THE CASINO OF THE EAST

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 145, 13 March 1908, Page 4

THE CASINO OF THE EAST

, FAN-TAN TABLES IN MACAO,

CHINESE 'AND EUROPEAN GAMBLERS,

(From Our Special Representative.),

Hongkong, February 10,

What pasino is to Europe,/ Macao—the oldest European settlement iin China—is to tho Ear East. 1 In Casino ' tho gamblers place their chances on tlio roulette, tables ;• in Macao they ; 'wager on fan-tan, and the croupier is always "a Chinaman. The gambling, tables aw Macao's greatest source of national revenue, and: ruined gamblers are its greatest product"'' Tho gambling houses pay tremendous fees' as licenses, and exact 8} per cent'. , discount 'oiit 'of .tho .''players' winnings. In Hongkong it is illegal to, play fan-tan; in Macao, —which: is Portuguese territory—fari-tan > is thecity's / biggest industry; ;If 'there bo' such 'a ; thing as ;a fair gambling game fan-tan must come'very liear claiming the title. . ;He would, indeed bo. a-clever croupier. who l could swindle- th<? Chinese gamblerj : : : The gambling ho'.ises aro much alike. They are .usually furnished '.with; one long table at tho, end of; which the.croupier sits. Oa his left,is.his assistant,, who,counts the cash,, collects the money'. of i 'tho losers, and .pays out to the winners. V, Abovp the : tqble is a railed off gallery,, and .hero [Europeans, and better class, Chinese, players, , take,their places and' mako their bets'. Tho lower class Chinese : group themselves around the tablo.. Ean-tau.is a simple gamp.",'- In front of the .accountant is a .square l of polished metal. Its sides, are numbered 1,.2, 3j and ti r f)] G croupier seized a handful ()f looso cash" brass coins, ' tho .size; of., sixpences,' but with a' square hole; iii their, centres.' Tho game is to guess what iiumbcri of coins' will bo left when..tho. croupier counts the heap.mto "fours. -:' v \. ' ' V'V '

