How can they be punished for card debt. Games in prison. "Always play for fun"
Nizhny Novgorod operatives detained two extortionists: they demanded that a resident of Gorodets return someone else's gambling debt.
Some time ago, a resident of Gorodets applied to the regional department for combating organized crime with a statement about extortion. He said that two men demand from him no less than half a million rubles.
"They substantiated their claims with card debt, which, according to both of them, is "sacred," Valery Klyuev, an employee of the Information and Public Relations Department of the Main Internal Affairs Directorate for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, told Pravda.Ru.
It is noteworthy that the "debtor" himself did not take any part in the game. In fact, he just happened to be at the wrong time and in the wrong place: he was “sick” at the gaming table for his gambler friend. He completely lost, but he was in no hurry to pay his "debt of honor", setting off on the run.
Then the gamblers took into circulation that same friend from Gorodets. Like, was present at the game - pay.
"They repeatedly came to the victim's home and insistently offered to return the money," Valery Klyuev explained, "they demanded that he write an IOU." In the end, the man realized that he would not be able to cope with extortionists.
When the Nizhny Novgorod police officers got down to business, it turned out that the extortionists had already come into their field of vision: a few years ago they were involved in a similar criminal case. In addition, both are well-known gamblers in the city.
“They were detained after another visit to the victim. A criminal case was initiated under Article 163 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Extortion”, but during interrogations, neither one nor the other admitted his guilt,” our interlocutor added. However, investigators were able to gather enough evidence to file charges. Recall that the punishment prescribed by law for extortion is from three to seven years in prison.
Now the detainees are being checked for involvement in the commission of similar crimes both in Nizhny Novgorod itself and in the region.
A year and a half ago, a group of extortionate gamblers also operated in Lesosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. True, there the 23-year-old victim really lost 500 rubles to them at one time, but for some reason he could not immediately return the money.
The debtor was put on the "counter". The debt grew exponentially. The extortionists beat the young man, for intimidation they took him several times to the cemetery, where they threatened to kill him. The abuse continued for almost three months. The victim turned to the police only after the attackers announced that now his debt is 300 thousand rubles, and demanded that he take a loan for this amount from the bank. All four suspects were detained on the same day. Now they face long prison terms.
Much depends on the character and spirit of the prisoner, his determination and intelligence. Of great importance is support "from the outside", the presence of criminal experience and connections. All this, in general, can be called "authority". We can confidently say: all prisons live according to the same laws, and, without very good reasons, no one oppresses or beats anyone. Battling incidents are very rare and are severely suppressed by the elite of the criminal world.
To each his own, but everyone has the right to live. Cases of direct extortion are almost excluded. But prison is prison. Analogies with army "hazing" are unacceptable!
A special case is card debts. They must be paid on time and on time. The consequences of not paying the debt can make the life of the debtor - the "shoeman" - unbearable. This is a stain and infringement of rights until the end of the term! You need to do everything possible to help your ward close these debts on time and completely, if God forbid this happened!
Special advice for relatives - try to put transmissions on a clear schedule. The prisoner needs to be able to plan his life and requests.
Attorney visits and dates, if permitted, must also follow a strict schedule. So it is easier to live and wait there. The main thing is to correctly assess your strengths and capabilities - it may very well be that this is all for years.
During the investigation and, later, the trial, a lot depends on the tactics you choose to protect the prisoner. Such a decision should be made by you as quickly and accurately as possible - a lot will depend on it, and first of all, of course, the fate of the accused.
First of all - in any case it will not be superfluous - guarantees and petitions from public organizations, references from the place of work and place of residence, if any, are of great importance. If the arrested person has chronic diseases, disability, it is necessary to collect certificates about this. These documents must be with you until they are presented to the investigator, when one is appointed.
Now about lawyers. Well, if you have a family lawyer, or a good friend. As a rule, in our society this is rare. You need to know that according to the Constitution, the accused has the right to a free lawyer. Not necessarily this lawyer will be bad. Meet him, talk. Perhaps his help will be effective. However, when deciding to use the services of such a lawyer, it is imperative to keep in mind that a lawyer who is "serving his duty" in free services, for obvious reasons, prefers his paying clients, and may treat your case more than formally.
