POKER AND POKER PLAYERS.
The game of poker is undoubtedly one of the “peculiar institutions” of
the United States and, like base-ball, may be called a “National game.”
It finds an abiding place alike among the pineries of the frozen
Kennebec and the orange groves of Florida, in the gilded _salons_ of
Manhattan Island, the backwoods of Arkansas, and the mining camps of
California. It numbers among its devotees men of letters and of the
proletariat, the millionaire and the shoe-black, the railway magnate and
the tramp. It recognizes no distinction of “age, color, or previous
condition of servitude.” It draws not the line at sex, and is equally at
home in the fashionable club house and the gambler’s den, the private
parlor and the cheap lodging house. Men who avowedly abhor it, play it
behind closed doors and drawn curtains, and ladies of culture and high
social position are among its most devoted and most skillful patrons. To
describe its fascination is as difficult as to account for it, yet the
undisputable fact remains that of the vast army of men connected with
mercantile pursuits in the United States, comparatively few can be found
who have not some knowledge of the game; and were the whole truth
disclosed, no insignificant number might reveal a tale of losses of no
little magnitude.
Gentlemen, who would not, for worlds, enter a gaming hell, and who are
apt to pride themselves upon their ignorance of faro, play poker at
their clubs and by their own firesides, without either compunction of
conscience or pretence of concealment. Intelligent, thoughtful men,
eulogize the game as far removed from vulgarity, as calling into
exercise some of the highest faculties of the human mind, and as
resulting in healthy, moral effects.
This enthusiastic laudation of the game is all very well, but the naked
facts remain, that whatever argument may be advanced against any form of
gambling, may be urged with equal force against poker; and that this
game sanctioned as it practically is, by the countenance of the
reputable men who never set foot within a gaming house, has done more to
weaken the moral sense of the country at large as to the general
question of gambling than any other single agency. Its growing
popularity and increasing prevalence constitute a menace by no means to
be ignored to the prosperity, the morals, even the perpetuity of our
people. A nation of gamblers is a nation whose course is already turned
towards the setting sun.
As in the chapter devoted to the game of faro, the game will be first
described as squarely and fairly played, after which the principal
tricks of “card sharpers” will be taken up.
_Foul Hand._—A hand composed of more, or less than five cards.
_Going Better._—When any player makes a bet, it is the privilege of the
next player to the left to raise him, that is, after making good the
amount already bet by his adversary, to make a still higher bet. In such
a case it is usual to say, “I see you, and go (so much) better,” naming
the extra sum bet.
_Going In._—After making good the ante of the age and the straddles (if
any) for the privilege of drawing cards and playing for the pool.
_Limit._—A condition made at the beginning of a game, limiting the
amount of any single bet or raise.
_Making Good._—Depositing in the pool an amount equal to any bet
previously made. This is done previous to raising or calling a playing,
and is sometimes called _seeing_ a bet.
_Original Hand._—The first five cards dealt to any player.
_Pat Hand._—An original hand not likely to be improved by drawing, such
as a full, straight, or flush.
_Pass._—“I pass,” is a term used in Draw Poker, to signify that a player
throws up his hand and retires from the game.
_Raising a Bet._—The same as _going better_.
_Say._—When it is the turn of any player to declare what he will do,
whether he will _bet_, or _pass_ his hand.
In the fair game, the deal is of no special value and anybody may begin.
The dealer, beginning with the person at his left, throws around five
cards to each player, giving one card at a time.
The dealer shuffles and makes up the pack himself, or it may be done by
the player at his left, and the player at his right must cut.
To begin the pool, the player next to the dealer on his left, must put
up money, which is called an “ante,” and then in succession, each
player, passing around to the left, must after looking at his hand
determine if he goes in or not; and each player deciding to play for the
pool must put in twice the amount of the ante. Those who decline to play
throw up their cards, face downward on the table, and per consequence in
front of the next dealer.
When all who wish to play have gone in, the person putting up the ante
can either give up all interest in the pool, thus forfeiting the ante
which has been put up, or else can play like the others who have gone
in, by “making good,” that is, putting, up in addition to the ante as
much more as will make him equal in the stake to the rest.
The players must throw away their discarded cards before taking up or
looking at those which they draw.
In poker, as fairly played, every player is for himself and against all
others, and to that end will not let any of his cards be seen, nor
betray the value of his hand by drawing or playing out of his turn, or
by change of countenance, or any other sign. It is a great object to
mystify your adversaries, up to the “call,” when hands have to be shown.
To this end it is permitted to “chaff,” or talk nonsense, with a view of
misleading your adversaries as to the value of your hand, but this must
be without unreasonably delaying the game.
When the drawing is all complete, the betting goes around in order, like
the drawing, to the left. The ante man is the first to bet unless he has
declined to play, and in that case the first bet is made by the player
nearest to the dealer on his left. But the player entitled to bet first
may withhold his wager until the others have bet round to him, which is
called “holding the age,” and this being considered an advantage, is
very frequently done.
Each bettor in turn must put into the pool a sum equal at least to the
first bet made; but each may in turn increase the bet, or “raise” it, as
it comes to him; in which case the bets proceeding round in order must
be made by each player in his turn, equal to the highest amount put in
by any one; the party who fails being required to go out of the play,
forfeiting his interest in the pool.
When a player puts in only as much as has been put in by each player who
preceded him, that is called “seeing the bet.”
When a player puts in that much, and raises it, that is called seeing
the bet and “going better.”
When the bet goes around to the last bettor, or player, who remains in,
if he does not wish to see and go better, he simply sees and “calls,”
and then all playing must show their hands, and the highest hand wins
the pool.
When any one declines to see the bet, or the increase of bet, which has
been made, he “lays down” his hand; that is, throws it up with the cards
face downwards on the table. If all the other players throw down their
hands, the one who remains in to the last wins, and takes the pool
without showing his hand.
To “bluff” is to take the risk of betting high enough on a poor hand or
a worthless one, to make all the other players lay down their hands
without seeing or calling you.
When a hand is complete so that the holder of it can play without
drawing to better it, that is called a “pat” hand. A bold player will
sometimes decline to draw any cards, and pretend to have a “pat” hand,
and play it as such when he has none.
A skillful player will watch and observe when each player draws, the
expression of the face, the circumstances and manner of betting, and
judge, or try to judge, of the value of each hand opposed to him
accordingly.
No one is bound to answer the question, how many cards he drew, except
the dealer; and the dealer is not bound to tell after the betting has
begun.
RELATIVE VALUE OF HANDS IN THEIR ORDER, BEGINNING WITH BEST.
1. _A Sequence Flush_—Which is a sequence of five cards, and all of the
same suit.
2. _Fours_—Which is four of the five cards of the same denomination.
3. _A Full_—Which is a hand consisting of three cards of the same
denomination and two of likewise equal denomination.
4. _A Flush_—Which is all five cards of the same suit.
5. _A Sequence_—Which is all five cards not of the same suit, but all in
sequence. [In computing the value of a sequence, an ace counts either as
the highest or the lowest card; that is below a deuce or above a king.]
6. _Threes_—Which is three cards of the same denomination, but the other
two of different denominations from each other.
7. _Two pairs._
8. _One pair._
When a hand has neither of the above the count is by the cards of the
highest value or denomination.
When parties opposed each hold a pair, the highest pair wins, and the
same when each party holds threes or fours.
When each party holds two pairs, the highest pair of the two determines
the relative value of the hands.
When each party holds a sequence, the hand commencing with the highest
card in the sequence wins; so, also, when two or more parties hold
flushes against each other.
That full counts highest of which the three cards of the same
denomination are highest. The two cards of same denomination help only
to constitute the full, but do not add to the value of the hand. When
hands are equal so far that each party holds a pair, or two pairs, of
exactly the same value, the next highest card or cards in each hand must
be compared with the highest card or cards in the other hand, to
determine which wins.
