Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-12
#iseelIaneous Rsaaina.
THE SEA GENTLEMEN OF CHANCE
Trans Atlantic Liners Afford q Good
Field for Professional Gamblers.

Field for Professional Gamblers.
The transatlantic liners afford a
fair field for the professional card me1,
and it cannot be said that they fail to
make the most Of their opportunities.
A card expert rarely works alone.
for, In order to win, he must manipu-
late the cards on his own deal, and II
he wins every time he deals it will
look suspicious to say the least. For
this reason, while sometimes they trav-
ell in pairs. they generallv work in
what they term a Combination" of
three men.
In such q combination there are gen.
orally two mechanics" or expert man
ipulators of the cards, while the third
member is frequently a young man of
good appearance and address, and con-
sequently valuable because he Is q
good mixer" or steerer. He does lit
tie or no cheating, but wins all the
money, as his confedel ates deal the
good hands to him.
AS the result of such an arrange
ment the money is won by person to
whom no suspicion can attach. The
ones who do the actual cheating and
who might therefore be suspected. II
any question as to the players should
arise, are almost invariably the losers.
The fact that a player Is a loser neces-
sarily will generally give him clean
bill of health and prevent any thought
that he has been cheating.
The general course Of procedure is
for the three grafters to reach the ship
by different routes. giving each other
no sign Of recognition when they meet
on the boat. Their code Of signals for
use at the card table, as well as their
methods at all other times, have been
carefully rehearsed In advance, and 1t
Is not necessary for them to talk to
one another. BY posing as strangers to
each other, thereby preventing their
fellow from establishing
any connection between them. they Will
be able to work to better advantage, as
they Will not be suspected Of collusion.
After reaching the boat the sharpers
circulate among the passengers. engag-
ing in conversation with such as will
tolerate the intrusion, and there are
few who will not, for on board ship
passengers whom it would be impossi-
BILE to meet ashore are generally quite
democratic and easy to approach. The
man leaning over the rail, the one in
vestigating the wireless apparatus, the
lone drinker at the bar, the neighbor at
table-all will reply to the common
place remark of a fellow-traveler, max
ing it simple to open the way for q
conversation. This is known as "culti-
waiting the boat"
The experienced card man Is never In
hurry to get his game started; on the
contrary, he refrains from playing dur
ing the first day or two after sailing,
even refusing invitations to take hand
in a game, thereby making strong his
assertion that he does not care for
cards, is an inveterate loser, and plays
only on rare occasions.
By pursuing this course, he prepares
for bigger profits later on. as the WIN
ners in the early games are always
anxious to play again and will bring
their accumulated winnings into the
later games. The shark Is thereby en-
abled to win just as much money on
the trip without playing with as many
persons or for as many hours II ne
Joined in every game. The early win
ners simply act as collecting agents for
the really clever card sharper.
In some instances a combination OF
sharks will collect all the loose money
on a ship and then unknowingly get IN
a game with a more expert combina-
tion and loose at least goodly portion
of their winnings before they realize
that their latest victims" are really
past-masters of the business. Ordi-
narily, however. it does not take one
sharper long to discover that there Is
another cheating in the game. Even
If the work is done 80 expertly as to
make it impossible to detect, there is
always one sure way Of knowing that
the other man Is cheating. His work Is
made manifest by the result. II one
man Is cheating in every way he knows
and in spite Of this, another man wins,
It Is a certainty that the latter is doing
the same thing and doing it better. The
fact that he wins makes this clear, for
no amount Of good luck or skilled play
will overcome the work Of the first
sharper. Therefore II the second man
is winning it follows that he is also
cheating.
"Cultivating the boat" Is not the
only preliminary arrangement made by
the combination; there is another very
important matter-the steward must
be "seen," provided his cooperation is
desired.
In the smoking room, where the card
games are always played, there Is gen.
orally displayed a sign, printed in black
ink and reading Beware Of Gamblers
If the card sharp fails to establish an
entente COrQlale Will tne Stc"diu, thne
official is more than likely to enter the
room and replace the customary sign
with one printed in red ink and bearing
the warning Beware Of Card Sharks
at times going so far as to add a Sec
ond line reading. There Is One on
This Boat" Such change Of signs Is
very apt to result in the game being
broken up; at best, 1t will last only un-
til 1t becomes evident what direction
the chips are taking.
In case where a complaint is made,
If the gambler has a working arrange
ment with the steward, that official
tries to smooth matters out or square
the knock" He asserts that the gen.
tleman in question (Mr. Card Shark
"is a reputable business man, who goes
over with us at least once a year; al
ways plays poker; was never before
known to win. There surely must be
some mistake If he Is suspected Of do
ing anything wrong, as he is above that
sort of thing" If there has been no
working agreement the official may
possibly try to force a settlement or