_DICE_
With this chapter we strike out into fresh territory. We have passed
through the land of those who trust their fortunes to the turn of the
card, and arrive now among the aborigines, whose custom is to stake
their worldly possessions upon the hazard of the die. As to which custom
is the more commendable of the two, it is somewhat difficult to decide.
They are both 'more honoured in the breach than the observance.'
Readily, as we have seen, the innocent pieces of pasteboard are made to
serve the purposes of cheating; and no less readily are the tiny cubes
of ivory or celluloid falsified, and made the instruments of dishonesty.
This of course is no secret. The name of 'loaded dice' is familiar to
all; but it is the name alone which is familiar; the things themselves
are, to the vast majority of mankind, absolutely unknown. In some
respects it is quite as well that it should be so; but it is far better
that these things should be generally understood, and that the signs and
tokens of their existence and their employment should be known to all.
In this chapter then, we shall deal with the subject in its entirety,
describing the different systems of cheating, and some of the so-called
games to which these methods are applied.
Broadly speaking, cheating at dice maybe classed under two heads--the
manipulation of genuine dice, and the employment of unfair ones. From
this it will be gathered that the 'loaded dice,' so often spoken of, are
by no means necessary to the sharp who has made this line of business
his speciality. Loaded dice, in fact, are very puerile contrivances,
compared with some of the devices which are about to be brought to the
reader's notice. They are one of the landmarks of cheating, it is true;
but they are not the high-watermark, by any means. The modern sharp has
to a great extent risen above them, although they are still useful to
him at times. They have one very great defect--they will not 'spin'
properly; and that militates very greatly against their use, in circles
where the players are at all 'fly.'
We will first devote our attention to the means of cheating with fair
dice; and the reader will learn that the thing which may have appeared
to him as being difficult of accomplishment is really a very simple
matter indeed. This branch of the art is known to its professors as
'securing,' and consists of a plan of retaining certain dice. One is
held against the inside edge of the box, whilst the other is allowed to
fall freely into it. In this way one of the dice is not shaken at all,
and falls on the table in the same position as it previously occupied.
In order that this may be accomplished satisfactorily, it is necessary
to use a suitable dice-box; therefore, we will inspect one of the kind
generally used by professional dice-players in this country. Before
proceeding further, however, it may be as well to inform the reader that
the information here given, with regard to dice and their manipulation,
has been had upon the authority of one of the leading English sharps,
and may be said to fairly represent the present state of the science.
[Illustration: FIG. 47.]
The dice-box referred to above is illustrated in section in fig. 47. It
is simply the usual form, with the interior corrugated to insure the
thorough turning about of the dice. The only preparation in connection
with it is that the flat inside rim or lip, marked 'A' in the figure,
is roughened by rubbing it with coarse glass-paper. This gives it a kind
of 'tooth,' which prevents the dice from slipping when they are
'secured' against it.
A box of this kind being to hand, nothing further in the way of
apparatus is required for the operation of securing. All else depends
entirely upon practice. As the dice are taken from the table one of them
is secured, and the others are thrown into the box. An expert will use
three dice, securing one and letting the others go, but it requires some
skill to pick up three dice in the proper manner and without fear of
dropping them all. Therefore a novice will use only two. The process is
carried out as follows:--
The dice are laid upon the table side by side. The one farthest from the
operator is placed with the ace uppermost, consequently the six is upon
the face which lies on the table. This is the die which is about to be
secured. The first two fingers of the right hand are now laid flat upon
the dice, and between these two fingers the dice are taken up by their
right-hand edges.
Thus:--
[Illustration: FIG. 48.]
They are now pushed well home by the thumb:--
[Illustration: FIG. 49.]
The die nearest the operator is now allowed to fall into the dice-box,
whilst the other is retained:--
[Illustration: FIG. 50.]
The box is next taken in the right hand, the fingers lying flat over the
mouth of it, and the thumb holding it at the bottom.
[Illustration: FIG. 51.]
