SOME AMAZING GAMBLING SECRETS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 153, 24 July 1909, Page 4

SOME AMAZING GAMBLING SECRETS.

"All men who play with professional gainlblers must lose." That is what Hv. John Phillip Quina will tell you. 'Anil he should know. For twenty-five years Mr. Quinn was a professional gambler in America, and such >\vas his skill at card and dice manipulation that lie quickly 'earned the title of "Prince of Sharpers." "At one time," he informed a Tit-Bits representative, "I drew 25 per cent, commission on the profits from tile keepers of {our gambling dens. If a stranger came in with a big roll of greenbacks the word went round, Tut Quinn 011 him,' And that stranger would have very few notes left when I had finished with him. I tell you that with feelings of sorrow rather than pride; for my mission to-day is to fight the great evil of gambling—not by preaching, mark you, .but 'by demonstration." UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED. And the young man who professes to "know a thing or two," who reckons lie is "ily enough" to checkmate any "sharp" who tries tricks on him, will bavo his self-confidence a good deal shaken after watching Mr. Quinn's demonstrations, (which are included in the 'Jlaskelyne and Devant cntertainuent at St. George's Hall. "I am a converted gambler," continued Jlr. Quinn, during the course of the interview. "I was imprisoned for a crime I did not commit, Ibut while in prison I was convinced that the crooked game was 510 good. And that is why, for close upon twenty years, I have been unmasking the tricks of the professional gambler, in order to prove that the amateur wins or loses at the former's pleasure. Look here—we'll just have a few games to ourselves. What shall it foe first —dice?" MARVELLOUS DICE PLAY. The writer acquiesced, bearing in mind, however, that Mr. Quinn is considered to be the world's greatest 'expert at trick dice-throwing. "There is the leather cup, and there are five dice. Examine them carefully, and si.' iat they are not loaded in any way." thing seemed satisfactory, and the TitBits man threw first—two fives, a thrse, four, and a six. "Now," said Mr. Quinn, "I am going to (beat you. I shall throw five sixes, and mark you this, while I am talking to you I am tricking you. There you have five sixes, and no matter what you throw I can always equal it or beat it if I choose to do so. How? That is a question I prefer not to answer. My concern is' to illustrate the futility of playing with .professional gamblers. They are full of cunning tricks and have hundreds of ingenious devices to defraud." WON HOW HE PLEASED.

It was exactly as Mr. Quinn said. Although I tried for ten minutes to 'beat him in a throw of dice, I found it impossible. And it was the same with caids. He won just how he pleased, although he allowed mc to shuffle and' pack the cards. Not otilv did he win, however, but immediately he had dealt me a hand he called out iwhat were the values of the cards I held, as readily as if he had .been looking over my shoulder. "Of course," said Mr. Quinn, "when the professional plays he loses occasionally in order not to excite suspicion j (but shuffle, cut, and deal how you please, he has a. trick for every move, and you are bound.to lose in the end. v After all, it is not surprising. He has learned all the tricks af his trade. You know none—although you may (fancy you do—and of course you come oil second best. "If you -were an engineer you would not think of competing with a lawyer or a doctor in a legal or medical argument and 'backing yourself to win; and yet there aTe thousands of men to-day who, excited by the thought of gain, pit themselves against the professional gambler, although they do not possess a particle of his knowledge of games of chance." "RED OR BLACK?" Expressing a wish to see further demonstrations of the power of the professional gambler, Mr. Quinn produced -i metal frame or ibox for holding a pack of cards, the construction of which seemingly made it quite impossible for any but the top card to Ibe taken out without the fact 'being clearly seen. • "With this box, which is full of tricks," said Mr. Quinn, "is played the fnvorete 'sucker's game,' as it is known amongst the crooks of America. Yon shuffle the cards and place them in, so. Now, to you it seems impossible to take other than the top card. What twill you back—red or iblack? Red. You lose; it is black. Again you bet, say. half a sovereign that the next card is red. There again you lose. Now I am going to let you win. You put your money on black. Black it is." And so the game went on untC! the pack was almost exhausted, ana in every ease I ■won or lost as 'Mr Quinn pleased.

A SWINDLER'S CARD BOX. t ''Pure fake," lie eaia. "H I wanted to relieve you of, say, fifty or a. hundred pounds, I should let you win sometimes, but would rook you in the end. There have (been more people ruined at this game than at any other. This iliox is identical with thousands being used in gambling dens to-day. It looks simple enough, doesn't Mi Just a framework, with a spring which presses the cards to the top and allows them to be slipped oil' one .by one. It is that seeming simple: ity which enables the professional pimbhjr to blind the eyes of the greenhorn. When '.Mr. Jerome, the Prosecuting Attorney of Xew York, was lighting the gambling fraternity there, he captured twenty-bwo of these boxes, and it was my demonstration of. the ease with which it in possible for the professional gambler to rob a victim with the aid of one of these' boxes which enabled him to ihring the eases home." And then we tried roulette, and again Mr. Quinu proved himself to be the man who cannot lose, authough he allowed me to spin the wheel myself and handle the ball. When I said red the ball always went into black, and vice versa, except when he told me that I was going to win. The apparatus was completely under control.

And yet Mr. Quinn looked so innocent and guileless. He is a slight, elderly gentleman, clean-shaven, white-haired—-a picture of the meekest of meek parsons. But such is his knowledge of the art of gambling that he has been offered £IOOO, a comfortable home, and competency for life if he will refrain from publishing his book, "Fools of Fortune," which exposes every gambling device and trick of that profession. Amazing,] indeed, are his demonstrations, and,] roftcr seeing them, one cannot help arriving at the conclusion that the man who sits down to play with a professional gambler and thinks he has a fair chance has really none at all.