A gambling house at the end of the last century was conducted by the
following officials:--
1. A Commissioner,--who was always a proprietor; who looked in of a
night, and audited the week's account with two other proprietors.
2. A Director,--who superintended the room.
3. An Operator,--who dealt the cards at the cheating game called Faro.
4. Two Croupiers, or crow-pees, as they were vulgarly called, whose duty
it was to watch the cards and gather or rake in the money for the bank.
5. Two Puffs,--who had money given to them to decoy others to play.
6. A Clerk,--who was a check on the Puffs, to see that they sank none of
the money given to them to play with.
7. A Squib,--who was a puff of a lower rank, serving at half salary,
whilst learning to deal.
8. A Flasher,--to swear how often the bank had been stripped by lucky
players.
9. A Dunner,--who went about to recover money lost at play.
10. A Waiter,--to fill out wine, snuff candles, and attend the room.
11. An Attorney,--who was generally a Newgate solicitor.
12. A Captain,--who was to fight any gentleman who might be peevish at
losing his money.
13. An Usher,--who lighted the gentlemen up and down stairs, and gave
the word to the porter.
14. A Porter,--who was generally a soldier of the Foot Guards.
15. An Orderly-man,--who walked up and down the outside of the door, to
give notice to the porter, and alarm the house at the approach of the
constables.
16. A Runner,--who was to get intelligence of the Justices' meetings.
17. Link Boys, Coachmen, Chairmen, Drawers, and others, who brought the
first intelligence of Justices' meetings, of constables going out, at
half a guinea reward.
18. Common Bail, Affidavit Men, Ruffians, Bravos, Assassins, &c. &c.
It may be proper to remark that the above list of officials was only
calculated for gambling houses of an inferior order. In these it is
evident that the fear of interruption and the necessity for precaution
presided over the arrangements. There were others, however, which seemed
to defy law, to spurn at justice, and to remain secure, in every way, by
the 'respectability' of their frequenters. These were houses supported
at an amazing expense--within sight of the palace--which were open
every night and all night--where men of the first rank were to be
found gambling away immense sums of money, such as no man, whatever
his fortune might be, could sustain. 'What, then,' says a writer at
the time, 'are the consequences? Why, that the UNDONE part of them sell
their VOTES for bread, and the successful give them for honours.
'He who has never seen the gamblers' apartments in some of the
magnificent houses in the neighbourhood of St James's, has never
seen the most horrid sight that the imagination of a thinking man can
conceive.
'A new pack of cards is called for at every deal, and the "old" ones are
then thrown upon the floor, and in such an immense quantity, that the
writer of this letter has seen a very large room nearly ANKLE-DEEP, in
the greatest part of it, by four o'clock in the morning! Judge, then, to
what height they must have risen by daylight.'
It is a melancholy truth, but confirmed by the history of all nations,
that the most polite and refined age of a kingdom is never the most
virtuous; not, indeed, that any such compliment can be paid to that
gross age, but still it was refined compared with the past. The
distinctions of personal merit being but little regarded--in the
low moral tone that prevailed--there needed but to support a certain
'figure' in life (managed by the fashionable tailor)(4), to be
conversant with a few etiquettes of good breeding and sentiments of
modern or current honour, in order to be received with affability and
courteous attention in the highest circles. The vilest sharper, having
once gained admission, was sure of constant entertainment, for nothing
formed a greater cement of union than the spirit of HIGH GAMING. There
being so little cognizance taken of the good qualities of the heart in
fashionable assemblies, no wonder that amid the medley of characters to
be found in these places the 'sharper' of polite address should gain too
easy an admission.
(4)
'How shalt THOU to Caesar's hall repair?
For, ah! no DAMAGED coat can enter there!'
BEATTIE'S Minstrel.
This fraternity of artists--whether they were to be denominated
rooks,(5) sharps, sharpers, black-legs, Greeks, or gripes--were
exceedingly numerous, and were dispersed among all ranks of society.