: All bets having been/placed on .the .motai ' slab , the \croupier takes ~ a/ long ,i>ointer. and' counts the cohis; drawing' them towards him in groups of fpur. /./,Tho coolies;.watch him with tho closest : /!scrutiny ; as,' tho vlieap' .diminishes and call thewuuiing, number i.long : before, tho, finished: '"Whatever' 'number is tlireey.br-four-r----wins.l ■■• ( ThjS;'bank,'tpaya; treble, on a : straightout bet;,ajul- ;> double ■ if-thej gambler.'lias backed' two.-numbers.:-,' That .is, to'J say,':'a player may.'bet on' ' any .' two, numbers,'anil should either wini; ho gets paid double;' less, of course, the ' bank's. commission; V A ? player may,also select: three.WmbersHsay, 1, and' 4." He- decides which ;bnb'.'he ''is backing :straight-o_ut;/".' If.it.turris up lid' gets oven money ;,;if„ either of . the other two . wiii' ; lie'ohly :• gets' :hisiv.stako, ,returned;" But should tho (remaining number, turn up—and 1 it- must .be' : the - number"on'the/opposite, sido '- of ,tho fan-tan, ;board to "the ; ono which he backs straightpqut-Tho;loses-tho bet. : .Surely thore is no nation so fond of ( : gamb-' ling as : tho.Ohinesq.. - ilf a: Chineso wins a' big bet of 800 doJlarsjor- 900,.dollars, he walk's out.,-, .But if- l^dt-is-,:against''.bim,>;apd .-in \ spite of all his, variations, of -\tactics;i lib still • Joses,; Ho will spond his last ( .cash.'at .tl!q gain-' . ing, table. ~ It: is. sight to be; soon-every hour at. the., fanrjait: tables that 1 a' Chinese '■ will send, his watch and ;i chaiti down to,tho croupier aiid get an advance so that ho Lay continue; on/with ,tho game, ' >Indeed, ; ' these who ,>arb- fascinated;.,to.rthis -'fextent 'by- tho 1 seductions of fsii-tah.belong to tho European nations as well, t and many.Vof. ; " theVwatchcs , pledged .to tho 1 croupiers onco . reposed' in the pockets of white : •. v.\ -i- ; :Fan-tan is a quibt, methodical game that " <• causes no-wild outbursts'of. pointment.on the partL,qfvtlie ; players. '".'-Tho gamblers are.provided with pads of paper to record the numbers that win.- •••, As you fenter the room a Chinese: player: wijl' usually hand you. his pad,and ,tell you: hbiWoften ,Yat (1), Yan (2)y Sam (3), or See (4) has won. Old fan-tan- house habitues'will assure,'you'tliat every croupier has a "dead I 'niinft or—that is: ' a numbei'ythafc-'Wover'wins! v ':'Oth<fr"'gamblers bet always,Bn• tho,corners—theP'taki-'t^b' ;iiumber's at;the cornCT of. the,vbo'affls. There ;bavo: been dozens of' mfcn> whp>bW 'gone 'to' Macao confident'-.thaifby-O/'bettin^i'dirri l ays-/ break'nthe >. bailiff "/They-. - havo left .their, money,.with, .the' icrouji&r,. arid' the' baiiks... are. so ; much;"the;bettor 'off: 1 - :t -<■'• ' ■ visited :Macao, on ChinesenNow- Year's' .Day , .(February, -2); .',,:;, The Chinese ~ wejro gambling with more-'vigour•thaniusuily andin every ."first class gambling housed is th'o' sign .boards read,'thpre.,were;.crowds:bf play- ' ; ersy , varying- from', the street coolie 'who' staked,a .few.. / cash : to',the wealthy i.Ghine'se' merchant who wagered,, hundreds of*' dollars pt. each. bet.', ; Apparently ' tho,; tables'i'pby 1 : woll,\for. 1 you>have ; but cigars' cigarottes, ; or .beer and : :,thcy./iare. suppliedgratis, if. you . are: gambling. <. Wo ■watched'; the ,tables in many, houses.:,,V;Thqy • werei'as-' 1 crowded at midnight' as they/.wcro at.9 a.nj. '• When wo'wont back to the hotel wo found that several excursion steamers shad Arrived from Hongkong and./.Canton,..aiid■ thattaio more beds were available;' 'V ■]; \ r ,... A' Chinese', friend took-, us .to /the ■ Chinese hotel and we got.a. nice lied there; : but, could - 1 get' nothing \toeat.'( We offered : tho-"boy" ; a liberal ;."kumshaTv'.' ,(tip) if he would go-out and/ buy ,>ome bread /and' fish'. for us. , Ho •declined;/ and wo. 'marvelled thereat., -It was • the s'a'me;in tho. morning. All. we could get ,was: a. dozen eggs and a bottlo '.of iportwine. The "boy" !declined; to: ep.out and. buy• any-' thing;'lie would .give tho.' masters anything initlio house (for ho .would not .'go out.;: 1 Jt was/not unti) our, ChLiieso: . camd : into./; the .'room, /attracted by our' "pidgin" English, : It was' Chinese New Year,, and. to-run mes^: sages du'ring the':New/Year'holidays,.meant ./ ."bad'''ioss;V > . ; ;.:Tlip'.j"l)by" would bo,:doing, menial/tasks .all, tho:year, if. lib.niade such -abad commencement 1 ; . be done but to seek a'ineal olsbwherc.'■ > . ' Wo asked ior a bath;'aiid, were/shown to a pokey IHtlo'/.bathrpbm, and provided with'/a-' • small' wooden tub/ filled. Fith 'Warm water.: ■■ a littlo ' bigger r than a lady's : handkbrchiof.: AYhen' we groWled-''the' propriotorrassjired 4 us .that: ' it t 'was_ ''beautiful and welly cheap,'! and that, •. were' that'he ; waa a poof man 1 with aged relatives 'and many'children dependent upon him|: he would give it'to 1 us for kuinshaw. Wo had honoured his. house by 'staying there at Now Year,'and our visit meant "good joss" for the nest twelve months.. • ■. '' ■, ■ ■ y ' Thus appeased wo paid,.'and departed,' aiid lost our - small' change" at' /the' 'next;, fan-tan . table, ' ' - 1