ARRANGEMENT OF THE PACK.

The Greek, whilst shuffling the cards with apparent indifference, has quietly introduced underneath the pack a sixième-major, or sequence of six cards from the king (the highest card at écarté) downwards.

This done, nothing is easier than for him to arrange the cards, so that they will fall to him in the deal.

To effect this, while pretending to shuffle, he puts alternately on the pack—

This performance ended, he makes a false cut, as described in the first chapter, and deals.

Contrary to his principles, he will turn up the king, and hold in his own hand a sequence from the queen of trumps downwards.

PART V.
A JEU DE RÈGLE.[M]

From the preceding tricks, it will be seen that it is necessary for the Greek, before he begins playing, to put a certain number of cards into the pack, both at the top and underneath, all of which he arranges in readiness to be dealt to him.

This he does whilst pretending to shuffle them, and almost always in the midst of an animated conversation about the hand which has just been played. All this he performs so naturally that it is never observed.

A sharper, who understands his business, never amuses himself with essaying "tours de force," but is content with a few good cards, of which he knows how to make the best use.

His manner of acting under such circumstances is very simple.

Let us suppose that the first hand has been played out, and it is now the Greek's turn to deal.

He gathers up, as usual, the eleven cards which are on the table; but, in so doing, he, with great dexterity, separates all the cards of one suit, and places them on the talon, the rest he puts underneath.

Suppose the cards chosen by him are the following:—

In order that the last of these cards may be turned up, and that the three others may be in his own hand, he need only put above them the first cards that come, to make the number eleven, which can be easily done whilst pretending to shuffle.

After which, he makes a false cut, by means of the Bridge, or any other of the methods given in the first chapter, and deals.

The Greek now holds in his own hand the king, ace, and ten of hearts. As to the other two cards he trusts to chance, not caring much whether they are good or bad.

Should you have any doubts about the honesty of your adversary, the way to detect this cheat is to watch the cards which are taken up, and especially to observe whether those cards, which have been used in a previous hand, do not appear again in his play.

PART VI.
LANSQUENET.

The "Dépôt de Portées."

This trick is about the most simple and dangerous that I have yet described, and the performance of it is unfortunately very easy.

The Greek must place on the pack, at the moment when he is dealer, a series of cards, called "portées," so as to secure beforehand several refaits.

These "portées" are composed of ten cards, and are arranged, for example, as follows:—

When this "portée" is exhausted, the Greek passes on the cards.

These cards are placed in such a manner about the sharper, as to allow him to get at them with ease.

To show you how this is done, I must strip my sharper of his coat.

It will be seen that, in the waistcoat of [the figure] on the next page, there are two pockets, called "costières," which are made on the left side.

When it is his turn to deal, he leans forward on the table, and, in so doing, brings his hand as near as possible to his "portées;" thus he can, when he pleases, take them out, as is shown in the fourth chapter, and put them on the pack.

The Greek having his coat buttoned at the top, this proceeding is prevented from being seen, and the opening at the bottom enables him to put his hand inside, without it being noticed.

Fig. 25.

Some Greeks are expert enough to abstract several refaits from the pack itself, and put them into their side-pockets in readiness for their next hand. Others keep them hidden in their hand, and await an opportune moment for replacing them on the pack. So that, in this manner, there are never more cards in a pack than there ought to be.

PART VII.
ON GAMES WITH FOUR PLAYERS.

It may be imagined, that in a game where there are four people playing, cheating is impracticable, since the cards the sharper ought to deal, are collected and shuffled by another person.

The reader may remember that in one of the chapters, at the beginning of this work, I have given him a concise explanation of this very subject. This explanation I will now complete.

At the game of Bouillotte, for example, a Greek makes an agreement with an accomplice, whom he places near him.

This accomplice, while collecting and shuffling the cards, arranges them for the following hand. The trick will cause no suspicion; for it is not to the Greek who deals the cards, but to his confederate, that the good hand comes. Besides, these gentlemen always pretend to be unacquainted with each other.

There are numerous other tricks in which no second party is required, and which are all contained in the general rules I have laid down.

* * * * *

Again, I have sometimes heard it observed, that a Greek cannot exercise his vocation in the higher class of clubs, as they are so strictly watched.