There is another danger lurking along this path, namely, lawyers cooperating with the investigation. In this case, his "client" may be in serious danger.
If you have a desire and have the opportunity to hire a lawyer, then, of course, you count on effective assistance and protection of your interests. If you have never experienced such a problem, it is likely that making a decision for you will not be an easy task.
The desire for maximum efficiency at minimum cost is understandable. That is why, before hiring a lawyer, I would recommend that you seek the advice of an experienced lawyer - it is possible that his constant services will not be affordable for you, but in just one consultation he will be able to explain to you the task facing you and the arrested person, to give legal an overview of what happened, to warn against possible misses and errors. You will need this when you manage the activities of a lawyer who directly defends you, will allow you to choose the right lawyer and plan your costs.
It must be remembered that the opinion that you will have at the very beginning of the process after a conversation with an experienced lawyer, whose reputation is a guarantee that his advice is optimal and effective, will protect you from possible mistakes when hiring a lawyer.
It's no secret that sometimes there are unscrupulous lawyers who perfectly understand the state in which you are and your readiness to give everything for the speedy release of your loved one, exclusively and only for nothing confirmed promises, unjustifiably overestimate the cost of their services, demand money at additional costs, often in advance, and then provide poor-quality and unprofessional protection. Sometimes it happens that as a result of their activities they can cause irreparable harm and only worsen the situation of the accused. In other words, not only money can be wasted, but time is irretrievably lost.
Many, unfortunately, have gone through this first hand. We would like to warn you against this. Protecting the arrested person is the task not only of the lawyer, but also of the arrested person. In general, one head is good, but two is better.
Whether the arrest was made correctly and legally;
- whether the sanctions and warrants are properly executed;
Russian prisoners are addicted to card games. They lose everything by becoming slaves.
Torture in colonies is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to the Russian penitentiary system. However, life behind bars does not consist only of violence, even there there is a place for leisure and entertainment. And the most important of them is card games forbidden in prisons. The lack of other activities, excitement and thirst for thrills make the prisoners place bets, but only a few win, most remain in debt. To pay off, the losers sell everything they have in the wild and become slaves to the more fortunate players, who are free to do whatever they want with them. I found out how the world of gambling works behind the prison fence.
"Among inmates, games are encouraged"
Officially, card games are prohibited in the zones: if the cards are found with a prisoner, he is threatened with a punishment cell (SHIZO). However, the prisoners still play cards - for them this is the main, if not the only entertainment. The most popular games since the times of the USSR are 21 (twenty-one, or a point), rams, bura and terts (ters); the features of playing them behind bars have not changed for decades. The interlocutor of Lenta.ru, a former prisoner known in criminal circles as Vaso Sakhalinsky, knows this firsthand; in total, he spent 42 years in prison.
A share of the common fund is deducted from card games in the zone, so they are encouraged among inmates, says Vaso. - Before starting the game, the prisoners set up guards. You need to play quickly, therefore, for example, they don’t play poker in the zone - after all, one game there can last a very long time. The game teaches restraint, accuracy, rigidity, but most [prisoners] do not correspond to these qualities - that's where conflicts occur. People lose as much as they never dreamed of. But the dignity of a man is to be able to pay on time in case of a loss, without offending anyone, proving that in the most difficult situations you know how to get out of the situation.
According to Vaso, often the cards are carried into the colony by its own employees. If a deck (in the jargon “bible” or “mallet”) costs conditionally 100 rubles in the wild, then in the zone it is sold for 500. Previously, prisoners made cards themselves, but today few of them can boast of such skill. Craftsmen are only in those places of deprivation of liberty, where for one reason or another it is almost impossible to carry cards. The former prisoner says that A4 sheets are glued together with bread to the density of cardboard, and then painted.