In case of the highest hands, (which very seldom occurs) being exactly
equal, the pool is divided.
TECHNICAL TERMS USED IN POKER.
_Age._—Same as eldest hand.
_Ante._—The stake deposited in the pool by the age at the beginning of
the game.
_Blaze._—This hand consists of five court cards, and, when it is played,
beats two pairs.
_Blind._—The ante deposited by the age previous to the deal. The blind
may be doubled by the player to the left of the eldest hand, and the
next player to the left may at his option _straddle_ this bet, and so
on, including the dealer, each player doubling. The player to the left
of the age, alone has the privilege of the first straddle, and if he
decline to straddle it debars any other player coming after him from
doing so. To make a blind good costs double the amount of the ante, and
to make a straddle good costs four times the amount of the blind. Each
succeeding straddle costs double the preceding one.
_Call._—When the bet goes round to the last bettor, a player who remains
in, if he does not wish to see and go better, simply sees and calls, and
then all those playing show their hands, and the highest hand wins the
pool.
_Chips._—Ivory or bone tokens, representing a fixed value in money.
_Chipping, or to Chip._—Is synonymous with betting. Thus a player,
instead of saying “I bet,” may say “I chip” so much.
_Discard._—To take from your hand the number of cards you intend to
draw, and place them on the table, near the next dealer, face downwards.
_Draw._—After discarding one or more cards, to receive a corresponding
number from the dealer.
_Eldest Hand, or Age._—The player immediately at the left of the dealer.
_Filling._—To match, or strengthen the cards to which you draw.
The following descriptions of what are known as “jack-pots,” a
modification of the game of draw-poker, is taken from “Trump’s American
Hoyle,” which Blackbridge pronounces the standard authority on this as
on all other card games:
When all the players pass up to the blind hand, the latter allows his
blind to remain in the pot, and each of the other players deposit a
similar amount. The blind now deals, and any player _in his regular
turn_ may _open_ or _break_ the pot, provided he holds a pair of jacks
or better, but a player is not compelled to do so, this being entirely
optional.
Each player in turn, commencing with the one at the left of the dealer,
declares whether he can and will open the pot; if he declines to open,
he says, “I pass.” If he has the requisite hand, and elects to open, he
says, “I open.”
If no player opens the pot, then each player deposits in the pool the
same amount that was previously contributed, and the deal passes to the
next player. The same performance ensues until some player holds the
necessary cards, and is willing to break the pot.
A player may break the pot for any amount within the limits of the game
and each player in turn must make the bet good, raise it, or pass out.
After all the players who determined to go in have made good the bet of
the player who opened the jack-pot, and the hands have been filled, then
the opener of the pot makes the first bet.
If all pass, up to the player who broke the pot, the latter takes the
pool, and can only be compelled to show the jacks, or better, necessary
to break the pot.
One of the most vital adjuncts to poker games as played in the many
“club-rooms” scattered throughout the United States is technically
termed the “take off.” It is an amount taken by the proprietors out of
the pots as a percentage due the “house” on every hand “called,” and
shown down; a pair of aces and another pair, and you must “go to the
hole” with a check. The “hole” is a slot cut in the middle of the table,
leading to a locked drawer underneath, and all checks deposited therein
are the property of the keeper of the place. At other resorts the house
“takes off” for each pair of jacks or any better hand shown on the call,
while at others the percentage is exacted for any two pairs shown. It
will be readily seen, by any intelligent reader, that it is only a
question of time when all the player’s chips will go into the “hole.”
The exaction of the “take off” is justified on the score of incidental
expenses, lights, etc., but a compound interest note, on which interest
is computed quarterly, will not take away your money more surely or more
rapidly than this innocent looking “hole.”
In “stud-poker” the dealer attends to the “take off.” He is supposed to
take one check for every pair in sight, and for every “call,” but owing
to a manual dexterity acquired through long practice he is enabled
considerably to exceed the stipulated limit, and it is but a short time
before all the money played against the game is in the table drawer.
Having briefly outlined the principles of the fair game of poker, and
explained the relative value of the hands of cards which may be held by
players, it is next in order to explain the various advantages obtained
by professional gamblers over those whom they propose to fleece, such as
stocking the cards, employing marked cards or cards previously prepared,
“crimping,” “ringing in cold decks,” “holding out,” false shuffles and
cuts, “convexes” and “reflectors,” &c., &c.
First will be described the simplest of all known methods of stocking
the cards, viz.:
STRIPPERS.
Prepared cards are either “Strippers” or “Briefs.” In preparing
“Strippers” the professional selects from the pack two hands, which may
be either “Fulls,” “Flushes,” or “Fours.” The sides of the remaining
cards are then prepared so that they shall be a little narrower than the
hands selected. The cards withdrawn for stripping are then cut slightly
convex on the sides, somewhat after the manner of strippers prepared for
faro.
The number of cards taken out varies according to the character of the
hand to be made up. If the sharper wishes to deal flushes he will
require ten cards of the same suit. If full hands are desired he picks
out two sets of three of a certain denomination together with four
smaller cards of a kind. The object of this selection is to give variety
to the hands to be dealt. The manner of conducting this scheme of fraud
is substantially as follows: As the gambler shuffles it is not difficult
for him to feel along the sides of the pack with the fingers of his
right hand; he then draws out the wider cards, which he places upon the
top of the pack. When he has succeeded in getting the wide cards on top
he next divides the pack, then taking each portion by the outer ends, he
places the two halves evenly together and then, with comparative ease,
so shuffles them in that no two cards of the same size shall lie
together, but instead shall alternate over and under each other
throughout the whole deck.
The reader who will carefully study the foregoing explanation will see
that the cards will run off “Four-handed;” that is that they will fall
to the hands of opposite players.
In the practice of this trick the professional finds the services of a
partner of great value to him. If, however, he have none, when he deals
he places one card above the hands which he has set up in order that his
antagonist may receive one of the arranged hands while he takes the
other. Let us suppose that the hands have been arranged as “Flushes.” If
the dealer finds that in his hand he has not an ace, as a matter of
course he refrains from betting. If, however, the hands be “Fulls,” the
professional’s acquaintance with the arrangement enables him to know
which is the better hand, and he bets, or refrains from betting, as he
knows is best.
It is also possible to employ strippers in a two-handed game. In the
latter case the dealer strips the pre-arranged hands, but does not mix
them as in a four-handed game, preferring to “shift” on his own deal and
allow the cards to run without cutting on that of his antagonist.
Sometimes in using strippers in a four-handed game the dealer will place
a “Jog,” that is a hand, over them and allow his confederate to cut the
pack down to the prepared place. At first sight the employment of cards
thus prepared may appear rather difficult, yet the professional blackleg
finds it comparatively easy after a little practice. “Full” hands and
“Fours of a kind” may be set up without difficulty. The swindler knows
which the ten strippers are, and in taking up his five cards he is, of
course, well informed as to the value of the five cards which his
opponent has, and guides himself accordingly. To illustrate: Suppose
there are ten strippers made up of four fives, three aces and three
kings, and that the sharper secures three aces and two kings. Naturally
he refuses to bet, being well aware that the four fives and the king
must be held by his antagonist.
BRIEFS.
The “Brief,” which is a card used not only in poker, but also in various
other games, is a card nicely trimmed on the sides to such a width that
it can be readily distinguished by the dealer’s touch.
The advantage of using such a card is that it enables the party knowing
of its existence to cut at the point where it lies. Sometimes the
“brief” is placed on the top of the prepared hand and the confederate of
the dealer uncovers the pre-arranged cards by making precisely the
correct cut.
STOCKING.
By far the most common description of frauds employed by professional
gamblers in playing poker, however, is that of “stocking” the cards.
