NEW YORK'S GAMBLING DENS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 312, 29 June 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

NEW YORK'S GAMBLING DENS

SOME GAMES OF CHANCE. J-.arge number* of victims enter the various New York gambling houses night after night, where they gamble, and while the games played may vary from cards and dice to faro and roulette, the result is invariably the same—the visitors lose. It takes a good deal of money to maintain those gilded palaces of chance with profit to their owners, and this money ■must come from the ''outside." Practically every one of the so-called games of "chance" is controlled by the man operating it, "chance" being entirely eliminated. It is a mathematical and mechanical certainty that you lose; you can't beat it. A very popular form of gambling is the game known as "Klondike." It is easy to understand and does not require close application or deep thought. It is played with five dice on a table. The player bets that he can beat a pair of aces in one throw or that he can beat the dealer's throw. He can also bet that his throw will be lower than the dealer's. But the "house" wins not only when its throw beats, either higher or lower, hut also when the throws tie. This looks like a fair proposition, with a fair percentage (about five) for the house for maintenance; but it only "looks" so. In a resort near Long Acre Square there was a Klondike game recently, and the operator increased his profits by using the electric money drawer. This device is fastened under the table, and being used as a receptable for money, chips, etc., it excites no suspicion. But it also contains an electro-magnet which, when the current is applied by the operator pressing against the front of the drawer, acts through the table and controls the dice, making them roll high or low as the manipulator wishes. This is literally "shearing them by machinery"; and is much faster than the old-fashioned hand manipulation. Most gambling houses now run a chucadtick game regularly. There is a cloth on which are printed the numerals from one to six, inclusive. The player places his wagers on one or more of them. Three dice are then rolled, and the player ie paid for each of. his number that shows up. For example, you play a dollar on 4. If one 4is thrown you win a dollar, if two are thrown you win two dollars, and if three 4's are thrown you win three dollars. If no 4 shows you lose. Formerly the /dice were thrown by the operator out of a dicebox, but the operator became so skilful at holding out one dice and making it show any number that favored him that the suckei'9 "got wise," and refused to play, or so many of them, at least, that it did not pay to run the game. Something had to be done to restore confidence, for confidence is a vital factor in all those games. So they took to shaking the dice in a «age and not permitting either the players or the banker to touch the cubes. The cages formerly contained either loaded dice or "shapes" (dice not perfect cubes) in order to make certain numbers win more frequently. Now, however, transparent electric dice are used, the controlling magnets being concealed under the table upon which the cage rests. POKER CHEATING. Tn a Brooklyn resort the poker game was cheated regularly for many weeks by an old gambler in the employ of the house. This old t fellow is an' expert "bottom" dealer, being able to take a card from the bottom of the pack with the same movamsut used in dealing from the top. It is done so quicklv that it is impossible for the eye to detect it. On the second finger of his left hand the old fellow worn a "touch." It is merely a very small thumb tack with the point filed down short. It is placed at the base of the second finger and held in place by a piece, of court plaster pasted right over it. the point sticking through. AVith this point the cards are "touched" or marked. For his particular work he requires that only the higher cards be marked, and accordingly touches none but the aces kings and queens. The ace is touched at the corner, the king about half an inch from the comer on the upper margin. By pricking the face of the card ever so little a little hump is caused to appear on the back of the card find the cheater's sense of touch is so keenly developed that with his riojit thumb he can instantly detect the hump when there is one. T n gathering up the ranis preparatory to shuffling the old fellow gets several aces and kings or queens together. Fie does not look at the cards when doing this, but looks ■ directly it the players and talks to them to district their attention from his hands. By the sense of touch he locates find plans the cards in such position as ! he dcsiivs. By altering three kings and throe aces and placing them on the hottorn of th« pack he is in a position to aeaj the xes to his confederate and the kings to the "boob." Sometimes it is more coin -merit to get three kings on the bottor, of the-pack and then place three quecs under tliem, not alternating the (hflcruit cards. In this case the queens ar, dealt to the "boob" as the cards are un off, while the confederate receives h-e cards dealt regularly from the top o the pack. This gives him the advanfige of having a full draw from which to f tt a fair. Whether he has a pair or no, the confederate "buys" three cards, and the three kings are dealt to nim. He thus comes out with a "full house" m nany cases, and with as good as three o any kind in any event. With thi "kitty" taking from 30s to 40s an hj, |r out of the game (and this is a low estimate], and two card sharks Working in the interest of the proprietor, a player k this Brooklyn house would have to be exceptionally lucky to "breakeven." A remarkable thing about it is that men who i,re successful in the business world and, are generally keen and observing, will continue to play and lose regularly .yithout being suspicious. It would seem that the mere fact of losing so consistently would be enough to con° vince them that the games are not "on the level.": If luck alone controlled it surely it jfmuld not favor the same fewpersons a| the time. "I am |> accustomed to losing that I never e.\p,et to win," remarked one of the "boohs" as ho. left the place