He will certainly not venture, in these réunions, in the midst of a crowd of lookers on, all more or less interested in the game, to sauter la coupe, filer la carte, &c., &c. But, can he not have recourse to other deceptions, where there is no danger of discovery?

The marked cards, for example: can he not bribe a servant, by offering him half the profits, to let him have the packs of cards before giving them to the players?

The telegraph also is equally available, even before the most critical observers.

The Greek of fashionable life has sufficient tact and finesse to cope with any situation, however difficult, in which he may be placed; and when he makes up his mind to cheat, he generally succeeds.

If he does not venture on sleight of hand in public, he makes use of it in small parties, where the players are not conspicuous for their intelligence and perspicacity.

Far be it from me to say, that wherever there are players, there must be rogues; on the contrary, I believe that in many clubs such a character is unknown; still, that is no reason that sooner or later a Greek might not gain entrance there, and exercise his infamous vocation.

[CHAPTER XIII.]
ENTERTAINING TRICKS.

Piquet—Écarté—Baccarat—Impériale—Whist—Bouillotte—Bézigue—&c., &c.

In the former chapter I have given various examples of serious cheats performed by Greeks.

I shall now present to my readers, a series of what may be termed entertaining tricks; they are done in such a way that a juggler may, whilst amusing his spectators, show them how easily they may be cheated at every game.

Let us go back to the preceding coup de piquet, which we will now perform in a more agreeable manner.

We will suppose the juggler to have in his hand—

His adversary is the elder hand; it is for him to call; he announces a sixième from the queen; for, as he has the chance of a sequence in three suits, it is most probable that he will succeed with one.

"Six cards," says he.

"What do they count?"

"Fifty-four."

"That's not good. Is that all you have to declare?"

"Yes; for it is not likely that my three queens will turn out valueless."

"Indeed!" You then spread your sixième major on the table, and say—sixteen and six make twenty-two; and quatorze of kings (you show them) ninety-six; and quatorze of aces, a hundred and ten.

These two quatorzes have all this time been hidden in your left hand.

Here I must explain, par parenthèse, something which it will be necessary for my readers to know, so as to understand what follows. While continuing the counting of this coup de piquet, we will secretly prepare a coup d'écarté, which we will execute after this game.

Let us take up the counting where we left off.

"A hundred and ten," we have said. "A hundred and eleven," you say, taking up the nine of spades of your sixième, and putting it on one side—"a hundred and twelve," putting the ten on it; and, continuing your calculation, you do the same with the other four cards; with this difference, that when you come to the king, you put the ace before him, so that he may be the last card in the pack.

In finishing your counting, you put the three kings and the three aces on these six cards, which brings it to a hundred and twenty-three. This, with forty for the capot, makes a hundred and sixty-three.

The pack not being played out, the cards have not been shuffled, and it is easy, with the slight preparation I have just pointed out, to arrange the following coup.

PART I.
ÉCARTÉ.

An Amusing Game at Écarté.

According to the arrangement of the cards mentioned in the preceding trick, you have in hand six spades, three kings, and three aces, which you put on the pack.

You then take up, with apparent indifference, the three cards of your discard, which you have left close to yourself, and place them under the two first cards; then, by a false shuffle, you pass two of the undermost cards of the pack to the top.

This manœuvre arranges the cards in the following manner:

Two indifferent cards.

Two spades.

Three indifferent cards.

Four spades—one of which is a king, and will serve as the turn-up card.

Afterwards come the three kings and three aces.

This operation is performed whilst a conversation is being carried on, and without your having declared your intention to continue playing; then you place the pack on the table.

"You see," say you, "the danger of playing at cards. A sharper would not make a joke of it, and, with such chances at his disposal, he would soon see the bottom of your purse."

"By the bye, do you know another game for two to play at? Écarté, for instance?"

"Yes; I do."

"Oh! very well! Then let us play a game at écarté."

We take the pack already prepared; we make a false shuffle, a false cut, and we deal the cards.

"I am going to turn up the king," you say. "Here he is; and I have a handful of trumps." You throw down the five trumps in succession on the table, saying, "Trump, trump," &c., &c.

PART II.
CONTINUATION OF THE GAME.

Another Amusing Trick.

"The vole and the king. I mark three; it is your turn to deal," presenting the pack to your adversary; and, at the same time, drawing out five or six cards which you keep hidden in your hand, according to the principles laid down in the third chapter, [figure 13].

