THE LATEST SLEEVE HOLDOUTThe finest machine in this country. All late improvements, better made than some machines that are sold for $300. A better machine than the Kepplinger, of San Francisco, holdout. Made of fine and light pen steel, and works as well in shirt sleeves as with a coat on. The machine is fastened in a double shirt sleeve. The cards go in between the wristband and cuff. The wristband and cuff closes up when the cards are in, and anyone may look up your sleeve to your elbow and cannot see anything wrong. The holdout is worked by spreading your knees. The string runs through steel tubing that has capped pulley wheel joints. The string cannot bind or catch, and will work smoothly, easy, and noiselessly, every time alike. Give length of arm and size of shirt worn when ordering. Price, $100. Will send one C. O. D. $75, with privilege to examine, on receipt of $25.KEPPLINGER VEST, OR COAT MACHINENew, never before advertised. Made on same principle as the sleeve holdout, and works by spreading knees. String goes through adjustable tubing. Vest closes up tight when cards are in, and looks to be all buttoned up tight. Works equally well in coat. (This is almost a nickle-in-slot machine, and I will guarantee perfect satisfaction to anyone that wants a first-class vest or coat holdout.) Sent in vest all ready to put on and work. Price $75. Will send one C. O. D. $60, privilege to examine and try in express office, on receipt of $15.STUD POKER HOLDOUTVery light and compact, works under any ordinary cuff. Cards come out to palm of hand and go back out of sight. Works automatically by resting arm on edge of table. Also a good machine to cap the deck with. Price $30. Sent C. O. D. $20, privilege to examine, on receipt of $15.ARM PRESSURE VEST MACHINEThis machine weighs about three ounces, and is used half way down the vest, where it comes natural to hold your hands and cards. The work is done with one hand and the lower part of the same arm. You press against a small lever with the arm (an easy pressure of three-quarters of an inch throws out the cards back of a few others held in your left hand), and you can reach over to your checks or do anything else with the right hand while working the holdout. The motions are all natural, and do not cause suspicion. The machine is held in place by a web belt; you don't have to sew anything fast, but when you get ready to play you can put on the machine, and when through can remove it in half a minute. There are no plates, no strings to pull on, and no springs that are liable to break or get out of order. This machine is worth fifty of the old style vest plates for practical use, and you will say the same after seeing one. Price $15. Will send one C. O. D. $10, with privilege to examine, on receipt of $5. Will send one by registered mail on receipt of price, with the understanding that you may return it in exchange for other goods if not perfectly satisfactory.ARM PRESSURE SLEEVE MACHINESame price and style as the arm pressure vest machine. (This holdout is the lightest and smoothest working arm pressure sleeve holdout made.)TEN DOLLAR SLEEVE HOLDOUTLight and compact, can be put on or taken off in two minutes, works by raising and lowering your arm. A good machine for small games. Sent by registered mail on receipt of the price.AUTOMATIC TABLE HOLDOUTLightest made, fastens by patent steel claw. Can be put under a table and taken off instantly, as there are no screws or anything to fasten permanently. Works by knee, and brings the card up on top of the table. Price $20. Sent C. O. D., privilege to examine, on receipt of $5.Notice.—I can make this holdout or my stud poker holdout, either one, to work a fine reflector for reading the cards, at same price.TO SMART POKER PLAYERSI have invented a process by which a man is sure of winning if he can introduce his own cards. The cards are not trimmed or marked in any way, shape, or manner. They can be handled and shuffled by all at the board, and, without looking at a card, you can, by making two or three shuffles or ripping them in, oblige the dealer to give three of a kind to any one playing, or the same advantage can be taken on your own deal. This is a big thing for any game. In euchre you can hold the joker every time, or the cards most wanted in any game. The process is very hard to detect, as the cards look perfectly natural, and it is something card-players are not looking for. Other dealers have been selling sanded cards, or cheap cards with spermaceti rubbed on, and calling them professional playing or magnetic cards. I don't want you to class my cards with that kind of trash. I use a liquid preparation put on with rollers on all cards made; this dries on the cards and does not show, and willlast as long as the cards do. The object is to make certain cards, not prepared, slip off easier than others in shuffling. You can part or break the deck to an ace or king, and easily 'put up threes,' no matter where they lay in the deck. This fine advantage works fine single handed, or when the left-hand man shuffles and offers the cards to be cut. These cards are ten times better than readers or strippers, and they get the money faster. Price $2 per pack by mail, $20 per dozen packs. If you order a dozen, I will furnish cards like you use.CUFF HOLDOUTWeighs two ounces, and is a neat invention to top the deck, to help a partner, or hold out a card playing stud poker; also good to play the half stock in seven up. This holdout works in the shirt sleeve, and holds the cards in the same place as a cuff pocket. There is no part of the holdout in sight at any time. A man that has worked a pocket will appreciate this invention. Price, by registered mail, $10.RING HOLDOUTFits under any ring worn on third finger. A fine thing to top the deck. You can hold as many cards as you wish in your hand, and no one will mistrust you, as your fingers will be at perfect liberty, and it is not necessary to keep them together as you have to do when palming. Price, by registered mail, $3.TABLE HOLDOUTVery small and light. It can be put under and removed from any table in less than half a minute. Works easily from either knee. It will bring three or more cards up into your hand, and take back the discards as you hold your cards and hands in a natural position on top of the table. It is the best table holdout made. Price, by registered mail, $10.Will send one C. O. D., with privilege to examine, on receipt of $3.THE BUGA little instrument, easily carried in your vest pocket, that can be used at a moment's notice to hold out one or more cards in any game. Simple, yet safe and sure. Price 50 cents.NEW MARKING INKFor line or scroll work. Any one can apply it with a fine steel pen or camel's hair brush. This ink dries quickly and does not require any rubbing. Will guarantee it to be the best ink made. Price $3 per bottle. Two bottles, red and blue, $5. Best shading colours, $2 per bottle.REFLECTORFastens by pressing steel spurs into under side of table. A fine glass comes to the edge of table to read the cards as you deal them off. You can set the glass at any angle or turn it back out of sight in an instant. Price $4.MARKED CARDSFirst quality cards, hand marked, $1 50 per pack, $14 per dozen. First quality cards, shaded plain or fine, $11 per dozen. I can mark any style card you use if ordered by the dozen packs. Strippers cut just as you want them. Price $1 per pack.LOADED DICEMade of selected ivory loaded with quicksilver, and can be shaken from the box so as to come high or low, as you wish. With a set of these you will find yourself winner at all dice games, and carry off the prize at every raffle you attend. Sold in sets of 9 dice, 3 high, 3 low, and 3 fair. Price, per set complete, $5.DICE TOPSFor high and low. Sure thing. Made of best ivory, $4 Black walnut, just as good, $1 25.Eagle claw, to hold out cards in shirt sleeve. Price $5.Knee holdout, to hold out cards from edge of table. Price $2 50.Prong, improved, to use as cuff pocket. Price $4.New method of marking cards like scratch work. This work leaves a white line or mark on the card that cannot be shaded. Price of material, tools, and full directions, $10, This is the kind of work good men have been trying to get for some time.NOTICEIt willpayany man that plays cards to come and see my work. I will meet you at Chatham, New York, and will pay all expenses if I don't show you thebestgoods made. If you want any reference regarding my standing, write to —— Bros., merchants, or any business firm of this town. They don't recommend advantage goods, but they will tell you that I am good for all I advertise to do. If you want to get a holdout or anything in the sporting line that you have ever seen used or advertised, write to me about them and see how my prices compare with others. I know all about every kind of advantage ever advertised, and am getting new ones every day, but only advertise those I know to be practical. If you send me an order, no matter how large or small, I shall try to give you the worth of your money, so that you will send again. I am the only manufacturer of holdouts in this country. I am the only man who makes the holdouts he advertises for sale himself. I will bet $500, —— to hold the money and decide the bet, that no other dealer advertising advantage goods can make a sleeve or vestmachine themselves as good as either of mine. If you play cards it will pay you to come here and see my machines work. I will pay all expenses if I cannot show you the best holdouts made. Send money by registered letter, postal note, or money order on Chatham, New York. Send all orders to ——.