Four varieties of “stocks” are employed by the fraternity, commonly
known as the top stock, the bottom stock, the jog stock and the palm
stock.
THE TOP STOCK.
Of all these, perhaps the one most ordinarily employed—possibly because
the one most easily accomplished—is the top stock. In preparing the pack
for the perpetration of this fraud, the dealer selects a pair and places
between the two cards as many others as there are players at the table,
less one. Thus, if there are four persons playing he inserts three cards
between the two constituting the pair; if five, he places four; and so
on, as the number of players is greater or less. His next step is to
place above the pair thus arranged, the same number of cards which he
has placed between them, the result being that when he deals, the two
cards which he desires must necessarily fall to his own hand. A partner
is also a desirable adjunct in this case, as he ordinarily sits at the
right hand of the dealer, in order that he may either give the cards a
false cut, or allow them to run. If, however, the dealer has no partner,
he ordinarily has to resort to the device of “shifting the cut” (a trick
which will be explained below), in order that the arrangement of the
pack may not be disturbed. If the sharper can manage to get hold of the
three cards of the hands which are thrown up, he may sometimes find it
practicable to arrange “threes of a kind” in this way, as well as a
pair.
BOTTOM STOCK.
In executing the bottom stock the tactics employed are substantially the
same as in the top stock, by that the pair are placed on the bottom of
the pack instead of on the top. The dealer takes great care in shuffling
that he shall not disturb the lower part of the pack. The point at which
the deck is cut makes considerable difference in the success of this
maneuver. If, after cutting, it is found that all of the pack, except
the cut, is necessary to supply the players with the requisite number of
cards, then the pair will fall to the hand which has the last card, for
the reason that the player who receives the bottom card must necessarily
have also received the other; but if the dealer sees that the bottom
card is not destined to fall to himself, when he reaches the last two
cards he “shifts” them, that is, reverses the order of dealing so that
the party who should receive the top one receives the lower, while that
uppermost falls to the next player. It may be readily perceived that by
this trick the dealer has separated the pair, one falling to one hand,
and the other to the player seated immediately upon the dealer’s left. I
have already stated that the point at which the deck may be cut plays no
unimportant part in the successful accomplishment of this maneuver. In
fact, in order to succeed it is essential that the sharper have a
partner at his right who will cut so near to the bottom of the deck that
the lower cards will have to be run off. It is immaterial to the two
scoundrels which of them receives the pre-arranged pair, inasmuch as the
winnings are to be divided between them, consequently the bottom stock
affords a double chance for the perpetration of fraud.
Occasionally a blackleg who has no partner, but who observes that some
particular player is in the habit of cutting the pack very deep, will so
arrange matters that he may sit next to him, this renders an innocent
party inadvertently an accomplice to his nefarious practices. When two
sharpers sit in a game with honest players and have resort to the use of
the bottom stock, especially if to this be added “signing up,”—by which
is meant “signaling” to one’s confederate the cards which one has—it is,
however, a moral impossibility for the unsophisticated to beat the
combination of the sharpers.
Should the trick be suspected the sharp rogues will place the remainder
of the pack on top of the cut, suffering a “jog”—which will be explained
later—to lie over it, by which means they are enabled to deal from the
entire pack, which usually tends to counteract suspicion. Sometimes,
after the pair has been placed on the bottom of the pack another card is
put underneath, the result being that the player who receives the next
to the last card will receive the pair. This very simple trick has been
found most efficacious in puzzling a suspicious player, who is
ordinarily greatly surprised to find that the hand into which falls the
last card has not received the prepared pair. Sometimes two, or even
three cards are placed on the bottom, the principle being the same,
although in this case it is necessary that the dealer should carefully
remember the number of cards so placed, in order that he may know
precisely when he reaches the lower card of the pair.
THE JOG STOCK.
The “jog” stock is a device which it is absolutely impossible to execute
without the aid of a confederate, yet it is regarded by professionals as
one of the most effectual means of defrauding an honest player. As in
the case of the top and bottom stocks, a pair is arranged by the dealer,
who places upon it a sufficient number of cards to make the pair fall to
his own hand. He next shuffles the pack once or twice in such a manner
as to keep the arranged cards on the top, after which he slides a
portion of the deck over the pair, leaving a narrow break or jog along
the side, thus separating the hand which he has put up from the
remainder of the pack. His confederate, it should be remembered, always
sits on his right, then takes that part of the deck which rests upon the
top of the stocked hand, with the thumb and finger of his right hand
grasping them by the ends. Then with the thumb and middle finger of his
left hand he seizes, in the same manner, the pre-arranged cards
underneath; he draws out the latter and places them on top of the
others, leaving them in precisely the same position as they were before
his confederate offered them to him to cut.
An expert sharper, after winning once through these means, on his next
deal so arranges the pack that the pair shall fall to his partner, with
whom he bets, and to whom he apparently loses money. After this the
cards are permitted to run naturally for one or two hands, when the
second scoundrel repeats the same tactics.
The reflecting reader will readily perceive that this device is far less
likely to arouse suspicion than the employment of either the top or
bottom stock, and for this reason is more popular with experts than
either of the other two.
In playing this trick many sharpers have resorted to the use of glazed
cards. Usually the backs have been previously prepared by slightly
roughening them with very fine sand-paper. The object of doing this is
to cause the cards to adhere together and prevent them from slipping
about during the process of shuffling. This enables the dealer to place
the pack to a very fine break, which renders the cutting more easy and
attracts less attention. I have known experts who were able to set up
“three of a kind” in this way as easily as a single pair, although for
the successful accomplishment of this it is necessary that the two
confederates should understand each other thoroughly. In such a case the
partner sitting on the dealer’s right observes what pair the latter has,
and, if possible, either by cutting the third card into his own hand or
from the hands thrown down, and turns it to his confederate with the
proper number of cards beneath. If the dealer allow the hand to pass to
his partner, the latter, if he wins and deals, passes the cards on to
the bottom, in order that the hand may run out on the bottom stock.
PALM STOCK.
No little dexterity is required to manipulate the “palm stock.” I have
seen professionals attempt its execution and come to no small grief
through its being detected in consequence of their clumsiness. In order
to execute this maneuver effectually, the party intending to employ it
must be on the left of the dealer. He obtains possession of a high
pair—perhaps kings or aces—and while he is holding one in each hand in
such a way that neither can be perceived, he asks that he be allowed,
after the shuffling and cutting, to cut the deck again. Permission
having been granted, he seizes the pack in his right hand, places one of
the cards which he has withheld in his hand on top of the pack, and as
he cuts he leaves as many cards on the table as may be necessary to
intervene between the pair in order that they may be “Put up.” Then as
he grasps these cards with his left hand he places the other card of the
pair on the top and throws them on top of the pack. It is not difficult
to see that the result of this maneuver is to place the two cards which
he has “palmed” in such a position that they will inevitably fall to
himself. Of course it is not possible to practice this trick frequently
without exciting suspicion, but I have, myself, by employing it
judiciously, managed to win no inconsiderable sums. As a rule, after
executing the “Palm Stock,” the black-leg “goes a blind,” and the trick
is rarely attempted unless there is a large “ante.”
FALSE SHUFFLE.
Another favorite practice among the black-legs is the “False Shuffle.”
Almost all sharpers have their own individual methods of shuffling; but
perhaps the one which is most approved is that known among the
profession as “the intricate shuffle.” It is executed substantially as
follows: The cards are “ripped,” that is, the deck is divided into two
halves, which are pushed entirely through each other, after which they
are drawn out at the ends, and the half which was previously on top is
replaced in the same position. Some professionals shuffle only the lower
half of the pack, not disturbing the top, but concealing the upper cards
by means of keeping three or four fingers over the end of the pack which
is towards their antagonist. Sometimes a very quick shuffle is employed
which does not disarrange the cards on the top, and after this the pack
is given a double false cut, by means of which the cards originally
uppermost are retained in the same position. The device, which, if
rapidly executed, appears to the unsophisticated player a perfectly fair
shuffle, only a practical acquaintance with the operation of the trick
enables the verdant amateur to detect this trick when executed adroitly.
