Newspaper Page Text
GAMBLING ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU
You Get the Short End When You Woo Lady Luck, Whether You Play
Poker, Bridge, Roulette, Dice or Horses.
EADS or tails, what’ll you take?” There can’t be a
man or woman in America who hasn’t been asked
that question at least once. And there are mighty
“H
few who will refuse to choose one or the other, in an attempt to
decide whether to go to the movies or the dance, or to determine
who gets the extra pork chop on the platter.
It’s probably the simplest mani
festation of the inclination to gam
ble that seems to be born in most
of us. The toss of a coin looks
fair enough, but even on a “fifty
fifty” break such as that you can’t
be sure that in a given number of
tosses, say 100, half the tosses will
be “heads” and half “tails.”
In all games of chance the prob
ability of winning is against the
player, even if he can be sure the
game is “on the level.” Yet man
has gambled from time immemo
rial. It makes little difference wheth
er his purpose was to relieve the
monotony of everyday existence or
to get something for nothing; he has
always been willing to take a
chance.
Gambling was popular, even fa
mous, in ancient Babylonia, China
and India many centuries before
the birth of Christ. History tells us
many tales of games of chance
among the Greeks and Romans.
Germans gambled in the first cen
tury of the Christian era.
Monte Carlo “Wide Open.”
Hundreds of years ago gambling
was recognized as a menace to so
ciety. In England the first law
against it was enacted in 1661. In
1698 lotteries were made illegal;
gambling was further curtailed by
acts of Parliament in 1845, 1853 and
1906. In 1838 France suppressed
gaming tables, and in 1872 Germany
closed gambling resorts, even the
world-famed ones at Baden-Baden
and Hamburg. Belgium clamped
down on gambling in 1902, and to
day the only spot in Europe where
the resorts “run wide open” is at
Monte Carlo, in the tiny principality
of Monaco.
Roulette wheels, gaming houses,
faro, “policy”'rackets, bookmaking
lotteries and wheels of fortune are
pretty generally forbidden in civil
ized countries today. The laws of
the different countries vary, how
ever, as do even the laws among
the states of the United States.
Inside or outside the law, gam
bling flourishes in every section of
the country. Thousands upon thou
sands daily visit the race tracks.
Throngs invest in tickets on the
Irish sweepstakes. Crap games are
going on in big city alleys and in
the back rooms of stores. Apart
ment kitchens have their Saturday
night poker parties. Ladies gamble
at bridge in the afternoon.
Outside the Law.
It is impossible to say exactly or
even approximately, how big the
gambling industry is in the United
States, for most of it is conducted
outside the law, just as saloons were
conducted during the prohibition
era. But a few representative fig
ures are at hand to show that the
total must be an enormous one.
In the twenty-two states where
THE illustration shows the outfit
an you receive it and to operate
the humidor, it it supplied with
chains at each end, which allow it
to hang in full view of customerr
in the cigar case. The batteries are
concealed in any convenient loca
tion. Connections between batteries
and humidor cannot be teen when
installed according to simple in
structions that accompany each or
der A space eight Inches square
at each end is under the operator's
control. In appearance this magnet
frcsemblex any ordinary cigar coun
ter humidor.
No. 622. Humidor Counter Mag
* net. with switch. 4 Hot Shots. 30
feet of connecting wire, instruc
» lions and 5 White Dice, Com
plete .............$50.00
This page from a catalog of a manufacturer of gambling parapher
nalia illustrates one of the reasons why the odds are against you.
betting on the races is conducted
with the use of pari-mutuel ma
chines there has been $224,000,000
wagered in a single year; this does
not include the five tracks in New
York state, where the “take” is
enormous.
Four Irish Sweepstakes drew
about $19,500,000 in American mon
ey, for which the Yanks received
in return some $11,500,000 in prize
money. In England the wagering
on sweepstakes, horses, greyhounds,
pools and the like totals more than
$25,000,000 a year; Scotland Yard
and the British Home Office are
helping the churches to fight them.
Types of Gamblers.