(5) So called because rooks are famous for stealing materials out of
other birds' nests to build their own.
The follies and vices of others--of open-hearted youth in
particular--were the great game or pursuit of this odious crew. Though
cool and dispassionate themselves, they did all in their power to throw
others off their guard, that they might make their advantage of them.
In others they promoted excess of all kinds, whilst they themselves took
care to maintain the utmost sobriety and temperance. 'Gamesters,' says
Falconer, 'whose minds must be always on the watch to take advantages,
and prepared to form calculations, and to employ the memory, constantly
avoid a full meal of animal food, which they find incapacitates them for
play nearly as much as a quantity of strong liquor would have done, for
which reason they feed chiefly on milk and vegetables.'
As profit, not pleasure, was the aim of these knights of darkness, they
lay concealed under all shapes and disguises, and followed up their game
with all wariness and discretion. Like wise traders, they made it the
business of their lives to excel in their calling.
For this end they studied the secret mysteries of their art by night
and by day; they improved on the scientific schemes of their profound
master, Hoyle, and on his deep doctrines and calculations of chances.
They became skilful without a rival where skill was necessary, and
fraudulent without conscience where fraud was safe and advantageous; and
while fortune or chance appeared to direct everything, they practised
numberless devices by which they insured her ultimate favours to
themselves.
Of these none were more efficacious, because none are more ensnaring,
than bribing their young and artless dupes to future play by suffering
them to win at their first onsets. By rising a winner the dupe imbibed a
confidence in his own gambling abilities, or deemed himself a favourite
of fortune. He engaged again, and was again successful--which increased
his exultation and confirmed his future confidence; and thus did the
simple gudgeon swallow their bait, till it became at last fast hooked.
When rendered thus secure of their prey, they began to level their
whole train of artillery against the boasted honours of his short-lived
triumph. Then the extensive manors, the ancient forests, the paternal
mansions, began to tremble for their future destiny. The pigeon was
marked down, and the infernal crew began in good earnest to pluck his
rich plumage. The wink was given on his appearance in the room, as
a signal of commencing their covert attacks. The shrug, the nod, the
hem--every motion of the eyes, hands, feet--every air and gesture, look
and word--became an expressive, though disguised, language of fraud and
cozenage, big with deceit and swollen with ruin. Besides this, the
card was marked, or 'slipped,' or COVERED. The story is told of a noted
sharper of distinction, a foreigner, whose hand was thrust through with
a fork by his adversary, Captain Roche, and thus nailed to the table,
with this cool expression of concern--'I ask your pardon, sir, if you
have not the knave of clubs under your hand.' The cards were packed,
or cut, or even SWALLOWED. A card has been eaten between two slices of
bread and butter, for the purpose of concealment.
With wily craft the sharpers substituted their deceitful 'doctors' or
false dice; and thus 'crabs,' or 'a losing game,' became the portion of
the 'flats,' or dupes.
There were different ways of throwing dice. There was the 'Stamp'--when
the caster with an elastic spring of the wrist rapped the cornet or box
with vehemence on the table, the dice as yet not appearing from under
the box. The 'Dribble' was, when with an air of easy but ingenious
motion, the caster poured, as it were, the dice on the board--when, if
he happened to be an old practitioner, he might suddenly cog with his
fore-finger one of the cubes. The 'Long Gallery' was when the dice were
flung or hurled the whole length of the board. Sometimes the dice were
thrown off the table, near a confederate, who, in picking them up,
changed one of the fair for a false die with two sixes. This was
generally done at the first throw, and at the last, when the fair die
was replaced. The sixes were on the opposite squares, so that the fraud
could only be detected by examination. Of course this trick could only
be practised at raffles, where only three throws are required.
