The Sharper Detected and Exposed

Then begins an operation which is hidden by his right hand.

The Greek, after having passed packet No. 1 across packet No. 2, twists round the lower portion in a semicircle towards the right, which completely separates it from the other, and allows him to replace it beneath packet No. 1, as it originally was.

CHAPTER VIII.
DOCTORED CARDS.

Cartes biseautées—Tinted cards—Sticky or slippery cards—Slanting cards—Pricked cards—Cards with indented edges—Wavy cards—Chequered cards—Marked cards.

PART I.
THE CARTES BISEAUTÉES.

The Biseautée Card was one of the principal methods of cheating in the last century. The trick, at that period, was only known to the adepts of the higher ranks, and with it they succeeded in victimising numbers of people.

It is now chiefly made use of in public-houses, for it is so plain and palpable an artifice, that it could not fail to be discovered by more intelligent people than those who frequent these resorts.

The real signification of "biseautées" cards is, that they are larger at one end than at the other, as in figure 17.

To do this, the Greek, with a pair of sharp scissors, cuts both sides of every card, beginning at the twentieth part of an inch, and going off to nothing.

All the cards being equally clipped at one end, if they are placed contrariwise, it is evident the edges will protrude the smallest bit possible beyond the other cards, and can be easily discovered by the sharper, however carefully they may have been shuffled by the opposite party.

What answers with one card, will do so equally with all. Thus, we will suppose the Greek has put all the court cards one way, and the common cards the other, he can, by feeling the cards in cutting, cut a court card or not, as he pleases.

This I merely give as one example, for slanting cards can be used in various other ways.

Some Greeks make use of cards cut on both sides, in two opposite ways: it is the same thing under another form.

For instance, the cards represented below are cut so that the edge of some are convex, as in figure 18, and others concave, as in figure 19.

The result, with these cards, is the same as with the preceding, only that the latter afford a greater scope for cheating.

The more expert a sharper is, the less is it necessary to cut the edges of the cards; indeed, I have seen some so slightly cut, that you were obliged to examine them with the greatest minuteness to find it out.

PART II.
THE TINTED, OR STAINED CARD.

When white cards are not of first-rate quality, many of them are slightly tinted or stained; that is to say, the purity of the white varies. This imperfection is caused by the bad quality of the card-board of which they are manufactured.

From these slight shades, the Greek can, after seeing them for a few moments, recognise many of the cards.

If there are no blemishes or stains on them, the Greek contrives to give them various tints, which he alone can perceive. To this end, he rubs very lightly over, with a cloth dipped in blacklead, such of the cards as he wishes to know again.

The person with whom the Greek is playing, even if he were warned of this trick, could scarcely observe the marks. It requires the lynx eyes of the sharper to distinguish the imperceptible shades.

We ought also to mention that the Greeks have each their particular forte. One who has an excellent eyesight, and sensitive touch, will make use of the marked cards; another, for other reasons, will have recourse to sleight of hand.

PART III.
THE ADHERENT, OR SLIDING CARDS.

By the foregoing it will be observed, that a Greek is always ready to profit by the slightest differences in the cards; but what my readers will scarcely find credible is, that even a pack of new cards, when first taken out of its envelope, will furnish him with the means and signs of recognising the court from the plain cards. This cheat is most practicable, when the cards have not been kept in a perfectly dry place.

The Greek, in dealing, presses his left thumb on the cards, as if to disengage the upper ones, and push them towards his right hand. When the cards are damp, the plain ones slide more easily than the court cards, the reason for which, is to be thus accounted for:—

That in manufacturing the court cards, and in order to give a brightness to their colours, a preparation of gum is used, which is easily affected by the damp, and becomes slightly sticky; this is why they do not slip with such facility as the others.

The higher class of sharpers are much in the habit of using this trick, which they perform with a sensitiveness of touch of astounding delicacy.

The lower order of Greek is obliged to prepare the pack beforehand, and rubs the court cards lightly over with soap, and the others he paints with an extremely pure resin.

PART IV.
THE "HORS D'ÉQUERRE," OR SLANTING CARDS.

I was once requested by a magistrate, to examine some packs of cards which had been seized in a gambling-house, and many of which had been used for the game of Vingt-et-un. I acceded to his request, and it was only owing to my knowledge of mechanism, that I was enabled to discover the trick, by means of which the banquier of the gambling-table could distinguish, whilst dealing, whether the card he took from the top of the pack was higher or lower than a ten.

