Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-10
RUSSIANS AS GAMBLERS.
They Are Said to Play for Higher
Stakes Than Any Other People.

From London Tit Bits.
1t was recently reported in Russian
newspaper that the car had cashiered
a young officer of the Imperial Guards for
having played cards for such high stakes
that he won $4,000 rubles (s10.OO0) in rather
less than an hour, his adversaries being
two famous gamblers. Doubtless his i'm
perial majesty considered that such reck-
less young man could not be reliable
guardian Of his person, and very probably
also he thought it fitting opportunity
to put a veto on what constitutes one Of
the worst vices of the Russian aristocracy.
But if his majesty imagined that this ex-
press rate of gambling constituted a record
he was very much mistaken. for it fell far
below many feats which gamblers have
accomplished.
M. Justh, Hungarian nobleman of great
wealth, holds the worlds record for win
ming fortunes at cards, and he has on three
or four occasions exceeded the rate of
s1O,O0O an hour. A few years back, for In
stance, M. Justh, whose name is almost a
synonym for luck among his acquaintance,
won a trifie less than 910O,0O0 during an
hour and half's play at the National CAST
no at Budapest, and>ths was at rate ex-
ceeding f1O0 minute. Of this immense
fortune Count Michael KarOly lost moro
than half, the other portion being won
On another occasion the same lucky
gambler. whose honorable play is. by the
way. absolutely beyond suspicion, 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 so completely
that he rose from the table some R14,OOO
richer than when he had started play. Thus
In an evening he lost GS.COO and won
f22COO
Russians are perhaps the greatest gam
blers of this generation. 1t was another
Russian nObleman. Count Potocki who
startled Europe few years ago by losing
E1e0,000 in single evening at cards-the
largest amount, it is believed. ever lost at
card table by single individual, and the
the count by two gentlemen in a little less
than four hours
The game played was baccarat, and
the scene of this remarkable contest was
The Jockey Club at Vienna. which has wit
messed the ruin of some of the richest and
most reckless gamblers 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, attracted by the
high play which is the rule there. It Is said
that on the particular occasion when Count
Potocki lost E160, 900 he was only conclud-
ing a series of games which had already
cost him 100000 before he sat down on the
eventful evening. OF the E18O,OGO he lost
H. Won Szemere. Hungarian deputy. won
f1O0. 600, Prince Braganza winning the bal
ance of 100000.
Extremely high play has. happily, Como
out of fashion In London. and even the OBJ
portunfties afforded by the popularity Of
bridge have not effected a revival of gam
bling 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 nova
days very large. sums Of money are los.
and won in the card rooms Of London's
great clubs and mansions and 1t Is but q
little while ago that certain young gem
tleman lost $4,000 in an evening at bridge.
playing with ladies. while it is reported
that young guardsman sent In his papers
some weeks ago at the suggestion Of the
war Office because it had become known
to his commanding officer that he had lost
f11.OOO in two evenings play at a we'll
known club where high play is not the
rule.