A NEW AET IN GAMBLING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 661, 27 March 1879, Page 2

A NEW AET IN GAMBLING.

Among the specimens of gambling business done ion Hew Zealand race courses the following now obtains and seems to,, pay; w,ell. A party of men have a small box, and a lot of qards numbering from 1 to 31. These are shuffled; and cut, the " bank" taking one number and the public backing the other number to beat it. The game is a perfectly fair one so far as gambling 1 can be fair. Say the play becomes lirely, the " public^' backing their number for £10 and £15, the bank scores about £70 in ten minutes and then immediately drops it. ; A man may walk off with a cool £40 when the bank refuses to go " twenties." And on the subject an exchange says : Qn the racecourse _ a 'cute Yankee made a haul by selling' a twopenny purse with three half-crowns in it for two-arid-six. Hd mounted a box, produced three halfcrowns, and flipping them iridividijally in the air. caught each of them .' in the purse as they fell. Then he "gagged" a bit. He would j he said, only sell the purse, the contents went with, it. ; There . was an immediate rush of hands with half-crowns. Handing the purse to the nearest person, and pocketing his silver, he told the purchaser not to- break the the rules and show 'it to anyone. ; With a face beaming with expectation, the "lucky*! man sneaked behind the.bQothjt and then opened ,the purse caxitiously- — his " chops" r dr6pped. c 'The'thVee^alfcrowns had metamporpliiaed into three pennies. The " sold" one did; not. oare to return, iwid explain, so the gaine went merrily on until the Yankee got rid of some thirty half-crowns'" worth i of purses and pennies.' A confederate was at hand who occasionally bought a purse, showing to admiring crowd, His real three half-crowns. There was always a fresh rush for half-crown's : worth immediately after this. Each " gull" took it very good naturedly.