The adversary shuffles the cards, and, that he shall not notice the diminution of the pack, you distract his attention by an animated conversation. Something in this style.

"Have you any knowledge of sleight of hand?"

"I don't think so."

"I am sorry for it, as I would have taught you a trick."

"Oh! that's of no consequence; show it to me all the same."

"With pleasure. But you must first practice a whole year to sauter la coupe," &c., &c. Your vis-à-vis then hands the cards to you to cut, and deals. Taking up your cards, you pass in underneath, those you had secreted, being careful to press them very forcibly one against the other.

"Ah! Well, what game did you say we were to play at?"

"At écarté; I thought you said at écarté."

"Then why do you give me so many cards?" spreading out the cards side by side.

"A false deal. You've lost your deal," you exclaim, at the same time passing with a rapid glance all the cards in review before you.

This hasty glance, rapid as it is, has been long enough to show you, out of these eleven or twelve cards, which is the dominant suit.

You select four of them, and, as you ought to recollect, the three kings and three aces were amongst them.

To the four above-mentioned you add the king and the ace of hearts, and place them all together at the bottom of the pack; then, by an operation similar to that described for piquet, whilst pretending to shuffle, you put on the top of the pack—

The pack is accordingly thus arranged for playing. Eleven prepared cards. That is to say—

You make a false shuffle, a false cut, and then proceed to deal.

"I turned up the king just now," you observe, in finishing the deal. "This time I shall keep it in my own hand." You mark the king, and make the point, which wins the game.

PART III.
THE "COUP D'ÉCARTÉ."

In which your Adversary is made to Win.

Thus, as I have just explained, in collecting the cards, you select a sixième-major in whichever suit you please, put it at the bottom of the pack, and add in succession the following:

A false shuffle, a false cut, and then deal first two, then three.

In arranging your cards you must not let the king be the turn-up card.

PART IV.
A GAME AT ÉCARTÉ.

In which the Adversary loses a Bet he has made, judging from what he has already seen of the Hand of the Dealer.

Put on the top of the pack the following eleven cards:

Then make a false shuffle, a false cut, and deal by twos and threes.

The cards by this manœuvre will be thus divided:

THE DEALER.

THE ADVERSARY.

The turn-up card is the eight of hearts.

"Oh! good Heavens!" you exclaim, laying down your trio of sevens on the table, "what dreadful cards!" But you are careful not to display the king and knave of hearts.

"But, notwithstanding" (you continue), "I have such luck, that even with this bad hand I may win the game after all."

Your adversary, knowing the splendid hand he holds, falls into the trap, and bets largely that he will make the point. He plays with confidence, but let him play as he will, he cannot help losing three tricks, as two of his trumps must fall to your small cards, and your seven of trumps will prevent his winning with the king of diamonds. You still have in your hand what is vulgarly called the "fourchette," or alternate cards, to win the game with.

PART V.
BACCARAT.

A Game of Baccarat which is advantageous to the Banquier.

You place at the bottom of the pack, sixteen cards in the following order:

CLASSIFICATION.

Place in succession on the top of the pack, sixteen times consecutively:

A false cut, and deal one card at a time. The "banquier" will have, from the beginning, at each coup, nine or nineteen; and will in this way win on all sides.

This example of recreative cheating at baccarat, is only given as a specimen.

A Greek would fear to win in this way, on so large a scale, and especially by these coups d'emblée.

PART VI.
IMPÉRIALE.

A Capot at Impériale.

Put at the bottom of the pack the following thirteen cards:

CLASSIFICATION.

Put in succession at the top of the pack:

After which a false cut, and deal three cards at a time.

The dealer will have in his hand:

And when he has finished the hand, he will, besides the above, have two other impériales for the twelve tricks, which will give him the game.

PART VII.
WHIST.

A Game at Whist in which you gain every Trick.

Place on the top of the pack twelve cards of the same suit, and arrange them with a false shuffle, by the following operations:

1st. Having taken the thirteen cards in your right hand, put the last one on the top of the packet of the thirty-nine others, which you hold in your left hand.

2nd. Then immediately slide that card, with the three others which follow, on the packet in your right hand.