In the act of closing the fingers of the right hand over the box, the
die which has been retained is firmly pressed between the second finger
and the inside edge of the box. In this position it is completely hidden
by the forefinger, and is there held whilst the box is shaken. If the
forefinger were raised the die would appear situated in this manner:--
[Illustration: FIG. 52.]
The sharp, however, is particularly careful _not_ to raise his
forefinger; that is not 'in the piece' at all. The box is now shaken,
and of course the die which is not secured is heard to rattle within it.
Finally, the hand is turned round so that the mouth of the box is
downwards and the backs of the fingers rest upon the table.
[Illustration: FIG. 53.]
After the box has thus been turned upside down, then comes the crucial
point of the whole operation. If the fingers are not carefully removed
the secured die will not fall upon the face intended. The proper method
of 'boxing' the dice upon the table is to remove the fingers in the
following order. Firstly, the second and third fingers are opened,
allowing the loose die to fall upon the table. Then the first and second
fingers are gently opened, easing the secured die, as it were, into its
position of rest. Lastly, the forefinger is moved to the edge of the
box, at the same time withdrawing the second finger entirely, and the
box is let down over the two dice. It is immediately lifted up and the
score is recorded. There is nothing at all suspicious in any of these
movements; they are quite the usual thing, or appear so when quickly
performed, the only difference between the genuine shake and the false
being the retention of the one die. Of course, it is necessary that the
entire operation should occupy the least possible time, the hands being
kept somewhat low and the dupe seated upon the right-hand side of the
operator.
The secured die naturally falls with the six uppermost, whilst the loose
one cannot show less than one. Therefore the sharp cannot throw less
than seven with two dice. That is the lowest score possible for him to
make, whilst the dupe may throw only 'two.' Now, in an infinite number
of throws with two dice 'seven' is the number of pips which will be the
average for each throw. Sometimes, of course, only two pips will be
thrown; sometimes both sixes will come uppermost, making twelve pips
together. But with one die secured in such a manner as to fall six, the
average of an infinite number of throws is necessarily very much
increased, because it is impossible to throw less than seven. The
chances of the two players bear no comparison, and the dupe is bound to
be beaten. For instance, the chances of throwing twelve by the player
who secures one die are as one to six--that is to say, they are six to
one against him, whilst the chances against the player who goes to work
fairly are _thirty-five to one_. This will serve to give the reader some
idea of the value of one secured die out of two in use.
Passing on to the use of unfair dice, we find that there are three
kinds employed at the present day. Firstly, there are those whose faces
do not bear the correct number of pips, and which are known as
'dispatchers.' Secondly, we have those which are weighted at one side,
and tend to fall with that side downwards, such being the well-known
'loaded dice.' Lastly, there is the variety bearing the name of
'electric dice,' which are the most modern development in this
department of cheating. We will take the varieties seriatim.
1. _Dispatchers._--These are of two kinds, called 'high' and 'low'
respectively, in accordance with the fact of their having an aggregate
of pips either higher or lower than should be the case. They owe their
origin to the fact that it is impossible to see more than three sides of
a cube at one time. In making a high dispatcher, then, any three
adjacent sides are taken and marked with two, four, and six pips
respectively. That side of the cube which is immediately opposite to the
one with six pips, instead of being marked with one, as it should be, is
marked six also. The side opposite the four is marked four, and that
opposite the two is marked two in a similar manner. Therefore, no two
sides which bear the same number of pips are ever seen at one time, the
duplicate marks being always on opposite sides of the die. In a low
dispatcher the process is precisely the same, but the sides are numbered
with one, two and three pips, instead of two, four, and six. It is
evident, then, that a high dispatcher cannot throw less than two, whilst
a low one cannot throw higher than three. Therefore, if the sharp throws
with one genuine die and one high dispatcher, he cannot throw less than
three, and the chances are 17·5 to 1 against his throwing anything so
low. If, in addition to using a high dispatcher himself, he gives his
dupe a low one[11] and a genuine die to use, the throw of the two dice
cannot be higher than nine, and the chances are 17·5 to 1 against its
being so high. In fact, in an infinite number of throws, the sharp will
average over thirty per cent. better than his opponent. This being the
case it is obvious that the game can only go in one way, and that way is
not the dupe's.