FALSE CUTS.
Besides false shuffles, professionals also have resort to false cuts. Of
these, there are but two varieties in common use, known respectively as
the “over hand” and “double” cut. In the former about one-third of the
pack is taken with the right hand, while one-half the remainder is
concealed in the left. The party cutting brings the left hand towards
him, that portion of the deck which is left on the table is then covered
by the dropping of the cards held in the right hand, the hand still
being kept over them, while those in the left hand are thrown over and
beyond the others; the maneuver is completed by placing the cards in the
right hand on the top.
In the execution of the “double” cut, the middle of the pack is drawn
out at the end with the thumb and middle finger, after they are brought
to the top of the deck, the cards originally uppermost are caught by the
lower part of the thumb and three fingers, drawn out at the end and once
more placed on the top. In either case the pack is left in precisely the
same position as it was before the seeming cut had been made. The object
is the same in the case of both false shuffles and false cuts; that is,
to leave the pre-arranged pack in precisely the condition in which the
dealer wished it to be.
Sometimes, when a perfectly fair cut is made by an honest player, the
professional finds it desirable to “shift” the cut, or, in other words,
to replace the two sections of the pack in the same condition in which
they were before they had been offered for cutting. The methods of
executing this trick are multiform. Ordinarily, however, the operator
finds it desirable to have a partner on his left; in fact, in draw-poker
it is difficult to execute the maneuver without some assistance. Three
of a kind having been placed on top in the shuffle, the cut is left on
the table, and the professional deals from the remainder. The deal being
completed, removed from the table with the right hand, the cut
“shifted,” and the pack dropped into the left hand ready for his
partner’s draft.
This piece of chicancery, if successfully performed, is almost
impossible of detection by a greenhorn, and even the professional
gamblers are not infrequently deceived by its dexterous manipulation.
[Illustration: “TIPPING THE HAND.”]
The accompanying illustration affords a view of two “skin” gamblers
engaged in victimizing a “sucker” by means of a trick familiarly known
among the fraternity as “tipping” or “signing the hand.” Large sums of
money have been won through this means, not only from verdant dupes, but
even from professionals who prided themselves upon their astuteness. In
order to work it successfully, marked cards are indispensable, and at
least one of the confederates, who act in unison, must be an expert at
the use of “paper,” as marked or “advantage” cards are called among the
gamblers.
The cut shows the method in which the trick is carried on. Player number
3 represents the “sucker;” player number 2 the swindler who has induced
him to play on the promise of “tipping” the “hand” of number 1, who is
in reality the partner of number 2, although, of course, this latter
fact is unknown to number 3. The method of playing this nefarious
confidence game may be best shown by an illustration. Number 2 always
faithfully signals number 3 precisely what cards are in the hands of
number 1. The latter being an expert marked card player, of course,
knows with absolute certainty what cards are held by number 3. Let us
suppose that number 1 holds a pair of sixes and number 3 a pair of
fives. Number 2 signals to number 3 that number 1 has in his hand a low
pair. Number 3 is naturally in the dark as to whether the pair in
question is of a lower denomination than his own, and in the hope that
it may prove to be makes his bet. Number 1 immediately “raises” him, and
this is continued as long as the victim can be induced to wager, or
until number 3 has “staked” his “pile.” The hands being “shown down,” of
course number 1 takes the stakes.
RUNNING UP TWO HANDS.
Perhaps one of the most successful feats accomplished by the
professional gambler is that known as “running up two hands.” Under such
circumstances the game is no longer a contest, but a certainty. It is
sometimes played with a partner, sometimes without. If the operator have
no partner, he usually selects his seat on the right of the man whom he
considers the most verdant of the players. When he observes that his
left hand neighbor has a prospect of winning, he immediately “passes,”
and taking up the pack prepares the hand as follows:
He selects the individual to whom he proposes to give, let us say, three
tens; also, the one upon whom he intends to bestow the larger set of
threes, say three kings; in putting up the hands, however, he commences
with his own, and while the cards face him for the reason that he knows
that when the pack is reversed for the purpose of dealing the uppermost
card facing him will be the last one dealt, and as he sits on the right
of the dealer, it will of course fall to him. Having selected a king
(the face of the pack being uppermost) he places as many cards below as
there may be players on his right between himself and the person to whom
he wishes to give the three tens. Below these he places another ten, and
underneath that as many cards as there are players between himself and
the player who is to receive the tens. In the same manner he arranges
the other tens together with the kings, so that the three tens may be
brought to the bottom. This being done the pack is turned over and as a
matter of course the ten placed on the bottom now becomes the top card.
His next move is to place as many cards over these as there are players
on the left of the dealer, between the latter and the unfortunate
individual who is destined to receive the tens.
This explanation may not be as clear to the reader as some of those
which have preceded it, yet to go into full details would require more
space than can be afforded to a description of the trick. The
preparations having all been arranged, the expert very rapidly gathers
in the cards as they are thrown down, placing them underneath the pack.
He then begs to be permitted to shuffle before the regular dealer. If
the request be granted he takes care so to shuffle as to not disturb the
hands which he has arranged with so much care. In fact he usually has
recourse to the device which has been already described as a “false
shuffle.” Sitting on the dealer’s left, of course the cut falls to him,
and he either gives the deck a false cut, or says “let them run.”
The consequence of this maneuver is that the blackleg receives the three
kings, while one of the other players obtains the three tens. The three
tens being considered a safe hand upon which to bet, it is not a
difficult matter to induce the verdant player to stake a considerable
sum, which the expert invariably wins. The sharper, however, finds it
far more easy to accomplish his nefarious end if he has a partner. The
latter individual, after the cards have been stocked, gives a “false
shuffle.” Professional No. 1, who sits at his partner’s right, gives the
deck a false cut, and professional No. 2 runs the cards off. It may seem
incredible to the average reader that men will sit around a poker table
and permit such dallying with the pack.
After long experience, however, I must say that the cases are
exceptional in which a smart operator may not manage to arrange three or
four such hands in the course of an evening’s play. Sometimes two
sharpers, acting as partners, manage to keep the deal between them for
two or three consecutive times; meanwhile they arrange the cards on the
bottom by degrees, and when everything has been completed the bottom of
the pack is transferred to the top. Sometimes hands are arranged in this
way and dealt in the same manner as from the bottom stock, which has
already been explained, the confederate, as a matter of course, being
fully aware which is the best hand.
The ease with which even those hands which at first sight appear most
difficult to arrange, may be prepared in this way, is almost
inconceivable to the novice. “Flushes” seem an intricate hand to
arrange, yet in fact they are among the easiest. A detailed explanation
of their arrangement, however, would hardly be either intelligible or
interesting to the average reader.
CRIMPING.
A favorite method of cheating at poker is that known as “crimping” the
cards, which is effected in one of either two ways: The former is when
the player is at the left hand of the professional dealer, in a four-
handed game, or his opponent in a two-handed game.
The second method is when the sharper deals himself. In the former case
the player so stocks a hand that it shall fall to himself, after which
he “crimps” or bends down the sides of the cards of which it is
composed. This having been done, after the shuffle has been made the
sharper may readily cut to the hand prepared, since there will be a
hardly perceptible space between it and the cards above it. If the
dealer shuffles “over-handed,” the hand will rarely be broken. If
crimping is to be resorted to on one’s own deal, the expert usually
waits until he has secured a high hand, when he bends it down, as above
described. He then places it on the bottom of the pack, and shuffles in
such a way that it shall not be disturbed. After dealing, he lays down
his own cards as quietly as possible, close to the deck; then, with his
left hand, he draws the “crimped hand” from the bottom, and with his
right places the remainder of the pack on the top of the hand which he
had originally received. He then shoves them aside, and at the same
moment lifts from the table the prearranged hand, which is thus
substituted for the one which he has secretly discarded. In order to
guard against detection, the moment when the other players are engaged
in examining their hands is the one usually selected by the blackleg for
the execution of this maneuver.
