The Southern herald., 1913-01-17

| Win 0lmculty, the crOupler becomes
his partner. Both are bent on rob
berry.
If the proprietor-always a profess
sional sharper-takes the bank, he
will cheat the players by series Of
tricks, too numerous to be explained
here. When, however, guileless
stranger acts as banker, the croupier's
role comes in; for, while he rakes in
the money for the banker, portion of
it disappears into his pockets in a
manner which only the most expert
eye can detect.
For the benefit of the uninitiated l
will explain the principles Of the
game:
The players sit on the right and left
Of the banker, who has several COM
plete packs of cards in front of him.
When the players have staked their
money, the banker deals one card to
the right, one card to the left, and one
to himself. He repeats this operation.
One Of the players on either side of
the banker takes up the cards and
plays them against the banker for his
side of the table
The object Of the game is to score
nine-not more-or as near that num-
Der as possible-with the two cards;
a third card can be had If desired.
Court-hards and tens are valueless. If
the total of the spots comes to more
than ten, ten must be deducted.
If the bankers score is below that
Of the players he loses; If above, he
wins.
Slowly the room began to fill, and
toward half-past eleven a tall, thin
man with grayish beard and small
piercing eyes came in; from the de-
scription given me I recognized the
Vicomte de St.. He smoked a Gig
arctic, paying little attention to what
went on at the table, where banker,
with only three hundred francs in the
bank, was dealing his cards in desul-
tory fashion.
All at once the vicomte's face bright
ened, and he went up with extended
hands to some fashionably dressed
men who had just entered. I guessed
they were what in gambling-hourse
parlance is called big Game" I
then gave up my seat at the table,
where | was too much in view and
stood behind the players, where
could watch everything.
A bright-looklng youth took the
bank for five thousand francs, and
play began in real earnest. Somebody
called "Banco" (staking all there is
in the bank), and the excitement rose
to high pitch.
Thus far the vicomte had not Joined
in the game; at last, to my delight,
saw him take a bank, also for five
thousand francs. He called for fresh
cards.
This call for fresh cards at such a
time demands an explanation. In the
gambling world it is well known that
after the cards have been shuffled,
cut, and placed in front of the banker,
1t is easy for the latter, by sleight of
hand, to put a few prepared cards on
the top that will give him two or
three winning deals If, therefore, the
banker asks for fresh cards, the unin-
itiated-and, unfortunately, they form
the majority-suppose that no trick
cry is possible. l am sorry to have to
disabuse them.
The worst swindles are practiced
with so-called new packs. l say 80
called" because in the directorial
sanctum they have undergone a curl
GUS process. The pack is held over a
steaming kettle, the wrapper skilfully
removed, the cards taken out, arrang-
ed to give the dealer the advantage,
and again carefully replaced in the
original wrapper.
The study l had in former years
been compelled to make of these prac-
tices, now proved useful, and l moved
behind the vicomte's chair 80 as not
to lose one of his movements.
Five new packs were brought in,
and the croupier undid the four, leav-
ing one on the mantlepiece. He shufTled
the four packs with a great deal of
zest, yet so dexterously that their or
der was not changed. The man was
great expert in the "sham-shufling"
trick
Of all the people in the room I,
certainly was the most interested in
the game, for l was playing for higher
stakes than any of them-for a mans
honor Supposing these cards,
brought on a tray, should not have
been tampered with; supposing the
vicomte played fair game, without
any attempt at cheating; my whole
combination fell to the ground, and
should have to invent another mode Of
attack.
1 held my breath when the first
cards were dealt; and then a feeling
of relief came over me, for / at once
recognized the famous combination,
known as the "7O5," or, more appropri-
ately, the lightning Flash" because
of the rapidity with which It cleans
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