Everyone is sitting in the zones - there is nothing to do, no one reads books, so the game is the only way to pass the time, - he explains. - For some, cards are also a way to earn money, so many people play.
"Always play for fun"
The gamblers in the zones have watchers over the game: they resolve conflicts and collect a share from the players in the common fund. Previously, it was 10 percent of all bets, today it is 20. According to Vaso Sakhalinsky, in the middle of the 20th century there was no fixed share at all - players gave as much as they saw fit, without going into calculations. But they definitely chipped in: the prisoners understood that from the same common fund they would be helped at a difficult moment, and everything that they had given would eventually be returned to them.
The interlocutor of Lenta.ru managed to play all the popular games behind bars: of course, he lost, but sometimes luck smiled at him. Vaso's biggest win in Soviet times was an impressive amount for those times - four thousand rubles.
In those years, they played for big money, but they always paid off, - he recalls. - Pay off your debt - and wait for [winning] money or invent something to play more. It’s easier with a win: you fill your pockets with money, you don’t lie on them, they leave there [in the zone] faster than in the wild. Everything is for sale, everything is bought. Here he took sweets, cigarettes, cookies - he put them on the common table: whoever needs it, he took it. I won 100 thousand - they are like 10 thousand at large, once - and scattered. The winner could arrange a party only for a small circle. If he decided to put down for all the prisoners, they could consider it a violation and even roll in a new term.
Vaso Sakhalin
Photo: Samara Review
Of course, gambling among inmates is not only cards; they play backgammon, dominoes and even checkers and chess for money. Sometimes in the zones there are baybut (game of dice), prison "goat" (game with a matchbox) and shmen (game for money by the amount of the number on the banknote). However, in terms of popularity, all of them are much inferior to cards.
By and large, it doesn't matter what to play - backgammon, dominoes, chess or cards, - Vaso Sakhalinskiy explains. - They always play for interest - sports, money or betting. After all, you can also play backgammon for money, even for what! What's funny is that the prison administration itself sometimes holds mass competitions in games of dominoes or backgammon - and the prisoners play for fun in front of everyone. And the winners are also given gifts.
Another very popular bet among inmates is for general fun. For example, the loser should sit on the top bunk and yell some nonsense for an hour or sleep sitting up all night. It all depends on the imagination of the players. In the 1930s, the bet “1000 cockroaches” was in vogue in Solovki: the loser must catch 1000 insects and present them to the “calculating commission”. Sometimes the hunt for cockroaches dragged on for a week or even more.
"I play like a goat"
For every lost inmate, repaying a debt is a matter of honor. Those who do not repay their debts receive the shameful title of a swindler. However, according to Vaso Sakhalinsky, many are trying to evade paying the debt and run to the prison administration for help. There they hide the loser - and make him an informer, and the winner is sent to the ShIZO. For such debtors who do not want to pay, there is even a slang term “draft” - the one who “breaks” is transferred from his barrack to another - “red”, where he sits out under the protection of the colony staff. Defectors-snitches are beneficial to jailers, therefore, paradoxically, they also benefit from gambling prohibited in the zones.
It happens that debtors run away and do not pay off, but there is always a chance that such a fugitive can get caught by those to whom he lost, - says Vladimir Pereverzin. - And then they can ask him doubly, because he "broke" - he fled. They won’t kill them, but they will punish them - they will send them to the “cockerel house” [a separate detachment or cell for the lower caste of prisoners].
In the days of the USSR, there was a certain ritual of punishing jugglers - it was called "pay off with red." Six or seven fighters were appointed, who became in a circle. In the center stood the debtor with his arms outstretched at the seams - and he was beaten. He had no right to fight back or defend himself, for this an additional punishment was assigned. If the loss was big, the jersey could have been maimed. In addition to physical punishment, the offender was forcibly inflicted with a tattoo of obscene content or a goat with cards and the inscription "I play like a goat." In the worst case, the infamous tattoo was beaten on the forehead or cheek. Sweatshirts sent to the "cockerel" received tattoos in the form of card suits on the buttocks.