2. _Loaded dice._--These commodities are found to be thus described in
one of the price-lists:--
'_Loaded dice._--Made of selected ivory loaded with quicksilver, and can
be shaken from the box so as to come high or low, as you wish. With a
set of these you will find yourself winner at all dice games, and carry
off the prize at every raffle you attend. Sold in sets of nine dice,
three high, three low, and three fair. Price per set, complete, $5.00.'
These are the most superior kind of loaded dice. They are made by
drilling out two adjacent spots or pips at one edge of the die, filling
in the cavity with mercury, and cementing it up fast. The commoner
description of these things are made by filling the holes with lead
instead of mercury.
As before mentioned, these dice have the disadvantage that they will not
spin upon one corner as genuine ones will; consequently a person who
suspects that they are being used can easily discover the fact, if he is
knowing enough to try them. This defect led to the invention of the
third kind of false dice, which we are about to investigate.
3. _Electric dice._--These will be found quoted in one of the
catalogues, together with the special tables to be used with them.
[Illustration: FIG. 54.]
The dice themselves are made of celluloid, and their construction will
be readily understood with the aid of the illustration given at fig. 54.
The first operation in making dice of this kind is to bore out a
cylindrical cavity almost completely through the die, the mouth of this
cavity being situated upon the face of the die which will bear the six
pips, and the bottom almost reaching to the opposite face, upon which is
the ace.
At the bottom of the cavity, and consequently immediately within the die
above the single pip or ace, is put a thin circular disc of iron. The
greater part of the cavity is then filled in with cork, leaving
sufficient depth for the insertion of a plug, which effectually closes
up the aperture, and upon the outer side of which are marked the six
pips appertaining to that face of the die. Before this plug is fastened
into its place, however, a small pellet of lead, of exactly the same
weight as the iron disc, is pressed into the upper surface of the cork,
and there fixed. Finally, the plug bearing the six pips is cemented into
its place, and the die is complete. Apparently, this plug is cemented in
with celluloid, the same material as that used in fabricating the die
itself, and the joint is so well and neatly made that it is invisible,
even though examined with a powerful lens.
The _rationale_ of this construction is as follows. The iron disc and
the leaden pellet, being immediately within opposite faces of the die,
will exactly balance each other, and thus the die can be spun or thrown
in exactly the same manner as a genuine one. The lead and iron, however,
being so much heavier than the material of which the body of the die is
supposed to consist, would cause the weight of the die to be very
suspicious, were it not for the fact that the interior is almost
entirely composed of a still lighter material--cork. Therefore, the
completed die is no heavier than a genuine one of the same size and
appearance. In fact, these dice will bear the strictest examination, in
every way--except one, viz. the application of a magnet.
The word magnet gives the key to the employment of these so-called
electric dice. The technical reader will at once grasp the idea thus
embodied, and will need no further description of the details of
working. For the benefit of those who are unacquainted with electricity
and its phenomena, however, it is necessary to explain the nature of an
electro-magnet. If a bar of soft iron is surrounded by a helix of
insulated copper wire, and a current of electricity is passed through
that wire, the iron instantly becomes converted into a magnet for the
time being. But directly the contact at one end of the wire is broken,
and the current is for that reason no longer permitted to flow, the iron
loses its magnetism and resumes its normal condition. If, therefore, a
bar of this kind is connected with a battery in such a way that the
current can be controlled by means of a push, similar to those used in
connection with electric bells, the otherwise inert bar of iron can be
converted into a magnet at any instant, and allowed to resume its former
state at will.
Now, the table with which these electric dice are used is so constructed
that, immediately below its surface and within the thickness of the wood
itself, there are concealed several electro-magnets such as have been
described. At some convenient spot in the table, at the back of a drawer
or elsewhere, the battery supplying the current is hidden. The key or
push controlling the current takes the form of a secret spring in the
table-leg, so placed as to be within easy access of the operator's knee.