THE LATEST SLEEVE HOLDOUT
The finest machine in this country. All late improvements, better made than some machines that are sold for $300. A better machine than the Kepplinger, of San Francisco, holdout. Made of fine and light pen steel, and works as well in shirt sleeves as with a coat on. The machine is fastened in a double shirt sleeve. The cards go in between the wristband and cuff. The wristband and cuff closes up when the cards are in, and anyone may look up your sleeve to your elbow and cannot see anything wrong. The holdout is worked by spreading your knees. The string runs through steel tubing that has capped pulley wheel joints. The string cannot bind or catch, and will work smoothly, easy, and noiselessly, every time alike. Give length of arm and size of shirt worn when ordering. Price, $100. Will send one C. O. D. $75, with privilege to examine, on receipt of $25.
KEPPLINGER VEST, OR COAT MACHINE
New, never before advertised. Made on same principle as the sleeve holdout, and works by spreading knees. String goes through adjustable tubing. Vest closes up tight when cards are in, and looks to be all buttoned up tight. Works equally well in coat. (This is almost a nickle-in-slot machine, and I will guarantee perfect satisfaction to anyone that wants a first-class vest or coat holdout.) Sent in vest all ready to put on and work. Price $75. Will send one C. O. D. $60, privilege to examine and try in express office, on receipt of $15.
STUD POKER HOLDOUT
Very light and compact, works under any ordinary cuff. Cards come out to palm of hand and go back out of sight. Works automatically by resting arm on edge of table. Also a good machine to cap the deck with. Price $30. Sent C. O. D. $20, privilege to examine, on receipt of $15.
ARM PRESSURE VEST MACHINE
This machine weighs about three ounces, and is used half way down the vest, where it comes natural to hold your hands and cards. The work is done with one hand and the lower part of the same arm. You press against a small lever with the arm (an easy pressure of three-quarters of an inch throws out the cards back of a few others held in your left hand), and you can reach over to your checks or do anything else with the right hand while working the holdout. The motions are all natural, and do not cause suspicion. The machine is held in place by a web belt; you don't have to sew anything fast, but when you get ready to play you can put on the machine, and when through can remove it in half a minute. There are no plates, no strings to pull on, and no springs that are liable to break or get out of order. This machine is worth fifty of the old style vest plates for practical use, and you will say the same after seeing one. Price $15. Will send one C. O. D. $10, with privilege to examine, on receipt of $5. Will send one by registered mail on receipt of price, with the understanding that you may return it in exchange for other goods if not perfectly satisfactory.
ARM PRESSURE SLEEVE MACHINE
Same price and style as the arm pressure vest machine. (This holdout is the lightest and smoothest working arm pressure sleeve holdout made.)
TEN DOLLAR SLEEVE HOLDOUT
Light and compact, can be put on or taken off in two minutes, works by raising and lowering your arm. A good machine for small games. Sent by registered mail on receipt of the price.
AUTOMATIC TABLE HOLDOUT
Lightest made, fastens by patent steel claw. Can be put under a table and taken off instantly, as there are no screws or anything to fasten permanently. Works by knee, and brings the card up on top of the table. Price $20. Sent C. O. D., privilege to examine, on receipt of $5.
Notice.—I can make this holdout or my stud poker holdout, either one, to work a fine reflector for reading the cards, at same price.
TO SMART POKER PLAYERS
I have invented a process by which a man is sure of winning if he can introduce his own cards. The cards are not trimmed or marked in any way, shape, or manner. They can be handled and shuffled by all at the board, and, without looking at a card, you can, by making two or three shuffles or ripping them in, oblige the dealer to give three of a kind to any one playing, or the same advantage can be taken on your own deal. This is a big thing for any game. In euchre you can hold the joker every time, or the cards most wanted in any game. The process is very hard to detect, as the cards look perfectly natural, and it is something card-players are not looking for. Other dealers have been selling sanded cards, or cheap cards with spermaceti rubbed on, and calling them professional playing or magnetic cards. I don't want you to class my cards with that kind of trash. I use a liquid preparation put on with rollers on all cards made; this dries on the cards and does not show, and willlast as long as the cards do. The object is to make certain cards, not prepared, slip off easier than others in shuffling. You can part or break the deck to an ace or king, and easily 'put up threes,' no matter where they lay in the deck. This fine advantage works fine single handed, or when the left-hand man shuffles and offers the cards to be cut. These cards are ten times better than readers or strippers, and they get the money faster. Price $2 per pack by mail, $20 per dozen packs. If you order a dozen, I will furnish cards like you use.
CUFF HOLDOUT
Weighs two ounces, and is a neat invention to top the deck, to help a partner, or hold out a card playing stud poker; also good to play the half stock in seven up. This holdout works in the shirt sleeve, and holds the cards in the same place as a cuff pocket. There is no part of the holdout in sight at any time. A man that has worked a pocket will appreciate this invention. Price, by registered mail, $10.
RING HOLDOUT
Fits under any ring worn on third finger. A fine thing to top the deck. You can hold as many cards as you wish in your hand, and no one will mistrust you, as your fingers will be at perfect liberty, and it is not necessary to keep them together as you have to do when palming. Price, by registered mail, $3.
TABLE HOLDOUT
Very small and light. It can be put under and removed from any table in less than half a minute. Works easily from either knee. It will bring three or more cards up into your hand, and take back the discards as you hold your cards and hands in a natural position on top of the table. It is the best table holdout made. Price, by registered mail, $10.Will send one C. O. D., with privilege to examine, on receipt of $3.
THE BUG
A little instrument, easily carried in your vest pocket, that can be used at a moment's notice to hold out one or more cards in any game. Simple, yet safe and sure. Price 50 cents.
NEW MARKING INK
For line or scroll work. Any one can apply it with a fine steel pen or camel's hair brush. This ink dries quickly and does not require any rubbing. Will guarantee it to be the best ink made. Price $3 per bottle. Two bottles, red and blue, $5. Best shading colours, $2 per bottle.
REFLECTOR
Fastens by pressing steel spurs into under side of table. A fine glass comes to the edge of table to read the cards as you deal them off. You can set the glass at any angle or turn it back out of sight in an instant. Price $4.
MARKED CARDS
First quality cards, hand marked, $1 50 per pack, $14 per dozen. First quality cards, shaded plain or fine, $11 per dozen. I can mark any style card you use if ordered by the dozen packs. Strippers cut just as you want them. Price $1 per pack.
LOADED DICE
Made of selected ivory loaded with quicksilver, and can be shaken from the box so as to come high or low, as you wish. With a set of these you will find yourself winner at all dice games, and carry off the prize at every raffle you attend. Sold in sets of 9 dice, 3 high, 3 low, and 3 fair. Price, per set complete, $5.
DICE TOPS
For high and low. Sure thing. Made of best ivory, $4 Black walnut, just as good, $1 25.
Eagle claw, to hold out cards in shirt sleeve. Price $5.
Knee holdout, to hold out cards from edge of table. Price $2 50.
Prong, improved, to use as cuff pocket. Price $4.
New method of marking cards like scratch work. This work leaves a white line or mark on the card that cannot be shaded. Price of material, tools, and full directions, $10, This is the kind of work good men have been trying to get for some time.
