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The Gaming Table-Vol.2-Part31_Andrew Steinmetz(1816-1877)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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and taking of the odds caused by the relative proportions of the

main and the chance. These, as has been said, are calculated



with mathematical nicety, are proclaimed by the groom-porter, and

are never varied. In the above instance, as the caster stands to



win with 5 and to lose with 7, the odds are declared to be 3 to 2

against him, inasmuch as there are three ways of throwing 7, and



only two of throwing 5. As soon as the odds are declared, the

caster may increase his stake by any sum he wishes, and the other



players may cover it by putting down (in this instance)

two-thirds of the amount, the masse, or entire sum, to await the



turning up of either main or chance. If a player "throws out"

three times in succession, the box passes to the next person on



his left, who at once takes up the play. He may, however, "throw

in" without interruption, and if he can do so some half-dozen



times and back his luck, the gains will be enormous.

'The choice of a main is quite optional: many prefer 7 because



they may make a coup at once by throwing that number or by

throwing 11, which is a "nick" to 7, but to 7 only. Shrewd



players, however, prefer some other main, with the view of having

a more favourable chance to depend upon of winning both stake and



odds. For example, let us reverse what was mentioned above, and

suppose the caster to call 5 and throw 7; he then will have 7 as



his chance to win with odds of 3 to 2 IN HIS FAVOUR.

'Such is the game of English Hazard, at which large fortunes have



been won and lost. It is exceedingly simple, and at times can

become painfully interesting. Cheating is impossible, unless



with loaded dice, which have been used and detected by their

splitting in two, but never, perhaps, unless at some disreputable



silver hell. The mode of remunerating the owner of the rooms was

a popular one. The loser never paid, and the winner only when he



succeeded in throwing three mains in succession; and even then

the "box fee," as it was called, was limited to 5s.--a mere



trifle from what he must have gained. In French Hazard a bank is

constituted at a board of green cloth, and the proceedings are



carried on in a more subdued and regular mode than is the case in

the rough-and-ready English game. Every stake that is "set" is



covered by the bank, so that the player runs no risk of losing a

large amount, when, if successful, he may win but a trifling one;



but en revanche, the scale of odds is so altered as to put the

double zero of roulette and the "aprez" of Rouge et Noir to the



blush, and to operate most predjudicially to the player. In no

case is an equal rate of odds between main and chance laid by the



French "banquier," as is insisted on by the English groomporter;

while again "direct nicks" alone are recognized by the former.



Very extraordinary runs of luck have occurred at Hazard, one

player sometimes throwing five, seven, and even eleven mains in a



single hand. In such cases as these the peculiar feature in the

French game becomes valuable, the bank being prepared to pay all



winnings, while, generally speaking, a hand of six or seven mains

at English Hazard would exhaust all the funds of the players, and



leave the caster in the position of "setting the table" and

finding the stakes totally unnoticed or only partially covered.



'In addition to the fixed rules of English Hazard, there are

several regulations which require to be observed. The round



table on which it is played has a deeply bevelled edge, which is

intended to prevent the dice from landing on the floor, which



would be no throw. Again, if either die after having left the

box should strike any object on the table (such as a man's elbow



or stick) except MONEY, it would be called no throw. Again, each

player has the privilege of "calling dice," even when the dice



are in transitu, which, if done, renders the throw void, and

causes another set to be handed to the caster by the groom-



porter. Many a lucky coup has become manque by some captious

player exercising this privilege, and many an angry rencontre has



ensued between the officious meddler and the disappointed caster,

who finds that he has nicked his main to no advantage. Sometimes



one die remains in the box after the other has been landed; then

the caster may either throw it quickly, or may tantalize those



interested in the event by gently coaxing it from the bow. If

one die lands on the top of another, it is removed by the



groom-porter and declared a throw.

'Some thirty years ago English Hazard was a favourite game in



Ireland, and Dublin could boast of three or four hells doing a

brisk trade. The most frequented and longest established was



called "The Coal Hole," being situated on the coal quay. Here,

at any hour after midnight, a motley company might be seen, each



individual, however, well known to the porter, who jealously

scanned his features before drawing back the noiseless bolts






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