All the court cards and aces were cut on the slant at the top, so as to prevent them being quite straight, as in figure 20, but much less so in reality than is here represented.

To discover this very slight alteration it required a most practised eye; but slight as it was, it was sufficient for the sharper; and, according to these indications, he either took the upper card, if it were to his advantage, or dealt to himself the lower one by the "filage."K In this manner he could also, at the end of the deal, retain or give himself the card he required.

PART V.
THE "POINTÉES," OR PRICKED CARDS.

These marks are made by the Greek to distinguish all the high cards.

With the point of a pin, a little blunted, he pricks the card in the corner at the side of the picture, so as to produce a minute elevation on the upper surface.

Some Greeks improve on this trick, by pricking between the two card-boards, and afterwards pasting them together again. In this way, nothing is to be seen on the upper part of the card but a small roughness, which, should it ever be remarked, would pass for a defect in the card-board.

Others, who are still more adroit, instead of making any mark above, do it from beneath, and in this manner the mark is completely hidden by the painting, and can only be discovered by the touch.

PART VI.
THE CARDS "MORFILÉES," OR WITH INDENTED EDGES.

This trick very much resembles the preceding one, only that it is done in presence of the dupe.

Each time that a card which will be favourable to his play, passes through the hands of the Greek, he makes a small dent with his nail on the edge of it. This mark is easily felt by the Greek.

It must be confessed, that those amongst the Greeks who are adepts at this trick, have an extreme delicacy of touch, which they preserve by always wearing gloves, when they are not playing at cards. Some of them even rub the ends of their fingers with pumice stone, or dip them in certain acids, which give extreme sensibility to the skin.

PART VII.
THE "ONDULÉES," OR WAVY CARDS.

The above marks, or waves, are also made whilst playing.

When the Greek observes any cards, which will suit him to perform the trick he is about to play, he makes, at the bottom of the left-hand corner, a little fold, or arch, inwards. This alteration, be it ever so slight, produces a kind of lustre on the card, which the eye of the Greek can immediately detect.

This trick is generally employed in cheating at Piquet. The Greek, in this way, marks all the aces and high cards in any of the suits.

With certain arts of legerdemain, which I have before alluded to, he can so arrange all, or part, of his hand, that no play of his adversary, be it ever so good, could stand against it.

PART VIII.
THE "TAROTÉES," OR FIGURED OR CHECQUERED CARDS.

It often happens that, in packs of playing-cards, the backs of which are ornamented with figures and designs, these ornaments are not placed exactly in the same spot on each card.

If examined attentively, it will be seen, that the designs are not always the same distance from the edge of the card. The manufacturer himself, and players in general, pay little attention to these irregularities, but the Greek turns them to account, and makes them useful in his tricks.

By the time the cards have been dealt two or three times round, he can distinguish many of them.

Sharpers are themselves often the manufacturers of their own cards, and can, therefore, arrange and place their designs where they please.

For instance, let us suppose that the design consists of a series of lozenges, placed one above the other. The Greek would so arrange them that, at the edge of the card, the lozenge should be entire for the ace. Then, as it approaches the edge, it is cut in half for the queen, quarterly for the king, and three-quarters for the knave.

In the same way, on the upper side of the card, the lozenges, by similar arrangements, would point out the spades, hearts, clubs, or diamonds, and also show the principal cards in the game of Piquet.

All this would seem to be the effect of chance, and no one could assert that there was anything fraudulent.

PART IX.
THE MARKED, OR SPOTTED CARDS.

This trick of marking cards, is equal to any of the most refined abbreviations used in stenography, as here, by the aid of a single spot, any one of the thirty-two cards in the game of Piquet may be known.

We will imagine, for example, a design formed of spots, or some other device, arranged symmetrically, as these sorts of patterns usually are. For instance, as in figure 21.

The first large spot, beginning from the top of the card, on the left hand, will represent a heart; the second, in descending, a diamond, the third a club, and the fourth a spade.

Now, if, by the side of any of these, another spot is added, it will immediately serve to show what card it is.

The mark should be placed near one of the original spots, as shown below in figure 22, which, when placed at the top, shows it is an ace; going round to the right of it, the next spot would be a king, the third spot a queen, the fourth a knave, and so on to the seven.

It must be clearly understood that only one spot is to be made, as in figure 21, where that which is added to the third spot, would (according to the rules I have laid down), mark the eight of clubs.

After these explanations, I feel convinced, my reader has already made up his mind, never again to play with cards on which there are devices.

