The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims. Volume 2 (of 2)Steinmetz, Andrew
History
The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims. Volume 2 (of 2)
Steinmetz, Andrew
Gambling
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 devoilees.
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 together' 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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