The result, then, is obvious. Among the dice in use are one or more of
the 'electric' variety. When the dupe throws them, he has to take his
chance as to how they will fall, and as long as the sharp is winning he
will do the same. _But_ directly he begins to lose, or to find that he
is not winning fast enough to please him, the sharp presses the secret
spring with his knee when it is his turn to throw, and--click!--the
false dice turn up 'sixes.' The magnets, of course, attract the iron
discs, drawing them on to the table, and the sixes being upon the
opposite sides of the dice naturally fall uppermost. The operator has
only to trouble himself with regard to two points--he must press the
spring at the right moment, and release it before trying to pick up the
dice afterwards. Should he neglect this latter point, he will have the
satisfaction of finding the dice stick to the table. In all other
respects, he has only to 'press the button,' and electricity will 'do
the rest.'
The publication of this book, however, will once and for all render the
use of electric dice unsafe under any conditions. The moment the outer
world has any idea of their existence, the game is too risky to be
pleasant to any sharp. A little mariner's compass, dangling at the end
of a stranger's watch chain, or carried secretly, will serve to reveal
in an instant the true nature of the deception which is being practised
upon him by his host. It is sad that the diffusion of knowledge should
be accompanied by such untoward consequences; but we can hardly hope
that the sharps will die of disappointment or despair, even though dice
were undoubtedly doomed to detection and disaster, and had dwindled into
disuse. (Alliteration is the curse of modern literature.)
Unfair dice are seldom submitted for inspection, as may well be
imagined, particularly those of the dispatcher kind. The greatest donkey
in existence would at once find that the number of pips upon the faces
of these latter was incorrect. Therefore they are always introduced into
the game whilst the play is occupying the dupe's undivided attention,
and the manner of their introduction is that embodied in the process
known as 'ringing-in.' This is done at the moment when the dice are
taken up in order to throw them into the box. It is only possible to
change one die, the others are allowed to fall into the box in the usual
way.
Supposing that two dice are being used, two fair ones will be employed,
and with these the dupe will throw. The sharp, however, has a false die
concealed in his right hand, and held in the thumb joint. He picks up
the two fair dice from the table, in the manner described in 'securing,'
and allows one of them to fall into the box. Then, of course, he has
still two dice in his hand, one genuine one between his fingers, and one
false one held by his thumb. In figs. 55 and 56, _a_ is the genuine die
and _b_ is the false one.
[Illustration: FIG. 55.]
[Illustration: FIG. 56.]
At the same instant that the first die is allowed to fall, the false die
_b_ is dropped into the box also (fig. 56).
[Illustration: FIG. 57.]
Immediately the false die is released the two fingers holding the second
genuine one are turned inwards (fig. 57), and the die is taken into the
thumb-joint, in the position formerly occupied by the false one. The
whole of this manipulation is performed in the act of throwing the dice
into the box. The false die is dropped into the box, and the genuine one
put into its place at the root of the thumb in one movement only, and
the exchange is instantaneous. The fingers are well bent before any of
the dice are dropped, so that the second genuine die has the least
possible distance to travel in its movement towards the thumb-joint.
From the manipulations outlined above, the reader will observe that the
skill required is less in the case of dice than in that of cards; but he
must not run away with the idea that, because the methods of swindling
with dice are comparatively simple, the dice-sharp requires but little
practice to enable him to carry out his operations successfully. That is
by no means the case. It is frequently the amateur's lot to find that
those things which appear simplest in theory are the most difficult in
practice. The sharp who seeks his fortune by manipulation of the
'ivories' has to devote many weary hours to the acquisition of deftness
in the manoeuvres which he intends to employ.
We may now proceed to consider the application of the foregoing
principles to the purposes of cheating, and see how they are employed in
actual practice. In this we cannot do better than follow the sharp's
operations in connection with one or two games which are commonly
played. This will serve to give the reader a more adequate conception of
the manner in which this style of cheating is conducted. The games
selected for this purpose, then, are: 'Over and under seven,'
'Yankee-grab' or 'Newmarket,' 'Sweat,' and 'Hazard.'