NOTICE
It willpayany man that plays cards to come and see my work. I will meet you at Chatham, New York, and will pay all expenses if I don't show you thebestgoods made. If you want any reference regarding my standing, write to —— Bros., merchants, or any business firm of this town. They don't recommend advantage goods, but they will tell you that I am good for all I advertise to do. If you want to get a holdout or anything in the sporting line that you have ever seen used or advertised, write to me about them and see how my prices compare with others. I know all about every kind of advantage ever advertised, and am getting new ones every day, but only advertise those I know to be practical. If you send me an order, no matter how large or small, I shall try to give you the worth of your money, so that you will send again. I am the only manufacturer of holdouts in this country. I am the only man who makes the holdouts he advertises for sale himself. I will bet $500, —— to hold the money and decide the bet, that no other dealer advertising advantage goods can make a sleeve or vestmachine themselves as good as either of mine. If you play cards it will pay you to come here and see my machines work. I will pay all expenses if I cannot show you the best holdouts made. Send money by registered letter, postal note, or money order on Chatham, New York. Send all orders to ——.
The educated man who does not smile at the bombast and 'Yankee-brag' contained in the above, surely cannot have his risible faculties developed in any degree whatever.
The next catalogue we shall notice comes from New York City itself, and is couched in the following terms:—
OUR LATEST MARKED BACK PLAYING CARDSRound corners, big squeezers, first quality linen stock, warranted. Price, per pack, $1 25; six packs, $7; one dozen packs, $12.TO CARD PLAYERSThese cards are by far the finest-marked cards ever printed, and are fully equal in every way, quality of stock, print, and finish of both back and face, to any first quality square card made.This fills the long-felt want among the sporting fraternity, and it is the best offer ever made to club-rooms and private parties. They are new, and never before this season been placed on the market.They are especially adapted for fine work, and great care has been given to the marking of both size and suit, and it is almost an impossibility to find the marks and earn the combinationwithout the key and complete printed instructions which we send with every pack; but when learned they are as easily read from the back as from the face.Nos. 1, 2, and 5 are marked in all four corners alike, so as to be readily played by either right or left-hand players and are marked on an entirely different principle than old style stamped cards.Attention is requested to our 'Montana,' No. 3, and to our 'Star,' No. 4. We furnish them in the colours mentioned and used in all games throughout the entire country. Order the cards by the numbers directly over them. Price, per pack, $1 25; six packs, $7; one dozen packs, $12.We can furnish square cards to exactly duplicate Nos. 1, 2, and 5, at $3 per dozen, by express.Strippers of all these cards, for poker and all games, furnished with either fair or marked backs. For prices and particulars see our circulars. Address all orders to ——
OUR LATEST MARKED BACK PLAYING CARDS
Round corners, big squeezers, first quality linen stock, warranted. Price, per pack, $1 25; six packs, $7; one dozen packs, $12.
TO CARD PLAYERS
These cards are by far the finest-marked cards ever printed, and are fully equal in every way, quality of stock, print, and finish of both back and face, to any first quality square card made.
This fills the long-felt want among the sporting fraternity, and it is the best offer ever made to club-rooms and private parties. They are new, and never before this season been placed on the market.
They are especially adapted for fine work, and great care has been given to the marking of both size and suit, and it is almost an impossibility to find the marks and earn the combinationwithout the key and complete printed instructions which we send with every pack; but when learned they are as easily read from the back as from the face.
Nos. 1, 2, and 5 are marked in all four corners alike, so as to be readily played by either right or left-hand players and are marked on an entirely different principle than old style stamped cards.
Attention is requested to our 'Montana,' No. 3, and to our 'Star,' No. 4. We furnish them in the colours mentioned and used in all games throughout the entire country. Order the cards by the numbers directly over them. Price, per pack, $1 25; six packs, $7; one dozen packs, $12.
We can furnish square cards to exactly duplicate Nos. 1, 2, and 5, at $3 per dozen, by express.
Strippers of all these cards, for poker and all games, furnished with either fair or marked backs. For prices and particulars see our circulars. Address all orders to ——
The following is a hand-bill issued by the same firm as the last, and specially addressed—
TO FARO DEALERSWe handle, and keep constantly in stock, all the latest and best combination boxes, both end squeeze, top balance, lever and side movement, etc., etc., but we make a speciality of our own boxes, and recommend them to any one needing agood reliable box, that can be depended on at all times. These boxes are simple, durable, and by far the best boxes ever placed on the market. We make them up perfectly plain, without bars, have the bottom movement (entirely new), and they can be locked to a dead square box by a table movement which cannot be detected. We make our boxes up tolock by three combinations, and weguarantee them in every way.End squeeze, three combinations$100 to $125End squeeze, without bottom movement100Top Balance, bottom movement, three combinations100Needle or 'spur tell' for the odd, bottom movement65Needle or 'spur tell' without bottom movement50We also make an end squeeze that no one can tell from a square box, as the end of box is immovable, the metal of the end being thinner than rest of box, being able to spring or give as it is pressed, and doing the work. This is one of the finest boxes ever made. Price $100.We also make plain tell boxes, without bars,which can be charged[query 'changed'] from a square to a tell box in an instant without the possibility of detection, and we will guarantee that no one can find the combination. (Do not confound these with the ordinary lock-up sand tell box.)Our boxes are perfect in every particular, and will do the work. The cards for these boxes are specially prepared by a machine which takes the place of sand and all kinds of preparation. They are by far superior to any cards sanded or prepared by hand. Our manner of preparing cards for these boxes is by having the twelve paint cards prepared, so by playing in the high cardthe money is won without creating suspicion, by being always actually on the card with the work on.Price$25With six packs prepared cards35
TO FARO DEALERS
We handle, and keep constantly in stock, all the latest and best combination boxes, both end squeeze, top balance, lever and side movement, etc., etc., but we make a speciality of our own boxes, and recommend them to any one needing agood reliable box, that can be depended on at all times. These boxes are simple, durable, and by far the best boxes ever placed on the market. We make them up perfectly plain, without bars, have the bottom movement (entirely new), and they can be locked to a dead square box by a table movement which cannot be detected. We make our boxes up tolock by three combinations, and weguarantee them in every way.
We also make an end squeeze that no one can tell from a square box, as the end of box is immovable, the metal of the end being thinner than rest of box, being able to spring or give as it is pressed, and doing the work. This is one of the finest boxes ever made. Price $100.
We also make plain tell boxes, without bars,which can be charged[query 'changed'] from a square to a tell box in an instant without the possibility of detection, and we will guarantee that no one can find the combination. (Do not confound these with the ordinary lock-up sand tell box.)
Our boxes are perfect in every particular, and will do the work. The cards for these boxes are specially prepared by a machine which takes the place of sand and all kinds of preparation. They are by far superior to any cards sanded or prepared by hand. Our manner of preparing cards for these boxes is by having the twelve paint cards prepared, so by playing in the high cardthe money is won without creating suspicion, by being always actually on the card with the work on.
