PROFESSIONAL GAMBLERS ON OCEAN PALACES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 202, 15 August 1908, Page 4

PROFESSIONAL GAMBLERS ON OCEAN PALACES.

Few people have any idea of the amount of gambling for high stakes that goes on aboard practically all the crack Transatlantic liners. Hundreds, and even thousands, ol pounds, are not infrequently lost by single individuals during » live or six days' voyage, and nothing is heard of the incident outside the smokeroom oE the particular "ilyer" in question. As a general ru>, that-is to say! Now and" again, as happened on board the Mauretania the other day, some victim will " kick," others join m, and then there is a battle royal between the '• rooks " and the " pigeons." But such scenes are entirely exceptional. There are several reasons for this. No one cares to admit that he has been ••plucked," and by a professional -sharper." Then, too, these latter "gentry" are so suave, so faultlessly dressej, so irreproachable in their general behaviour, that it requires a good deal ol nerve to openly accuse one of them as liein" neither more nor less than a common swindler. Besides, if he is driven into a cornir your typical ocean card-sharper is an ;,..lv customer to tackle. As a rule, ne j" one of a gang of three, or more, so that he does not lack for backers when it comes to a row. There arc cases on record of men having been manned for life, because they have too forcibly resented being robbed by these gentlemanly ruffians. Needless to say, the ordinary player stands no earl hi v chance of winning, when pilled against Ihesc professional .ramblers, many of whom have attained To such dexterity in manipulating even ~ perfectly new puck of cards, as won d put to shame nio-t regular exponents of the art of legerdemain.