_Over and under seven._--This is a game which is played with a 'layout,'
or painted cloth, upon which the players place their stakes. The form
most generally used is divided in the following manner:--
[Illustration:
+-------+----------+-------+
| | 3 to 1 | |
| Under | | Over |
| | against | |
| SEVEN | | SEVEN |
| | SEVEN | |
+-------+----------+-------+
FIG. 58.]
The players having placed their stakes upon either of the three
divisions they may individually choose, the 'banker' shakes two dice in
the box and throws them out upon the table. If the throw proves to be
over seven, those players who have put their money upon 'over seven' in
the layout receive the amount of their stakes, whilst those who have bet
upon the other squares will lose to the banker. In the same way, if the
throw is under seven the players who have backed 'under seven' will win.
If, however, the throw should prove to be exactly seven, those players
who have staked upon the centre square of the layout will receive three
times the amount of their stakes. A little reflection will show that
even in a fair game, if players can be found to back the '3 to 1 against
seven' square, the bank has a large percentage of the chances of the
game in its favour. Indeed, in an infinite number of throws, the banker
stands to win two-fifths of all the money staked upon the centre square.
The chances against seven turning up are really 5 to 1, and not 3 to 1.
Cheating at this game may be done either by the banker or the players,
although at first sight it would appear that the players can have no
opportunities for cheating the bank as they have nothing to do with
handling the dice. When the bank cheats the players the methods employed
are as follows. The banker notes the disposition of the bets upon the
layout and reckons up the amounts upon the various squares. His policy,
of course, is to let that square win which has the least staked upon it.
If he can always do this his gains must obviously be always greater than
his losses. If the 'under seven' division has the least stakes he will
secure one of the dice to fall with the ace uppermost. Then the throw
must prove to be either seven or under. If the division of the layout
which has least money on it is the 'over seven,' a die is secured in
such a manner as to fall with the six uppermost, and in this case the
throw must be either seven or over. If the bets upon both 'under' and
'over' squares are equal he has no need to trouble, as he can neither
win nor lose with those squares. If either of them turns up, the money
simply passes across the table from one side to the other, whilst the
bank takes whatever may have been staked upon the centre square. Even
though the players always staked an amount which should equalise the
bets upon the 'over' and 'under' divisions, they would lose to the bank
one fifth of their stakes in the long run because the seven would turn
up on the average once in six times, and then those two divisions would
both lose.
The banker always shakes the box quietly, so as not to give any
indication of the fact that only one die is rattling about within it. At
the same time he keeps up a running fire of remarks such as, 'Any more?'
'Over wins!' 'Under pays the over,' 'The little seven wins!' &c. This is
the approvedly professional way of conducting the game, all others are
spurious imitations, and cannot be recognised by true 'sports.'
Another method of cheating the players is to ring in a loaded die which
will fall six. If the highest betting is found to be over seven, this
die is secured so that it shall fall ace uppermost, and then the throw
can only be seven or under. If on the other hand the highest betting is
'under seven,' the dice are simply shaken without securing, and the
result must be seven or over. If there is heavy betting upon the 'seven'
or central division of the layout a two or a three is secured upon the
genuine die, and this will make the throw necessarily over seven. As a
rule, however, the central or '3 to 1 against' square does not require
much attention from the sharp. The chances are always five to three in
his favour. If the players persistently bet upon the high square of the
layout, the sharp will just ring in a loaded die that falls with the ace
up, to save himself trouble. When this is done, the throw can manifestly
never be _over_ seven.