COLD DECKS.
The use of “cold decks” in almost all card games has become so common,
among the professionals, that the term, “ringing in a cold deck,” has
achieved a recognized place in the vocabulary of American slang. Almost
every one knows that the expression refers to a substitution of one
thing for another, yet not every one knows whence the phrase has its
origin.
A “cold deck” is a pack previously prepared, in which the hands of the
dealer and all the other players have been carefully arranged. To “ring
in” such a pack, is to substitute it for the one which has been fairly
shuffled and cut. There are many ways of accomplishing this
substitution. Sometimes a bill is dropped on the floor, and while the
dealer is engaged in looking for the greenback the “cold deck” is
raised, the original pack being secreted. This method, however, has
become ancient, not to say effete. The most approved method now-a-days,
is to place the prepared pack in the lap, to raise it nearly to the line
of the table with the left hand, and, after the true deck has been cut,
draw the latter to the edge of the table with the right hand directly
above the “cold deck;” at the same time the latter is raised, the
discarded pack is simultaneously dropped into the lap, where it falls
into a handkerchief previously spread in order to receive it. The deal
having been made, the sharper folds up his handkerchief and places it in
his pocket.
MARKED CARDS.
Marked cards are among the favorite and most profitable “tools” of the
professional blackleg. Among the fraternity they are technically known
as “paper.” When successfully used every element of chance is eliminated
from the game, and the play is practically reduced to a cut-throat
contest, in which the professional alone carries the knife. In a two-
handed game no honest player can ever hope to win against a gambler who
employs them. They are usually marked so as to indicate not only the
suit, but also the denomination of each card in the pack. As he deals
the professional reads and remembers the hand of his opponent, and bets
only when he knows that he has the advantage. At the same time it is
sometimes deemed expedient to place a wager even upon an inferior hand,
lest suspicion be excited by the too pronounced uniformity in winning.
It is hardly necessary to point out the tremendous percentage of profit
which is bound to accrue to one using cards of this character. Marked
cards may be bought, from all dealers in what are known as “gambler’s
goods,” but some experts prefer to purchase cards which are entirely
“straight,” and mark them themselves. The sight of the name of a well-
known manufacturer of playing cards, whose reputation is unblemished,
will usually prevent or disarm suspicion on the part of a greenhorn.
In a two-handed game the cards thus prepared are usually marked to
indicate only the size, the suit being a matter of comparative
indifference. The method of using them in a four-handed game differs
somewhat from that employed where one party plays against a single
antagonist, but the reader may readily imagine that in either case the
advantage in favor of the professional is simply enormous. A detailed
explanation of the method in which they are employed would hardly prove
profitable reading to the general public, and for this reason the
subject is passed over somewhat lightly. Some are marked with a
representation of the American eagle (what a travesty on the emblem of
equality and fraternity!), and during the war thousands of the brave
boys who took their lives in their hands in defense of the “old flag”
were defrauded of the scanty pittance paid them by the government,
through the machinations of unscrupulous scoundrels, who cheated them at
poker through marked cards on whose backs was depicted a mimic
representation of the standard for which they fought. Satire could not
well go farther, inasmuch as the government which they had sworn to
defend, tolerated the rascally proceedings even under the very folds of
the starry banner itself.
Besides the “stamped” cards—_i. e._, those on which the secret marks are
printed—professional blacklegs use others. An ordinary pack may be
prepared by an “artist in coloring” in such a way that he may read the
backs as easily as the faces. For this purpose a paint composed of
chloroform, alcohol and some pigment is applied with a camel’s hair
brush. The pigment may be of any hue—ultramarine, vermillion, etc.—the
color selected being always the nearest approximate shade to that of the
backs of the cards played with. Card sharpers who are expert marked card
players (and it must be remembered that not every professional gambler
possesses the necessary qualifications) always travel with a full outfit
of packs. On steamboats they will buy out the entire stock of the bar
keeper, furnish him with a fresh supply gratuitously, and even pay him a
bonus to handle their goods. The result is that when any player on the
boat wants a fresh pack, he finds himself compelled to buy the cards
whose backs the professionals can read. In towns these manipulators of
the pasteboards will either secure the introduction of their cards at
the gaming houses through the payment of a percentage, or will see that
they are placed on sale at some jewelry, drug, stationery or cigar store
near the locality where the game is to be played. The next move is to
introduce them at the card table, which is sometimes found to be a very
easy matter. In some of the succeeding paragraphs of this chapter the
reader will find related some of my own experiences in this direction
which may not prove uninteresting.
A favorite method of “ringing in” these cards—as gamblers term their
introduction—is as follows: Two sharpers act in concert. One goes to a
town and selects a victim, who is usually a country youth who has money.
He tells his dupe that he is “dead broke,” perhaps because of sickness,
perhaps for some other reason; that he is a professional gambler and can
teach any man how to win at cards. The cupidity of the young man from
the rural districts is aroused. The gambler shows him some marked cards
and teaches him how to read the backs. Then he sends for his
confederate. When the latter arrives the first swindler professes not to
know him, and pretends to make his acquaintance for the first time. He
then tells the selected victim that he has found a “soft mark,” (which
in the vernacular of the profession means a particularly gullible dupe),
and offers to introduce him, so that the countryman may win his money
through the marked cards. The game is begun; of course the supposed
“stranger” is as familiar with the marks as is the greenhorn, besides
being master of innumerable other arts of the blackleg, of which the
greenhorn knows nothing. The result is a foregone conclusion; the
sharper wins all the money which the verdant young man can be induced to
bet.
Sometimes it happens that the dupe becomes discouraged at his poor
success and declines to play further. In such a case, if the rascals
believe that he has any more money, the first confederate will secretly
offer to “tip off” the new comer’s hand, a device which rarely fails to
prove successful under such circumstances, and an explanation of which
has been already given.
PARTNERSHIPS.
As a rule, professional gamblers who travel through the country with a
view to defraud the unsophisticated by means of poker-playing,
ordinarily work in partnership. Sometimes two—sometimes more—players
compose the traveling combination, and divide the proceeds with more or
less equality. A thorough understanding among the confederates is, of
course, absolutely essential. But this having been once attained, the
advantages of the partnership are obviously very great. They convey to
each other surreptitious information across the table as to the nature
of their respective hands, so that only the one who has the better
chance may “go in.” I have already explained how they may co-operate
with one another through means of false shuffles and false cuts. They
may also prove of material assistance to each other in holding out, and
in various other ways, to such a degree that the verdant individual who
supposes that he is enjoying a “fair show” for the amount of money he
has wagered, is, as a matter of fact, absolutely at their mercy.
At the same time the members of such a dishonest firm have little
confidence in one another, but watch each other as though they were
enemies rather than confederates. Yet on one point they are at perfect
harmony and act in absolute unison; that is, in the fleecing of
greenhorns; and woe betide the unlucky wight who finds himself between
the upper and nether mill-stones of such a combination.
DOUBLE DISCARD.
Yet another device of the professional poker-player is known as the
“Double discard.” The blackleg does not discard until after he has made
a draft. He separates the cards which he wishes to discard from the four
which he nominally proposes to retain, holding the former in his left
hand and the latter in his right, ready for a fraudulent discard, in
case he sees fit. Calling for four cards, he drops those which he has in
his right hand immediately in front of him. Next, he lifts the draft
with his left hand, the odd card of course coming on top; if now he
finds in the draft one or more cards which he perceives will, with the
aid of the four cards lying in front of him on the table, improve his
chances, he retains that, and again discards the four cards. He then
drops the one which he has retained, upon the four originally rejected,
raises the hand, and of course is prepared to wager, with an approximate
certainty of success.
