TRICKS AND ROULETTE.
Roulette is played upon a long table, of which we give a representation. This table is covered with green cloth. In its centre is a movable cylinder, on the circumference of which are thirty-seven divisions, separated from each other by wires, and numbered from 6 to 36.
DIAGRAM OF ROULETTE.
This cylinder is made to revolve, by the hand, at the same time that a small ball is thrown in the opposite direction upon the fixed parts of the machine, where, after several circuits, it falls into one of the numbered compartments, which are alternately black and red.
At each end of the table, numbers corresponding with the thirty-seven upon the cylinder, are stamped on the cloth in three columns, with the words manque (“dead” or missed), pair (even), and rouge (red), on one side of the columns; and passe (stake), impair (odd), and noir (black), on the other side. While, in the line below the columns and the divisions mentioned (namely, manque, pair, impair, &c., &c.) are nine spaces, marked below the columns, first C, second C, third C; and to the right and left three spaces marked first D, second D, third D.
Mode of Playing.—The smallest stake allowed by the foreign tables is one florin. If the player bet upon any odd number, and the ball drops into the compartment so numbered, he receives thirty-six times the amount of his stake; but since there are always thirty-eight chances against him, he may lose a very large sum before winning at all.
To simplify matters, and to encourage the player, he is at liberty to divide his stakes among several numbers, lay his wagers upon any of the columns containing twelve numbers each, or upon the first, second, or third series of twelve numbers (in these cases he is paid double if he win); or play upon red or black, odd or even—the former including the numbers from 1 to 18, and the latter from 19 to 36.
The three D’s printed on the cloth stand for Douzaine, and signify the first, second, or third dozen on the red or black side; and the three C’s similarly stand for the column of figures under which they are placed.
The game, however complicated it may appear at first glance, is really quite simple, as a little attention to the explanation will attest, and affords great variety in the betting.
As the bank must win in the long run, and its percentage is but small, the “regular” places can afford to dispense with deceptions. In private gaming-houses, however, as many tricks as ingenuity can invent are employed to fleece the unwary.
ENGLISH ROULETTE.
(From Rogues and Vagabonds of the Race-Course.)
The thirty-six divisions of the English roulette-table into which the ball falls, are thus designated:—
Two Crowns.
Two Feathers.
Three Yellows.
Four Blues.
Ten Reds.
Fifteen Blacks.
| The odds laid are— | The proper odds being— | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Against | Crown | 12 to 1 | 17 to 1 |
| „ | Feather | 12 to 1 | 17 to 1 |
| „ | Yellow | 8 to 1 | 11 to 1 |
| „ | Blue | 5 to 1 | 8 to 1 |
| „ | Red | 2 to 1 | 13 to 5 |
| „ | Black | 1 to 1 | 7 to 5 |
Any one not acquainted with the roulette man would almost marvel that with such immense odds in his favour, he should think it necessary to cheat; but to cheat is his delight and recreation.
The man who enters the roulette-tent on the racecourse, should he be the only bonâ fide player, may well leave all hope behind. Supposing that he commenced playing with the determination of losing a certain sum only, he would save himself trouble by paying down that sum then and there.
True, if several are playing at the same time, he does stand a chance; a poor one, perhaps, but yet he may win considerably—for however sharp the man at the wheel may be, he cannot fleece everybody at once. If anything delights the roulette man, it is to slay his victims one by one; for where there are many playing, some shrewd man is sure to place his sovereign or two exactly opposite the large stakes; and should he vary this amusement by an occasional half-sovereign on zero, when heavy stakes are on the black and red, he becomes an intolerable nuisance. In this game the ball can be made to fall into zero at will, and very often into any other number. Should a heavy stake be placed on red, it is any odds on black turning up, and vice versâ; and should, as is often the case, a large stake be on both red and black, provided there is no stake on zero, then zero will inevitably turn up.
On examining a roulette wheel, it will be found, probably, that the brass partition on one, and often on each side of zero, can be drawn out slightly, thus causing a projection. We say probably, for in case of any untoward event, a perfectly fair duplicate movable bottom, with which most tables are provided, will be substituted for the unfair one with marvellous rapidity.
Supposing that the man at the wheel wishes zero to turn up, by the same movement with which he starts the wheel to the right, he dexterously pulls out the brass partition on the left of zero, causing a projection which, in the rapid rotary motion, escapes notice; he then carefully sends the ball in the opposite direction, which, as it encounters the projection, jumps forcibly, making a peculiar clicking noise. As it lessens its speed the jumping becomes less violent, till, at last, the ball has not impetus sufficient to clear the projection; it therefore calmly “refuses,” or, in other words falls into zero “dead beat.” Of course, the same principle holds good conversely, for by drawing out the other partition, or by turning the wheel to the left, it is a moral impossibility for the ball to rest in zero.
To stand a chance, then, the player should never on any account stake until the ball is fairly in play.
The clever way in which the partitions are restored to their proper places is worthy of notice. After the ball has fallen into the desired place, but before the wheel has ceased to revolve, the roulette man places his hand, apparently with the intention of stopping the wheel, but in reality so as to make each partition, as it passes his finger, strike up against it. Those that have been pulled out are thus driven back again.
There is another way of preparing the table, bungling and apparent; but it is only attempted upon the intoxicated and very inexperienced young men.
In this case, though only one or two of the brass partitions can be pulled out, on the left of the crowns, feathers, yellow, and blue, the partitions were all fixed projecting more or less, so that no sleight of hand was at all necessary in the manipulation of the wheel; for when it is turned to the right, and the ball of course thrown in the opposite direction, the ball must necessarily fall into one of the above-mentioned divisions; but, on the other hand, were the wheel turned to the left, red or black would necessarily turn up.
If the roulette man cannot by this system, as he can by the other, turn up what he likes, he can, at all events, prevent anything turning up that he would lose upon.
Roulette is considered vulgar compared with 30-and-40 (Trente et Quarante), otherwise Red and Black (Rouge-et-Noir).