3rd. Afterwards, again slide the last of this packet on the top of those in your left hand, and proceed as before, to place them with three others, on the top of the pack.

Go on with this routine until the whole of the pack of cards in your left hand are finished.

This false shuffle is a most complete deception.

A false cut and deal.

With the thirteen trumps in his hand the dealer cannot fail to win every trick.

PART VIII.
A GAME AT WHIST.

In which each Player holds an entire Suit, but which, however, does not prevent the Dealer from winning every Trick.

All the cards must be separated in suits, namely: hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs, one of each alternately, without reference as to their being high or low in their classification.

Make a false shuffle, and hand the cards to be cut, without any fear of their being disarranged by this proceeding.

They must be dealt one at the time.

After the deal, every person will have a sequence of thirteen cards, but the dealer will have the advantage of having all the trumps in his own hand.

PART IX.
BOUILLOTTE.

A Brelan-carré, or Four Cards of the same sort.

Put at the bottom of the pack, four cards of the same sort, for instance, four sevens, four tens, &c.

Then, for the arrangement of them, put in succession on the pack:

A false shuffle, and false cut; when you deal, you will have in your hand four cards of the same sort, whilst your adversaries will only hold what chance has given them, which, under any circumstances, will not be equal to what you have.

PART X.
A GAME AT BOUILLOTTE.

In which you win, after having induced your Adversaries to stake on their Cards.

Put the following thirteen cards under the pack:

Then put in succession, on the top of the pack:

A false shuffle, a false cut, and deal.

Each player, possessing three cards of the same sort, feels almost certain of winning.

It is not surprising, therefore, that each person stakes on his cards; but the dealer, having four cards of the same sort, marks higher than any of his opponents; and is, of course, the winner.

PART XI.
BÉZIGUE.

A curious Game at Bézigue, in which, with a single hand of Thirty-two Cards, you make, at the first "coup," five hundred and ten points, without your Adversary having been able to mark a single one.

This game is very amusing, and merits a description of its mise en scène. This we shall give after the cards are cut.

Put at the bottom of the pack, the seventeen cards which follow:

CLASSIFICATION, UNDER PRETENCE OF SHUFFLING.

Place in succession on the top of the pack:

The classification above mentioned, ought to answer for both packs. The "talon," or stock, must then be arranged, so that all the cards necessary for you to win the game with will come successively into your hands. For this purpose, you must change the form of your false shuffle, and continue thus:

1st. Take in your right hand, the fourteen first cards, which have been placed on the top of the pack.

2nd. Hold the rest of the pack in your left hand between the thumb and four fingers, then slip in successively under the packet in your right hand:

1st. With the thumb of the left hand, the cards on the top of this packet.

2nd. With the four fingers of the same hand, the bottom card of the same packet.

3rd. With the thumb of the left hand, the upper card, and so on, to the end of the packet.

To be certain that you are doing it all right, you have only to look at the last card, which ought to be a ten.

The cards should appear in the following order:

And in the same way for the aces, the three kings, and the three tens, which ought to be separated from each other by indifferent cards.

Then a false cut, and deal three cards at a time.

"When the game of Bézigue was first invented," you say to your adversary, "they used to play with the same number of cards as at Piquet, making five hundred points the game; and, in consequence of the small quantity of cards, each player had never more than six cards in his hand at a time. Let us do things as they ought to be done, and play it in that way."

You deal—"Three, three, three, three," you say, and turn up a seven of spades, which marks ten points10
The dealer has a sequence of six in spades.
"I beg to inform you, sir, before looking at my hand, that whatever be the card you may play, I shall take it with the nine of trumps, so as to count a mariage in that suit."
You take up your cards.
"You see I am right. I take the trick and mark forty40
"I am now going to draw out of the talon the eight of trumps, with which I shall take the trick again, in order to mark my two hundred and fifty250
300
"I require two hundred points yet to win the game. Let us see what will be the most expeditious mode of doing so. The four aces will count a hundred, for example."
You take in an ace.
You then play one of your trumps to be the first to draw, and, each time you draw, you say, "Here is another,—now another," &c., until you have drawn out the fourth ace.
"This ought to be the ace of ..." (as the other three aces have been named before drawing, you can name the suit of this last ace without hesitation).
"I mark a hundred"100
"Let us now endeavour to get eighty for the four kings. Here is one, now another, &c., and here is the fourth. I mark eighty80

"Remember, sir, that I warned you that I would make five hundred points, before you marked one. But if you have the brisques (the four tens) you may count them. I will, however, save you unnecessary trouble, by getting them myself," and you take them in, one after the other.