These are the instructions sent out with the fluids used for marking cards. The spelling must not be criticised. It is similar to that of the original:—
'DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING AND USING OUR COLORS.'Take the color that comes nearest to the color of the card you want to use it on, put a few drops in an empty bottle, and dilute with Alcohol untill you get a Shade as near like the Card as possible. To avoid spilling, as sometimes happens in trying to pour or drop, the dye may be lifted out of the bottles with the brush, by repeatedly dipping the brush into them, and then wiping the brush on the mouth of the empty Bottle. It is better to put the Alcohol into the empty bottlefirst, then when you lift the dye out on the brush you can dip the brush right in the Alcohol, and tell better when you have the right shade. As you mix the colors, try them on a surface like that on which you may intend to use them, in this way any shade may be obtained. Always bear in mind that the Colors showdeeperwhenmoist, (as is the case when they are first put on), and become fainter as they dry, and when dry if they aretoo light, go over them again. Eveness is more apt to be obtained by using a little lighter shade of color after the first application.'A little care and practice will enable any one to handle these colors satisfactorily.'In marking you can pick out any number of figures from four to six, having them as near the upper left hand corner as conveneient, a Flower which has 5 leaves is best, or the right number of figures in a circle.'Shade all the figures except No. 1, leaving it light or natural for the Ace, No. 2 light for King, No. 3 light for Queen, No. 4 for Jack, No. 5 for 10 spot, 1 & 2 light for 9 spot, 2 and 3 for 8, 3 and 4 for 7, 4 and 5 for 6, 5 and 1 for 5, 2 and 5 for 4, 2 and 4 for 3, and 3 and 5 for 2. In doingvery nice workwe shade the entire back of the cardexceptthefigurewhich denotes the size and suit.'For suit pick out two figures near those you use for size,and haveboth dark for Clubs, and both light or natural for Diamonds, have one of them dark for Spades; and the other dark for Hearts. With six figures the combination runs similar to the five figures which we have ezplained, and a four figure runs the same down to the seven spot. After a little practice you will see many ways of marking your cards.'The Dyes we use are the Diamond Package Dyes, and can be had of most any Druggist. Make the Dyes according to Directions on the package, using only onehalf the quantity of waterdirected, and strain through a cloth, if there is any sediment in the dye after adding the Alcohol strain it again as it is necessary to have it as clear as possible. Do not try to use the dyes without the Alcohol, or it will be a failure, as it is the Alcohol which causes the Dye to strike into the card. Always keep the bottles well corked when not using them. Brushes and bottles should be kept clean, and if the brushes are washed in water, they must be thoroughly dried before using, as water will blister smooth, calendered surfaces. Never let your brush get dry when using, but dip it occasionally, care being taken not to have too much on the brush, and use immediately, if the alcohol evaporates from the dye it makes a much eifferent colour.'
'DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING AND USING OUR COLORS.
'Take the color that comes nearest to the color of the card you want to use it on, put a few drops in an empty bottle, and dilute with Alcohol untill you get a Shade as near like the Card as possible. To avoid spilling, as sometimes happens in trying to pour or drop, the dye may be lifted out of the bottles with the brush, by repeatedly dipping the brush into them, and then wiping the brush on the mouth of the empty Bottle. It is better to put the Alcohol into the empty bottlefirst, then when you lift the dye out on the brush you can dip the brush right in the Alcohol, and tell better when you have the right shade. As you mix the colors, try them on a surface like that on which you may intend to use them, in this way any shade may be obtained. Always bear in mind that the Colors showdeeperwhenmoist, (as is the case when they are first put on), and become fainter as they dry, and when dry if they aretoo light, go over them again. Eveness is more apt to be obtained by using a little lighter shade of color after the first application.
'A little care and practice will enable any one to handle these colors satisfactorily.
'In marking you can pick out any number of figures from four to six, having them as near the upper left hand corner as conveneient, a Flower which has 5 leaves is best, or the right number of figures in a circle.
'Shade all the figures except No. 1, leaving it light or natural for the Ace, No. 2 light for King, No. 3 light for Queen, No. 4 for Jack, No. 5 for 10 spot, 1 & 2 light for 9 spot, 2 and 3 for 8, 3 and 4 for 7, 4 and 5 for 6, 5 and 1 for 5, 2 and 5 for 4, 2 and 4 for 3, and 3 and 5 for 2. In doingvery nice workwe shade the entire back of the cardexceptthefigurewhich denotes the size and suit.
'For suit pick out two figures near those you use for size,and haveboth dark for Clubs, and both light or natural for Diamonds, have one of them dark for Spades; and the other dark for Hearts. With six figures the combination runs similar to the five figures which we have ezplained, and a four figure runs the same down to the seven spot. After a little practice you will see many ways of marking your cards.
'The Dyes we use are the Diamond Package Dyes, and can be had of most any Druggist. Make the Dyes according to Directions on the package, using only onehalf the quantity of waterdirected, and strain through a cloth, if there is any sediment in the dye after adding the Alcohol strain it again as it is necessary to have it as clear as possible. Do not try to use the dyes without the Alcohol, or it will be a failure, as it is the Alcohol which causes the Dye to strike into the card. Always keep the bottles well corked when not using them. Brushes and bottles should be kept clean, and if the brushes are washed in water, they must be thoroughly dried before using, as water will blister smooth, calendered surfaces. Never let your brush get dry when using, but dip it occasionally, care being taken not to have too much on the brush, and use immediately, if the alcohol evaporates from the dye it makes a much eifferent colour.'
The foregoing price-lists, &c., as may be expected, are all printed. It is not always, however, that the dealer in 'advantages' goes to the expense of print in connection with the documents he issues; he sometimes uses the cyclostyle or mimeograph, particularly in the case of directions for use accompanying the various articles in which he deals. When, in this way, he has no longer the friendly aid of the compositor or the printer's reader, his vagaries of grammar and construction are revealed inall their primitive innocence. To commence one of his sentences is like embarking upon an unknown sea, or following a half-beaten track through a desert. Onward the course runs, apparently for ever, and no man can tell when the end is coming, or what it is likely to be. Pelion is piled upon Ossa, and Parnassus is over all.
A few days ago two or three of these documents were sent to be copied out in type, so as to be somewhat legible for the printer; and, as an evidence of their singularly explicit nature, it may be mentioned that the typist was under the impression that they were all parts of one document, and copied out the whole as one, without break from beginning to end. Such a thing, of course, was quite excusable under the circumstances, as the reader may judge from the following example of how not to do it. The entire manuscript consists of one sentence only, so far as punctuation is concerned, and is supposed to contain directions for the use of the prepared cards mentioned upon pp. 223-227. It runs to this effect:—
'Directions.—When you part the pack to shuffle press down a trifle and the cards will part to an Ace (the Ace will be on top of the lower part) put that part with the Ace on top and part again to another Ace now shuffle in all but the four top cards, part the cards again to the third Ace and shuffle in all but the top four cards, then put three cards on top of the last Ace (this puts up three Aces with three cards between them and three on top and is for a four handed game) if one more or less than four are playing shuffle in one more or less cards, (always have as many cards between andon top of the Aces as there are players excluding yourself) when the left hand man deals and offers the cards to you to cut you can shuffle them up in the same way (but you must put "one less" card on top of the three Aces to get the Aces yourself)'
'Directions.—When you part the pack to shuffle press down a trifle and the cards will part to an Ace (the Ace will be on top of the lower part) put that part with the Ace on top and part again to another Ace now shuffle in all but the four top cards, part the cards again to the third Ace and shuffle in all but the top four cards, then put three cards on top of the last Ace (this puts up three Aces with three cards between them and three on top and is for a four handed game) if one more or less than four are playing shuffle in one more or less cards, (always have as many cards between andon top of the Aces as there are players excluding yourself) when the left hand man deals and offers the cards to you to cut you can shuffle them up in the same way (but you must put "one less" card on top of the three Aces to get the Aces yourself)'
Presumably this is the end of the 'instructions,' as there is no more matter to follow; but one cannot be surprised that an unhappy typist, endeavouring to make sense of it, should follow straight on to the next, under the impression that the general effect of disjointedness thus produced was part and parcel of the whole occult scheme.
