Deceptions used in Various Games.- Cribbage. he had been playing, retired after he left the table, and divided the spoils between them. Such things as these are almost every-day occurrences in the haunts of gamblers, who scruple not to use every means to carry out their purposes. Hoyle's maxims. - From what I have here advanced concerning the game of whist, I hope none will ever dream of using Hoyle's maxims to advantage in this day. He calculated for the game to be played free from intrigue; but this is scarcely ever done by men playing for money. As luck in such matters is never to be relied on, some means must be contrived to win at all hazards. And as these maxims are generally based on some proviso concerning your hand, and the probability of your partner's and your adversary's hands, you can never calculate with certainty how far to rely upon them. And if you could, it would be of little use against men who know by the backs, or by stocking, what cards are in all the hands as well as if they were turned up to them. Good players have but small chances to win money at play with men who are habitual gamblers; and all may be assured, that men who play for money use more or less intrigue to insure success. m CRIBBAGE. This game is quite a scientific one, and requires considerable study and practice to play it well, by reason of its great variety of chances. Mr. Hoyle says, "The game is considered useful to the young, as it assists them in the science of calculation." But I have never known, Deceptions used in Various Games.- Cribbage. and I hope I never shall know, of an instance of its being introduced and tolerated on that score. Much deception is carried on in this, as well as in other games. The principal cheat in this game is stealing out two threes, and keeping them out. These cards are of the greatest consequence in this game. They, by being out, break the sequence of those two suits to which they belong, which enables the man who has stolen them out, and knows they are out, to make points which he could not make if this were not the case. Besides this, the players often have a small machine called a plate, the use of which is to make such of the cards as they may wish, a little smaller than the others, by trimming very little from the edges. When this is done, a man may cut so as to have almost any card turned up that he may wish; that is, a high or a low card; for if the edges of certain low cards be trimmed so as to make them smaller than the others, a man can easily cut to one of these by pressing the cards until they are all even; then those that have not been trimmed off will project a little over the trimmed cards, thus enabling a man to cut to one of these, if he wishes to do so. This is a very great advantage in this game, and if the cards are not advantage cards, a gambler will so mark them, that he will know the cards by his own marks, the principal object of which, in this game, is to make his own, or break his adversary's crib, as by the marks he will know what an adversary has discarded, and can so discard as to avoid aiding the crib; or if it is his own crib, he can discard so as to improve it. It often happens that old and skilful players, who play honestly, are, to their great surprise, beaten at this game by youngsters, who have played comparatively but Deceptions used in Various Games. - Cribbage. little, and whose knowledge and judgment are vastly inferior. But they more than make up these deficiencies by their skill in cheating, which they make it their principal aim to become expert in; by which means they can, at any time, cheat to any extent the best of players who use no artifice. And if a man should have studied and practised, all his lifetime, Hoyle's maxims, and possess the best of judgment, yet if he played without artifice, all his knowledge and judgment would avail him nothing, when at play with those patent gentry, with all the advantages in which they are constantly improving themselves, as well as occasionally introducing some new discoveries in this department of the science of gaming, I have not here attempted to give a minute description of every thing, but to give such an idea of the cheats that are practised in this game, as to prevent persons, one and all, from betting on it; for all men who play cards for gain, make it a part of their study to take unfair advantages of their adversaries, and this they generally do in no small degree. In this game, for instance, men will often get the four fives, and place them at the bottom, and deal these into their own hand this is the best possible hand in cribbage, and is good for twelve in hand, besides the probability of making more in play; and if he should turn up any card that counts ten, his hand of four fives is good for twenty, besides making more in play. This, when the threes are stolen out, is the greatest cheat in use in the game of cribbage. Very often old players will, by talking, so perplex a young player, that he will score his game wrong, when the old player is entitled to score for himself the number of points the young player missed or overscored. Deceptions used in Various Games.. Backgammon. BACKGAMMON. This is considered a very ingenious and scientific game, and is of great antiquity. It is played a great deal for amusement. The implements for playing this game are probably found as often in the parlors of the wealthy and respectable as in any other place. And in such cases, of course, their children, as soon as they become of sufficient age to entertain, and exhibit their talents to, strangers and visitors, must learn this among other fashionable parlor amusements; which too often, in after days, cause parent and child many bitter tears; though they seldom blame themselves at all for having educated their children, in the parlor, to become the companions of, and to constitute members of that class of evil-doers, known by the softened cognomen of sportsmen. In this game, there is but one way of cheating the man who can play it at all, and that is by the dice, two being used by each player. This renders it a game of hazard, and each player moves according to what he throws. The principal cheating is done by loading the dice. A player will have in his possession several of these loaded dice, so fixed that he can with them throw whatever he pleases; and if his game is backward, or he wishes to hurry it, he will be continually exchanging some of these for his regular dice, that he commenced the game with; and by throwing whatever he is most in need of, he can carry his game to any state of forwardness he wishes to. The dice he will be changing he keeps secreted about his wrist and sleeve; and, from time to time, he can use them even on the most experienced players without being detected. And frequently a man who has an inferior Deceptions used in Various Games. Craps. knowledge of the game, will, by this cheat, beat men who are old and scientific players. The gambler will pay the utmost attention to get these dice manufactured, as they are not to be bought ready made. They have them made and so loaded that any side may turn up. Men who are in the daily practice of such cheats, need no nerve or firmness other than to put their cheats into practice; which they can always do as unblushingly as though they were playing with perfect fairness. THE GAME OF CRAPS. This is a game lately introduced into New Orleans, and is fully equal to faro in its vile deception and ruinous effects. Its deceptive character is not generally known by men who bet against it, most of whom believe it to be a fair and equal game. But this is a great error; for if a man will consider but a moment, he cannot but know that when he bets on the turn of a die, it has six sides, and that if he bets on one, there are five sides against it. This alone renders the odds five to one against him, which alone is sufficient to ruin a man that will bet often upon it. But the keepers of this game are not satisfied with this immense advantage, but always have dice made and loaded so as to enable them to throw whatever they may please; and by this means they can win just when they wish. And by the time this game is as old as faro, as many persons will probably be ruined by it, unless some great and mighty check is given to its prevalence. These dice are made in such a way, that, by throwing them lightly, small numbers are obtained; and if you |