Probably the most wide-open town
in the United States is Reno, Ne
vada, where state, city and county
realize a sizable revenue in taxes
upon the gambling houses. The lat
ter live off the idle hours and loose
purses of the hundreds who come
to Reno to live for a few weeks that
they may obtain divorces; most of
such persons are pretty well to do,
and fond of gambling.
All banking games—faro, roulette,
etc. —are taxed $165 a quarter in
By WILLIAM C. UTLEY
Nevada; slot machines, no matter
whether they operate on pennies,
nickels, dimes, quarters or half-dol
lars, are licensed for S3O a quarter.
Last year Reno gambling houses
paid taxes of $94,245.12. Os this the
city received $38,424.08, the state
and county $52,232.76, and the mu
nicipality of Sparks, three miles dis
tant, $3,588.30.
Gamblers fall into three main
types. There is, first of all, the
1. w JMI gpßi * FFfe
superstitious gambler. He believes
implicitly that Luck is a sort of
supernatural power, a god that can
decide his fate. He woos luck by
talking to his dice, or by carrying
a rabbit’s foot in his pocket. He
seldom thinks about the mathemat
ical possibilities of winning or los
ing; if he wins, Lady Luck is with
him; if he loses, he is suffering a
“jinx.”
Another type is the seeker after
thrills. Usually this is a person of
some means. It is largely this type
which frequents the fashionable
gambling houses of Palm Beach, or
those in the large cities where the
turnover may be half a million
dollars a week for a single “club.”
Craps Not Fair.
The third classification embraces
the professionals. They make their
living at gambling, and they know
the ropes. Usually they are figures
on the fringe of the underworld, and
not infrequently they become mixed
up in scrapes which have only a
minor relation to their gambling ac
tivities. The professional, more like
ly than not, is fully capable of cheat
ing with marked cards, loaded dice
and other implements beyond the
pale, and will do so if he thinks
HUMIDOR COUNTER MAGNET
l lamriWiMwii Inr HII liMiiO™ / \
he can get away with it. He sel
dom dies a natural death.
Whatever class to which a gam
bler belongs, he will sooner or later
make a bad risk in the anticipation
of feeling the emotional stimulation
of seeing a “long shot” come in.
He knows there is such a thing as
“loaded” dice, but thinks he is too
smart to be fooled with them. What
he forgets is that dice are mathe
matically loaded against him, even
if they are perfect dice.
Prof. John Von Neumann, mathe
matician of the Institute for Ad
vanced Study at Princeton, warns
students in his lectures that it is
impossible to win over a long period
in a crap game. The magic “seven
eleven” combination is by far the
most frequent throw, he says, but
if it doesn’t turn up on the first cast
the chances are reversed. “That
leaves a .490 winning average, so
the game is not fair,” he explains.
In dice explicit hazards are in
troduced by the rules. Seven can
be thrown in six ways and 11 in
two, while 2, 3 and 12 result from
only one or two combinations. The
conditions are favorable to win on
A Reno Gambling House Going Full Swing.
THE SUMMERVILLE NEWS, THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1937
the first throw. But if “seven-elev
en” is missed, repetition of the first
throw is unlikely, and the seven is
now working against the player and
the net effect is against him.
Even chess, generally accepted as
the most intellectual of all games,
depends upon chance, says Prof.
Von Neumann. He points out that
"white,” which has the first move,
can always win, although if “black”
is wise to the theory, he can play
defensively and tie “white.”
In poker the chances are one in
300,000 to obtain any certain com
bination of five cards. Chance is
also introduced in this type of game
by the action of the opponent, and
intellectual reasoning is sometimes
needed. There is little chance of
improving the original hand in pok
er, so the most logical places for
the exercise of skill are in making
the discards, and in deciding wheth
er or not opponents are “bluffing”
in their bets.
Poker and Bridge Chances.
Here are some of the most sougnt
after hands in poker, and the pos
sibilities of their being obtained.