The directions sent out with the 'Jacob's Ladder' vest machine are very similar in character to the last. There is, however, one 'full-stop' in this case, probably the one which the typist was looking for. This is the manner in which the dealer instructs the purchaser in the use of his machine:—
'DIRECTIONS FOR VEST MACHINE'Fasten the Belt around your waist so that the Machine will come on left side far enough from the edge of Vest to let the cards go back out of sight. Pin the under lap of Vest on the edge to the belt opposite the third or middle button, if you are a large man or if you want the mouth of the M- to come out farther, turn down the screw on front part of Lever, to hold out 3 cards place them back of a few others held in left hand with a break or opening between them on the lower ends, press against the lever with the lower part of arm and as the mouth of the M- comes out to the edge ofVest put the cards in (let your little finger come against the lower side of the mouth) this will be a guide and you can put the cards in without looking down, (a good way is to reach over to your checks or to "put up" with right hand while working the Machine) less than a 1/2-in. pressure will throw out the cards'
'DIRECTIONS FOR VEST MACHINE
'Fasten the Belt around your waist so that the Machine will come on left side far enough from the edge of Vest to let the cards go back out of sight. Pin the under lap of Vest on the edge to the belt opposite the third or middle button, if you are a large man or if you want the mouth of the M- to come out farther, turn down the screw on front part of Lever, to hold out 3 cards place them back of a few others held in left hand with a break or opening between them on the lower ends, press against the lever with the lower part of arm and as the mouth of the M- comes out to the edge ofVest put the cards in (let your little finger come against the lower side of the mouth) this will be a guide and you can put the cards in without looking down, (a good way is to reach over to your checks or to "put up" with right hand while working the Machine) less than a 1/2-in. pressure will throw out the cards'
The instances above quoted will be sufficient to give the reader a fair notion of the barefaced manner in which these nefarious dealings are carried on. There is no beating about the bush in any instance; no hiding away of the real intent with which the goods are supplied. They are not called cheating-tools in so many words, but no attempt is made to smother up the actual nature of the articles. The dealer does not say 'Special Cards,' or 'Comical Cards,' or anything of the kind. He puts the matter plainly before his customers, and says, 'Our Latest Marked Back Playing Cards!' There is no mistaking his meaning; he is proud of it, and likes to let the world know the kind of things he has to sell.
'And where are the police all the while?' you ask. Echo answers 'Where?' and that is the only reply which is forthcoming. They must know of these places where the implements of robbery are made and sold; yet, as a rule, they appear to take no notice of what is going on. Now and again, in those places where the regulations are particularly strict, they have a spasmodic burst of activity; and then the dealers lie low for awhile, until all is quiet again. Occasionally it may happen that somedealer, whose advertisements have become too flagrantly palpable, is pounced upon and compelled to desist; but even when such a person is obliged to close his business altogether, he simply migrates to the next State, and supplies his former customers through the medium of the Post Office. Very little hardship is entailed upon him, as those who deal with him are necessarily scattered far and wide in various parts of the world, and the stock is not very difficult to remove.
The 'Express Offices' in America must surely know all about this kind of traffic, since they allow the swindling machinery to be tried in their depôts. The C.O.D. system is ample evidence of their connivance.
In sending marked cards through the post, a whole pack is seldom despatched in one parcel. As a rule they are sent a few at a time. This proceeding avoids the payment of duty upon them, effecting a considerable saving sometimes. Other articles are described as sample parts of machinery, and duty is paid upon them in accordance with their value.
The system upon which the business of these firms is conducted shows that not only have they sound commercial instincts, but also that they know their customers particularly well, and have had experience of the class of people with whom they have to deal. They are prepared to send their goods on approval at any time, but on condition that they receive a certain amount ofcash with the order, or at any rate the equivalent of cash, and a guarantee of payment of the balance on delivery. The fact is, they take good care to let no article go out of their hands until they have been paid a little more than it is really worth; and, therefore, if the sharp who purchases it should prove so forgetful of his obligations as to neglect payment of the remainder, the dealer still makes a profit. As one firm states upon the cover of its price-list,We will not deviate from the above terms—and they don't. Cash on delivery is what they require, or, as it is usually abbreviated, 'C.O.D.' There is a good deal of C.O.D. about these transactions, in more ways than one.
In spite of their supposed 'cuteness' one often finds that sharps are as apt to be inveigled into the purchase of worthless articles by means of bogus advertisements as any of their dupes. In certain of the American papers the following advertisement was at one time often seen:—
'Electric cards, as used by professional gamblers. $1,00, &c. Apply—.'
On sending his money to the dealer, the sharp would receive a common pack of cards, with the same instructions as those sent out with the varnished cards which slip at the aces (p. 304). A separate slip was enclosed, however, which informed him that these cards would only retain their electricity for twenty-four hours. Hewas, therefore, advised to buy a battery wherewith to recharge (?) them; for the sum of $30.00. When he had made this additional purchase, he found what a little knowledge of electricity would have told him at first, that he had been 'had on toast.' Honour among thieves, again!
Among the dealers in 'advantages' there are some humourists. One man who kept an 'emporium' for the sale of these things in New York City, but who was moved into an adjoining State by the police, used to have his envelopes embellished by the semblance of a bull dog, and the motto 'We still live.' Not bad, is it?
The price lists issued by this same individual were in the form of pamphlets, and contained very exaggerated descriptions of his apparatus and the results produced thereby. Interspersed with the more prosaic details of his wares, one found now and again wise saws or proverbs, altered to suit the tastes of his patrons. Some of the choicest of these 'modern instances' ran as follows:—
'A bug is far above rubies.'
'A holdout in the vest is more use than snide jewelry in the pocket.'
'Get proper tools and use them with discretion, and you will win and last.'
And so on. This kind of thing exhibits the lighter and brighter side of the sharp's nature with much vividness.
The reader may have noticed, at the end of one of the price-lists, that the dealer is able to give references as to his trustworthiness to respectable firms 'who don't recommend advantage goods.' This will not be a matter for surprise when it is understood that the man is supposed to be an honest tradesman carrying on a reputable business. In all probability his referees would have no idea as to the sort of person to whosebona fidesthey are attesting. On the other hand, of course, they may know all about it, in which case they are manifestly no better than the man they are recommending. Still, even in that event, the reference is quite good enough for the sort of people who are likely to be buyers of swindling apparatus. The author has a few dollars' worth of this kind of thing; so perhaps the reader may be inclined to observe that 'Dwellers in glass houses,' &c. However, that's another matter. This book would never have been forthcoming if the author had any objection to a few pounds finding their way into the pockets of those who don't deserve them. The end must justify.
The fact that these people should be allowed to carry on their trade in the way they do is nothing short of a standing disgrace to America and a satire upon civilisation. All men have an admiration for America, though some may only half express it. Let her only be true to herself, true to her traditions, and true toherorigin; let her deal firmly with those who mar her fair fame; let her learn to cherish that which is best and brightest among her children, and she will one day become the glory of the world—but that day is not yet.
Now that we have reached the final stage of our inquiry, the reader having been put in possession of all the facts which are material and of importance in connection with it, nothing more remains than to take a brief review of our position, as it were, and see precisely how we stand—to regard the question of gambling as a whole, in fact, and see what conclusions we may arrive at with regard to it, when it is viewed with the eye of common sense, and in the light of the knowledge we have obtained. Every subject, of course, has many aspects, and gambling may be regarded from many different standpoints. In this last chapter, then, and with the reader's permission, I will take the liberty of regarding it from my own; and, no objection being raised to the proposal, I should prefer to regard these concluding remarks as being made confidentially, so to speak, between the reader and myself. If, in delivering myself of what remains to be said, I should appear to speak either egotistically or dogmatically, I crave pardon beforehand, and beg the reader to believethat, if I am inclined to emphasise any particular point bearing upon the matter in hand, it is because I feel strongly with reference to it, and not because I wish to pose in the eyes of the world as a champion of right and an opponent of wrong.