"If these are the sort of tricks one is subject to," exclaims he, "I'll take care that I never play with anything but plain cards again."

Unfortunately, even these can be tampered with, as I have already shown in speaking of tinted cards; of which I will now give another proof.

In the year 1849, the judge of the Criminal Court of the Seine, begged me to examine a hundred and fifty packs of cards, which were supposed to have been tampered with.

They were found in the possession of a man, whose antecedents were far from being as pure, as the colour of his cards.

The cards were in fact all white, and had hitherto defied the most minute inspection.

It was impossible for the most practised eye to discover, that they had been altered or marked in any way.

They seemed all of the best quality.

I spent nearly a fortnight in examining (not only with my naked eye, but with a strong magnifying glass) the card board, the shape, and the almost imperceptible shades, of each of these one hundred and fifty packs of cards.

I could detect nothing; and tired out, I was going to give the same opinion as the experts who had previously examined them.

"There is certainly nothing wrong with these cards," exclaimed I, one evening, in a pettish tone, throwing the pack from me across the table.

All at once, on the shining back of one of the cards, near one of the corners, I thought I saw a dull-looking spot, which had before escaped me. On looking close at it, it disappeared; but strange to say, as I went far off from it, it re-appeared.

"How glad I am," cried I aloud, enthusiastically. "Now I see what it is. It's all right. This then is the mark!" and following the rules, used by sharpers, I satisfied myself, that on every card there was the same spot, which, being placed in various parts, were distinctive signs of the card and the suit. The following was the way the thing was done.

We must imagine the cards divided into eight divisions perpendicularly, and four horizontally, as in figure 23. The former will indicate the value of the card, the latter the suit. The mark is placed where each of these divisions intersect one another. The above is the way the cheat is performed, and practice does the rest.

I must be allowed to decline mentioning the method, by which these mysterious marks are made on the cards. My object being, as I have already stated, more than once, to expose the tricks of sharpers, but not to show how they are done. Suffice it to say, that when looked at closely, these spots are invisible; but when viewed from afar, the reflection of a strong light makes the card shine, but leaves the spot dull.

At first sight, it would seem a difficult task to distinguish one card from another, by an isolated spot on the back of it. However, if my readers will attend to what I have told them, and look at the example given in figure 23, they will see that it does not belong to the second, nor the fourth perpendicular division; and by the same rule, they will observe, that the spot is in the second horizontal division, and represents, therefore, the queen of diamonds.

From all this, it is evident that a swindler plays and stakes—I will not say his honour, but his liberty, against fortune; and that, by reason of the importance of the stake, he ought to have devoted the most serious attention to an art, on which all his future depends.

CHAPTER IX.
THE CHAPLET, OR ROSARY.

The rosary is a particular arrangement of the cards, according to certain words in a sentence, which is learnt by heart. In other words, it is a sort of mnemonics, or artificial memory, to enable people to cheat at play. There are several sorts of "chapelets," more or less ingenious. The best are those which recall to one's mind a feeling, a thought, or even only an amusing combination.

One of the oldest rosaries consists of two Latin verses, every word in each of which represents one of the fifty-two cards of a pack—

which may be translated thus:

These thirteen cards are also arranged according to their suits, namely—spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds, as follows:

• 1. Unus (ace) of spades,
• 2. Quinque (five) of hearts,
• 3. Novem (nine) of clubs,
• 4. Famulus (knave) of diamonds,
• 5. Sex (six) of spades,

and so on, by following the words of the rosary and the suit, to the last card.

I will now give a sentence or rosary, for the thirty-two cards used in the game of Piquet—

Or—

Which means—

In this, as well as in the preceding example, the cards are classed according to their suits, as above described; only, at the end of the rosary after the queen, instead of putting the suit which follows, for the king which comes after, they arrange so that the king and queen should be of the same suit. Were this not done, one would require four kings of spades, four tens of hearts, &c., &c. The following example will show what I mean:

Arrangement of a Rosary of Thirty-two Cards:

• 1. The king of spades.
• 2. The ten of hearts.
• 3. The eight of clubs.
• 4. The nine of diamonds.
• 5. The knave of spades.
• 6. The ace of hearts.
• 7. The seven of clubs.
• 8. The queen of diamonds.
• 9. The king of diamonds.
• 10. The ten of spades.
• 11. The eight of hearts.
• 12. The nine of clubs.
• 13. The knave of diamonds.
• 14. The ace of spades.
• 15. The seven of hearts.
• 16. The queen of clubs.
• 17. The king of clubs.
• 18. The ten of diamonds.
• 19. The eight of spades.
• 20. The nine of hearts.
• 21. The knave of clubs.
• 22. The ace of diamonds.
• 23. The seven of spades.
• 24. The queen of hearts.
• 25. The king of hearts.
• 26. The ten of clubs.
• 27. The eight of diamonds.
• 28. The nine of spades.
• 29. The knave of hearts.
• 30. The ace of clubs.
• 31. The seven of diamonds.
• 32. The queen of spades.