"The turn-up card is yours by right, but, that it may not injure me I am going to trump it, which makes me game. Thus, ten for the last card, and twenty for brisques, make thirty, which, added to four hundred and eighty, make five hundred and ten."

It must be understood, that in this game you must take every trick, so as to be always the first to play.

This game is certainly a difficult one to play, but it has the advantage of producing a very brilliant effect.

PART XII.
A "COUP DE PIQUET."

In which you repique with Cartes-blanches,[N] and gain the Game in spite of being capoted. This Game consists of one hundred points.

Arrange a pack of cards beforehand in the following manner:

As this arrangement of the cards, would be much too long a proceeding to enact before your adversary, the best plan is to have a pack of cards ready prepared, and to exchange them for those on the table, before beginning to play.

Make a false cut, and deal three at a time.

After which, you commence by showing cartes-blanches (which counts ten), then discard the seven, eight, and nine of diamonds; and, if required, the eight of spades. If your adversary leaves, as he ought to do, a card on the talon, you have, by the rentrée of the queen of clubs, the knave of clubs, and the knave of hearts, a sixième in clubs, and a quint in hearts, with which you repique, and make a hundred and seven points. You will be the winner, even if you are capoted.

For, your adversary having discarded, according to the rules of the game, the queen, knave, nine, and seven of spades, has taken for his rentrée the king and queen of hearts, the king of clubs, and the king of spades.

He will hold in his hand a quint major in diamonds, a quatorze of aces, and a quatorze of kings, with which, had they been good, he would have made one hundred and forty-nine points.

PART XIII.
A CLEVER "COUP DE PIQUET."

In which you allow your adversary to choose:—1st. In what suit he would like to be capoted and repiqued; 2nd. Whether he wishes to have the cards dealt to him by twos or by threes; 3rd. To select whichever of the packs he pleases.

The following is the order that the cards must be placed in, before you hand them to be cut:[O]

The four cards marked with an asterisk are large cards.

By the arrangement of the cards in the order above, it is evident that, if the pack is cut where one of the large cards, which are the last of each suit, is placed, there will always remain in the talon eight cards of the same suit; consequently, if your adversary wishes to be repiqued in clubs, in cutting the pack at the first large card, which is the seven of clubs, you necessarily put the eight clubs at the bottom of the pack, and you will have for your rentrée a quint major in clubs.

This will be the case with all the suits in cutting at the seventh card.

Your adversary having expressed a wish to be repiqued in clubs, his wish will be gratified if the cards are dealt two at a time.

THE FIRST PLAYER.THE SECOND PLAYER.
Ace of hearts.Knave of hearts.
King of hearts.Ten of hearts.
Queen of hearts.Eight of hearts.
Nine of hearts.Seven of hearts.
Ace of spades.Knave of spades.
King of spades.Ten of spades.
Queen of spades.Eight of spades.
Nine of spades.Seven of spades.
Ace of diamonds.Knave of diamonds.
King of diamonds.Ten of diamonds.
Queen of diamonds.Eight of diamonds.
Nine of diamonds.Seven of diamonds.
"RENTRÉE" OF THE FIRST PLAYER."RENTRÉE" OF THE SECOND PLAYER.
Ace of clubs.Nine of clubs.
King of clubs.Eight of clubs.
Knave of clubs.Seven of clubs.
Ten of clubs.
Queen of clubs.

If, on the contrary, your adversary wishes to have the cards dealt in threes, the following will be the result:

THE FIRST PLAYER.THE SECOND PLAYER.
Ace of hearts.Ten of hearts.
King of hearts.Queen of hearts.
Knave of hearts.Nine of hearts.
Eight of hearts.King of spades.
Seven of hearts.Knave of spades.
Ace of spades.Ten of spades.
Queen of spades.Seven of spades.
Nine of spades.Ace of diamonds.
Eight of spades.King of diamonds.
Knave of diamonds.Nine of diamonds.
Ten of diamonds.Eight of diamonds.
Queen of diamonds.Seven of diamonds.
"RENTRÉE" OF THE FIRST PLAYER."RENTRÉE" OF THE SECOND PLAYER.
Ace of clubs.Nine of clubs.
King of clubs.Eight of clubs.
Knave of clubs.Seven of clubs.
Ten of clubs.
Queen of clubs.

