FORTUNES WON AT MONTE CARLO

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 133, 3 July 1909, Page 3

FORTUNES WON AT MONTE CARLO

■M 1. MEN WHO HAVE BROKEN THE BANK - AND SOME WHO .!„ HAVE NOT. After a fifteen years' trial ol a system which practically consists of betting high enough ana long enuugii, Air. llunlluy Walker has left .Uonte Carlo £IB,OOO the richer. He won £1)000 o;ie day, ami the next day, in a little over two hours, -won £12,000 more, which necessitated the table at which he was playing .suspending operations for a few minutes while further funds were obtained. This is technically ealLnl "breaking the bank," and recalls tite feat of "Monte Carlo Wells," the first man to break the bank at the famous gambling resort, who a few years ago won £40,01)0 from the Casino. Wells played Toy a system, and afterwards explained how, starting with a certain capital,'he bet on "runs" or "series," staking £2O or £4BO the minimum or maximum bets.

WON £70,000. Five years ago an immensely wealthy Ahicrican, Colonel Power, the owner of mines in '.Mexico, won £70,000 at the Casino. His first day's play, which lasted Uijs than an hour, brought him in, £3700, and each succeeding day had a siuiil.ir story to tell. Crowds dogge.l liis footsteps whenever be entered the Casino, some of the lnib.tues rubbing ,iis shoulder or surreptitiously touching the hem of hi.-: coat U-: lucki while the more rational followed his play. The Colonel did not plunge, but continued to stake the maximum of £4BO each time. The result was that 'he came away richer by £70,000. A Russian count once carried away £14,000 as the result of a single night's play, while a North of England shipowner won £OOOO in a couple of hours. On another occasion a Yorkshire col-liery-owner left Jlonte Carlo, after a throe weeks' stay, £15,000 richer than when he went there; 'but in the same month the wife of an English peer 'lost £16,000 in one night and £20,000 on the night following.' A COSTLY DEFECT. One of the most remarkable incidents which ever happened at Monte Carlo was when a Mr. Jaggers won £BO,OOO. He kept a close watch over the roulette wheels at the various tables, and discovered f.ha •■/each "one had some small defect T i-li 'su'W in one number winning.. • :u V than any other. These ..nuers in .. acked. winning £120,0 ■ The .hM;'Jfc.'owcver, discovered hio . \ret,'had /'>;.• wheels made, and .Mr. Jaggers w,i-.'. =ing rapidly when he wisely desisted and returned home with £BO,OOO.

One of the distinctions enjoyed <by the lute Grand/ Duke Alexis of Russia, the uncle of the Czar, who died in November last, was that of Ibeing amongst the men who had broken the (bank at Monte Carlo. He won something like £OO,OOO in a couple of days; and it may be remarked that Lord Villiers, heir to the earldom of Jersey, was credited a short time ago with an extraordinary fun of luck. Starting with a capital-of £2400. a sum which represented only five maximum co.ups, and playing only one hour in the evening, always on black, he won £30,000 in a few days, 1 : THE BANK WINS IN THE LONG

But, in spite of all these huge sums which have been won, the bank holds its own against all systems, plunders, and .persevering gamblers, and, as'a witty proverb invented in the days of M. Blanc, the founder of the Casino, truly says, "The black often loses, and red .often loses, but white (Blanc) always wins." and his winnings range from £1,000,000 to £I,500;000 every year. Well might one remark that he who breaks the bank to-day will ,be broken by the bank to-morrow.—Tit Bits.