One pair 1-1
Two pairs 1-21
Three of a kind 1-47
Flush 1-509
Full house 1-694
Four of a kind 1-4,16 M
Straight flush 1-72,193
Royal flush 1-649,739
In a game of bridge there are
635,013,559,600 possible combina
tions of hands. You have four
chances out of that many of getting
a “perfect” hand—thirteen of one
suit. Here are the chances on some
other distributions:
12-1 2,028 hands
11-2 73,008 hands
11-1-1 158,184 hands
After your cards have been ob
tained there is still the element of
chance that those your partner
holds will not “go well” with them.
In gambling houses it is healthy
to remember that the odds are al
ways in favor of the house. If it
were not they could not afford to
stay in business very long. As it
is, they make a profit and pay enor
mous taxes or, if they are operat
ing illegally, they are forced to
“kick in” handsomely to the “syn
dicate” or gang which usually op
erates them as units in a chain, or
to politicians and police for “pro
tection.”
Roulette furnishes a good example
of the manner in which the bank
always enjoys an advantage over
the player. Suppose a wager is
made on any part of the board, ex
cept on a given number, and the
zero appears. The player is re
quired to give up half his stake or
let the wager stand for the next
play. The zero pays everything for
the house at Monte Carlo, if all the
wheels are in operation.
4,000,000 Sweepstakes Tickets.
Authorities consider lotteries or
sweepstakes, if they are conducted
honestly, as the fairest of all forms
of gambling. The losing player need
part with no more than the original
sum he invested. But the chances
of winning are mighty slim, because
there are usually millions of tickets
sold in the big lotteries.
In the Irish Sweepstakes, for in
stance, more than 4,000,000 tickets
are usually sold. For each ticket
held, the purchaser has one chance
in 133,333 to win one of the grand
prizes—$150,000, $75,000, or $50,000;
one chance in 6,667 to win a sec
ondary prize of $3,500, and one
chance in 4,000 to win a small prize
of SSOO.
The most vicious of all gambling
rackets is the “numbers” game
which flourishes in many of the big
cities, despite the honest efforts of
the law to stamp it out. In some
of these games the chance of win
ning is as small as one in 1 billion.
Slot machines may actually be set
so that the house takes in 80 per
cent of all the money played, and
they frequently are. Few slot ma
chines pay the house as little as 60
per cent.
In addition, the games in gam
bling houses are not always honest,
as has been proved in raid after
raid. It’s well to keep in mind that
the gambler’s rule since gambling
was invented has been: “Never give
a sucker an even break.”
© Western Newspaper Union.
Bibb County commissioners recent
ly voted to appropriate $411,459.08
for support of the county public
schools during the coming year.
Earl E. Farley, of Brunswick, was
re-elected grand chancellor of the
Knights of Pythias of Georgia in
convention at Brunswick recently.
The State Hospital for the Insane
at Milledgeville will begin operations
July 1 on an annual budget more
than $500,000 greater than last year.
The Colbert Board of Education
has elected Professor James K.
Brookshire superintendent of the
Colbert High School for the 1937-38
school year.
The Georgia Cotton Ginners’ Asso
ciation directors, meeting at Macon
recently, voted to hold the next an
nual convention in Atlanta on the
15th of June.
A meeting of the eleven national
forest supervisors in the southern
region of the United States Forest
Service was held at Atlanta for the
week of May 24-29.
Mrs. Effie Chapman, of Ludowici,
was elected grand chief of the Pyth
ian Sisters of Georgia at the conclu
sion of the annual convention held
at Brunswick recently.
The State Department of Educa
tion has called for bids on approx
imately 4,000,000 book covers for the
free school books to be supplied the
public schools of Georgia.
Extensive renovations calling for
the erection of a $2,500 concrete sta
dium for Carrollton’s city ball park
are being planned by the Carrollton
sandlot baseball committee.
Mrs. C. E. Crissey has been elected
president of the newly formed Mail
Carriers’ Auxiliary at Marietta. Mrs.
Hugh Groover is vice president and
Mrs. Paul Jordan, secretary-treas
urer.
Registrar T. W. Reed has an
nounced that approximately 500 can.
didates will be presented for degrees
from the University of Georgia at
the June 15 commencement cere
mony.