It must be remembered that, when the cards are thus arranged, however often the pack is cut, the order of the cards remains the same.

When a Greek has substituted a pack of cards, arranged à chapelet for another, and has made a false shuffle which does not alter them, he will easily know what cards his adversary holds, by looking at his own hand.

For example at Écarté, if he holds—

• The eight of hearts,
• The nine of clubs,
• The queen of clubs,
• The king of clubs,
• The ten of diamonds;

He will know that his adversary has—

• The king of diamonds,
• The ten of spades,
• The knave of diamonds,
• The ace of spades,
• The seven of hearts.

The turn-up card will be the eight of spades; and knowing all the other cards which follow after this, he can demand or refuse them, as he judges best.

It is, at the games of Vingt-et-un, Baccarat, and Lansquenet, that this cheating is the most dangerous, as well as the most easily accomplished. The packs are changed beforehand, and even though they may be really properly shuffled, it will be some time before the order of the cards is completely altered. Some few cards may be displaced, but the Greek manages to play on, and to know the card which is coming, by having seen the one which precedes it.

CHAPTER X.
THE RING FOR MARKING.

The Greek sometimes carries his trickery even into the domains of science; of which the instrument I am about to describe is a proof.

If this jewel had not been invented for the sole purpose of cheating, one would have been tempted to admire it.

The ring, shown in figure 24, is known by the name of a trépan. It is hollow, and forms a kind of reservoir, which is filled with very liquid ink. This liquid would escape by a small opening, at the point A, but that the capillary attraction retains the ink at its mouth. In short, it is a kind of pen with a reservoir.

As this point is hidden in the inside of the hand, the Greek can, at any moment, mark the cards he pleases, with an almost imperceptible spot, before the very eyes of his adversary.

These spots can, as I have before explained, by the manner in which they are placed, mark particular cards.

The Greek also makes use of this instrument to cheat at dominoes.

For this purpose, the ring is a very massive one, and the point alluded to is made of steel, and very sharp.

It is easy to understand, that when the Greek has the dominoes in his hands, in moving them about on the table, he can put a mark on them, so as to know them again.

The point of the ring, fine as it is, is blunted, so that the marks it makes are so light and shining, as to awaken no suspicion, and it is only to the eyes of the sharper, who has made them, that they are visible.

CHAPTER XI.
THE REFLECTING SNUFF-BOX.

As I am on the subject of curiosities of art, here is another, which is also very clever.

It is difficult to believe that a snuff-box can be made an instrument for cheating.

The Greek, when placing himself at the table to play, puts down a snuff-box, on the lid of which is a small medallion of the size of a franc, enclosing a miniature.

It is the portrait of a lady exquisitely painted.

The eyes of the players naturally turn to this object, and they sometimes even take it up to admire, or display it to their friends.

When the game has begun, the Greek takes a pinch of snuff, which gives him the opportunity of drawing the box towards him.

But, at the same time, he presses an invisible spring, which withdraws the portrait, and in its place out comes a convex glass, which is of the greatest utility to him; for, when he is dealing, this mirror being underneath the cards which he deals to his adversary, he has only to look in it to see the reflection of the cards he is giving.

During the evening, the Greek makes the medallion return, and offers a pinch of snuff to his victims.

CHAPTER XII.
APPLICATION OF THE PRECEDING PRINCIPLES.

Arrangement of the pack—Coups de piquet—How to repique and capot an adversary—How to repique and capot an adversary although he has shuffled the cards—Abstraction and substitution of cards—Coup d'écarté—Jeu de règle—Lansquenet—Baccarat—Vingt-et-un, &c. &c.

ARRANGEMENT OF THE PACK.

It is a well-known fact that, by the aid of the principles which I have herein laid down, a clever Greek will gain at every game, by giving himself the cards which are favourable to his interest.

But it must not be believed, that these sharpers are so unskilful as to cheat always by sleight of hand. They would very soon be discovered.

