Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-01-01

turn socn TO Limoges. We viii allow
you to come in now. on payment of
he entrance fee. You must be duly
proposed and seconded"
then entered the baccarat room.
@heEe. around long table, covered
sith green baize, a dozen persons were
seated. I looked about me- It was
stili early. and he business of the
evening had not begun. The players
We're of the ordinary type The ma
1ority OF them We're pigeons ready to
De piucked, the rest bore the undeni-
able stamp of the professional gam
bier. Ny attention. however. was cen
tered on the croupier
Few people-eTen those in the habit
OF risking their money In fashionable
clubs or in casinos OF wellknown wa
tering-places-haye a remote idea of
the important post this official holds.
With long. fiat. wooden scoop
something like ricket-bat-he rakes
In the counters from the losers, and
pays the winning side.
In great clubs, these men are careful
~ watched to avoid any trickery; but
IN the small gambling dens their role
is altogethst a different one. When
some one opens one of these dens,
which, being clubs, can be raided only
with difficulty. the croupier becomes
his partner.
II the proprietor-always a profess
sional sharper-takes the bank, he
viii cheat the players by series of
tricks, too numerous to be explained
here When, however, a guileless
stranger acts as banker, the croupier's
role comes In; for. while he rakes in
the money for the banker, a portion of
IL disappears into his pockets in
manner which only the most expert
eye can detect
For the benefit of the uninitiated l
viii 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.
TIE 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. II
the total OF the spots comes to more
| haf f1v, l. \ 4
| 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 ] recognized the
Vicomte de St. He smoked a Gig
arctic, paying little attention to what
went on at the table, where a 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 l guessed
they were what in gambling -hourse
parlance Is called big Game" /
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-looking youth took the
bank for five thousand francs, and
play began In real earnest. Somebody
called "Banco" (staking all there is
in the bankl, 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 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 1t is we'll known that
| after the cards have been shuffled,
cut. and placed in front of the banker,
/ it is easy for the latter, by sleight of
| hand, to put a few prepared cards on
the top that win give him two or
1 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. | am sorry to have to
! disabuse them.
The worst swindles are practiced
with so-called new packs. l say $50
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 / had in former years
been compelled to make of these prac-
tees, now proved useful and | moved
behind the vieomtes chair so 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 shufied
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 |.
| certainly, was the most interested In
the game. for was playing for higher
| stakes than any of them-for q mans
honor Surprising these cards,
brought on a tray, should not have