If those who do not return debts are branded with shame in the zones, then cheaters are not punished in any way. On the contrary, the ability to cheat well is considered honorable: if a player cheats well, then he is the best. The cheater caught by the hand simply leaves the game and returns the winnings without any sanctions.
“It all depends on desire and bloodthirstiness”
During his seven-year term, Vladimir Pereverzin has never played cards - he says that he is not gambling. But I managed to study all their ins and outs very well.
Everyone loses - both apartments and themselves lose, - says the former prisoner. - Those who play - they are cunning criminals, they want to breed a person. In general, it is forbidden to play on what the player does not currently have: these rules are set by the overseer of the game. But anything happens. Here a person knows that tomorrow a program will come to him, and he starts playing to it. But tomorrow comes, and quarantine is declared in the zone or some kind of emergency happens - and the person has nothing to pay with. This means that he actually falls into slavery to the one to whom he lost. They can be driven into a debt hole, they can be driven into a "cockerel" - it all depends on the desire and bloodthirstiness of the winner. As a rule, young people are bred this way.
According to Pereverzin, people play in the zones out of boredom and excitement, but gambling makes people greedy and cruel. Sometimes this cruelty goes beyond all bounds. Pereverzin himself did not encounter such cases, but he heard stories from other prisoners about how the losers killed someone in payment of a debt. Such cases could well be in reality, he argues. However, another former prisoner, Pyotr Kuryanov, now an expert of the In Defense of the Rights of Prisoners Foundation, does not agree with him: in his opinion, movies are played for life, and much more mundane things are happening in real zones. In particular, Kuryanov, together with his colleagues, in the course of working on the complaint of the convict, uncovered in the Saratov region a whole mechanism for taking away apartments from prisoners who lost their cards.
A convict arrives in the colony from Moscow, his case turns up with the employees of the operational unit, - explains the interlocutor of Lenta.ru. - They see in the personal file that the prisoner has an apartment, and they pass the data on a suitable "client" to the activists [voluntary assistants to the administration from among the inmates]. They, in turn, begin to process the convict and, under the fear of beatings and placement in the ShIZO, force him to sit down to play - and ultimately lose housing. And then who will figure out why some Vanya designed an apartment for Kolya? There was an apartment - there is no apartment. After all, the subtlety is that in order to issue a power of attorney for the sale of an apartment, a prisoner does not need a notary: the head of the colony acts as a guarantor of the law. So it turns out that a figurehead receives a power of attorney, travels to Moscow and sells real estate, and the administration takes part of the proceeds.
“I lose at cards - you stay on the street”
Kuryanov is sure: gambling in the zone is covered by corrupt jailers. According to him, with the help of well-established “divorce” schemes, the players’ apartments are taken away from them every year.
Cards are played by those who cooperate with the administration, knock and put pressure on other convicts, - says the interlocutor of Lenta.ru. - It is impossible to play in the barracks without the knowledge of the activists. These prisoners, with the approval of the administration, start games - most often for money - and force the losers to pay to online wallets. Part of the winnings goes to the administration. Previously, they set a limit of five thousand rubles: until the prisoner repays this debt, he is not allowed to play again. I heard about losses of 500 thousand rubles, 200 thousand rubles - quite recently. If there is a ceiling, then it is impossible to drive into such debts. If you can still find five thousand rubles for a prisoner - write to your parents, tearfully ask the girl, then not every parent will transfer 200 thousand.
Of course, many first-time prisoners realize that it is better not to mess with gambling. Then they are convinced: they say, we play for nothing, just like that. And then when the newcomers lose, they are made to pay. Arguments in the spirit of “We played for nothing!” do not work. The winner in a controversial situation addresses all bystanders of the game: “Did anyone hear that he [the loser] sat down to play without interest?” Of course, no one heard ... Another popular trick of "divorce": they say to a beginner "we play just like that", only here in the "just" zone - this is the name of the game "21". The only insurance against such schemes is when sitting down to play, announce: “we play without interest”, and be sure to hear the consent of other players.
