£250 A HAND

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1929, Page 2

£250 A HAND

MANY NEW CARD CLUBS. GAMBLING MACHINES IN WEST END. LONDON, Deo. 22. Poker gambling among women in London has made great strides within the last few months. Many club--have sprung up aim June been doing exeoedin gly well, most of the members being women. Fi •om early afternoon till 5 a.m. or 6 a.m., play yoes on, and at some club the players have light meals carried to them at the tables. Subscriptions vary form £1 Is or £2 2s to £lO iUs a year, refreshments are costly and at .night the gambling often runs high as much as £250 Hieing lost and won on one poker hand. \\ omen/ after finishing in the early hours, are often uaes in the afternoon.

in men’s clubs the popularity of poker has had its eliect on bridge stakes. Men accustomed to playing for large sums at the more risky game of poker are not content to play bridge for the usual club' stakes. The result is that large side bets are laid on each rubber and even on each hand, and men of moderate means are now often deterred from making up u four. Again, as pokor is not allowed at many social clubs, bridge tables arcbreaking up earlier and pluyefs move oil to a member's Hut or to one of the new clubs to play poker. CAR NOISE NUISANCE. The gambling fever is so strong among women in the West End that several clubs catering for them have installed the “fruit” and “shilling in the slot” machines for them to try their luck between the games. Outside one of the new clubs in Mayfair, visited mostly by women, there is a line of motor-cars every night and until the small hours. The police have had to take action following complaints about the noise made by members trying to start their cars sometimes at 5 or G a.m.