CHEMIN-DE-FER COUP

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 678, 1 June 1929, Page 6

CHEMIN-DE-FER COUP

RECORD AT LE TOUQUET BANK RUNS 52 TIMES One of the most sensational coups at Chemin-de-fer ever known at Le Touquet recently, when the same bank ran through from the first to the 20Sth card of the four packs contained in the "shoe,” as the receptacle from which they are dealt is known. A bank which runs three times is a sensational one; a bank which runs eight times is the talk of the day. The record of this bank might be compared to a bridge player who wins four consecutive Rubbers of bridge by holding 13 spades in each of his hands. The man who brought off the coup was Mr. Claude Leigh, a real estate agent, who owns large blocks of flats in South-East and South-West London. He bought the bank from the first dealer, after the latter had won three times consecutively, and ran it himself through the vemaining 194 cards without a reverse until the last card, when he drew an eight, equivalent in bridge to the king of trumps, against a nine, equivalent to the ace of trumps..

The room was frantic. Word went round like wildfire and people stood on chairs 10 to 15 rows deep to watch. Mrs. Leigh stood beside her husband.

"I quite lost count of the number of times that the bank ran for me,” said Mr. Claude Leigh. "It must have been nearer 40 times than S 9. I did not want to see how much money I won, but I can tell yon this—the people playing against me got timid and did not put up as much money against me as they might have.

"I had an instinct this morning that I was going to be lucky, althoueh I gamble very rarely. The last day of the month is always a lucky one for me.”