A pair of false dice was arranged as follows:--
{Two fours
On one die, {Two fives
{Two sixes
{Two fives
On the other, {Two threes
{Two aces
With these dice it was impossible to throw what is at Hazard denominated
Crabs, or a losing game--that is, aces, or ace and deuce, twelve, or
seven. Hence, the caster always called for his main; consequently, as he
could neither throw one nor seven, let his chance be what it might,
he was sure to win, and he and those who were in the secret of course
always took the odds. The false dice being concealed in the left hand,
the caster took the box with the fair dice in it in his right hand,
and in the act of shaking it caught the fair dice in his hand, and
unperceived shifted the box empty to his left, from which he dropped
the false dice into the box, which he began to rattle, called his main
seven, and threw. Having won his stake he repeated it as often as he
thought proper. He then caught the false dice in the same way, shifted
the empty box again, and threw till he threw out, still calling the same
main, by which artifice he escaped suspicion.
Two gambling adventurers would set out with a certain number of signs
and signals. The use of the handkerchief during the game was the
certain evidence of a good hand. The use of the snuff-box a sign equally
indicative of a bad one. An affected cough, apparently as a natural one,
once, twice, three, or four times repeated, was an assurance of so
many honours in hand. Rubbing the left eye was an invitation to lead
trumps,--the right eye the reverse,--the cards thrown down with one
finger and the thumb was a sign of one trump; two fingers and the thumb,
two trumps, and so on progressively, and in exact explanation of the
whole hand, with a variety of manoeuvres by which chance was reduced to
certainty, and certainty followed by ruin.(6)
(6) Bon Ton Magazine, 1791.
CHEATING AT WHIST.
In an old work on cards the following curious disclosures are made
respecting cheating at whist:--
'He that can by craft overlook his adversary's game hath a great
advantage; for by that means he may partly know what to play securely;
or if he can have some petty glimpse of his partner's hand. There is a
way by making some sign by the fingers, to discover to their partners
what honours they have, or by the wink of one eye it signifies one
honour, shutting both eyes two, placing three fingers or four on the
table, three or four honours. FOR WHICH REASON ALL NICE GAMSTERS PLAY
BEHIND CURTAINS.
'Dealing the cards out by one and one to each person is the best method
of putting it out of the dealer's power to impose on you. But I shall
demonstrate that, deal the cards which way you will, a confederacy of
two sharpers will beat any two persons in the world, though ever so good
players, that are not of the gang, or in the secret, and "THREE poll
ONE" is as safe and secure as if the money was in their pockets. All
which will appear presently.
The first necessary instructions to be observed at Whist, as principals
of the secret, which may be likewise transferred to most other games at
cards, are:--
Brief or short cards,
Corner-bend,
Middle-bend (or Kingston-bridge).
'Of brief cards there are two sorts: one is a card longer than the
rest,--the other is a card broader than the rest. The long sort are such
as three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine; the broad sort are
such as aces, kings, queens, and knaves. The use and advantage of each
are as follows:--
'Example:--When you cut the cards to your adversary, cut them long, or
endways, and he will have a three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or
nine at bottom. When your adversary cuts the cards to you, put them
broadside to him, and he will naturally cut (without ever suspecting
what you do) ace, king, queen, or knave, &c., which is sufficient
advantage to secure any game.
'And in case you cannot get cards of proper sizes ready-made to mix with
others, you may shave them with a razor or penknife from the threes to
the nines each side, and from the aces to the knaves each end; then put
them up in the same case or cover, and if they are done as they ought to
be, they will pass upon anybody.
'As Whist is a tavern-game, the sharpers generally take care to put
about the bottle before the game begins, so quick, that a BUBBLE cannot
be said to see clearly even when he begins to play.
'The next is the corner-bend, which is four cards turned down finely at
one corner--a signal to cut by.
'The other is vulgarly called Kingston-bridge, or the middle-bend. It is
done by bending your own or adversary's TRICKS two different ways, which
will cause an opening, or arch, in the middle, which is of the same use
and service as the other two ways, and only practised in its turn to
amuse you.
