The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-27
BREAKING THE BANK AT MACAO,
THE MONTE CARLO OF THE ORIENT

"oh, no." he said, Mortified. THAT
won't win this time"
How do you know?' startled at his
advance Information.
He looked at me pityingly and gave
birth to a slow smile which showed
what an amateur I was and at the
out how ces? MS knowledge Of lar
tan a THE system say So" he OK
planned patiently, as he would to a
child. You must play by system
always everybody play by system"
"Wha will win them" / asked witt
natural II unsurpassed eagerness.
Two" he answered with fnality
Two by the system. Always play by
the system"
What SYSTEM" I asked tense,y
seeing that It was going to b. easier
than had hoped.
He lifted his shoulders expressively
Any system-everybody have a sys.
tenn. Everybody think they have q
sure system. but they are Of a mistake
But l have mine-is of a certainty"
Tremblingly | asked him to explain
II. and after studying me for a mo-
ittDN 10 II W utltTI1lllt IL L H1lEnt DE
trusted with such a grave secret he
put down a row Of numbers, looped
them together and explained that
since this vas this and that was that
and divided by four with two as a re-
suit two would win mex time.
How did you work II out % I asked.
He shrugged with a certain pleased
finish and then after "A pause added
with more modesty. "Oh. anybody can
have a system. But no one play with
u a system. You must hurry be-
fore the man call"
Getting out a dollar I dropped Il
into the basket and watched Il go
! bouncing down to the boarding house
table. which was to be my start in
breaking the bank. The man took the
howl on the cash and mechanically
raked them back. while the banker
with the steady movement OF a Hoe
press raked back my dollar.
The guide was surprised: he was
at a loss to understand why two had
not come; l intimated that l also was
at a loss. Then he went on to ex.
plain that this had never happened be.
fore and could never happen again.
With a system like his such a thing
was impossible except once in a mill
ion times.
What will win next time?"
Two" he announced with calm as
surance. 1T repeat this time by the
system"
/ put in the money and hung over
the railing while the raking machine
,ArEAI An -.AA1 -
made It's last trip | found that my
money had gone TO Join the silent ma
tority.
turned upon the guide. but I did
not have TO ask him for an explana-
t!on-he had II ready: 1T is OF sur
prise TO me. II has happen twice one
day cannot explain. But not again
will II happen" He went into par.
~ticulars about his system, explaining
with what great care he had worked
IL out and how IL had always won and
how a person could not hope to wir
unless he had a system and closed b,
asking that I, just TO give him .
chance TO prove that he was right, tr,
! IL again.
II When the basket swung over to m,
| decided to clean up strong and -
dropped in $40. and once more tn
basket went dipping down to the
banker-and again the system suffered
defeat.
The guide did no, look up; he wa!
just figuring, arriving at some deel
conclusion. Al last he stopped anC
laid down his pencil. while I waited
eagerly. You lost again" he oh,
served profoundly. told him that WI
agreed on that point and intimateC
that this had been the general tren,
Of events.
at Is difficult TO understand" h
said. II have mastered the system
and teach II to others, but I canno
speak OF why II happen so" I subtl,
suggested that I would not he Of thos,
who rushed in 10 have him teach then
the system and sadly asked what tn
next number would he. He figure,
long and grave before answerins
Three it come this time sure. It cal
not make a fool Of the system again,
So I cautiously sen down a dolla
on four-nnd four o
He was all enthusiasm; he locke,
at me in frank admiration. You pla,
elegantly. The first time you hav
: II. Please tell me what of your sys
tenn"
! Il haven't any system--I just too
! a chance on four
? He stiffened and locked hurt. "
> think you might tell me- he sal
Chokingly. Il share mine TO you. an
J when I ask Of politeness What sys
TEN you use?' you try fool me by say
ing no have got"
Nothing that I could say to hir
would convince him that I hadn't
\ system, for nc Chinaman would thin
! OF playing without a system. II
would rather lose by system than wi
by chance.
! The money came so easily that
. thought I would get more. so I pr
J down $40 on the first number tina
popped into my head. but II made onl
one tr!p-outbound. Before arr!vin
in Macao ! had planned that I woul
: start with a dollar, playing CAREFUL
Z and cautiously until 7 had mastere
! the game, when | would begin douh
I, ling my money, winning each time, I'm
l I'll word ran around the house that
whirlwlnd player was on the hoard,
! when I would be the exposure Of a
yes.
told myself that there was nothinr
that ! would rather he than a porula
] I a,pnonrn NJ, faAa -,,,tl - .-.-