Light Come, Light Go: Gambling—Gamesters—Wagers—The Turf

So great was the mania for wagers at this epoch, that even the clergy were affected by the prevailing craze. A young divine, in the vicinity of Edinburgh, declared himself ready...

A remarkable exemplification of this occurred in Australia not so many years ago, when what was probably the biggest stake ever played for was lost and won. A curious feature of...

The seconds, on hearing this, agreed that they should not take aim, but fire by signal, which was done. The Colonel missed, but Hawke's shot took effect, by passing round the ri...

Almost the last of the few survivors of this expedition also described to the present writer the marvellous alteration which he found on his next visit to the Principality some...

The _viatique_, or sum of money doled out to unsuccessful gamblers by the Casino, consists of the price of a second-class ticket to the applicant's home, together with some smal...

Though a hospitable man of a certain genial humour, O'Kelly was not very open-handed to dependents. In spite of his affluence he was even mean enough to keep jockeys of the poor...

The first of these tragedies took place on New Year's Day of 1755. Lord Montfort's death and the circumstances of it attracted great attention. He was considered one of the shre...

This animal, whose wonderful powers as a racer have won him unparalleled fame, was got by Marske (a son of Squirt) out of Spiletta, a bay mare foaled in 1749 by Regulus, a son o...

In 1809 a very extraordinary wager was decided upon the road between Cambridge and Huntingdon. A gentleman of the former place had betted a considerable sum of money that he wou...

At one time, the parish officers of St. Ann's, Soho, set up a number of lanterns and boards with the words "_Beware of bad houses_" painted upon them, for the purpose of ridding...

Though a most unsuccessful gambler. Fox played whist and piquet exceedingly well, it being generally agreed at Brooks's that he might have made about four thousand a year at the...

Occasionally men of this stamp have been known to have accumulated a fortune, more often a respectable competency, at play. If they had been interrogated as to the exact means b...

An especial reason for the influence enjoyed by Mordaunt over the Nawab was the latter's intimate knowledge of everything connected with the branch of barbarity known as cock-fi...

At the time when the real Athenæum in Pall Mall was being established there was a swindler upon the town named William Earl. Although the son of a respectable bookseller, who fo...

The charge against the defendants was that they were concerned in keeping a common gaming-house, and permitting a game of chance to be played called "baccarat." For the prosecut...

The Councillor was married to a lady of excellent family, who, owing to mental trouble, lived in seclusion. This, however, did not trouble him much, for he took care to make up...

Old Nick also had a considerable interest in a number of lottery insurance offices, lent money, and gambled himself when able to get in contact with any unplucked pigeon. Having...

The players assembled round a circular table, a space being reserved for the "groom-porter" (the term applied to the croupier), who occupied a somewhat elevated position, and wh...

At No. 73 was the restaurant Venua, where the Girondins used to dine at ten francs a head. Robespierre also used to frequent its gaily-decorated saloons, and men alive in the mi...

Some years ago, being on his way to the Principality, he was much struck by the curiously persistent way in which the number 13 confronted him throughout the journey. His room a...

12 Dealers, at 300 francs a month 3,600 12 Inspectors, at 120 " " 1,440 10 Aids, at 100 " " 1,000 6 Chefs de Partie at the principal houses, at 700 francs a month 4,200 3 Chefs...

The Court ladies never left Law alone. One morning, when he was surrounded by a body of _grandes dames_, he was going to retire. They inquired the reason, which was of such a ki...

During these last days of play at Homburg a great crowd had been coming in, but still the tables were not inconveniently crowded, and people were able to stake their money with...

In 1856 the French Turf entered upon a new and important era, a promise being obtained from the Government and the municipality of Paris that a race-course should be included in...

As the fateful 1st of January 1873--the day on which all public gaming throughout the German Empire was to cease--approached, there was considerable excitement, not only amongst...

My RELATION connected with a certain WELL-KNOWN STABLE says, "Frank, my boy, get your money on at once; this is another 20 to 1 chance." A GOLD MINE is before us--miss this and...

Cumberland, Duke of, 39, 137; institutes Ascot Meeting, 390; a born gambler, 390; his cruelty, 390; good-natured when racing, 391; a fortunate loss, 391; match with Duke of Graf...

The gambling spirit inborn in mankind--Its various forms in reality identical--Resemblance of gamblers to the alchemists of old--Capriciousness of fortune--Importance of small a...

White's Club, becomes a gambling centre, 104; main supporters of, 105; coat of arms, 106, 107; old betting-book, 107 _et seq._; hazard allowed, but faro barred, 110; gambling gi...