Back in the mid-90s, unspoken prison laws protected novice prisoners: they were forbidden to play if they had spent less than a year in a colony, three months in prison, or. Today, these rules are not respected. Therefore, on forums for convicts and their relatives, one can often find cries for help. “Please help with advice! A young son in a pre-trial detention center lost a large sum. It's scary to give - they will torment him all the time, it's scary not to give - they threaten. Give me some advice,” writes the mother of one of the losers. From several interlocutors - the same advice: to repay the debt.
Another story is from a resident of the Moscow region. She came to the pre-trial detention center to deliver the parcel to her husband and met the woman in tears. Toy was called by his son and asked to come to her to rewrite the apartment, "otherwise I'll lose at cards - and you'll stay on the street." There are many such frightening stories: only the context changes from year to year, but the essence remains the same.
The game goes on on its own, despite the bans and raids, Vaso Sakhalinskiy concludes. - As they played, so they will play. It is difficult to forbid a man the last outlet in captivity.
Vladimir Sharapov
I will answer this question briefly and clearly. It's good that if without a leg, but he remained alive. The fact that "grandmother's word of mouth" spreads, as if he lost at cards, is something like that ... I can cite a similar situation. I could have lost my leg too. I won't give the number of the colony. I will say that I was on a strict regimen. We sawed a 9-meter sleeper. Imagine what it is. Frozen forest. It just simply had to be thrown from the carriage onto the table. There is a short distance. Just imagine, a 9-meter 20x25 spatula approximately falls on my left leg. I wear shoes in the summer version of the 42nd size, winter - 43rd. And now the 43rd seemed to me the 36th. Maybe someday you will see me in full growth, and how I walk. Then you ask, Khokhol, why are you limping? Then we will return to this topic. When people whistle to you there, they say, the dude lost his leg in cards, remember my story. Next, I broke my leg. Of course, they took me for an x-ray, they said it was a fracture. Wear plaster. I was in plaster for a month. Then they drag me again for an x-ray, they say that it’s wrong with you, convict, it has grown together, let’s break it. Well, of course, and who would not agree to do this in order to walk normally? And I agreed. I got broken again. Put on the plaster again. This is the second time. And again I spent a month in a cast, or rather lay. At the end of the month, they again drag me for an x-ray. And again they say that I have grown together wrong. I sent doctors this time.
He said, as I have grown together, I will walk. I didn't let my leg break again. Maybe someday I will regret it, but I didn’t let it break for the third time, because I stupidly spent two months in bed, and they gave me a month and a half for rehabilitation. I almost forgot how to walk. He moved around the barracks on crutches. The toilet was on the street, I still served time in the forest zone. Gritting his teeth, he walked, of course. On crutches, but walking. Then, after two months of rehabilitation, I walked with a cane for another month. I walked without a cane for two weeks. So, back to the issue of losing a leg in cards. It may be different. Maybe the spatula fell off. Maybe the wood on the table "went". Anything can happen in winter. A table of immense dimensions. A timber truck approaches there, pulls the timber off the timber truck with a winch, tightens it. The sawmill stands sawing, the measurer runs. Maybe this kid who came home without a leg was a saw. Or maybe he was a measurer or a cubature worker. Have you asked yourself this question? And I can tell you that anything can happen in winter, spring and autumn. And just imagine, when the forest is being unloaded and it accidentally touches you, then not a single mother will save you, not a single grandmother will speak.
