Part 28
Many similar instances of good and bad staking could be quoted, but the average player at Monte Carlo considers the percentage against him to be so insignificant that it is scarcely worthy of his notice. However, as its _insignificance_ represents a gain of some hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling per annum to the Administration, it should be worthy of a passing thought at any rate.
Nearly every player at Monte Carlo has a system of some sort, generally played on the even chances. There are, however, systems for playing on numbers, dozens, &c., but these for the most part are of the most fantastic and insane order. The writer has actually known a player whose system was to back thirty-five out of the thirty-six numbers, on the principle that, having but two numbers against him, he would be very unlucky not to win one unit per coup!
Hundreds of people play on one particular number after the appearance of some other particular number, and are confident in themselves that, for example, 3 always turns up after 25; or 10 after 0. A very favourite stake is zero _et les quatre premiers_--that is, zero _en plein_, and zero coupled with 1, 2, 3. Another very general stake is _les voisins de zéro_--or zero and the numbers on either side of it on the Wheel. This is a simple bet to make by putting one coin _à cheval_ between 0 and 3, one between 32 and 35, and one each on 26 and 15. The underlying idea of these {454} zero bets is that the Bank cheats; that it wants zero to turn up; and that the _tourneur_ is skilful enough to throw zero when he wishes. A more ridiculous assumption could not be made--in the first place, because the _tourneur_ cannot throw the ball even to a particular section of the Wheel, much less into zero itself; and in the second place, because the gambling could not possibly be carried out in a more straight-forward manner than it is by the Administration at Monte Carlo. If the _tourneur_ could throw the ball into any compartment he chose, he could, through his friends, ruin the Bank whenever he wished.
If I had space I could tell a story of how M. Blanc offered to give a certain player a year's practice at spinning the Wheel, and then to allow him to be his own croupier and stake as he chose. This is a fact; and yet I have often heard the following class of whispered conversation in the rooms: "Now's our time--there's a lot of money on the even chances--wait till the ball is spun and then bet on zero."
Some players back their age, when not too old--an eventuality that can occur only to the sterner sex. A sweet and blushing maiden of some fifty summers may be observed always to place her stake on No. 28--"Because it's my age, my dear, and to-day is my birthday!" Others back the number of their cloak-room ticket, or the number of the hymn for the day (if they should happen to have been present at church to hear it sung)--indeed everybody has a pet number; and why not? One number is just as likely to appear as any other. These are not systems in the true sense of the word, but they constitute a systematic method of staking, which is always advisable for play--be they ever so weird and fantastic--as they keep the player {455} within certain limits, and prevent him from losing his head, and making wild plunges to retrieve all his losses by one lucky spin of the Wheel.
The more business-like systems are played on the even chances. Many are exceedingly ingenious, and on paper would appear certain to "break the Bank at Monte Carlo!"
The underlying principle of all such systems is to play a Martingale--that is, after each loss to increase the stake in various proportions until all previous losses have been recouped, and a profit is shown. The commonest and simplest to play is the "_Montant et demontant_," which consists in increasing the stake after a loss by one unit per coup until the player is one unit to the good. Thus if the first stake be lost, the next stake would be two units, which is also lost, as is the next one of three units. The player would now have lost six units in all. His next stake becomes 4, which, supposing it to be won, would leave him a net loser of two units. The stake would now be dropped to three units; for the object is to be but one unit to the good. Should this stake win, the game would be started all over again with one unit. On the other hand, if the 3 had been lost, the next stake would be 4, and so on. There are many other systems. The general principle of them all is exactly the same; the calculations and paper results being nothing more nor less than an ingenious method of juggling with figures.
The Fitzroy system aims at winning one unit per coup played. For the working of this system it is necessary to keep a column in which _imaginary_ losses are written down: the player assuming that he loses one unit more and wins one unit less than he actually does. The stakes are increased by unity as in the {456} "_Montant et demontant_" system, with the exception of the second stake, which (after a loss) is three instead of two units, until the _imaginary_ losses column comes out clear. Here is an example of ten coups played on the Fitzroy system:--
+--------+-------+--------+--------++--------+-------+--------+--------+ | Stake. | W. | Net | Imagy. || Stake. | W. | Net | Imagy. | | | or L. | + or - | Loss. || | or L. | + or - | Loss. | +--------+-------+--------+--------++--------+-------+--------+--------+ | 1 | L.1 | -1 | -2 || 6 | W.6 | -3 | -9 | | 3 | L.3 | -4 | -6 || 7 | W.7 | +4 | -3 | | 4 | W.4 | 0 | -3 || 4 | L.4 | -0 | -8 | | 4 | L.4 | -4 | -8 || 5 | W.5 | +5 | -4 | | 5 | L.5 | -9 | -14 || 5 | W.5 | +10 | ±0 | +--------+-------+--------+--------++--------+-------+--------+--------+
Showing ten units won for ten coups played, the imaginary loss column now reading ±0.