These intelligent rogues husband their resources, and act with prudence. They usually only deal themselves what is called a "jeu de règle," or hand which is sure of making three tricks; and their adroitness and tact, coupled with this slight advantage, is sufficient to ensure to them the favours of fortune.

In most cases, the Greek only uses his arts according to the circumstances required. The more able player he is, the less is it necessary to call cheating to his aid. If he finds he has an indifferent player for his opponent, he only plays the regular game, and reserves his rogueries for another occasion. But, as it often happens that the proverb, "a new hand always wins," is verified, he takes care to be on the defensive, and to use his weapons if required.

For this reason, it is quite impossible to give an exact definition of the play of a Greek; but as I am anxious to enlighten my readers on his marvellous powers, I will just give one example of the haute école, or high school, as they say at the Cirque Olympique (the Astley's of Paris).

It is the greatest coup that it is possible to make at piquet.

In this trick, which is done in the presence of his adversary, and without any previous preparation, the Greek can win the game with a first hand, by a hundred and sixty-three points.L

In perusing the following details of the different manipulations, which serve as the basis of all sorts of cheating at games of cards, I hope my readers will take this warning, which is the real purpose of my work:—that it is dangerous to hazard large sums of money on chances which can be so easily turned against them.

PART I.
THE "COUP DE PIQUET."

How to Repique and Capot one's Adversary.

The trick I am about to describe, dates from the last century. It was the invention of a juggler named Comus, who performed it with his eyes bandaged.

From this interesting combination, have originated all the other coups de piquet, so often displayed by jugglers.

I shall here give a description of how it is done, as it will make what I have mentioned in the preceding chapter, more easy to understand.

In taking up the pack of cards, the juggler, with a pretended awkwardness, shuffles the cards in such a manner, that many of them are turned face to face. This enables him, under the pretext of turning them the right way about, to select and place at the bottom of the pack a sequence of eight cards in any suit, a king and three aces.

Once in possession of these twelve cards, he slightly bends the corners, which leaves a ridge that he can easily discern. (See part vii., chapter ix.)

He then hands the cards to his adversary to shuffle.

Whilst this is being done he has his eyes bandaged with a handkerchief, which, however, does not prevent his seeing through the interstices caused by the projection of his nose.

He then takes back the pack, and whilst pretending to shuffle, he finds the marked cards, and places them where he wishes, as will be explained in the following part.

Some jugglers, instead of bending the cards, with the greatest sang froid, pass the twelve cards above alluded to, underneath the others, and then pretend to shuffle.

PART II.
THE "COUP DE PIQUET."

How the Greek is enabled to Repique and Capot his Adversary, although he has Shuffled the Cards.

As I am addressing those who are supposed to know piquet, I need enter into no details about that game.

In playing the first hand, the Greek must secure a sixième-major (or sequence of six cards from the ace downwards, which counts sixteen), a quatorze of aces (the four aces), and a quatorze of kings (the four kings), as seen by the table below:—

• 1. The ace of spades.
• 2. The king of spades.
• 3. The queen of spades.
• 4. The knave of spades.
• 5. The ten of spades.
• 6. The nine of spades.
• 7. The ace of hearts.
• 8. The ace of diamonds.
• 9. The ace of clubs.
• 10. The king of hearts.
• 11. The king of diamonds.
• 12. The king of clubs.

His adversary must be the dealer, as it is in playing the first hand, that the selection of these twelve cards is managed.

This difficult trick is done in the following manner. It is customary, before beginning to play, for each person to cut for the deal.

The Greek, in mixing the cards, with a rapid glance, seeks for an ace, which he passes under the pack, and putting in practice the principles which I have pointed out in the first chapter, part 5, figure 9, he makes the bridge.

"Let us see," exclaims he, putting the pack on the table, "who shall deal?"

He cuts first himself, at the bridge where the ace (the highest card in cutting at piquet) is placed, and as it does not often happen that his opponent cuts another ace—"You shall deal," says he, "we will make the game one hundred and fifty points."

The first hand is not of much importance; the Greek leaves to chance the distribution of the cards. He well knows that his adversary will not gain the game in one hand; he, therefore, only thinks of making himself master of the cards before mentioned.

Twelve cards are dealt to him by his adversary, and five others are in reserve for him in the "talon."

It is most probable that, out of these seventeen cards, he will find some of the number mentioned in the preceding list.

He must, at all hazards, prevent those cards getting into his opponent's hands, and must keep them near him for the following hand.

