CHEATING AT CARDS.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 412, 25 November 1884, Page 5

CHEATING AT CARDS.

♦ — The plan of dealing over a large highlypolished silver cigar-case is good, but old. Of course the cigar-c?se shows the dealer in its burnished surface what cards he is giving the players, and he knows better whether to stand on his own hand or not. According to a competent authority, while there is\ ; no game at which one may nob be cheated, at ecarte one may be cheated in from 15 to 20 different ways. One gallant gambler played against a (Jreek, and his friends warned him that he was being duped. He answered in a loud voice : " The gentleman cheats ! Why, I know that the gentleman cheats ! Only it is agreed that each time I catch him at it I take a pe>int." This was indeed a sportsmanlike handicap,, and argued a great love of the game in the player, and a cynical indiffwre»ee to the character of an antagonist. The tale of the old General m a country town is also good, though rather well known. This veteran cheated habitu^ ally and execrably. It was thought, '< good form " to take no notice of hi* exploits, but one day a small civilian, a stranger to the Club,, observed, " Why, General, jq,Xk are cheating !" "Yes, sir," <$id the General, wb* starnnfteyed dreadfully : " yes, sir,. I how very well I'm cheatiugs, but I d — d — d — don't like to U& t — fc— t-— told it" — a remark 1q «iivh. there is no very obvious wpavfae. A splendid failure tpi v\<?&% was that of the French Greefc. No, one had suspected him ; h.e- usually won so»»e fifty fouis every time he took the bank, and on one occasion he left the theatre at. Nice in, the middle of a play and went on *© the Qlwb-. "Ih^re he took the baalt, won on an eight, and on a niiw*. Then he offered to "give cards/* his opponent accepted, and the hawkey laid down a card- marked Theatre Franchise de K ! ce .* •*.* was l^ e of jre-ed-mjiSStoiiT, in case he wanted to go back ■to th&play. Obviously this could molt | have for wee) part of a normal pack,, and aa obviously the banker had taken it. out of his pocket by intake.