Adjutant General John E. Stod
dard has announced the assignment
of the 3,400 men and 169 offi
cers of the Georgia National Guard
to summer military camps for field
■training.
The Macon Democratic Executive
Committee has set the city primary
for July 9. Mayor C. Glen Toole
has announced for re-election, while
Charles L. Bowden heads an oppos
ing ticket.
The Argonauts, Shorter College
senior honor society, has announced
the election of Caroline Shields, of
Waycross; Ada Beth Jarman, of
Hazlehurst, and Jule Lambert, of
Fort Valley.
Hamilton Rawls, supervisors of
the marketing division of the State
Department of Agriculture, states
that the selling season now closing
was one of the best on record for
Georgia hog producers.
Plans for an $85,000 improvement
program at the State Hospital at
Milledgeville have been announced
by the State Public Welfare Depart
ment. Contracts are expected to be
let within a short time.
Reports of several cases of screw
worm infection in cattle of south
Georgia counties prompted State
Entomologist Manning Yeomans re
cently to issue a warning for proper
precautions against spread of the
disease.
Negotiations to bring the Metro
politan Opera Company to Atlanta
next spring have been started in
New York by Victor Lamar Smith,
Atlanta lawyer, who was elected sec
retary of the grand opera committee
recently.
Preston S. Arkwright was re
elected president of the Georgia
Power Company, and all other of
ficers were re-elected at the
annual meeting of the board of
directors, held recently at the
company’s headquarters in Atlanta.
Dr. Joe P. Bowdoin, of the State
Board of Health, forecasts a new in
dustry for the State in the manu
facture of peanut meal. Dr. Bow
doin describes peanut meal as a
boon to the housewife in her every
day cooking and as a product with
high medicinal possibilities.
The Atlanta Centennial, celebrat
ing the birth of Atlanta from 1837
to the present day, will be the most
outstanding feature at the South
eastern Fair at Lakewood Park, At
lanta, October 7 to 16, with Mike
Benton, president of the Fair As
sociation. Mr. Benton has recently
been named on the New York 1939
World’s Fair Committee.
Miss Sally M. Akin, of Macon,
president of the Georgia Library
Association, told the Citizens’ Li
brary Conference at Vienna recently
that sixty Georgia counties began
“some kind of library service” with
in the past year.
A $252,500 project which will vir
tually* complete paving on a new,
direct route between Macon and Co
lumbus was included recently in a
list of road work costing $828,000,
to be let by the State Highway De
partment June 4. The project is
12.4G5 miles of double surface treat
ment from Talbotton to the Taylor
Connty line.
Dressed for the Occasion
1270
r M H../1 I I\\ I I* oo \ /
Pt Lt \M Jw&uZ-'
IMi B
R SO
f » lj m &
“H
[I THERE, Mrs. Astorbilt,
I where are you going in that
lovely summer gown?”
“Not very far, Miss Junior Deb,
just down to the store to buy ma
terial for a play suit like yours.”
“Well, Ma-mah, if you must copy
my style, you couldn’t find a bet
ter model because these shorts
really fit, and the whole thing is
a tailored job.”
A Stylist Speaks.
“May I as Susie Sew-Your-Own
interrupt you two with the latest
word'from my class in dress de
sign? You, Sis, are a pre-vue
of Miss America in proper sports
wear while Ma-mah is modern to
the minute with her raised waist
line and fulled bodice. I, in this
morning frock, have what the
book calls classic simplicity. Be
that as it may, I couldn’t get
along without it, because it’s so
cool and comfortable.”
Everybody’s Happy.
“Thanks for the approval, Su
sie. Your clever dress would be
a bright spot in anybody’s kitchen,
and now that you’ve got the swing
of this sewing business there will
be no stopping you. But even so, I
must admit I’m a proud mother.
You can go just as far as you
like with this new hobby.”
“Gee, Ma-mah, isn’t it swell to
be on such friendly terms with
Fashion? I think good old Sew-
Your-Own deserves most of the
*****
4 $ fart
/Jg! \
DOUBLE-FRUIT
SHORTCAKE
Mrs. L. A. Norwood, Chase City, Va.