If you are destined to get hit and break your leg, so be it. Okay, you may not have broken anything, but if you have an idea what bitches come after the forest, then you will understand. You think the forest becomes smooth so quickly, there is not a single knot. There are all kinds of bitches. A knot, he can just stick into the leg, into the muscle. Think you got hurt. I washed the wound and ran on. And there is no thought that a knot can bring an infection. Well, they will hold a person for two or three days on sick leave. Well, I pierced a muscle in my leg, so what. Sit on sick leave, go on to work. He has neither mom nor dad, but he needs to live on something. That's it, the man went, gritting his teeth, to work. He works for a week, on Saturday-Sunday his teammates or cellmates ask him what and how. He replies that everything is fine. Works for another week. But you can imagine what an infection is in a muscle. A person moves, and the infection spreads throughout the body. And that's it, the leg begins to turn black. As a result, he turns to doctors, but it's too late. They say you have gangrene. Here is the result for you. So, less believe any such "fake" information.
(From the work of the criminological office)
The card game is of considerable importance in the thieves' environment in reaching the highest levels of fraudulent qualifications. Skillful and "subtle" theft is far from enough to become a tried and tested "brass" (1), "zhigan" (2). The inability to constantly risk all your money, "rags" or even your life, as well as the infidelity of your thieves' ethics, is a sign of a "cheap person." "Deeply his" (3) rogue always carries a deck of cards and is ready to play anywhere and under any circumstances. Even going "on business", the swindler takes cards with him. Excitement guides all his actions. The cards help the crook pass the time in prison. The habit of constant tension of the entire nervous system, the habit of taking risks makes the monotony of prison life especially difficult. The cards give the crook the necessary, purely physiological sense of risk. Many crooks compare the feeling of playing with the feeling of stealing.
According to one pickpocket, winning is like feeling a thick wallet slip into your hand under the lining of a fraer. In its own way, the figurative language of the punks emphasizes this connection in the characteristic use of gambling terms: “With rams (4), volts (5) are invalid,” says the agent of the criminal investigation department, catching the swindler on the “linden” presented to him (6). In conclusion, the "beaters" (7) replace the "crowbar" (8), and no tricks can drive them out of there.
In correctional houses with a more or less free regime, the punks are usually located in groups - everyone from the same street or from the same district sits together. Inside the chamber - everything is common, and the chamber plays with the chamber.
Now clothes are hanging in the cell, packages are lying, and in half an hour there is nothing but the bare necessities. Good players in the cell honor. A "playing" person will never be hungry in prison.
It won't be a matter of buying cards. The main difficulty lies in paper, but if there is a library in the prison or some red corners with newspapers and magazines, then there is no difficulty.
The paper is glued together in several layers with bread glue (the bread is doused with boiling water, and the squeezed liquid is glued). The glued sheets are cut and transferred onto them - the drawings are “erased” through stencils. Stencils are ordinary sheets of paper on which glasses are cut in the shape of the desired suit with a sharp knife or razor.
The paint is soap, slightly diluted on a chemical pencil, soot or ink. The red suit is distinguished by the outlines of points. Pieces are created by combinations of points. Some decks are made very diligently and are no longer issued to the administration. There are decks on which aces are depicted by combinations of a star, sickle and hammer, jacks - by the Red Army, etc. In such cases, there are always several decks that are specially held for distribution. The main centers of card games in Solovki are common companies. They play on the bunks and under the bunks. Usually a circle of spectators immediately gathers around the players. At a certain distance, the cells become "zinc" at the door, they warn of the approach of "Cossacks" (platoon commanders, companies, etc.).
A local poet from “his own” depicts a card game as follows:
After breakfast they play
Casino reopened
Players are everywhere
There are plenty of players everywhere.
He hid behind the stove
And puffs like a locomotive
And the other one huddled in the corner,
Clearly throws in a wonderful "stos".
Instantly they sculpt cards,
Impossible to convey
If the platoon commander takes them away -
Ready to eat again.
Suddenly, like cats, they fled,
"Shuher", brothers - we are on fire!
Two unfortunates got caught
Captured by their commander.
In the total number of intra-camp offenses, gambling occupies one of the first places. A whole group of various offenses is associated with it - embezzlement, squandering government uniforms, etc.
The game of storm brings excitement -
Three hundred play as one
And the punishment cell is always filled,
And only black smoke is visible ...
What are they sitting for? And all for the cards.
They break the warehouse, they drag the flour,
The administration catches them,
Put in a little jail.