In cases where the players cheat the bank, it generally happens that the
banker is not a professional, but a novice who has been put up or
persuaded to accept the position for the time being. A party of sharps
will always get a 'mug' to take the bank if they can. Securing, in an
instance of this kind, is impossible; the cheating must be done by
contriving to introduce into the game either a dispatcher or a loaded
die. The latter is the safer thing to do, because a dispatcher will not
bear even a moment's attentive examination. The ringing-in is done by
officiously picking up the dice for the next throw, tossing them
carelessly into the box, and handing the whole over to the banker. If
well done, the exchange is imperceptible, and it is highly improbable
that it will be noticed. The bets, of course, will be made according to
the nature of the die which has been rung in. If it is made to fall
high, the bets are put upon the 'over seven' division; if it falls low,
they are put on 'under seven.' Naturally, the players allow the bank to
win occasionally, in order to avoid suspicion. Finally, and before
quitting the game, a genuine die is rung in, replacing the false one.
There are not many chances in favour of the bank with this method of
playing.
_Yankee-grab or Newmarket._--This game is played with three dice, and
the object in view is to get nearest to an aggregate of eighteen pips;
or in the English Colonies, where the 'ace' or single pip counts seven,
to throw the nearest to twenty-one. Each player has three throws. At the
first throw he picks out the highest number thrown, and puts that die
aside. Then he throws with the two remaining dice, puts aside the higher
as before, and throws again with the remaining one. The number thrown
this last time, together with the numbers shown by the dice which have
been put aside from the two former throws, will constitute that player's
score. This is done by all the players in rotation, and the highest
score wins all the stakes. Any player may, however, elect to throw with
one die only for each throw if he chooses.
Cheating at this game is obviously easy. It may be done either by
securing, by the use of loaded dice, or by ringing in dispatchers. It is
of course necessary to have some means of distinguishing the dispatchers
from the fair dice if the cheating is done by those means. In picking up
the dice from the table, the sharp whose turn it is to throw will change
one of them for a high dispatcher. When the throw is made, the false die
is very likely to be the highest; but if it is not, so much the better
for the sharp, as he has it available for the next throw. Supposing it
to be the highest, he will apparently toss it carelessly aside, but in
reality, he changes it again for the genuine die which has meanwhile
been held in his thumb-joint. The genuine die is turned over to show the
same value as that given by the dispatcher in the throw. The other
players will not mind the careless handling of the die, as the value has
already been called; the only object in putting the dice on one side
being to act as markers, and prevent any dispute as to the value of the
previous throws. The same thing is done in the succeeding throws; the
dispatcher going into the box all three times. At the conclusion of the
throws, the false die is exchanged for the genuine one it has replaced
for the time being.
If the sharp prefers to use securing instead of false dice, he may
secure a six upon one die at each of the first two throws; but the third
throw must be left to chance. If the last die were to be secured, there
would be none left to rattle in the box. A case has been known where a
man even secured the last die; but he had an arrangement sewn into his
coat-sleeve, to counterfeit the noise made by the die in the box.
In using loaded dice at Yankee-grab, the best plan is to have three
which will all fall 'sixes.' In order to avoid the suspicion which must
inevitably be created by the fact of the three dice turning up six each
at the first throw, a low number is secured upon one of them in the
first and second throws. This puts the other players off the scent, at
the same time insuring three sixes for the sharp. This is a very
ingenious expedient.
A good way of finishing a game, where the sharp has been securing and
where the dupe has had ample opportunities of assuring himself that only
fair dice are being used, is for the sharp to palm a dispatcher in the
right hand, and deliver himself thus:--'My dear fellow, you have lost a
lot.' (Here he pats the dupe on the shoulder with the hand which has the
dispatcher palmed within it.) 'I will tell you what I will do. I will go
double or quits with you, on three throws each, with one die.' The dupe
usually jumps at the chance of thus winning back what he has lost; the
sharp rings in his dispatcher, and of course the 'mug' loses.
In using a dispatcher the sharp always puts the box down with the left
hand; this leaves his right hand free to ring the changes. Whatever
manipulation he may be engaged upon, he does everything slowly, easily,
and deliberately. When tossing the selected die on one side after a
throw and ringing in a square one to replace the loaded die or
dispatcher, he takes care of course to turn it with the same side up
that the other fell. This prevents any dispute as to the score, when all
three throws have been made. At all times he gauges the mental calibre
of his dupe, and operates in the manner which is most likely to be
successful. Above all, he never neglects the golden rule of his
profession--'Always work on the square as long as you are winning.'