When your adversary has named the suit in which he wishes to be repiqued, and which we will suppose to be clubs, you must cut at the seven of this suit, and then tell him he is at liberty to have the cards dealt to him in twos or threes, whichever he pleases.

The cards having been dealt out, either in one way or the other, you then tell your adversary that he may, before looking at them, select whichever of the packs of cards he likes, provided he will agree to be second hand.

Should the cards have been given in twos, and each one retains his own hand, you must discard the nines of hearts, spades, and diamonds, and two queens of any suit.

The rentrée will be a quint major in clubs, a quatorze of aces, and a quatorze of kings, with which, of course, you make a repique.

If, on the contrary, your adversary chooses to be the first player, you will discard the sevens of hearts, spades, and diamonds, and two eights of any suit. This will give you, for your rentrée, the same quint in clubs, a quatorze of queens, and a quatorze of knaves, which will equally produce a repique.

If your adversary, instead of having the cards dealt in twos, prefers that they should be given in threes, and that he keeps his own hand, you must discard the king, the eight and the seven of hearts, and the nine and eight of spades, so as to have for your rentrée a quint major in clubs, a tierce from the queen in diamonds, three aces, three queens, and three knaves, with which you repique.

If he chooses to be the first player, you will discard the queen and the nine of hearts, the knave and the seven of spades, and the ace of diamonds.

By this you will have, for your rentrée, the same quint major in clubs, a tierce from the nine in diamonds, three kings, and three tens, which will make twenty-nine points. In playing, you will only make sixty the game.

Although we have supposed the repique to have been asked for in clubs by your adversary, it must be clearly understood, that it may be similarly done in any other suit; and it is only necessary, as has been already explained at the beginning of this chapter, to cut at the seven of the suit called for.

[CHAPTER XIV.]
MINOR CHEATS OF MEN OF THE WORLD.

Ruses and Frauds allowable by custom in Society.

In the ordinary affairs of life, it is easy to know the difference between honesty and roguery: conscience and the laws have traced a line of demarcation, about which all right-minded people agree.

In the matter of play, it is not the same thing: one knows perfectly where roguery ends, but it is very difficult to say where it begins?

Let me hasten to give an explanation, without which my readers will have a right to call me to task.

"Do you mean to pretend," they will say, "that a man of sense is not capable of discriminating between honesty and roguery?" This would, indeed, be giving too great a position to cheating.

I at once disclaim the assertion of any such opinion; none believe more in honesty than myself. But for that firm belief, this work would probably never have seen the light.

But let a man be ever so upright and just in his play, there are houses where certain licences are allowed, where the play is not high enough, to make it worth a man's while to cheat.

These peccadilloes, may for want of a better appellation, be termed clever manœuvres, finesses, ruses, and mental sleight-of-hand.

Of these I will just mention a few, beginning with the most innocent, and progressing by degrees, until I come to actual sharping. At the same time I must request my readers to fix their own limits, where honesty ends and roguery begins.

* * * * *

For instance, if you are playing with an awkward adversary, who, in arranging his cards, classes his trumps too ostensibly, ought you, therefore, to avoid taking advantage of this awkwardness, as a guide to your adversary's hand?

* * * * *

Again, if your adversary, through carelessness, shows his cards, or if, by holding them too near the candle, they are rendered transparent: is it necessary to tell him of it?

* * * * *

Then, in playing Écarté. What is to be said of an adversary who consults the bye-standers, as if he had the right to do so, as to whether he shall play or not, and who, after a little hesitation, decides to discard? From thus acting it might be supposed, that he had a first-rate hand, and that prudence alone prompted the question. Do not be taken in: He will discard all his five cards. He wished to deceive his adversary, and if the latter is inexperienced, he will succeed in so doing.

* * * * *

Another man will, before proposing, look at his counters, as if to mark the king, then, after giving you this false alarm, he asks for cards, and is only too glad if you acquiesce in his request: for not only had he no king at all, but a very bad hand.