FLUSHES, FULLS AND FOURS.
These hands are more difficult to arrange than either “pairs” or
“threes,” although an expert blackleg is soon able to reduce the art to
a science.
The manner of setting up a “flush” differs from that of arranging a
“full” or “fours.” In preparing flushes ten cards of any suit are first
selected, and being placed face uppermost before the operator, are so
arranged that the highest card shall be either the second, fourth,
sixth, eighth or tenth in order. The ten cards are then put on the top
of the deck, which the sharper takes in his left hand. He uses the fore-
finger and thumb of his right hand in shuffling, placing the former on
top and the latter underneath, and drawing one card from the top and one
from the bottom at each “pull.” These he throws upon the table in pairs.
The same tactics are repeated ten times, each two cards, as drawn off,
being laid over the preceding pair. The rest of the cards are then
similarly treated, but thrown on the table at a short distance from the
twenty first drawn. The sharper then places the latter upon the larger
half of the pack, and a false shuffle and false cut are made.
If the player sitting on the left of the blackleg happens to be the
dealer, (and in no other case can the trick be successfully worked as
here described), the professional who has arranged the cards will always
receive the higher flush, and the player sitting at the dealer’s left,
who is of course directly facing the blackleg, is bound to receive the
smaller one.
The method of arranging “fulls” is very similar to that described above.
The hands, however, are first made up singly, the highest threes being
put in alternately as the second, third, fourth and sixth, counting from
the top of the pack as it lies face uppermost before the operator. The
latter then “strips” one card each from the top and bottom
simultaneously, as in the preparation of the flush. The hands fall to
the players in the same manner, the larger one falling to the dealer’s
right and the smaller on his left.
In stocking the cards for a hand containing “four of a kind,” the hands
are put up separately, the higher four being so arranged as to be
second, fourth, sixth, and eighth, from the top of the pack as it faces
the manipulator. The latter draws a card from the top and bottom at the
same time, as in the arrangement of the “flushes” and “fulls,” but
instead of drawing ten cards he pulls eight. The result in all three
cases is precisely the same, that is, the larger hand will invariably
fall to the player on the dealer’s right—(that is, the sharper)—and the
smaller one to the individual facing him, who sits at the dealer’s left.
HOLDING OUT.
Of all the practices of a dishonest gambler at poker, “holding out” is
perhaps the most frequently resorted to. It consists of abstracting one
or more cards from the pack, which are secreted either about the person
of the player, or beneath the table. It is most commonly employed upon
the blackleg’s own deal. Several cards may be “held out,” provided that
the number is not sufficient to attract notice by perceptibly
diminishing the size of the pack. The object of course is that the
sharper may have desirable cards ready to produce when a favorable
opportunity offers. If the person to be deceived is especially verdant
the cards withdrawn from the pack are sometimes concealed behind the
collar, or under the joint of the knee or may be laid upon a
handkerchief in the lap.
Professionals, however, usually prefer either the vest or the sleeve as
a place of secreting them. Different sorts of apparatus are also
employed to facilitate the operation; now-a-days nearly all
professionals employ some one of the four mechanical contrivances which
are described below.
I. THE BUG.
[Illustration: the bug]
I. THE BUG.—This instrument is very simple in its construction, and
although sold by dealers in “fake” goods, is often made by gamblers
themselves. Its mechanism is shown in the accompanying cut. “B”
represents a piece of watch spring which is fastened to the table by
means of an awl “A” in such a way that the point may curl over. The awl
is pressed into the under side of the table, just far enough from the
edge to permit the placing of a card. The watch spring snaps up against
the bottom. The method of using it is as follows: Some high card, for
example, the king or an ace, is slipped under the bottom of the table,
the watch spring holds it firmly in place. As soon as the party
receives, in the regular course, a card, or perhaps a pair of the same
denomination as the one which he has secreted in the “bug,” he puts his
hand over the edge of the table, under which he puts his thumb, he then
deftly raises the card which he has concealed, at the same time taking
an inferior card from his hand and placing the latter in the “bug”
instead of the one which he has taken out. It will be seen that he thus
obtains a high pair, or possibly three high cards of the same
denomination.
[Illustration: the sleeve hold out]
II. THE SLEEVE HOLD OUT.—This apparatus consists of a leather band,
(lettered A in the illustration) fastened around the right arm, beneath
the coat sleeve, near the elbow, to which is attached a spring, pressure
upon which works a rod which connects with a plate (lettered B in the
cut). The method of using this device is shown in the illustration. The
cards which are “held out” are placed beneath the plate B, which holds
them in position. When the player wishes to draw them from his sleeve,
he presses his arm against his body, thus setting in operation the
spring which works the rod and throws forward the concealed cards from
behind the plate, as shown in the cut.
[Illustration: the table hold out]
III. THE TABLE HOLD OUT.—As are the three other contrivances above
described, so is this a device for concealing cards abstracted from the
pack during the progress of a game of poker. It differs from the others,
however, in that it is permanently attached to the table, instead of
being carried about by the player himself. The illustration shows the
plan of its construction. A card may be seen protruding above the
surface of the table, directly where the cloth covering joins the wooden
border. This card is forced up through a concealed slit at the will of
the gambler, by means of a hidden mechanism. The dotted line running
from the slit to the foot of the table’s leg represents a wire which
operates a spring whereby the card is forced upward, or lowered, through
the slit, at the option of the manipulator. “A” is a point at which is
inserted a small knob, or button, pressure upon which works the spring.
By pressing with his foot at “B,” the player accomplishes the same
result. The method of its use is as follows: The abstracted cards are
placed in the slit, the player holding his hand of cards in front of it;
they are then drawn down and retained beneath the table until the moment
arrives when they are to be used. Pressure at either “A” or “B” forces
them up, and the sharper takes them in his hand, at the same time
discarding an equal number of cards from his hand into the slit.
[Illustration: vest hold out]
IV. VEST HOLD OUT.—Some gamblers prefer this contrivance to any other,
for the reason that it permits the holding out of an entire hand if the
player so desires. The accompanying illustration shows the method in
which it is worked. “A” indicates the location of that part of the
mechanism which holds the abstracted cards; “B” is a piece of catgut
attached to that part of the apparatus concealed beneath the vest, and
running underneath the clothing to the heel, where it is fastened either
to the shoe or the clothing. The cards selected to be “held out” are
placed inside the clamp underneath the vest. When the player stretches
out the leg along which runs the catgut, the plate inside the vest comes
forward and the cards may be easily withdrawn; when the heel is drawn
back beneath the chair the tension on the catgut is increased, and the
clamp recedes behind the vest.
CONVEXES, OR SHINERS.
Of all the devices for defrauding at poker, the “shiner,” or “convex” is
perhaps the most simple and the most effective. They are of various
forms. At first a circular piece of silver highly polished and convex in
form, about the size of a five-cent piece, was used. The player
employing it places it on the table in front of him, using the utmost
pains to conceal it from observation. The advantage resulting from its
employment is its power of reflecting whatever is held above it at any
angle, thus enabling the dealer who used it to read the face of each
card as it was taken, face downward, from the pack. Of late years,
however, the makers of these implements have greatly improved the
process of manufacture. Looking glass has been substituted for silver,
the reflection being much more brilliant. Modern convexes are also
considerably larger than those of former days. Some players attach them
to the knee, some to the thigh—as shown at point “C” in cut illustrating
the “Vest Hold Out”—and some fasten them to the coat. In one description
of the convexes, a slender bar is attached to the article at its end, a
joint containing a spring being fastened to the other extremity of the
bar. In using this contrivance the cheat places it on top of a few bank
notes, and then with the other bills entirely conceals it from view. In
dealing he apparently carelessly rests his hand upon the joint, in doing
which he necessarily brings pressure to bear upon the spring; this in
turn forces the convex to fly upward toward the dealer, and enables him
to see the face of each card as it is dealt. Occasionally magnifying
glasses, technically known as “reflectors,” are used. The blackleg
places one of these on his lap, or attaches it to the table in such a
way that he may cause it to drop by means of a spring. The forms of the
“reflectors” are numerous, and no good purpose can be served by
describing any further varieties. It may be observed, however, that new
shapes are being constantly invented, as well as new contrivances to
enable cheats to use them without detection.
