Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-01-19
RUSSIANS AS GAMBLERS.
They Are said to Play For Higher
Stakes Than Any other People.

they Are Saiu 10 Ptay FOR FlQhef
Stakes Than Any Other People.
Il was recently reported in a Rus
sian newspaper that the Gar had
cashiered a young officer OF the Inn
perial Guards for having played cards
for such high stakes that he won So
600 rubles (e1o.00o). in rather less
than an hour, his adyersaries being
two famous gamblers. Doubtless his
Imperial Majesty considered that such
Z reckless young man could not be a
reliable guardian of his person. and
very probably also he thought it a
fitting opportunity 10 put a veto on
what constitutes one of the worst
vices of the Russian aristicracy.
But il his Majesty imagineL that this
express rate of gambling constituted
a record he was very much mistaken.
says London Tit Bits. for it fell far
below many feats which gamblers
have accomplished.
II. 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. NJ.
Justh, whose name is almost a syn
onym for luck among his acquaint-
ances, won trlfle less than 100000
during an hour and halfs play at
the National Casino at Budapest, and
this was at a rate exceeding G100 q
minute. OF this immense fortune
Count Michael Karoly lost more than
half, the other portion being won
from two other players.
On another occasion the same lucky
gambler, whose honorable play is, By
the way, absolutely beyond suspicion.
sat down to the card taole 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 G14.000
) richer than when he had started play.
Thus in an evening he lost $4,000
and won G22.0O0.
Russians are perhaps the greatest
gamblers of this generation. 1t was
another Russian nobleman, Count
Potocki, who startled Europe few
years ago by losing G160,0U0 in a sin
gle evening at cards-the largest
amount, it is believed, ever lost at a
card table by single individual; and
the whole of this great fortune was
won from the Count by two gentlemen
In 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 witnessed the ruin of some of the
richest and most reckless gamblers oil
modern times, fore Austrians ranli
only second to Russians in the love
of gambling. To this club go lne
most daring card players of the
wealthy aristocracy Of Europe, at
tracted by the high play which is thu
rule there. 1t is said that on the par
ticular OCCASION when Count Potock
lOSl = lOOyVuV hS Wdo OhAy SchNAuNhAc
a series of games which had already
cost him 100000 before he sat down
on the eventful evening. OF the
100000 he lost, H. Won Szemere, q
Hungarian deputy, won 100000
Prince Braganza winning the balance
of 100000.
Extremely high play has, happily
gone out of fashion in London, and
even the opportunities afforded by thC
popularity of bridge have not effected
a revival of gambling on the scale
which was common enough wher
Whites club was the scene of Sc
many games of cards on which for
tunes hung. But occasionally ever
nowadays very large sums of money
are lost and won in the card room:
of London's great clubs and man
sions; and it is but little while age
that certain young gentleman los
$4,000 in an evening at bridge, play
ing with ladies; while 1t is reported
that a young guardsman sent in his
papers some weeks ago at the sugges-
ton Of the war Office. because it hat
become known to his commanding
officer that he had lost G11,0O0 at {
well known club where high play L
not the rule.