* * * * *

You are still playing at Écarté, and you have three points, but your adversary is doubtless in ignorance of the fact, since he inquires of you, where you are? "I count three," you reply. This announcement seems to make him decide not to stand on his own cards, so he proposes. From this, you would suppose he had a good hand. You would be wrong in this case to refuse, so you accept and give him five cards, as all this little bye-play was intended to intimidate you. He had nothing at all.

* * * * *

Some players endeavour to depict on their countenances, the contrary of what they really feel. If they have a good hand, they eagerly ask for cards, and when they have a bad one, they pretend to hesitate. Others, with good cards, pretend to be in a bad temper, and frown; whilst, with bad cards, they appear gay and anxious to begin to play.

* * * * *

It sometimes happens that a player, at the end of a game, is puzzled which of the two last cards he is to throw down. One of them may save the vole, but he is not sure which. Instead of playing according to the proverb, which says qui garde à carreau n'est pas capot, he holds down his hand, so that his adversary may see both cards, and fixes his eyes upon those of his vis-à-vis, which very naturally, are bent on the card which is against himself. The other profits by this look, and saves himself from being capoted.

This is an infallible criterion, but is it a right thing to do?

The following anecdote is related on this subject, and will not be out of place here:

At a game of Piquet, in which many were greatly interested, one of the players was on the point of being capoted. He had but two cards to play, the king of hearts, and the king of spades. One of these would save him, if he only played the right one; but which? He laid them both down on the table, and, after some hesitation, he decided on playing the king of spades, when he felt some one press his foot. Accepting this indication as a warning, he changed his intention, played the king of hearts, and lost the game. It was the king of spades he ought to have played. Vexed at the error he had committed, he asked who it was that pressed his foot, and found out it was his adversary. The latter apologised, pretending it was by accident. In this instance, again, the reader must judge for himself of the honesty of both the players.

* * * * *

When a game of Écarté is being played, it is not considered right, first to bet on one side, and then on the other. Whether you bet or not, you always continue on the same side.

There are people, however, who even manage to win on both sides, and this is the way they manage it:

Two persons agree to make their interest common, and place themselves on opposite sides of the table. If a good hand is dealt to either party, the accomplice makes a sign to his friend, and he accordingly bets high. The other, meanwhile, makes no bet this time. When fortune appears in favour of the opposite party, the stakes change sides. These manœuvres are very innocent, no doubt, but they are not acknowledged.

* * * * *

In games of four players, as in Whist, for example, you ought to make no communication whatever to your partner, except such as are authorised and allowed by the rules of the game. To this no objection can be made, as it is equally open to both sides: but some players make a series of signs, and nervous contractions of the muscles of the face, which enlighten their partner considerably as to what sort of hand they have.

* * * * *

In playing Écarté, whilst shuffling the cards, some players allow their adversary to see the card at the bottom of the pack. There are some persons who take advantage of this negligence. This is the little manœuvre which they employ:—

The dealer offers the cards to his adversary to cut. This is done in such a manner as to leave only about eleven cards, which will, of course, go on the top of the pack. The observer, therefore, well knows, that if that card is not in his own hand, it must be in that of his adversary; and every Écarté player is aware, of how much consequence it is, to know even one card in the hand of your adversary, in that game.

The following facts I particularly commend to the attention of my readers.

Every one knows, that in certain games, Écarté especially, the cards are apt to run in suits, the reason of which is evident, as, in playing, one is always obliged to follow suit.

Without you try the thing yourself, you will scarcely believe it; but if the cards be ever so well shuffled, it is very difficult to separate any two or three cards, which have been played together.

An expert player will derive great advantage, from the glimpse he obtains whilst his opponent is shuffling the cards.

Let us suppose, for example, that he has seen amongst the cards a sequence from the king, as the king, queen, and knave of hearts. It is more than probable, that the above cards, after the shuffle, still remain together; and if, after the deal, you have the king in your own hand, and it was the second of the two cards dealt to you first, you may be pretty sure that the queen and knave, following close after, are in your adversary's hand.

On the other hand, if the knave is the first card of the three next that are dealt to you, your adversary will have the king and queen. Again, if the king is turned up, the two others will be the next to follow in the talon.

To obtain these results, may not a person, in spite of himself, be led into neglecting to shuffle the cards too well?