Another very ingenious scheme is that known as the "_Labouchere_" system. To play this so many figures are written down that their total equals the "_grand coup_"[109] that is being played for. Ten is the customary coup, and the figures 1, 2, 3, 4 are written down on a piece of paper. The method of play is to stake the sum of the extreme figures, and if a win is scored, these two figures are erased; while if a loss is incurred the amount of the stake is written down at the end of the row of figures, and the next stake is the sum of the new extremes. When all the figures have been erased the coup is made, and the player either begins a fresh game or retires from the table. Here is an example: 1, 2, 3, 4: first stake 5, which is lost. The row now reads 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; and the next stake (6) is won, the row reading =1=, 2, 3, 4, =5=; the next stake (2+4) is lost, when we have =1=, 2, 3, 4, =5=, 6. {457} The next stake is 8, which is won, and we read =1=, =2=, 3, 4, =5=, =6=; the next stake being 7, which is won, the 4 and 3 are erased, when it will be found that the net profit is 10 units.
Example of a bad run at a "_Labouchere_" system. The "_grand coup_" is 10; so the starting figures are 1, 2, 3, 4. The player is supposed to stake on Red throughout. The dot shows which colour wins.
The Figures. The Stake. R. B. Net + or - =1= 1 + 4 5 · +5 =2= 2 + 3 5 · ±0 =3= 2 + 5 7 · -7 =4= 2 + 7 9 · +2 =5= 3 + 5 8 · -6 =7= 3 + 8 11 · +5 =8= 5 5 · ±0 =5= 5 + 5 10 · -10 =10= 5 + 10 15 · -25 =15= 5 + 15 20 · -45 =20= 5 + 20 25 · -70 =25= 5 + 25 30 · -40 =25= 5 + 20 25 · -15 =35= 10 + 15 25 · -40 10 + 25 35 · -75 10 + 35 45 · -30 =40= 15 + 25 40 · -70 55 15 + 40 55 · -125 =70= 15 + 55 70 · -195 15 + 70 85 · -110 80 25 + 55 80 · -190 =105= 25 + 80 105 · -295 25 + 105 130 · -165 120 40 + 80 120 · -285 160 40 + 120 160 · -445 =200= 40 + 160 200 · -645 40 + 200 240 · -405 215 55 + 160 215 · -620 270 55 + 215 270 · -890
Showing 29 coups, of which the player wins 9, with a net loss of 890 units. The next stake would have to be 55 + 270 (325), _i.e._ if the game had been played {458} with a one louis unit, a heavier stake than is allowed at Roulette.
Systems are very amusing and profitable to play, provided nothing abnormal occurs. But something abnormal will occur sooner or later, and the amounts staked and lost become colossal, and finally the maximum is reached: no higher wager can be made, so the system fails. The flaw in all systems is that the losses on an unfavourable run are out of all proportion to the gains on a favourable one. A "_Labouchere_" runs into hundreds in no time, and is in fact one of the most treacherous systems to play for this reason. Let the reader dissect the play of a _Labouchere_ on such a run as that on p. 460, which is a far from uncommon one.
This tableau, in which the player only wins 9 out of 29 coups--or, say, one in three--may be said to be far out of proportion, as the player is "entitled" to win as many coups as he loses (leaving zero out of the question). Let it be noted at this point that zero does not affect a system played on the even chances in any degree whatsoever. Any system worthy of the name can withstand zero, even two or three zeros. It is the Bank's limit, and the limit alone, that proves the downfall of all systems. To resume. Of course a player "ought" to win two coups out of four, and so he will as a rule, and systems are devised so that a player may be a winner, even if he loses three and four times as many coups as he wins. A glance at those figures not yet erased in the example quoted will show that had the punter not been debarred from staking, owing to the Bank's limit, with three successive wins he would have got all his money back and been ten points to the good on the whole transaction, and {459} still have only won twelve times against the Bank's twenty. What no system, played with a Martingale, has yet been able to accomplish, is to prevent the stakes becoming colossal when the series of losses turn up in some particular sequence or disposition.
The best method to keep the stakes within reasonable limits, and to guard against arriving at the Bank's maximum on an adverse run, is to employ a varying unit. Thus after a net loss of so many single units, operations are re-started with a double unit; if an equal number of double units are lost, the play is re-started with a triple unit, and so on; the same unit being employed until all previous losses have been retrieved, and a gain of one "single" unit made.
A "_Montant et demontant_" system can be played very easily in this manner, by increasing the unit employed after each complete loss of ten units--_e.g._ after a loss of 10 single units, the system is started afresh with a double unit; when 10 double units have been lost, or a net loss of 30, the system is started afresh with a 3 unit stake, and so on.
