Cheats at play.

Hedge. To secure a bet by betting on the other side.

High Jinks. A gambler who drinks to intoxicate his Pigeon.

Hunting. Drawing in the unwary.

Main. Any number on the dice from five to nine.

Paum. To hide a card or die.

Pigeons. Dupes of sharpers at play.

Vincent's Law. The art of cheating at cards, by the banker, who plays
booty, Gripe, who bets, and the Vincent, who is cheated. The gain is
called termage.

Vowel. To give an I. O. U. in payment.

Up-hills. False dice which run high.

SPECIMEN OF A QUASI GAMING HOUSE CIRCULAR.

'SIR,--I hope you will join with the rest of the parishioners in
recommending what friends you can to my shops. They shall have good
candles and fair play. Sir, we are a not gang of swindlers,

Like other Gaming Houses,
We are men of character.
Our Party is,
Tom Carlos--alias Pistol,
Ned Mogg,--from Charing Cross,
Union Clarke, ------------

{The best in the world at
A Frenchman,{
{sleight of hand.
My poor Brother,
and
Melting Billy,
Your humble Servant.
To the Church-Wardens, Overseers, and each
respectable inhabitant in the Parish.'

A card was enclosed, as follows:--
'****
Gaming House Keeper,
and **** **** to
The Honourable House of Commons
No. 7 and 8 **** St, St James's.'

This circular was sent to Stockdale, the publisher, in 1820, who
published it with the names in asterisks suppressed. It was evidently
intended to expose some doings in high places.

CHAPTER VIII. THE DOCTRINE OF PROBABILITIES APPLIED TO GAMBLING.

A distinction must be made between games of skill and games of chance.
The former require application, attention, and a certain degree of
ability to insure success in them; while the latter are devoid of all
that is rational, and are equally within the reach of the highest and
lowest capacity. To be successful in throwing the dice is one of the
most fickle achievements of fickle fortune; and therefore the principal
game played with them is very properly and emphatically called 'Hazard.'
It requires, indeed, some exertion of the mental powers, of memory, at
least, and a turn for such diversions, to play well many game