The gaming table : its votaries and victims, in all times and countries, especially in England and in France. Vol. 2

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, &. &.

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 Cæsar'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, be

cause 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. Some

times 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: —

On one die,

Two fives
Two fours
Two threes

On the other,

Two Sixes
Two Fives
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 manœuvres 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, &., 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,

A and B

Sharpers,
Partners,

C and D

Bubbles, or Flats,
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 Ecarté, 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, &. 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 devoilées.

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 to-gether' 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 £500 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.

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