I have seen a convex employed upon a Mississippi steamboat with
remarkably confusing effect. Two professionals were each trying to take
advantage of the other, supposing him to be an amateur. For a time
neither gained any advantage. At length, one of the sharpers temporarily
excused himself. Going to his state room, he returned with his “shiner.”
Meantime his antagonist had arranged a “cold deck,” which he proceeded
to “ring in” on his own deal, much to the betterment of his finances.
Thus emboldened, he bet wildly on his adversary’s deal, the result being
that the caller recouped his losses, with interest.
Once at the Mound City Hotel, in St. Louis, I had succeeded in bringing
two “skin” gamblers together. I had told each that I intended to “throw
off” the other to him, consequently I felt certain of receiving my share
of the winnings, no matter which of the pair succeeded in fleecing the
other. One of them had prepared a table which he could take apart and
carry with him. On the top of it was a box about a foot square, inside
of which was a “shiner” made of looking-glass. Half of the side facing
the operator was a slide which was raised, when occasion required, by
means of a string which passed down the leg of the table to the foot. As
the game progressed and the excitement increased, the foot of the
operator accidentally slipped from the pedal. The result was that
instead of the cover returning quietly to its place, it fell with a
sharp click, which attracted the attention of his opponent, who quickly
springing to his feet ran around the table and asked, “what’s that?” and
then realizing its meaning, laughingly remarked: “Say, the tail piece of
your wagon just fell out. What’s that dog-house you’ve got on the table,
anyway?”
THE “NAIL PRICK” OR “SECOND DEALING.”
[Illustration: nail prick]
This is a device practiced by professional gamblers with great success.
In order to play the “second” effectively, the operator trims the thumb
nail on his left hand to a fine point, as shown in the accompanying cut
at letter “A.” Sometimes, instead of trimming his nail he attaches to
the ball of the thumb, by means of a small piece of kid and a little
shoemaker’s wax, a fine needle point, lettered “B” in the illustration.
As the game progresses, he gradually pricks the aces and kings on the
face in the left hand corner of each, which, when they are turned over,
becomes of course, the right hand corner. The cards are dealt from the
end, the dealer seizing them by the corner with the thumb of the right
hand. When one of the pricked cards is felt, the dealer slips it back
and deals from under it until he comes to himself, when he secures it
for his own hand, thus gradually obtaining a pair of aces or kings,
sometimes two pairs, and occasionally three of a kind. When this trick
is successfully performed, the professional is usually able to “clean
out” a greenhorn with the utmost ease and dispatch. It is a favorite
mode of swindling at poker, inasmuch as it requires no partner, no
stocking of cards, and admits of their being fairly shuffled.
THE “TELEGRAPH.”
By the word “telegraph” as employed in gamblers’ parlance, is by no
means meant the ordinary electric wire through which are transmitted
messages upon which depend not only men’s safety and lives, but even the
welfare of nations and the peace of the civilized world. The gamblers‘
“telegraph” is used for entirely different purposes. It consists of a
wire running from a poker table to some point of vantage, usually behind
a “peep-hole,” by means of which one confederate advises another when to
bet. Of course collusion between two is essential. The man at the peep-
hole, which is not infrequently in an upper room, sees through the aid
of a magnifying glass the hands of all the players. He controls one end
of the wire, the other extremity of which is attached to the clothing of
his partner. A pre-arranged system of signals conveys to the latter all
the information necessary to enable him to place a wager with the
absolute certainty of winning. On its face this species of fraud appears
so disreputable that the average reader will question whether the device
may not have originated in the author’s brain. Alas, for human nature!
The telegraph is an actual fact, no less deplorable because its
existence is assured. The number of saloons which employ it is “legion,”
and it may sometimes be found in places which would be considered most
unlikely. The only safe plan to be pursued is _never_, under any
circumstances, to sit down to a game of poker, no matter how trifling
the ante.
A SURE HAND.
Reference is made elsewhere to the advantage taken by professional
gamblers and confidence men of the cupidity, venality and dishonesty of
a certain class of “suckers.” It is not an uncommon experience with
black-legs to be invited by some man of good repute in the community in
which he resides, to visit the town with a view to fleecing some moneyed
friend of the latter individual, the gain accruing from the execution of
the rascally enterprise to be equally divided between the confederate
scoundrels. This is known in gambler’s slang as “throwing off a sucker.”
Under the present title will be explained one of the most effective
methods by which the scheme is executed. The author can best illustrate
it by recounting a bit of his own experience:
In a certain western town once resided a man whom we may call Mr. X—--,
who had an intimate friend—a man of some means—who will be referred to
in this connection as Mr. Y——. Mr. X—— conceived the idea of winning
some money from his friend, and appealed to me to assist him in the
enterprise. At that period of my life I was little troubled with qualms
of conscience, and I lent a willing ear to the suggestion. I went to the
city in question, and in due course was introduced to Mr. Y—— by Mr. X——
as a verdant sort of an individual, almost too green to be attractive to
a bovine quadruped, but with plenty of money. Mr. X—— proposed to his
friend that they should engage me in a little game of “draw;” that he,
Y——, should sit behind me and “tip off” my hand, a knowledge of which
was certain to enable X—— to win all my cash. Mr. Y—— was nothing loth,
and readily consented to become a party to a transaction which was, on
its face, a bold scheme of fraud. Undoubtedly he was a “sucker,” but it
is a question whether sympathy would not be wasted upon him.
The plan worked admirably. X—— and myself met at a pre-arranged
“trysting-place,” and sat down to play poker. Y—— dropped in and took a
seat where he could over-look my hand. A “cold deck” had been
prepared—need I say by whom?—and after I had lost a few trifling stakes
X—— proceeded to “ring it in” on me, in accordance with his previous
understanding. Regarding the operation from a “professional” standpoint,
I may say that I never saw a trick more clumsily performed. Had I been,
as Y—— supposed, a mere tyro, I could hardly have failed to detect it,
so bunglingly was it done. However, I preserved a stolid demeanor, and
proceeded to examine my hand. I found a pair of queens with three nines.
Mr. X—— had a “full”—three jacks and a pair of tens. Of course this
latter was a strong hand. He bet; I promptly “raised” him one thousand
dollars, putting the money on the table. Naturally, he professed to
regard my “raise” as a mere “bluff,” and asked his friend, Y——, to lend
him enough money to “see” me. Y—— rose from his chair, and, walking
around the table, looked at X——’s hand. Seeing a “full house,” with
jacks at the head, as against a smaller one, “nine full,” he willingly
loaned the money. With a tolerable simulation of tremulous excitement,
Mr. X—— contrived to display his cards. I promptly called for two cards,
discarding a like number, and received, as I knew I should, two queens,
thus securing “four of a kind,” which always wins against a “full.” The
reader who has perused the explanation of the fair game, as given above,
will, of course, perceive that in his intense anxiety to win a dishonest
$500, Mr. Y—— had overlooked my right to “draw,” although he was
satisfied that on the hand which he had seen me hold, I was morally
certain to be content with the cards which I had. Yet, cupidity often
over-reaches itself in a similar way.
Of course I won and pocketed the stakes, although, in justice to myself,
I may add that I divided my winnings fairly with Mr. X——, who received
exactly one-half of the money out of which his friend had been cheated.