This system may be varied by changing the unit after successive losses of 10, 20, 30, 40, &c., and by staking sufficient to show a net win of the amount of the unit employed. Thus when playing with a double unit, to try and win 2; or if playing with a unit of 5, to try and win 5 units net.
Every system has its Waterloo--it will succeed for days, possibly weeks, and small gains be made; but finally the occasion must and will arrive when all previous profits and the system player's capital will be swamped. At the end of this article will be found a scheme devised by the writer whereby the punter puts himself into the position of the Banker as nearly {460} as possible, and consequently is enabled to win such vast stakes as are lost by a system player in the ordinary course, when that particular sequence of events occur which demolishes his system.
Here is an example of a "_Montant et demontant_" played in the usual method, and played with an increasing unit after each net loss of 10 units. The player is supposed to stake on the Red throughout; and the dot indicates which colour wins.
+-------------------+-------------------+------------------------------+ | Ordinary | A varying Unit | | | Method. | employed. | Remarks. | +-------------------+-------------------+ | | R. | B. | Net | R. | B. | Net | | | | | +or- | | | +or- | | +------+-----+------+------+-----+------+------------------------------+ | 1 | · | -1 | 1 | · | -1 | | | 2 | · | -3 | 2 | · | -3 | | | 3 | · | -6 | 3 | · | -6 | | | 4 | · | -10 | 4 | · | -10 | Having lost 10 single units, | | | | +------+-----+------+ the system is re-started | | 5 | · | -15 | 2 | · | -12 | with a double unit. | | 6 | · | -21 | 4 | · | -16 | | | 7 · | | -14 | 6 · | | -10 | | | 8 | · | -22 | 8 | · | -18 | | | 9 · | | -13 | 10 · | | -8 | | | 10 | · | -23 | 9 | · | -17 | As the object is to be +1, | | 11 | · | -34 | 11 | · | -28 | 9 is a sufficiently high | | | | | | | | stake. | | 12 | · | -46 | 2 | · | -30 | As not more than 30 may | | | | +------+-----+------+ be lost while employing | | 13 | · | -59 | 3 | · | -33 | a double unit, 2 is the | | 14 · | | -45 | 6 · | | -27 | highest stake allowed. | | 15 · | | -30 | 9 · | | -18 | | | 16 · | | -14 | 12 · | | -6 | | | 15 | · | -29 | 7 | · | -13 | As explained before. | | 16 · | | -13 | 10 · | | -3 | | | 14 · | | +1 | 4 · | | +1 | As explained before. | +------+-----+------+------+-----+------+------------------------------+
Had the player lost 60 units, he would have re-started the system and played 4, 8, 12, &c.; and if this play showed a net loss of 100 units, 5, 10, 15, &c., {461} would have been staked, and continued with until either the net loss was 150, or the net gain 1 unit, in which case the player would begin all over again with a single unit.
Another style of play is to bet on the prospect of the colour, or even chances, running in a particular way. Some people play for an intermittence of colour, consequently always stake on the opposite colour to that which turned up last. Others play for the run, and so always stake on the colour that last appeared. A very popular wager is to stake on the "_Avant dernièr_," or on the colour that turned up the last time but one. By this means there is only one combination of events by which the player loses, and this is if the colours go two of one kind, followed by two of the other; but the weak point about it is that the player may miss his first stake and his last one, although the series goes in his favour. Yet another common method of staking is to play "the card"--that is, to play in expectation of previous events repeating themselves. Thus if the previous throws have given three Blacks, followed by three Reds, the expectation is if three Blacks immediately occur, that three Reds will also occur.[110] Such theories, of course, have absolutely no scientific basis, and, in the opinion of the writer, are only vexatious and a cause of trouble to the player, who should invariably stake on the chance that is most convenient to where he is sitting. He has an equal chance of winning, and by this means will save himself the trouble of reaching across the table, both to place his stake and to retrieve his winnings.
{462}
There may be, however, some reason in playing for a run on one colour or chance, but _not staking_ until after this colour or chance has appeared. By this means the player, if he plays flat stakes, is square on all runs of two, wins one on all runs of three, two on all runs of four, and so on. He loses one unit on every _intermittence_, but against this he loses nothing at all on all runs of the opposite colour or chance.
Had this method of staking been followed in the example given on p. 460, it will be seen that the player would have won 2 units on Red and 4 units on Black, and the highest stake necessary on any coup would have been 3 units; and had it been adopted in the example given on p. 457, only 70 units would have been lost on the Red side, and the highest stake risked 16; while on the Black, 41 units would have been won, with 9 as the highest stake.