Fear has been expressed, in some quarters, that the publication of the secrets contained in this book will be the means of increasing the number of sharps; that I am simply providing a manual for the instruction of budding swindlers. This may appear very cogent reasoning to some; but, for all that, it is very poor logic, in reality. In fact, a more groundless fear could not be entertained. It would be as reasonable to say that the manufacture of safes and strong-rooms, and the increase of safeguards against thieves, will tend to augment the number of burglars. Or, to come nearer to the point at issue, one may as well assert that the exposure of spiritualistic frauds has increased the number of 'mediums.' The subject of spiritualism affords a most striking proof of the absurdity of such a contention. Contrast the state of affairs twenty-five years ago, before the crusade against spiritualistic humbug, with that of the present day. Then, dozens of impostors were doing a thriving business. The medium was as much in demand as the most popular society entertainer, and could command larger fees. Spiritualism was a fashionable amusement; the drawing-rooms of the aristocracy were constantlybeing darkened for séances. Now, only two or three miserable rogues, without ability to earn a living in any other way, are dragging out a wretched existence in the East End of London, giving séances in back parlours, and charging a fee of a shilling a head. Even in America things are not much brighter for the medium. Compare Dr. Slade's success in London with his sad end in America, a few weeks ago. In fact, the business is utterly ruined; those who have sufficient ability have become conjurers and 'exposers of spiritualism'; others have become gambling sharps and 'hypnotic subjects.' These facts constitute a complete answer to the assertion that this book will tend to increase the practice of sharping. I maintain that no young man's education should be considered complete without some knowledge of the capabilities of trickery; for, without it, he may be imposed upon by any charlatan.
Apart from the question of sharping, and with reference to the fallacies indulged in by gamblers at large, there are, among a multiplicity of others, three which demand our special attention, and with which I particularly wish to deal. These three mistaken, though very commonly entertained notions, constitute the very basis of what is called fair gambling. They are these:—
1. That gambling is essentially honest.
2. That a bet may be fair to both parties.
3. That betting on fair odds, the chances of eachbettor will, in the long run, so equalise themselves that neither can win nor lose, in an infinite number of bets.
Now, what I undertake to show may be summed up in three statements, which can be putper contrato the others, viz.:—
1. That gambling is essentially dishonest.
2. That a bet may beunfairto both parties, but cannot possibly be fair to more than one, and that only at the expense of gross injustice to the other.
3. That a protracted run of betting gives the gambler no more chance of winning, or of recouping his losses, than he has in making a single bet.
Here, then, I bring the whole gambling fraternity—sharps and flats alike—about my ears. But, having courage of my opinions, I stand to my guns, and am prepared to hold my own against all comers. I will even go so far as to back my opinion in 'the good old English way' (why English?) to the extent of sixpence—beyond which I never go. Stay, though, I am speaking hastily. I did once back a horse for the Derby to the extent of a guinea. When I say that the horse was 'Maskelyne, by Magic—Mystery' (I believe that was the formula given by the sporting papers), perhaps I may be forgiven the extravagance for once. I have less compunction in mentioning the circumstance because the horse was 'scratched.' 'Maskelyne' was a rank outsider, and I did not even have 'a run for my money.'
But to return. I have said that gambling is essentially dishonest. This is no new statement, I am aware; but it is one upon which too much stress cannot be laid. A bet is almost universally considered to be a fair bargain. But is it? Afairbargain is one in which each person receives something which is of more value to him than that with which he has parted, or, at any rate, something which is of equal value. If either receives less value than he gives, that person has been swindled, and the fact of winning a bet signifies that one has deprived another of money for which no due consideration has been given. The gambler, of course, will argue that hedoesgive an equivalent return for what he wins, in that he allows his opponent an equal chance of depriving him of a similar amount; that is to say, he purchases the right to cheat another by giving his opponent an equal chance of depriving him of a similar amount. In short, a bet is simply a mutual agreement to compound a felony. The fact that both parties to the transaction are equally in the wrong cannot possibly justify either. But it may be argued that no loser of a bet ever considers that he has been unjustly deprived of his money. That again is quite a mistaken notion. No man ever lost a bet who did not consider that he had every right to win it, otherwise he would never have made it. Therefore he is just as much robbed as though he had had his pocket picked. Because another willcheat me if he has the chance, that does not justify me in cheating him if I can. If a man seeks to take my life, I may be justified in killing him, as a last resource, in order to protect myself; but, in a transaction involving merely pounds, shillings and pence, there is no necessity to fight a man with his own weapons. The act of cheating is not the weapon with which to combat the desire to cheat; yet this is what actually takes place even in so-called fair gambling.
It must be obvious to any one who will take the trouble to think over the matter, that chances which are fair and equal are a question of proportion rather than of actual amounts and odds. At first sight, however, it would appear that if a man stands an equal chance of winning or losing a certain amount, nothing fairer could possibly be imagined, from whatever point of view one may regard it. I venture to say, nevertheless, that this is not so. Suppose for the moment that you are a poor man, and that you meet a rich acquaintance who insists upon your spending the day with him, and having what the Americans call 'a large time.' At the end of the day he says to you, 'I will toss you whether you or I pay this day's expenses.' Such a proposition is by no means uncommon, and suppose you win, what is the loss to him? Comparatively nothing. He may never miss the amount he has to pay; but if you lose, your day's outing may have to be purchased by many weeks of inconvenience.
A bet of a hundred pounds is a mere bagatelle to a rich man, but it may be everything to a poor one. In the one case the loss entails no inconvenience, in the other it means absolute ruin. It must be granted, then, in matters of this kind, that proportion is the chief factor, not the actual figures. If you are with me so far, you are already a step nearer to my way of thinking.
Let us proceed a step further, and see how it is that a bet is necessarily unfair to both parties. The simple fact is that no two men can make a wager, however seemingly fair, or however obviously unfair, without at once reducing the actual value to them of their joint possessions. This can be proved to a demonstration. We will take a case in which the chances of winning are exactly equal, both in amount and in proportion to the wealth of two bettors. Suppose that your possessions are precisely equal in amount to those of a friend, and that your circumstances are similar in every respect. There can be, then, no disparity arising from the fact of a bet being made between you, where the chances of winning or losing a certain amount are the same to each. To present the problem in its simplest form, we will say that you each stake one-half of your possessions upon the turn of a coin. If it turns up head you win, if it falls 'tail up' your friend wins. Nothing could possibly be fairer than this from a gambler's point of view. You have each an equal chance of winning, you both stakean equal amount, you both stand to lose as much as you can win, and, above all, the amount staked bears the same value, proportionately, to the wealth of each person. One cannot imagine a bet being made under fairer conditions, yet how does it work out in actual fact? You may smile when you read the words, butyou both stand to lose more than you can possibly win! You doubt it! Well, we shall see if it cannot be made clear to you.
Suppose the turn of the coin is against you, and therefore you lose half your property; what is the result? To-morrow you will say, 'What a fool I was to bet! I was a hundred per cent. better off yesterday than I am to-day.' That is precisely the state of the case; you were exactly a hundred per cent. better off. Now, the most feeble intellect will at once perceive that a hundred per cent. can only be balanced by a hundred per cent. If you stood a chance of being that much better off yesterday than you are to-day, to make the chances equal you should have had an equal probability of being a hundred per cent. better off to-day than you were yesterday. That is obvious upon the face of it, since we agree that these questions are, beyond dispute, matters of proportion, and not of actual amounts.
Then we will suppose you win the toss, and thus acquire half your friend's property; what happens then? When the morrow arrives you can only say, 'I am fifty percent. better off to-day than I was yesterday.' That is just it. If you lose, your losses have amounted to as much as you still possess, whilst, if you win, your gains amount only to one-third of what you possess. The plain facts of the case, then, are simply that the moment you and your friend have made the bet referred to, you have considerably reduced the value of your joint possessions. Not in actual amount, it is true, but in actual fact, nevertheless; for whichever way the bet may go, the loss sustained by one represents a future deprivation to that one far greater than the future proportional advantage gained by the other. The mere fact of one having gained precisely as much as the other has lost does not affect the ultimate result in the least. The inconvenience arising from any loss is always greater than the convenience resulting from an equal gain.
