The Robesonian., 1918-08-19
lover the Top
By An American Soldier
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EnPEY
Msehise Gunner Ssreins h. F,ases
(Oopyrisht 1911, Sy Arthur Guy DuDeO
= OnAP IeH AIA. 4{&>.
s-ss~-rS ~

- - On Ht6 Own. !,
OF course Tommy cannot always be
producing plays under fire but while
In rest billets he has numerous other
ways Of amusing himself. He Is a
great gambler. but never plays for
large stakes. Generally, in each COM
pany, you will find regular Garfield.
This man banks nearly all the games
OF chance and is an undisputed author
ity on the rules of gambling. When
ever there is an argument among the
Tommies about some uncertain point
as to whether Houghton is entitled to
Watkins sixpence, the matter is taken
to the recognized authority and his de-
cision is final.
The two most popular games Are'
Grown and Anchor" and House."
The paraphernalia used in "Crown
and Anchor" consists of a piece of can
vas two feet by three feet. This is
divided into six equal squares. In these
squares are painted a club, diamond,
heart, spade, crown, and an anchor,
one device to square. There are
three dice used, each dice marked the
same as the canvas. The banker sets
up his gambling outfit in the corner OF
billet and starts bally-hooing until q
crowd Of Tommies gathers around !;
then the game starts.
The Tommies place bets on the
squares, the crown or anchor being
played the most. The banker then
rolls his three dice and collects or pays
out es the case may be. If you play
the crown and one shows up on the
dice, you get even money, if two show
up, you receive two to one, and if three,
three to one. If the crown does not ap-
pear and you have bet on it, you lose,
and so on. The percentage for the
banker is large If every square is
played, but if the crowd is partial to,
say two squares, he has to trust to
luck. The banker generally wins.
The game Of blouse" is very popular
| also. 1t takes two men to run it. This
game consists of numerous squares Of
cardboard containing three rows Of
numbers, five numbers to a row. The
numbers run from one to ninety. Each
card has different combination.
| The French "estaminets" in the vii
lagos are open from eleven in the morn
Ing until one In the afternoon in ac-
cordance with army orders.
After dinner the Tommies congre-
gate at these places to drink French
beer at penny a glass and play
House"
AS soon as the estaminet is sufn
ciently crowded the proprietors of the
House" game get busy and, as they
term 1t, form a school," This consist:
of going around and selling cards a
franc each. If they have ten in tn,
school, the hackers Of the game de
duct two francs for their trouble an,
the winner gets eight francs.
Then the game starts. Each buye
places his card before him on the ia
Bile, first breaking up matches into fiji
teen pieces.
One of the hackers of the game ha
small cloth bag in which are ninet
cardboard squares, each with a nun
Der printed thereon, from one to min,
ty. He raps on the table and erie
out: eyes down, my lucky lads"
All noise ceases and every one is a
tentiOn.
The croupier places his hand in tt
Jag and draws forth q numbere
square and Immediately calls out IL
number. The man who owns the cal
with that particular number on
covers the square with a match. II
one who covers the fifteen numbers
his card first shouts House" IT
other backer Immediately comes ov
to him and yerifies< the card BY callil