It is advisable, when playing a system, to play on both sides of the table at once. The calculations for both Red and Black are kept, and the differences staked on the Red or Black as the case may be. The writer has actually seen a player stake the full requisite amount demanded by his system on both Red and Black _at the same time_. This of course gives the same net result as staking the difference on one colour, provided zero does not turn up. If it does, however, the player loses one-half of two large stakes in the one case, instead of only one-half of a small stake in the other case.
The advantage of playing a system on both sides of the table at the same time is that double as much can be won with the same capital that is required for playing on one side only. Indeed, slightly less capital is required, for obviously the player must {463} be winning something on one side to go against his loss on the other. The objection, of course, to this dual system of play is, that there is a double chance of striking an adverse run.
While on the subject of where to stake one's money, the reader, if a novice at Monte Carlo, is recommended to hand the amount of his wager to one of the croupiers to place on the table for him. This will ensure both the money being placed exactly as the punter desires, and the receipt of any winnings, without disputes on the part of other players. Unless one's French accent is above reproach, it is advisable to talk English to the croupiers. The writer, wishing to stake on Nos. 3, 12, and 15 on one occasion, handed the _chef-de-partie_ three 5-franc pieces, saying, "_Sur le 3, 12, 15, s'il vous plaît._" After a short conversation on the subject the _chef_ said in perfect English, "If monsieur will please speak English, I will see that his money is correctly staked."
* * * * *
{464}
TRENTE ET QUARANTE.
BY CAPTAIN BROWNING.
TRENTE ET QUARANTE is played with six packs of cards on a table marked out as in the illustration (Fig. 3); this represents one-half of the table, the other half being marked out in an exactly similar manner. There are but four chances--_Rouge_, _Noir_, _Couleur_, and _Inverse_, which are played on in the following manner. The six packs of cards, having been well shuffled, are cut, and so many cards dealt out face upwards in a row until the sum of the pips (Aces, Kings, Queens, Knaves, and tens counting ten each, and the Ace one) _exceeds_ 30 in number. Then a second row is dealt out in a similar manner, below the first one, until the number of the pips in this second row also _exceeds_ 30. The top row is called "Black," the second or underneath row "Red," and the Red or Blacks win according to which row contains the fewer number of pips--_e.g._ whichever row of cards adds up nearest to 30.
The number to which each row adds up is called "the point," and it will be plain that the best point possible is 31, and the worst point possible 40. It is customary, when calling out the "point" of Black and Red to drop the "thirty" and say simply 2 and 6, which would mean that the point of Black amounts to 32, and the point of Red 36, in which case the Black or top row would win. The Black "point" is always called out first.
{465} The other chance, the _Couleur_ and _Inverse_, is decided by the colour of the _first_ card turned up. If the colour of this card corresponds with the colour of the winning row, then _Couleur_ wins; if it is of the opposite colour, then _Inverse_ wins. Thus suppose the top or Black row of cards amounts to 35, and the _first_ card in this row is a _Black_ card, and the Red row amounts to 36, then Black and _Couleur_ would win; had the first card in the Black row been a Red card, then _Inverse_ would have won, being of the opposite colour to the winning row (Black).
The players wishing to back any particular chance place their stakes on that portion of the table reserved for Black, Red, _Couleur_, or _Inverse_, as shown in the illustration (Fig. 3). There are two _chefs-de-parties_ employed to supervise the game, and four croupiers to receive the losing stakes and pay the winning ones, one of the croupiers also being the _tailleur_, or dealer of the cards. The _tailleur_ calls the game by saying, "_Messieurs, faites vos jeux_," when the players stake on the different chances. He then says, "_Les jeux sont fait. Rien ne va plus_," after which no further stakes may be made. He then deals out the cards, and when both rows are complete he calls the result thus, "_Deux, six, Rouge perds et Couleur gagne_," or "_Rouge perds et Couleur_," as the case may be, meaning that the point of Black is 32 and that of Red 36, so that Black and the colour win; or Black wins and the colour loses. It should be noted that the "_tailleur_" never mentions the words "Black" or "_Inverse_," but always says that _Red_ wins or _Red_ loses, and that _the colour_ wins or _the colour_ loses. On the conclusion {466} of each coup both rows of cards are swept into a small basket called the "_talon_," which is let into the centre of the table, and the game begins again. When the six packs of cards are exhausted, the "_tailleur_" says, "_Monsieur, les cartes passent_," when all the cards are collected out of the _talons_, re-shuffled and cut, and a fresh deal is started.
All four chances--Red, Black, _Couleur_, and _Inverse_--are of course even chances, and are paid as such by the Bank; but should the total (or point) of both rows of cards be exactly 31 each, the same procedure occurs as upon the appearance of the zero at Roulette--that is to say, the stakes are put _en prison_; then another deal is made, and those stakes which are on the winning chances are allowed to be withdrawn by the players. Or, as at Roulette, the stakes, at the players' option, may be halved with the Banker in the first instance.