Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-16
RUSSIANS AS GAMBLERS.
They Are Said to Play For Higher
Sfakaa Thar Anv rfhsr psonla Is

They Are Said to Play For Higher
Stakes Than Any Other People.
1t was recently reported In a Rus
sian newspaper that the czar had CASH
Tered young officer Of the Imperial
Guards for having played cards for
such high stakes that he won $4,000
rubles (fl0,000) in rather less than
an hour, his adversaries being two
famous gamblers. Doubtless his I'm
perial Majesty considered that such
reckless young man could not be q
reliable guardian OF his person, and
very probably also he thought II
fitting opportunity to put a veto on
what constitutes one Of the worst
vices Of Russian aristocracy. But IL
his majesty imagined that this ex-
press rate of gambling constituted
record he was very much mistaken,
says London Tit Bits. for 1t fell far
below many feats which gamblers
have accomplished.
NJ. Justh, a Hungarian nobleman OF
great wealth, holds the worlds rec
ord for winning fortunes at cards, and
he has on three or four occasions ex-
ceeded the rate OF 10000 an hour.
A few years back. for instance, M.
Justh, whose name 10 almost syno-
nym for luck among his acquaint-
ances, won q trifie less than 10000
during an hour and half's play at
the National Casino at Budapest, and
this was at rate exceeding f100.
minute, lsQof this immense fortune
Count Michael Karolv lost more than
half. the other portion Icing won
from two other players.
On another occasion the same
lucky gambler whose honorable play,
is, by the way, absolutely above sus-
picion. sat down to the card table and
lost nearly $4,000 without winning
a cent; but at that point the game
turned In his favor 80 completely
that he rose from the table some
$4,000 richer than when he had
started to play. Thus In an evening he
lost $4,000 and won $4,000.
Russians are perhaps the greatest
gamblers of this generation. 1t was
another Russian nobleman. Count
Potocki, who startled Europe few
years ago by losing f160,000 In q sin
gle evening at cards-the largest
amount. It Is believed, ever. lost at
card table by single individual; and
the whole of this great fortune was
won from the count by two gentle
men in little less than four hours.
The game played was baccarat;
and the scene Of this remarkable con-
test was the Jockey Club at Vienna,
which has witnessed the ruin of some
Of the richest and most reckless gam
blers Of modern times. for Austrians
rank only second to Russians In the
love of gambling. To this club go
the most daring card players Of the
wealthy aristocracy Of Europe, at
tracted by the high play which Is the
rule there It is said that on the par
ticular occasion when Count Potocki
lost 100000 he was only concluding
series of games which had already
cost him 100000 before he sat down
on the eventful evening. OF the $780,
600 he lost II. Won Szemere, a Hun
garian deputy, won 100000, Prince
BraganZa winning the balance of
ESQ, 900.
Extremely high play has, happily,
gone out Of fashion in London, and
even the opportunities offered by the
popularity of bridge have not effect
ed a revival of gambling on the scale
which was common enough when
Whites Club was the scene OF so
many games of cards on which for
tunes hung But occasionally even
nowadays very large sums Of money
are lost and won in the card rooms Of
Londons great clubs and mansions;
and 1t is but little while ago that a
certain young gentleman lost $4,000
in an evening at bridge, playing with
ladies'; while II is reported that a
young guardsman sent in his papers
some weeks ago at the suggestion OF
the war office, because II had become
known to his commanding officer that
he had lost E11,000 In two evenings
play at a we'll known club where high
play is not the rule.