ordl-
narily conducted is as crooked as the ira
ditional dogs hind leg.
There are thirty-six characters on a che
IA ticket, each representing some familiar
object. The lion. tiger moon, mouth, silver
money. gold money, box. centipede, dog,
rat are among these, but many of the char
acters represent things which are not gen.
orally discussed In polite society.
A person who wishes to play the game
seeks an agent and gives him what sum he
wishes from cents up, at the same time
indicating what character he chooses. This
character Is marked off on the agents
ticket and the fortune-seeker receives a slip
acknowledging his bet stake. Should the
particular character prove at the drawing
to be the winning number the lucky player
wins thirty times the amount Of his stake.
Thus If he stakes cents he wins 81. so or
IL he plunges heavily with, say. dollar he
wins $40. But he does not get all that he
wins. There Is the agent to be considered.
and he collects 10 per cent of the amount
of the winning, so that the man who won
$50 would receive only $27 from the hands
of the agent.
1t is one of the odd traits In the Chinese
character that made che-fa SO popular with
them. They are devoted believers IN
for instance, he will lose no time In seek
ing che-fa agent and backing the rat to
win. and no number Of recurrent losses
seems to upset the Chinese faith in the
heayen-sent sign for success. or course, 1t
Is apparent that If man played on every
one of the thirty-fiye characters he would
In all probability win, but his win would
be loss. for he would only receive thirty
times the amont of the single bet on the
winning character, less the agents CON-
missions of 10 per cent.
Such Is the game of che-fa. Barring only
the dream portion OF II, II does not seem to
possess any particular allurements, and to
some people even the chance Of betting that
their dreams win come true does not seem
attractive. Possibly the average American
does not have the same kind OF dreams as
does the mild-eyed chink. That can easily
be imagined from a casual glimpse at a
Chinese meal and q reflection of the posi-
bilities of what even simple Welsh rare
bit can accomplish.