Consequently, he discards the weakest cards in his hand, and makes a little heap of them on his right hand, on which he places successively, and without concealment, all the aces, kings, and spades, he can get from his adversary.

We will imagine that, by the time the hand is played, he has only been able to obtain six of the cards he wants.

To secure the other six, still in the pack, he has recourse to the following manœuvre.

Whilst playing, he has intentionally left all the tricks he has gained face upwards; and, as it is his turn to deal, he does the same thing with those of his adversary.

Profiting by the moment when the latter is marking his points, in taking up the pack, the Greek selects the cards required, and places them underneath with those which he has already secured.

If my readers are not "au fait" at tricks of cards, they will doubtless find the explanation I have given, both tedious and difficult of comprehension. It is really nothing; it resembles those tricks of sleight of hand, which require long explanations to make a very short operation understood.

But that is not the question; my sole wish being to make myself understood, which has perhaps caused me to be rather prolix.

The Greek having, in the twinkling of an eye, put the twelve cards he wanted at the bottom of the pack, then places them, so that they will all return to him in the deal, and whilst pretending to shuffle the cards, he puts alternately on the pack,

• 1. Three cards from the bottom.
• 2. Three indifferent cards taken from the middle of the pack.
• 3. Three cards from the bottom.
• 4. Three indifferent cards.
• 5. Three cards from the bottom.
• 6. Three indifferent cards.

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

It will be seen that, out of the twelve cards which were placed under the pack, nine must have come back to the Greek in the course of the deal; the three others come to him in the exchange. He therefore has in his hand:

• 1. A sixième-major in spades,
• 2. A quatorze of aces,
• 3. A quatorze of kings:

with which he gains the game by capoting his adversary.

In this hand, then, he has made a hundred and sixty-three points.

This selection of cards, and their arrangement, is a specimen of what can be done by cheating; however, a Greek usually will not venture to do it on so large a scale; but contents himself with a quatorze of aces or kings, or even a simple quint. The selection of these cards is simple and easy, compared with the former trick.

PART III.
THE "COUP DE PIQUET."

Abstraction and Substitution of Cards.

In former days, it was the fashion at piquet, when the deal was finished, to divide the talon into two unequal packets, and place them one on the top of the other, in the shape of a cross. Now, however, these eight cards are left in one packet.

This new fashion has given rise to a fresh roguery, which, though a very audacious one, is no less difficult to discover, where the parties are not cognisant of it.

Once known, it is quite another thing.

This rascality is executed in the following manner:

The sharper, in dealing, gives himself three cards too many. He then intentionally places the talon a little nearer to himself than to his adversary.

The latter, not thinking about it, does not perceive that his opponent has taken extra cards, being at that moment as much occupied with taking up and sorting his cards, as with the discard.

Whilst his adversary is thus occupied, the sharper hastily takes the three worst cards in his hand, and conveys them by a method I have pointed out, and places them on the talon, pushing it at the same time, as if to place it nearer to his antagonist. This movement is so natural, that the artifice is completely concealed.

Thus the Greek is not only relieved of his three bad cards, but he passes them on to his adversary, so that he gains an advantage in more ways than one.

PART IV.
THE "COUP D'ÉCARTÉ."

The King and the Vole.

Before commencing this article on Écarté, I wish to point out an error very generally diffused among players.

When speaking of a swindler, people are apt to say, "He is a man who turns up the king whenever he pleases." This is a decided error. A Greek, if he is clever, will never do anything so imprudent. He knows very well that, by turning up a king too often, he arouses suspicion, and only marks one point; whereas, by keeping it in his own hand, he enjoys the advantage of marking two. In the same way, a sharper of experience will never deal himself so good a hand as that which I am about to describe, because such an assemblage of trumps would create doubts in the mind of his opponent.

The following hand must, therefore, only be regarded as an example, of what can be done by tricking at écarté.

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—

• 1. Four cards from beneath (good).
• 2. Three cards from the middle (bad).
• 3. Two cards from beneath (good).
• 4. Two cards from the middle (bad).

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:—

• 1. The king of hearts.
• 2. The ace of hearts.
• 3. The ten of hearts.
• 4. The seven of hearts.

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:—

• 1. Queen.
• 2. Queen.
• 3. Ten.
• 4. Seven.
• 5. Ten.
• 6. Nine.
• 7. Nine.
• 8. Ace.
• 9. Eight.
• 10. Ace.

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.