'The next thing to be considered is, who deals the cards, you or your
adversary; because that is a main point, and from whence your advantage
must arise. Suppose, for example,
{Sharpers,
A and B {
{Partners,
{Bubbles, or Flats,
C and D {
{ Partners.
After a deal or two is formally played, A and B will begin to operate in
the following manner:--
'When A or B is to deal, they observe the PRECEDING DEAL to take up the
tricks thus:--
1. A bad card. 2. A good card.
3. A bad card. 4. A good card.
(Meaning the best and worst that fall in that list).
'When C or D deals, they must be taken up thus:--
1. A good card. 2. A bad card.
3. A good card. 4. A bad card.
'By this rule it is plain that the best cards fall to A and B every
deal. How is it possible, therefore, that C and D should ever win a game
without permission? But it would be deemed ill policy, and contrary to
the true interest of A and B, to act thus every deal. I will, therefore,
suppose it is practised just when they please, according as bets happen
in company; though the rule with gamesters, in low life, is at the first
setting out to stupify you with wine and the loss of your money, that
you may never come to a perfect understanding of what you are doing. It
may be truly said that many an honest gentleman has been kept a month in
such a condition by the management and contrivance of a set of sharpers.
'Now you may imagine it not in the power of A and B to cause the tricks
to be taken up after the manner aforesaid: there is nothing so easy nor
so frequently practised, especially at Three poll One; for in playing
the cards the confederates will not only take care of their own tricks,
but also of yours, for the cards may be so played, and shoved together
in such a manner, as will even cause you to take them right yourself;
and if a trick should lie untowardly on the table, A or B will pay you
the compliment of taking it up for you, and say--"Sir, that's yours."
This operation will the more readily be apprehended by seeing it
practised half a score times; when once you are aware of it, it will
otherwise (I may say fairly) pass upon any person that has not been let
into the secret. This being allowed, the next point and difficulty is to
shuffle and cut.
'I say, that either A or B are such curious workmen, and can make a sham
shuffle with a pack of cards so artfully, that you would believe they
were splitting them, when at the time they will not displace a single
card from its order! Such is the SHARPER'S shuffling.
'Now, to cut the cards, a BEND is prepared for you to cut to--the middle
is the best; and it is odds but you unwarily cut to it; if not, SLIP is
the word; but if you have no opportunity to do that neither, then deal
away at all hazards, it is but an equal bet that they come in your
favour; if right, proceed; if otherwise, miss a card in its course, and
it brings the cards according to your first design; it is but giving two
at last where you missed; and if that cannot be conveniently done, you
only lose the deal, and there is an end of it.
'But when A or B is to cut, they make it all safe; for then they make
the CORNER-BEND, which any one that knows may cut to, a hundred times
together.
'Piping at Whist. By piping I mean, when one of the company that does
not play, which frequently happens, sits down in a convenient place to
smoke a pipe, and so look on, pretending to amuse himself that way. Now,
the disposing of his fingers on the pipe whilst smoking discovers the
principal cards that are in the person's hand he overlooks; which was
always esteemed a sufficient advantage whereby to win a game. There is
another method, namely, by uttering words. "Indeed" signifies diamonds;
"truly," hearts; "upon my word," clubs; "I assure you," spades. But as
soon as these methods become known, new ones are invented; and it is
most curious that two persons may discover to each other what sort
of cards they have in hand, and which ought first to be played, many
different ways, without speaking a word.'
There can be no doubt that the act of sorting the cards is capable of
giving an acute observer a tolerably accurate idea of his partner's or
either of his opponents' hands; so that where cheating is suspected it
would be better to play the cards without sorting them. The number of
times a sorter carries a card to a particular part indicates so many of
a suit; your own hand and his play will readily indicate the nature of
the cards in which he is either strong or weak.
I now quote Robert-Houdin's account of
CARD TELEGRAPHY.
Although there are 32 cards in the game of Piquet, all of them may be
designated by twelve different signs, namely, eight for the nature of
the cards, and four for the colours.
