The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims. Volume 2 (of 2)

From the opening

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It may be proper to remark that the above list of officials was only calculated for gambling houses of an inferior order. In these it is evident that the fear of interruption and the necessity for precaution presided over the arrangements. There were others, however, which seemed to defy law, to spurn at justice, and to remain secure, in every way, by the 'respectability' of their frequenters. These were houses supported at an amazing expense--within sight of the palace--which were open every night and all night--where men of the first rank were to be found gambling away immense sums of money, such as no man, whatever his fortune might be, could sustain.

A short sample. Read the whole book

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