_Sweat._--This is a game which is almost as charmingly artistic as its
name, and one which is particularly lovely for the banker. It also has
the merit of extreme simplicity, and although cheating is hardly
necessary as a rule, still there are times when it may be resorted to
with great profit to the sharp. It is played with a layout arranged in
the following manner:--
[Illustration:
+-----+-----+-----+
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|-----+-----+-----|
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
+-----+-----+-----+
FIG. 59.]
The banker shakes up three dice in the box, and the numbers thrown win
for the players. Those who have staked their money upon the numbers
which have turned up receive the amount of their stakes; the bank takes
all that has been laid upon the figures not represented in the throw. If
two dice fall with the same number uppermost, those who have staked upon
that number will receive twice the amount of their bets. If all three
dice turn up the same, that number is paid three times over.
It does not require a great mathematician to see that even at the best
of times there is an overwhelming percentage of the chances in favour of
the banker. It is five to three that he wins any individual bet; the
player has only three chances--those provided by the three dice, whilst
the bank has the chances resting upon the remaining five squares of the
layout.
If we suppose, for example, that the bets upon all the squares are of an
equal amount, which is just about the most unfortunate arrangement for
the banker, the worst that can happen to him is that all three dice turn
up differently. Then the players who have staked upon the winning
numbers will receive the stakes of those who have lost, the bank gaining
and losing nothing. If two of the dice turn up the same number, the
banker receives four shillings, say, and pays three. If all three dice
turn up the same, he pays three shillings and receives five.
Cheating is introduced into this game by the banker in the case of a
player persistently backing a high number time after time, the method
being to ring in a dispatcher which will fall low. This will materially
lessen the player's chances. If in addition to this a low number is
secured upon one of the other dice, the chances against the player
become five to one. If the player should happen to be backing a low
number, of course a high dispatcher would be used and a high number
secured upon the other die.
_Hazard._--This is a game in which the electric dice are particularly
useful to the sharp. It is played with four dice, only two of which,
however, are used at one time. The player has the option of throwing
with any two of the dice, or exchanging them for the other two whenever
he pleases. There are two kinds of throws which must be specially
mentioned in connection with this game, viz. those which are called
respectively 'crabs' and 'nicks.' A player is said to throw a crab when
the dice turn up either 'pair sixes,' 'pair aces,' or 'deuce and ace.'
These throws instantly lose the stakes or 'set-money.' A nick is thrown
when the aggregate number of pips turned up amounts to eleven or seven.
Either of these numbers being thrown, the player throwing wins the
set-money.
Apart from a nick or a crab, the first throw made by the player is
called the 'main,' and he must go on throwing until one of three things
happens. Either he eventually throws a crab and loses, or he throws a
nick, or he throws a number corresponding to that of his main. In the
event of either of the two latter events occurring, he wins the stakes.
In the case of a player winning with a nick, however, he still goes on
throwing; when he wins or loses in any other way, the throw passes to
his opponent.
When the main is either four or ten, the chances against his throwing it
again before either a nick or a crab turns up are in the ratio of two to
one. Against five and nine the chances are as six to four. Against eight
and six the probabilities are six to five. Obviously, then, the best
main to throw is either eight or six, and if the sharp can contrive to
make his main either of these two numbers, he stands a better chance of
winning than one who does not. He may therefore, for instance, ring in a
loaded die to fall four, and secure the other die to fall two, leaving
the following throws to chance. Having thrown a main of four or ten, he
might secure a six in the latter case or an ace in the former; this
would render his chances of throwing the same number again about equal.
The most certain method of cheating, however, and that which leaves no
uncertainty as to the result, is to ring in a loaded die to fall six,
and secure either an ace or a five upon the other. This obviously
results in a 'nick,' and wins the set-money.