If the inexperienced, unsophisticated reader will carefully peruse the
foregoing paragraphs, he will have but little difficulty in reaching the
conclusion that playing poker is about as hazardous as “encountering the
tiger in his lair.”
STUD POKER.
Another variety of poker in great favor among the gambling fraternity is
called “stud poker,” a stud poker table being now considered a necessary
adjunct to every first-class gambling house. The necessary outfit for
the game consists of checks, cards and a table large enough to seat 10
or 12 persons. Regular dealers are employed and usually four or five
“pluggers” (by which term are designated men who play for the house and
with money belonging to the proprietors). The game is very simple, and
any one acquainted with the value of draw poker can play, and lose his
money as easily and rapidly as he could possibly desire. The game may be
illustrated as follows: Suppose four persons, whom we will designate as
A, B, C and D, sit down to play. In some games, in fact usually, each
player puts up one check as an ante. This having been done, the dealer
deals the first card, face downward, to each player, beginning with the
one who sits immediately on his (the dealer’s) left; another card is
then dealt around with the face exposed, as must also be the other three
cards in case a hand of five is dealt. Let us suppose that A’s exposed
card is an ace, B’s a queen, C’s a nine spot, and D’s a ten. It is then
A’s first bet because he has the highest card in sight. He can wager any
amount he chooses, and the others can throw away their cards or “stay
in,” by putting up an equal stake to that of A’s. If B, C and D should
throw down their cards, the checks in the “pot” belong to A, and the
dealer shuffling, begins another deal. Should either B, C or D “see” A’s
bet or “raise” him, the dealer, deals off another card, face upward,
when the player who has the highest cards in sight, has another
opportunity to “pass” or bet, while the others have the choice of
throwing away their cards or “seeing” the bet, and so on until five
cards are dealt, when the players must guess at each other’s buried
card, or “hole card” as it is technically called.
Sometimes at stud poker an instrument known as “The Buck” is used. This
is employed where all the players do not “ante.” Any article may be used
for this purpose. Sometimes an ivory chip with a string running through
it; sometimes a circular piece of leather, its material and form are
unimportant. It passes in rotation, one to another, the player in front
of whom it is placed being required to “ante” a chip and receiving the
first card dealt. The game then proceeds as already described. The
chances for “crooked work” at this game are legion. In a word nearly
every fraudulent device employed in “draw” poker may be utilized in
“stud” poker. “Stocking,” “palming,” “holding out,” “false cuts,”
“paper,” “partnerships,” etc., etc., are just as useful in one case as
in the other.
INCIDENTS AND REMINISCENCES.
The vicissitudes of the life of a professional gambler are numerous and
shifting, and perhaps the ups and downs of a poker player’s career are
as varying as those which attend the checkered experience of any other
description of gambler.
I remember some rather startling experiences of my own in this
direction. I was once traveling in partnership with a man named Enyert.
At a town in Missouri we fell in with a mule-buyer named Brown. Enyert
was cursed with one of the most violent tempers that falls to the lot of
man. So also was Brown. Both of them were known as “dangerous” men, _i.
e._, ready with the pistol. I was dealing marked cards and my knowledge
of Brown’s character made me extremely nervous. I knew that if he
detected any cheating my life would be exacted as a forfeit. An expert
marked card player always needs his wits, and my nervousness prevented
me from using mine. On the other hand, I knew that if my partner
(Enyert) did not win he would accuse me of “throwing him off” to Brown,
_i. e._, of playing in collusion with the latter, in which case I was
quite as likely to be shot by him. To use a slang expression, I was too
badly “rattled” to be of any use as a dealer and brought the game to a
close as soon as possible.
This man Enyert shot the son of the Mayor of Ottumwa, familiarly known
as “Billy” Orr, and would, on one occasion, have carved up my anatomy
with a bowie knife, had I not dissuaded him by showing him the muzzle of
a six-chambered navy revolver. Brown’s son inherited his father’s
disposition. Having some trouble with his wife’s parents, he emptied
both barrels of a shotgun into them, killing Dr. Parish, his father-in-
law, and seriously wounding the Doctor’s wife. He was tried, convicted,
and sentenced to be hanged. His wife visited him in his cell and
contrived to convey to him, secretly, a dose of poison. They mutually
agreed to end their lives at an appointed time. The hour fixed fell in
the night preceding his execution. When it arrived the woman blew out
her brains with a pistol, but Brown lacked the physical courage to carry
out his part of the contract, and was publicly hanged on the following
day after making an impassioned appeal to the crowd in behalf of his
son. He and his devoted wife were buried in the same grave.
I was once playing marked cards with a Boston “drummer,” whose name need
not be mentioned. At the time I had a partner. I had instructed the
traveling man in the art of reading the cards by their backs and
proposed to him that I would “throw off” a “sucker” to him. He assented,
and I introduced my partner. We practised the same game which we had
worked together many times before. I began to “hold out” cards and did
it so clumsily that any one might detect it. My partner waxed furious at
the fraud and I was promptly “barred out,” leaving the drummer and my
confederate to play single handed, which was precisely what we wanted.
The commercial traveler rose from the table a loser to the amount of
$400. I condoled with him; and inasmuch as we were supposed to be acting
in unison probably I ought to have stood half the loss but I still owe
him my share.
One more narrative of my experience with marked cards, and I have done.
While traveling in partnership with a man named Sam Martin, whom I have
mentioned in my autobiography, we were going down the Mississippi in a
steamboat. Martin had placed a number of packs of marked cards with the
bar-keeper, with instructions to “ring them in,” that is, to sell them
to customers asking for playing cards. We wandered about the boat,
separately, looking for victims. At length I formed the acquaintance of
a tall, handsome man, who suggested a game of euchre for the cigars. We
had not played long when the stranger proposed poker for a small ante. I
said that I was not accustomed to playing for money, but that if he
would promise not to expose me if I lost I would chance a few dollars.
Martin was in the cabin waiting for me to give him a signal to approach.
On receiving it he drew near the table and I accosted him with: “Well,
stranger, will you join us in a game for a small ante?” He answered that
he would if my friend had no objections, although it was near his bed
time. We played a few games and quit losers. We knew that our “mark” was
going to Memphis, and that we would have an abundance of time in which
to win our money back. The next morning we resumed play. I lost fifty
dollars (which of course was won by Martin), and said that I would have
to withdraw from the game unless they would consent to place stakes
against a draft. [In those days I always traveled with a liberal supply
of worthless checks.] I left the table and Martin and the stranger (who
gave his name as Walton) played single-handed, which was precisely what
the former wanted. They were using the marked cards which my partner had
placed with the bar-keeper. It was not long before Martin had won all
the stranger’s money—some $800—besides a valuable gold watch and chain.
At the conclusion of the game the winner invited his dupe to take a
drink at the bar, which invitation was accepted. As they were drinking
Walton looked at Martin and said: “You are a very lucky man. I believe
that you might fall overboard without getting wet, and I certainly
should expect to see your body floating up stream. You have all my
money, and I don’t mind telling you, now, that I was cheating all the
time. I was ‘holding out’ and playing the ‘double discard’ from the
beginning, and I don’t see how you managed to come out ahead.” “Well,”
said Martin, “since you have been so frank I will be equally so. I am an
expert marked-card player, and each pack that we played with was one of
mine. I knew that you were cheating, but didn’t care. My ‘percentage’
was too strong for you. Here is your watch and chain and fifty dollars
for a ‘stake.’ But I can tell you right here that you won’t ever have
any show against an artist who can read your hand at sight, and remember
it.” And there is no doubt that “Sam” was right. Yet if an accomplished
card sharp like Walton can be thus taken in, even while practicing his
professional tricks, what possible chance remains to a greenhorn?
[Illustration: card game]