Mix and sift 2 cups flour, 4 tsps,
baking powder, % tsp. salt, 1 tbsp,
sugar together. Cut in % cup Jewel
Special-Blend Shortening. Add 1
egg, beaten, and J 4 cup milk and
mix until soft dough is formed. Bake
in hot oven (450°F.) in two layers.
Fill and top with 3 cups strawber
ries, 1 cup crushed pineapple (or
sliced bananas), 1 cup sugar. Top
with whipped cream. Adv.
UnteLe WuL
Beyond Their Power—
Our ancestors wrote wise rules
for posterity, but could not pro
vide a posterity wise enough to
heed them.
A beautiful theory in govern
ment goes down before the onset
of human nature. Study men first,
then make the laws for them.
Good society generally is good.
Don’t let the sneering outsiders
fool you.
In the School of Experience—
Every day is the pupil of the
day that has gone before Tt.
Some people we like, some we
don’t; but the most joyous tri
umph in life is to find that we like
those we thought we didn’t.
Any friend of yours “who is
worth his weight in gold,” as you
express it, is worth more than
that.
credit for arranging the introduc
tion. Spring means so much more
when one’s clothes look the part.”
“You’re quite right, dear, but
now let’s run along. We have work
to do.”
The Patterns.
Pattern 1270 comes in sizes 14
to 20 (32 to 42 bust.) Size 16 re
quires 5% yards of 39 inch ma
terial.
Pattern 1272 is designed for
sizes 14 to 20 (32 to 42 bust). Size
16 requires 4% yards of 39 inch
material. 2% yards of ribbon are
required for the tie belt.
Pattern 1304 is for sizes 34 to
46. Size 36 requires 3% yards of
35 inch material plus Nz yard con
trasting.
Send your order to The Sewing
Circle Pattern Dept., Room 1020,
211 W. Wacker Dr., Chicago, 111.
Price of patterns, 15 cents (in
coins) each.
© Bell Syndicate.—WNU Service.
fl fl FOR CUTS APk
MorolineO
SNOW WHITE PETROLEUM JELLY
The Best Serves
Choose that which is best and
custom will make it most agree
able.—Scott.
Constipated
30 Veal's
"For thirty years I had stubborn
constipation. Sometimes I did not go
for four or five days. I also had awful
gas bloating, headaches and pains in
the back. Adlerika helped right awa>.
Now I eat sausage, bananas, pie, any
thing I want and never felt better. I
sleep soundly all night and enjoy life.’
—Mrs. Mabel Schott.
If you are suffering from constipation,
sleeplessness, sour stomach, and gas
bloating, there is quick relief for you
in Adlerika. Many report action In
thirty minutes after taking Just one
dose. Adlerika gives complete action,
cleaning your bowel tract where ordi-.
nary laxatives do not even reach.
Dr. IT. L. Shoub. Tiew York, reporter
"In addition to intestinal cleansing, Adlerika
checks the growth vj intestinal bacteria and
colon bacilli.**
Give your bowels a real cleansing
with Adlerika and see how good you
feel. Just one spoonful relieves GAS
and stubborn constipation. At all
Leading Druggists.
Heart’s Silence
Not all the lip can speak i»
worth the silence of the heart.—
Adams.
for WOMEN only
CARDUI Is a special medicine for
the relief of some of the suffering
which results from a woman’s weak
ened condition. It has been found
to make monthly periods less dis
agreeable, and, when its use has been
kept up awhile, has helped many,
poorly nourished women to get more
strength from their food. This medi
cine (pronounced “Card-u-i”) has
been used and recommended .by
women for many, many years. Find
out whether it will help you by
giving it a fair trial. Os course, if
not benefited, consult a physician.
THE CHEERFUL CHERUB
I htd good times
when I Wfc.s smfc.ll.
I like the child I
used to be..
Im sorry yea.r3
keep pilintf up
And .
seps-rfcting ( \
him from
me,. /j J
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