No man in his senses can be excused for making a bet of this kind, even if one merely considers the injustice inflicted upon himself; whilst in the case of a man who has others dependent upon him, such a proceeding could be nothing short of criminal. If by this time you do not see that gambling, in any form, means a possible loss of more than can be gained, all I can say is that you should turn socialist, being totally unable to protect or even recognise your individual interests. Civilisation is wasted upon you. Properly speaking, if you gamble fairly you are a flat; if you gamble unfairly youare a sharp: one or the other you must be. To be a wise man, and an honest man, you cannot gamble at all.
Some of course will meet me half-way, and admitting the truth of all I have put forward, will say, 'Yes, that is all very well, but no gambler ever does stake half his possessions upon a single bet; therefore the proportion which any individual wager bears to his entire property is infinitesimal.' That, again, is perfectly true; but I cannot see nor have I ever met with any one who could show me what difference can possibly exist between a small number of bets for a large amount, and a large number of bets for small amounts. Then comes in the third fallacy I have mentioned. 'The chances,' some will say, 'are bound to equalise themselves in the long run, and then one can neither win nor lose.' Dear, good, simple-minded souls! Theproportionof gains to losses, I grant, will become more equalised in an infinite number of bets where the probabilities are always equal; but the amount which may be lost, and the proportion it bears to the belongings of the bettor, may everincreasewith the infinity of the bets.
Suppose, for instance, two men toss up a coin ten times, and stake a pound upon the result of each toss. We will say that one of them loses nine times, and wins only once. He has lost four-fifths of the amount he has staked in the aggregate; but what does it amount to? Merely eight pounds. But suppose they go on tossingfor ten thousand times, and that the same player loses only a hundredth part of the amount he has staked during the whole time, he wins ninety-nine times for every hundred losses. The proportion lost is infinitely less than in the former case, yet the actual amount is one hundred pounds. Let the throws be continued to a million times, and suppose the player loses only a thousandth part of what he has staked from beginning to end, his losses will amount to exactlyone thousand pounds.
To talk of an infinite number of bets equalising the chances is sheer nonsense; it simply equalises theratioof the gains to the losses. The actual amounts won or lost may increase indefinitely. At the same time the player's original wealth does not vary; and the man who has a thousand pounds may as well lose it in one throw as in a million—better, in fact, as he will waste less time over it.
I have tried to make this point somewhat clear, because it is one upon which even the most scientific gamblers—if one may use the term—are more or less befogged. They all think that, if they only keep on long enough, they are sure to win, or at any rate to recoup their losses: but the life of any man is too short to be certain of any such result, even in fair gambling—and most gambling is not fair. The punter, of course, after the manner of his kind, will differ from me in this last statement. He is of opinion that the odds in ordinarybettingarefair. Well, if that is so, I should like to know who keeps the bookmakers. I knowIdon't, and I know the punterdoes. If he is satisfied, so are the 'bookies'; and certainly other people have no cause to complain. The bookmaker, above all people, makes an infinite number of bets, and therefore, theoretically, he should neither win nor lose; but somehow he contrives to 'live and move and have his being.' Those who assist in maintaining him should best know how he manages it, but they don't seem to realise it.
The absolute immorality of gambling—the desire to obtain money to which one has no right—in any form is beyond dispute; and the sooner this fact is generally recognised, the better it will be for the world at large. There are some, of course, in whom the passion is ingrained, and from whose natures it can never be wholly eradicated. But everyone should clearly understand that the vice is as reprehensible in proportion to its magnitude as that, for instance, of either lying or stealing.
In an earlier chapter of this book I have said that directly a man becomes a gambler he also becomes a person whose honesty is open to suspicion. This may appear to be a somewhat harsh and sweeping assertion, but I maintain that it is absolutely justified by the facts which come under my notice almost daily. As an example of the laxity (to use no stronger term) which gradually undermines the moral nature of the gambler,however conscientious he may originally have been, I may quote the following instance.
A few days ago a friend of mine, who belongs to a West End Club, was discussing the subject of gambling with a fellow member. In course of conversation he put the query, 'If you detected a man in cheating at the Club, what should you do?' To this the other replied. 'I should back his play; and then, after the game was over, I should make him give me half his winnings.' This is what gambling had done for a presumably honest 'Club man.'
With reference to the numberless systems of which one hears now and then, which are supposed to provide a certain means of enabling any gambler to win, despite the chances and changes of fortune, it may be as well to say a few words. These 'martingales,' as they are called, are always intended for use, more especially in the great gambling-houses of Monte Carlo and elsewhere.12Someof them, I should say, are as old as gambling itself; others are of comparatively recent invention; but, one and all, they are systems by means of which any amount of money may be won, and any number of banks may be broken—on paper. There is the trouble, they are useless in practice. They really look so promising, however, that it is very difficult to convince some people of their futility. But the fact remains that these systems have been in operation for generations, and never yet has a gaming establishment been ruined by their aid. This ounce of experimental proof is worth many pounds of reasoning. Sometimes, of course, the martingale will answer its purpose splendidly for a while; but, sooner or later, the inevitable crash comes, when the system breaks down, and the gambler is ruined. The great defect of all these devices is that, although they may promise a constant succession of comparatively small gains, there is always the chance of making a very heavy loss. This chance, of course, appears to the gambler to be so remote as to be unworthy of consideration; but, alas! that apparently remote chance is the rock upon which generations of punters have split. It always turnsup eventually, and then the bank recovers all it has lost, and in all probability a great deal more.
The simplest form of martingale, and one which is typical of them all, however much more complicated or 'improved' they may be, is the one which consists of the practice of doubling the stake after every loss. For instance, at rouge-et-noir the gambler may stake a sovereign and lose it. The next time he stakes two sovereigns, and, if he loses, his third stake will be four sovereigns. By pursuing this system it is obvious that, whenever he does win, he will gain a sovereign over and above his losses. Having won he will begin again with a sovereign and double his bets each time, until he wins as before. It would seem, then, that there must be a constant influx of sovereigns to the gambler; and so there may be for a time, but it will not last. In fact, he may be ruined at the very first sitting. This is how it happens. The success of the system depends upon the assumption that the chances must, sooner or later, turn in favour of the player; they cannot be against him for ever, so he must win in the end. That is what he thinks. But what he loses sight of is the fact that long spells of ill-luck are particularly common. It is quite an ordinary thing for a player to lose twenty times in succession; and meanwhile the amount of the stakes has been increasing after the manner of the familiar problem in arithmetic, wherein the nails in a horse's shoes play so prominent a part.The fact is, if the player has lost eleven times, his twelfth stake will amount to £2,048. Obviously, then, a very short run of bad fortune will either cause the player to lose all his available money, or bring the stake up to the amount beyond which the bank will not allow any single bet to be made. What becomes of the martingale then? Ask of the winds.