* * * * *

It often happens at the game of Bouillotte, that a player who has a bad hand, proposes to play for a very considerable stake; this is done merely to alarm his opponent. This finesse sometimes succeeds, but it is of too gross a character, to be tolerated in many clubs.

* * * * *

As a finale to this collection of minor tricks, more or less allowable in play, I will cite an anecdote, which, true or not, the world gives the credit of to M. de Talleyrand.

Talleyrand was once playing at Bouillotte; he had just dealt the cards, and was waiting, according to the rules of the game, to stake.

The two first adversaries allowed their turn to pass, without risking anything.

"Ten louis," said the third player.

"Twenty," said Talleyrand.

"Forty," said the adversary.

"I stake my all," continued the Diplomatist, pointing to the hundred louis before him, and, at the same time, he let a card fall out of his hand on the table.

It was a nine; he took it up again hastily.

His adversary had just time to see the card, and, although he had a brelan of kings, he thought it more prudent to stop betting.

He concluded that Talleyrand must have a first-rate hand, to back it so heavily. He was led to this opinion, because the turn-up card was a nine, and in all probability, the nine which fell from the hands of the Diplomatist, was one of a brelan of four.

Each player laid his hand on the table; Talleyrand gained with three odd cards, amongst which was the nine he had dropped insidiously on the table to deceive his adversary.

Here I had better stop; for, if I continued such stories for many more pages, I fear that the heading of this chapter would be insensibly merged in those which have preceded it. My readers must, however, by this time, be sufficiently edified on the nature of the rogueries I have exposed, and will be strengthened in the opinion, that an honourable player ought only to take the advantages offered him by his own good fortune or good play.

* * * * *

My task is ended. Allow me, dear reader, to disclose to you an apprehension, which has haunted me throughout this work. This apprehension you will more easily understand if I preface it, by way of illustration, with the following apologue.

You have, doubtless, witnessed the singular spectacle of two men fighting in the public highway, and, suddenly reconciled, turning their united strength against the officious persons who separate them.

In a similar manner, does not the author of these pages run the same risk?

May it not happen, that the losers and the winners, the dupes as well as the rogues, may regard him as their common enemy?

The infatuated gamblers will reproach him for making them afraid of being robbed, and thereby preventing them from playing.

The Greeks will be sure to hate him, for having unmasked their knaveries.

These considerations, you see, have not prevented me from following out the task I had imposed upon myself, and, whatever happens, I trust the public will give me credit for a wish to enlighten them, and for having had their interest more at heart even than my own.

BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.

[FOOTNOTES]

[A] In the United States of America this perfidious scheme was brought to great perfection, and carried out by the bankers themselves at these establishments.

Robertson, in his Memoirs, thus describes it:—In the centre of the tables for play a mechanical spring is concealed, which, by being touched, can make the ball enter the division of "pair" or "impair" at pleasure.

If "Pair" is the favourite, and large stakes are on it, the spring under the table is touched, and, by tightening by the hundredth part of an inch all the "pairs," the ball is forced to enter the "impairs," which are larger.

Whilst this was going on, the victims were pricking their cards and reckoning their chances of winning, but what could the most learned calculator do against a push of the knee?

[B] Benazet is the name of the proprietor of the gambling-tables.

[C] M. Ancelot.

[D] Two well-known public-houses in the vicinity of the Marché de la Halle.

[E] Pair, Impair, Passe, Manque, Rouge, Noir, and the thirty-eight numbers in Roulette.

[F] To martingale, is to double your stake each time that you lose.

[G] See the interesting work of Edouard Gourdon, "Les faucheurs de Nuit"—the chapter on fetishes.

[H] See the technical part of this work on cards "biseautées."

[I] "Sauter la coupe" is, to pass the lower packet of cards on the top of the other, without being seen.

[J] See the figure in the article on Lansquenet, page [228].

[K] See page [170].

[L] One may also make as many as two hundred points by having the four tierce majors in your hand; but the smallest quart in the hand of your adversary, if it were only the tens, greatly lessens your advantages.

[M] Jeu de règle is a hand to be played without discarding.

[N] "Cartes-blanches" is a hand at Piquet without a court card—it counts ten.

[O] For this trick, like the preceding one, the pack ought to be prepared beforehand, and the packs changed before the game begins.