THERE ARE NO UNSUPERSTITIOUS GAMBLERS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1928, Page 1

THERE ARE NO UNSUPERSTITIOUS GAMBLERS

(By EDGAR WALLACE, tiie famous Novelist and Playwright).

Of all the superstitious people who see omens, portents, and strange warning signs none is quite so rationalistic in iiis folly as tile gambler. I am thinking liiorc particularly of professional gamblers, and not of tlie dilettanti v.ho invest; their louis on the black dr the red.

Tlie real gambler develops a sixth sense, and, providing his mind is nbt thrown from its balance by some extraneous circumstances, such as domestic trouble physical weariness, love—or alco’hol—this extra understanding is of the greatest value to hint. It is the amateur, the veriest dabbler iii •chance, who carries rabbits’ feet; eschews green, and regards the passing of a funeral on his way to a racecourse as a very had sign if he' passes it coming towards him, and a very good sign if lie piisses it from behind.

‘The only exception I can recall is a well known professional hacker who will never have a bet if somebody offers his left hand to shake.

There is one superstition which persists. and that is to hack the first racehorse you see or the horse of the first owner von nieet on your way to a. racecourse. It is ah inexplicable •hut nevertheless a peculiar fact that this tip very often conics off. At least it does as far as I am concerned,' tlioiigli I have never profited thereby.

For examnle; - the first owner I saw oh Derby Day was Sir H. CunliifeOwen; tlie owner of Felstead! Within siglit of the grhnd stand my ear ran into a traffic block and, looking round, I saw that my neighbour was the owner of the Derby winner!

The first horse 1 saw on Cesarewitcli day as I. drove across the lieath was, tlie winner of the race. Eagle’s Pride. Tho first owner I saw at Hurst Park on tlie day the Victoria Cup was run was Mr S. B. Joel, and one can, multiply these peculiar coincidences. The left hand plays an important part in the superstitions of the gambler. I know men who swear they can never win at cards if the dealer is left-handed. There are players who, to change their luck, will get out and walk three times round the cliair in which they have been sitting, but it is always right-handed—that is to say, clockwise.

Monte Carlo in the season is a welter of superstition. There is a ■Frenchman who goes there every year to play a system; he is not content with playing it himself, but lie hires half a dozen of bis compatriots to 1 follow tlie system at other tables. People who are in the habit of visiting the Riviera will have seen him scores of times. Across his ’ ample waistcoat is a large gold chain from every link of which depends a charm; tigers’ claws, kupies and heaven

knows what other mysterious gadgets repose in every pocket; iihd every finger of his hands is covered with charm rings. Nor is lie unique. " If , you stroll round the tables you will see at every one people who have before them some potent magic to charm luck their way. English racing differs very considerably from every other form of gambling. To the professional, luck is represented by a bad start, by an unfortunate short-head beating, or by the disqualification of a horse well backed; ami your habitual frfcegbbr does not seek any esoteric reason for bis “bad luck.” He knows just tbp part that joc-keyship and the draw '

play; he is wise to the peculiar char* act-eristics of racehorses, and he rails less at fate than at the human factors that have brought his hopes to ruin.

T know two or three men who bet very largely who would not dream of gambling i:i the accepted sense if they bad started the day badly with an unpleasant letter by the morning’s post or some unpleasant happening in their domestic circle. They know that they have been thrown off their 'balance and that reason is unseated, and since the mind is a very delicatelyadjusted piece of mechanism, and the mind includes such imponderable qualities as telepathy—which jilays a —

greater part of professional gambling than most people realise—they play li-ht.

I once saw one of the lioldest bettors at bar-carat pass a bank when the luck was going with him. I nSKbd him afterwards why he had taken so unusual a course. “I knew I should lose that coup,” lie said. “It tarhe to me—when I get that queer warning T take no risks.” TTc told me it was the commonest experience with him to be “told,” and he is not unique in till’s respect; Scores !of other men have natural powers of “reception.”

And yet the noil-superstitious pros have their own peculiar superstitions. T was on my way to Doncastet once with a man who bets in thousands. Wo wore hardly out of Kings Cross before he nut his hand iri His waistcoat pocket and took out a golden sovereign—this was after the war and threw it through the open window.

“What's the idea?” f asked. “My brother gave me this fof luck. A new mascot always brings bad luck.”

Perhaps there are no lion-supersti-tious gamblers after sill!