And thus it is with all these systems. Their inventors fully believe in them, until they learn from bitter experience that they have overlooked the one weak point, the fallacy underlying the whole operation. Wherever there is a chance of making a number of small gains, there is always a chance of sustaining one great loss, which will swallow up many hundred times the value of any single stake. From this unfortunate circumstance there is no escape, no matter how ingenious the system may be, and notwithstanding any amount of infallibility it may appear to possess. A mathematician would demonstrate the folly of relying upon any martingale, and lay his finger upon the weak points in a few minutes. In short, these things one and all provide a means of winning which is just about as reliable as the advice given by the 'Old Pard' in 'My Sweetheart,' whose dying words were, 'Always copper the Queen on the last turn.' This, of course, was intended to refer to the game of faro. One may suppose that when the Queen remained in the dealing-box until the last turn, hisexperience had been that it always turned up for the bank, and hence his advice to 'copper.' Another person's experience might have been just the opposite, and in that case the advice would be quite the contrary. Everything of this kind hinges upon superstition, and a belief in good and bad luck. When a 'lucky' gambler wins, his acquaintances express no surprise; they consider his good-fortune to be part and parcel of his nature. When he begins to lose, they suffer not a whit more astonishment, because such luck as his could not possibly last. The theories in each case are utterly at variance with one another, but the absurdity of the position never seems to reveal itself to the gambling intellect. The ultimate fate of the confirmed gambler, however fortunate he may be for a time, has always been, without exception, ruin and destitution. That is the only result ever achieved by the punter in the end.
So much, then, for 'fair gambling.' As to the blacker side of the question, as revealed in this book, what can be said of it, or what need be said of it? The reader may draw his own conclusions, which will doubtless vary according to the fact of his being either a sharp or a flat. The sharps will, unquestionably, be among those who are most anxious to see what disclosures are made herein; let us hope they will be satisfied with the thoroughness of the revelations. It would be a pity to disappoint them. On the other hand, the flats will find much food for thought in these pages. They must notrun away with the impression that by mastering the details thus put before them they will render themselves proof against sharping. If they imagine anything of the kind they will become simply 'fly flats,' and that will not improve their chances very much if they fall into the hands of an expert. Apart from the impossibility of giving every device employed by all the sharps in existence, it must be remembered that fresh trickeries are continually being invented, though it may be many years before new means of cheating can be devised which will prove so effective as those enjoyed by the sharp at the present day. He is generally equal to the occasion, however, and has his own individual methods of working; very often methods of which even his brother-sharps are ignorant, and which die with him. We can only hope that this book will be the means of opening the eyes of his dupes, and of rendering the chances of success in cheating less than they have been hitherto.
But we cannot hope that the sharp will findnodupes in the future; that is altogether too much to expect. As long as the world is principally composed of rogues and fools, so long will there be 'sharps and flats.' 'Surely the pleasure is as great in being cheated as to cheat,' but the profit does not apportion itself in the same manner. The sharp continually profits by his experience, but the flat—never.
At any rate, I have done the best I can to putforward a clear account of the methods of swindling at games of chance and skill which are adopted at the present day. At the same time I have tried to indicate the best means of avoiding being cheated. It only remains for the reader to make the best use of the information given. I have no fear that, in writing what I have, I shall be accused by sensible people of assisting those sharps who may not know all that is here published. The resources of these men are always equal to their necessities; they can only cheat, at the worst, and the sharp will always find means of cheating so long as he can find dupes. Besides, this book will tend to make his dupes as wise as himself, and should have the effect of rendering them scarce.
Having published such information as I have been able to acquire, I have no intention of relaxing my vigilance in keeping a look-out for fresh developments and new devices. Having put my hand to the plough I shall not turn back; and, after me, I have every reason to believe that my son will continue the work. He has taken the liveliest interest in the production of this book; and, indeed, the whole of the illustrations are by him, with the exception of the frontispiece, which is by my esteemed and talented friend, Alfred Bryan.
Here, then, I will leave the work for the present, trusting that I have, in some measure, succeeded in metaphorically flattening the 'sharps' and sharpening the 'flats.'
Whilst this book is still in the press, an article on 'Science and Monte Carlo,' by Professor Karl Pearson, has appeared in the (monthly) 'Fortnightly Review.' This article deals with the game of roulette, and is one which may be commended to the perusal of all who may have any pet theories in connection with chance and luck. It constitutes, in fact, a very serious impeachment of the validity of all accepted theories of chance; so serious, indeed, that one stands amazed at the discrepancies which are revealed, and their having remained so long unnoticed. There appears to be no way out of the difficulty. Either roulette is not a game of chance, or the doctrines of chance are utterly wrong.
It appears from Professor Pearson's investigations, that in a given number of throws the results shown by the "even-money" chances are fairly in accord with the theory as a whole. That is to say, the odd and even numbers, the red and black, turn up respectively in very nearly equal proportions. Also the 'runs' or sequences of odd or even are such as would not give rise to anyconflict between theory and practice. But the astounding fact is that the 'runs' or successions of red or black occur in a manner which is utterly at variance with theory. Why this should be so, and why 'red and black' should thus prove to be an exception to the theory, whilst 'odd and even' is not, passes the wit of man to comprehend.
In one of the cases quoted by Professor Pearson, 8,178 throws of the roulette-ball are compared with a similar number of tosses of a coin, and both results are checked against the theoretical probabilities. In tossing a coin or throwing a roulette-ball 8,178 times, theory demands that the number of throws which do not result in sequences—that is to say, throws in which head is followed by tail, or red by black-should be 2,044. Those are the probabilities of the case. But the actual results were as follows:—
There are too many single throws in each case, but the results given by tossing were much nearer the theoretical proportion than in the case of the roulette. Proceeding a step further, we find that the sequences of two work out thus:—
Here the figures given by roulette are far too small. This is found to be the case with sequences of three and four also. When we come to sequences of five, however, the numbers stand:—
In this case, the roulette is nearer the mark than the tossing; and from this point onward through the higher sequences, roulette gives numbers which are far too high. For instance, in sequences of eight, theory says that there should be 16, but roulette gives 30. In sequences of eleven theory says 2, but roulette gives 5. Arriving at sequences of twelve, the figures are:—
Here all the results are in accord.
This is only one instance out of several recorded by Professor Pearson; in every case the results being similar. That only one instance of such abnormal variation should occur is, theoretically, well nigh impossible; but that there should be three or four such cases in the course of a single twelvemonth is nothing short of miraculous. The chances against the occurrence of such events are enormous; and yet every case investigated shows thesame kind of result. Truly this must be another example of the malignity of matter.
The practical outcome of these investigations is to emphasise the utter futility of any scheme of winning at roulette based upon the law of averages or the doctrines of chance. It is more than likely, in my opinion, that further analysis of the records of Monte Carlo would reveal similar discrepancies in other departments of the game.
Personally, I fail to see how the devotees of the 'Higher Statistics' will contrive to meet the difficulty here presented. Why roulette should obey the laws of chance in some respects and not in others, is incomprehensible from any point of view whatever. One is driven to the conclusion that human experience and human statistics are upon too limited a scale to form a sufficient basis upon which to found either the proof or disproof of any universal theory. The only refuge appears to be that, given eternity, all events, however improbable, are possible.
It is to be hoped that Professor Pearson will find an opportunity of continuing his researches in this direction, for the subject promises to be one of exceeding interest. Of course, it may be objected that the few instances given are insufficient to affect the theory materially; but, as the Professor says of one of his instances, had roulette been played constantly on this earth, from the earliestgeological times to the present day, such an event might be expected to happen only once. Those who believe that an infinite number of bets, where the chances are fair and equal, can result in neither loss nor gain, should ponder this carefully. If the doctrines of chance can fail in one case, they can fail in others. At best, they are but a broken reed, and those who trust to them should beware the risk that is thereby entailed. Above all, the punter should bear in mind that, whatever theory may say or practice apparently demonstrate, the fact that any given event has happened so many times in succession makes not the slightest particle of difference to its chances of happening again. If one tossed a coin a hundred times, and it turned up 'head' every time, that would not in any way lessen its chance of turning up the same way at the next throw. The figures given in the article above referred to are neither more nor less than an illustration of this very palpable truth, extraordinary as they undoubtedly are when viewed in the light of theory.
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