Perhaps we should not even get into the caliber or the sheer weight of Atlantic City. Readers who are unfamiliar with the poker scene in NYC have got to understand that a fair number of those who frequented the NYC "underground" poker joints were those same players that "cut their teeth" in places like AC, upstate NY, and CT. Anybody ever heard of that rinky-dink hole in the wall in CT... what'd they say the name of that place was?

Oh... that's right! Foxwoods.

It might not be apparent, and understandably so, to some readers (especially those who don't live in the US) that going to Foxwoods casino in CT, or any of the casinos in NJ from NYC is not that considerable a trek. People did it all the time, in fact. These three states, combined, are known as the Tri-State Area. At certain times of the day, you can see just as many, if not more, NJ and CT license plates in NY than you do NY plates (and the vice versa is true, as well.)

Blah, blah, blah....

I never said that I knew for sure that those card room raids were predicated on some blatant order, or persuasion otherwise, from casino executives turning politicians' screws. It just only makes sense, and I have heard too many folks (some quite reliable) say it. We all know perfectly well when the "poker boom" swept the country (and all the suckers came running to the club, cutting in line to see who could get trimmed first, making me throw up in my mouth with all of their "poker jargon.") It just doesn't seem logical at all to surmise that, from the casinos' point of view, that this could be good for business. Let's just be thankful that there is no shortage of suckers in sight.

Just my two cents. And, yes: I am quite aware that this is off-topic.

Gotta love internet chat boards...

CC

Private games have gone down hill.


A gambling house at the end of the last century was conducted by
the following officials:--

1. A Commissioner,--who was always a proprietor; who looked in
of a night, and audited the week's account with two other
proprietors.
2. A Director,--who superintended the room.
3. An Operator,--who dealt the cards at the cheating game called
Faro.
4. Two Croupiers, or crow-pees, as they were vulgarly called,
whose duty it was to watch the cards and gather or rake in the
money for the bank.
5. Two Puffs,--who had money given to them to decoy others to
play.
6. A Clerk,--who was a check on the Puffs, to see that they sank
none of the money given to them to play with.
7. A Squib,--who was a puff of a lower rank, serving at half
salary, whilst learning to deal.
8. A Flasher,--to swear how often the bank had been stripped by
lucky players.
9. A Dunner,--who went about to recover money lost at play.
10. A Waiter,--to fill out wine, snuff candles, and attend the
room.
11. An Attorney,--who was generally a Newgate solicitor.
12. A Captain,--who was to fight any gentleman who might be
peevish at losing his money.
13. An Usher,--who lighted the gentlemen up and down stairs, and
gave the word to the porter.
14. A Porter,--who was generally a soldier of the Foot Guards.
15. An Orderly-man,--who walked up and down the outside of the
door, to give notice to the porter, and alarm the house at the
approach of the constables.
16. A Runner,--who was to get intelligence of the Justices'
meetings.
17. Link Boys, Coachmen, Chairmen, Drawers, and others, who
brought the first intelligence of Justices' meetings, of
constables going out, at half a guinea reward.
18. Common Bail, Affidavit Men, Ruffians, Bravos, Assassins, &c.
&c.
It may be proper to remark that the above list of officials was
only calculated for gambling houses of an inferior order.

All I got is a couple a dealers and a cook.

Tommy,

Was that list posted above taken from something in print? If so, can you tell me what source that might be?

CC

THE GAMING TABLE: ITS VOTARIES AND VICTIMS,
In all Times and Countries, especially in England and in France.
BY ANDREW STEINMETZ, ESQ.,



“Mr Crockford a MILLIONAIRE--for a millionaire he was in the English sense of the term, after making the largest possible allowance for bad debts. A vast sum, perhaps half a million, was sometimes due to him; but as he won, all his debtors were able to raise, and easy credit was the most fatal of his lures.”


If you happen to run a steer game this books worth reading.

You may find it in PDF on the net somewhere.

Posted: Aug 2, 2007 11:30am
http://pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/digi271.pdf

While we may now have better technique and so on, these boys knew their business better and make us look like amateurs.

Tommy, thanks a ton for that link!

Jeff

You welcome Jeff

Cursed with too much money, you fritter away in selfish idleness a life which might have been made useful, helpful, and profitable. So giving these well heeled suckers credit and taking them to the cleaners, is doing them a turn, is how I see it, by gosh.

That link is fantastic.

Tommy,

Where did you come up with this?

CC

Poker is a game of both chance and skill, of course. The skilled player will likely do better over time. However, anyone who's played poker a lot has probably had the experience of a brand new player laying down a full-house and asking, "Does this win?," while everyone else at that table groans!

tommy, that link is excellent, but that's only volume II. The first volume is at:

http://pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/digi272.pdf

Poker is like backgammon in that a skilful player will nearly always win. In both games, however, someone who knows only the basic rules can beat the world champion by a series of lucky dice rolls / unbeatable cards.

Of course the odds are increased for a single game/hand and decrease to almost zero over the course of a backgammon or poker tournament.

That's why I play chess. If I lose either the other player is better or I made a mistake. (Both happen far too often, sadly...)

There is no chance as in backgammon of being forced into a running game by the dice and losing to a double six when you have one man left on your 1 point or, as in poker, drowning in the river when your opponent hits a 30-1 shot.