FROM SODA TO HOCK
A Discourse on The Game of Faro, as
Played in The Wild West
The
first card out of a faro box was called the “soda” and did not count in the
betting. The last card in the deck, the “hock,” was also dead. Thus derived the
expression, “from soda to hock,” meaning from beginning to end, one of many
idiomatic terms that came into the language from the frontier’s most popular
game (from The Knights Of The Green Cloth by DeArment).
In
preparation for the writing of my book, Divine
Gamble, due to be released later this year, I did an in-depth study of the
game of Faro (also spelled pharo). Dealing faro, you see, was how my heroine,
Maisy Jessup, earned her living.
Between
1850 and 1910, the stereotypical frontier gambler was found in every mining
camp, railhead, cattletown, and army post, plus a few places in between. Hiding
his thoughts and emotions took no effort for this man, for he naturally avoided
letting anyone too close; they might discover his secrets. His eyes flick over
every surface, every face, while his brain calculates the possible opportunities
to be had on site. His ear takes in everyclink of a coin, every whisper of
pastebacks being shuffled. No weapons are visible on his person. Gems flash
from rings and stickpins. He appears amiable, but don’t be fooled; he can be
ruthless to a fault.
Seeing
a game starting up at a back table whose occupants wear fine broadcloth suits,
gold watch chains and polished shoes, he saunters over, and takes a seat. They’re
playing faro, a game that gave the player fair odds at winning, until late in
the century when sharps figured out how to cheat. Our gambler figures to pass
the time and earn the confidence of the other men at the same time, before he
invites them later to a friendly game of brag (a 3-card game that evolved into
5-card draw poker), the game he found most profitable.
Layout & positions of dealer & players |
“Place
your bets, gentlemen,” the dealer calls out.
Each
player lays a “chip” which he has “bought” from the banker, on whatever painted
card on the cloth layout he believes will win. When they finish, the dealer
announces “Bets are in. Play begins,” and draws the top card (the soda card) off
of the deck, laying it aside. Groans and pleased chuckles sound about the table
upon seeing the now exposed second card. The banker claims lost chips and pays
out on winning ones. You see, the players who bet upon the card in the layout
which corresponds in value to the card now visible in the dealing-box have won.
Those who did not bet on that card lost.
From
the top card downwards, the cards alternately win for the players and the bank/dealer.
The second card, then, after the soda card is drawn, wins for the players. On
the next round, players bet on which card with lose, rather than win, and so
on. The banker keeps track of what cards have been played on the case counter.
And so the game goes. As you can see, the bank has little edge. Gradually,
after cheating began and regulators moved in, the game went out of favor and
faded into history. But until then the game of faro was THE game to play and a
rowdy good time was had by all at the tables.
Most
sources say an early version of faro was first introduced in the Americas
around 1717 in what would later become New Orleans by a Scotsman. But its roots
date back to the game of landsquenet, played by Teutonic foot soldiers in the
1400s. In 1861 it was called Basset.
Faro
was also called “bucking the tiger” because of the drawing of a Bengal tiger on
the backs of early cards. “Twisting the tiger’s tail” was another of the game’s
euphemisms. Alleys, streets and districts containing numerous gambling parlors
were often referred to as “tiger alley” or “tiger town.” A drawing of a tiger
usually decorated the outer wall of a gambling hall so illiterate miners and
other laborers would know the game was available inside.
Why
is it that poker is always considered the official game of the Old West?
Movies. Dime Novels. Poor research. Draw poker or “Bluff poker” as it was
called then, was actually a rarity on the frontier until the late 1870’s. Even
after that, each saloon featured at least one faro bank, especially during the gold
rush. An 1882 New York Police Gazette study estimated that more money was
wagered on faro in the U.S. each year than all other forms of gambling,
including sport wagering. Photos or paintings showing people playing poker
prior to 1870, are actually displaying brag.
By the way, although movies like Tombstone were correct in showing faro being played, they had the layout wrong and made other errors as well.
Charlene first serious writing attempt came in 1980 when she awoke one morning from an unusually vivid and compelling dream. Deciding that dream needed to be made into a book, she dug out an old portable typewriter and went to work. That book never sold, but her second one, Tender Touch, became a Golden Heart finalist and earned her an agent. Soon after, she signed a three book contract with Kensington Books. Five of Charlene's western historical romances were published between 1994 and 1999: Taming Jenna, Tender Touch (1994 Golden Heart Finalist under the title Brianna), Forever Mine (1996 Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Award Nominee and Affaire de Coeur Reader/Writer Poll finalist), To Have and To Hold Affaire de Coeur Reader/Writer Poll finalist); and writing as Rachel Summers, The Scent of Roses. Forever Mine, Tender Touch, To Have and To Hold and The Scent of Roses are available as eBooks.
By the way, although movies like Tombstone were correct in showing faro being played, they had the layout wrong and made other errors as well.
Charlene first serious writing attempt came in 1980 when she awoke one morning from an unusually vivid and compelling dream. Deciding that dream needed to be made into a book, she dug out an old portable typewriter and went to work. That book never sold, but her second one, Tender Touch, became a Golden Heart finalist and earned her an agent. Soon after, she signed a three book contract with Kensington Books. Five of Charlene's western historical romances were published between 1994 and 1999: Taming Jenna, Tender Touch (1994 Golden Heart Finalist under the title Brianna), Forever Mine (1996 Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Award Nominee and Affaire de Coeur Reader/Writer Poll finalist), To Have and To Hold Affaire de Coeur Reader/Writer Poll finalist); and writing as Rachel Summers, The Scent of Roses. Forever Mine, Tender Touch, To Have and To Hold and The Scent of Roses are available as eBooks.
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7 comments:
Next time I see you, Charlene, you'll have to teach me how to play. I'll expect a silk lined velvet car bag and a set of authentic cards ;-)
Sure, Kem. You bet.
Thanks, Charlene. I never understood Faro.
Clearly there's more to the game than I imagined. We have friends that love to gamble and my sister-in-law is a floor manager for a casino, but I've never had the desire to go and play. I suspect because if I did, I'd enjoy it too much. Maybe I'll have to try it just for the sake of research.
Ciara, thanks for stopping in. You won't find faro at your sister-in-law's casino. At least I doubt you would.Thanks for the visit.
Charlene, very interesting and valuable info about faro. I had no idea how the game was played, though I've often heard of it and even mentioned it in one of my westerns. Thanks for explaining how it works.
Great post, Charlene! I still had my hero playing poker, just for fun with friends or strangers. But I'm sure Faro was the game of choice in saloons. Thanks for explaining it!
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