At Ecarte, the number of the signals is still less, as it is only the
figures that require indication: but to make these indications it is
necessary to execute a sort of pantomime, according to certain authors,
such as blowing the nose, coughing, drumming on the table, sneezing, &c.
Such evolutions, however, are totally unworthy of your modern Greek, and
would soon be denounced as gross fraud. The signals which he employs are
only appreciable by his confederate,--as follows:--
If he looks
1. At his confederate, he designates A king.
2. At the play of his adversary . . . A queen.
3. At the stake . . . . . . . . . . . A knave.
4. At the opposite side . . . . . . . An ace.
And whilst he indicates the nature of the cards he at the same time
makes known the colour by the following signs:--
1. The mouth slightly open . . . . . Hearts.
2. The mouth shut . . . . . . . . . . Diamonds.
3. The upper-lip slightly pouting
over the lower . . . . . . . Clubs.
4. The lower-lip drawn over the
upper . . . . . . . . . . . Spades.
Thus, if the Greek wishes to announce, for instance, the knave and
ace of hearts, he successively directs his looks upon the play of his
adversary, upon the stake, and to the opposite side, whilst keeping his
mouth slightly open.
It is evident that this telegraphy may be employed at all games where
there is a gallery. In effect, nothing is easier at Piquet than to
indicate, by the aid of these signals, the colour in which the player
should discard and that in which he should keep what cards he has.
These are the simplest signs; but some of the Greeks have a great number
of them, to designate everything; and even sometimes to communicate
and receive intelligence, when necessary. This telegraphy is so
imperceptible that it is difficult to describe it, and altogether
impossible to detect it.(7)
(7) Tricheries des Grecs devoilees.
Robert-Houdin has exhausted the subject of card-trickery, in connection
with that prestidigitation which, it seems, all card-sharpers cultivate,
the description of which, however, is by no means so entertaining as the
visible performance. I find, nevertheless, in his book, under the title
of 'Small Trickeries made innocent by Custom,' certain things alluded to
which I can attest by experience.
I. At Whist, no communication whatever must be made by a player to his
partner, excepting those authorized by the laws of the game; but some
persons go further, and by the play of their features 'telegraph' to
their partners the value of their hands.
II. Any one with a good memory and endowed with quick perception may
form a very accurate estimate of the hands held by all the players by
remembering THE TRICKS AS THEY ARE PLAYED AND TURNED DOWN--all of a
suit, or trumped. Cards 'stick together' most lovingly, and the ordinary
shuffling scarcely alters their sequence; and so, if a trick has been
taken by an ace over a king, for instance, and in the next deal you get
the same king, you may be sure that the ace is either on your right or
your left, according to the deal; of course, if you get the ace, then
the same probability, or rather necessity, exists as to the king; and
so on. Knave, queen, king, ace, of the same name, are almost sure to be
separated in the deal between the four players, or one player will have
two of them. The observation is a tax upon the faculties; but I am sure,
quite sure, that the thing can be done, and is, when done, of material
service; although, of course, the knowledge can be turned to account
only by an expert player, with a partner who can understand the game
which he wishes to play.
Whist is, decidedly, one of the fairest of games; but for that very
reason, it is open to the greatest over-reaching, or, if you like,
cheating.
With regard to dice, of course, they were and, doubtless, are still
loaded. Such were formerly called 'dispatches,' because they would
'in five minutes dispatch L500 out of the pocket of any young man when
intoxicated with champagne.'
Roulette and Rouge et Noir tables were and are so arranged as always to
make the bank win at the will of the attendant, regulating them with a
touch.
At Hazard, they used 'low or high dice,' that is, with only certain
numbers on them, high or low,--a pair of which every sharper always had
in his possession, changing them with great dexterity. They also used
'cramped' boxes, by which they 'cogged' or fastened the dice in the box
as they dropped them IN, and so could drop them OUT with the required
face upwards.