Where electric dice are used, cheating at this game is the simplest
thing imaginable. One pair of dice being made to fall six and the other
one, they may be combined to give any desired result. If the sharp uses
a pair, one of which will fall six and the other turn up one, the
application of the current will cause him to throw a nick whenever he
pleases. If he gives his dupe a pair which can be made to fall both
sixes or both aces, the sharp can force his opponent to throw a crab
every time if he chooses to do so. And yet there are some who will argue
that science has conferred no real benefit upon humanity. Those people
are certainly not sharps--they are undoubtedly flats of the first water.
Before concluding the present chapter, it behoves us to attend, for a
moment, to the methods of falsification connected with that well-known
little device, the 'dice-top' or 'teetotum.' It deserves just a slight
mention, although the fact that it is not of great importance is
evidenced by the very terse reference made to it in the various
catalogues. This is what one of them says upon the subject:--
'_Dice Tops._--For high and low. Sure thing. Made of best ivory, $4.
Black walnut, just as good, $1.25.'
From even this scanty information, however, we may gather two things.
Firstly, that the top can be made to fall either high or low, as
required--consequently there is some trick in it; and, secondly, that
the trick, whatever it may be, does not depend upon the material of
which the top is made, since black walnut is just as good as ivory.
Better, in fact, because cheaper. The little instrument itself is shown
in the adjoining illustration.
[Illustration: FIG. 60.]
Here then we have a little hexagonal top, with dice-spots upon its
sides. It is spun with the thumb and finger, and the number of spots
which fall uppermost in the genuine article, at the time of its running
down, depends entirely upon chance. Not so, however, with the tops
advertised as above. They can be made to fall in any desired manner. The
spindle, instead of being fixed, as it should be, can be turned round
within the body of the top. Attached to one side of the spindle, within
the top, and revolving when the spindle is turned, there is a small
weight which can be set to face either of the sides. The side opposite
which the weight is allowed to remain is the one which will lie upon the
table when the top comes to rest.
These teetotums are largely used in the States to 'spin for drinks,' and
a very favourite way of working them is as follows. A man will enter
some bar whilst the bar-keeper is alone, custom being slack. He produces
one of the little articles referred to, and having initiated the
bar-keeper into its capabilities, induces him to purchase it. In all
probability the bar-keeper sets to work with his new toy, and wins many
a drink in the course of the next few weeks. After awhile, however, two
accomplices of the man who 'traded' the top will present themselves at
the bar, pretending to be more or less intoxicated. Naturally, the
bar-keeper thinks he has a safe thing, and tries the dice-top upon them.
They lose a few bets, then pretend to lose their temper, and want to bet
heavily upon the results given by the top. To this, of course, their
dupe has not the least objection; he is only too ready to fall in with
their views. But in the meantime, one of them, under pretence of
examining the top slightly, contrives to ring in another of exactly
similar appearance, but which is set to fall low when the spindle is
turned to face in the same direction as that given to the other when
intended to throw high. The bar-keeper thus falls an easy victim to the
snare. Turn the spindle as he may, the top absolutely refuses to fall in
the direction he requires.
This, then, exhausts all we have to consider with reference to dice and
their manipulation. If we have not learnt very much in this branch of
the art of cheating, it is because there is not very much to learn.
Simple as the devices are in this kind of sharping, they are largely
utilised, even at the present day, and notwithstanding the fact that
'palming' and kindred methods of concealing small articles are so
generally understood. The great point in the sharp's favour, in this as
in all other manipulations, is that his dupes are not expecting
trickery, and consequently do not look for it. It is highly probable
that as much money has changed hands over games of dice as in connection
with any other form of gambling, horse-racing, perhaps, excepted. Years
ago, of course, the dice-box was a much more familiar object than at the
present day; still even now it flourishes with undiminished vitality in
many parts of the world. Well, those who deal with the dice will always
pay dearly for experience, which may be bought _too_ dearly sometimes.
_Caveat emptor._