An investigation is underway, so what?
And everyone is sitting and waiting for an increase.
Now they won't take it into their heads to "break" and so on.
The above passages give some idea of how the Solovki are played.
Not every game will be played by “his own”. The Spanish game must meet two basic requirements: firstly, the game must be of interest - “commercial” (in the 13th company, the punks even manage to play checkers and chess for money) and, secondly, the game should never be “ in case of". All games are generally divided into "fraer" and Spanish - "their own".
There are few Spanish games: shtos, or stos, in the pronunciation of punks, in other words, “robber”, bura, rams and ters (or terts). All others are "fraer".
A swindler can play “fraer” games, but only with a fraer and “for show off”, if he wants to pass for a fraer for any purpose, by the way, in order to “stab” him for a decent amount. To do this, he will rig, surrender and play like a real fraer.
The lower ranks of the punks - "sewn-in" or the so-called "jolly beggars" (9) - still play point, cock, and these games are quite common among them, but real "brass" look at them with contempt. Before the war, the now almost extinct game of dice competed strongly with cards. From card games, the drill and rams penetrated the thieves' environment later.
The greatest and almost the only distribution in Solovki are two games: stos and bura, of which the most favorite is stos. Players from "their own" assure that the convenience and advantages of this game lie in the fact that it is played very quickly and at any moment, in the event of some nix (10), it can be interrupted, while ters and rams require a calm environment. The most gambling are stos and ters. Bura is an "easy game", not for serious players. Spanish stos is by no means a fraer's game of chance. There are masters who manage to win six out of ten "sessions" for sure. The crux of the whole matter lies in the extremely interesting phenomenon of cheating, legalized to a certain extent.
The players conspire very quickly: “Is there a game?” - "There is!". Cards appear instantly.
One of the players shuffles, but not in a fraer style (folding the wide sides), but folding the ends to the ends. Usually, during the shuffle, the location of the cards in the deck is also quietly studied. The player studies the partner's psychology and shuffles the necessary cards "to the bottom" or to the top of the deck, depending on how the partner usually shoots. In turn, the partner takes defensive measures and, trying to choose a card, first guesses from his deck. However, this is of course not necessary. Having chosen a card, the player cuts the shuffled deck with it. He asks: "Is the Stos ready?" If the partner sees that his rigged deck is knocked down by cutting and his calculations are overturned, he has the right to refuse. Such a juggling, if it is not noticed, is completely allowed - only the label of the cards is unacceptable and, in order to avoid this, “their” cards are always pulled out from the bottom of the deck when dealing. Having lost several times, the thrower already knows the location of the cards in the deck, "subtly" takes it into account when shuffling, and easily hits the opponent "on the forehead" (11).
There are a number of ways to beat your opponent in a stos. Fraera call them cheaters, and "their" are simply "chances". In one of the most common odds, the so-called "troublemaker", the cards are placed in the correct order. The shuffle is carried out in such a way that those cards that are inserted into it are not removed from it, and then put back in their original place. It gives the impression of a real shuffle, and in the end the deck remains intact. In some cases, a so-called “wedge” is made for the same purpose - those cards that should remain intact during such a shuffle are slightly cut off from the corner along the card so that the card becomes somewhat narrower. When shuffling, only those cards that are not cut are pulled out.
Almost the same as the "troublemaker", is the so-called "pyaterik", only more difficult, and is intended for those who cannot be taken "on the troublemaker". Instead of a wedge, the so-called "launch" is often done. The deck is selected in the right order and then divided in half - all the odd cards are collected in one part, and the even ones in the other. Even cards are slightly undermined from the ends with glass or a razor. When shuffling, you should capture exactly half (16 cards) and put them in so that each card falls through one into its place. The next time, half is taken again and again inserted through one. At the next shift, the cards again fall into their places. Such a shuffle requires great skill, but it goes very quickly and will give a complete illusion of the real one. When the partner removes the deck, which can confuse the game, one of the halves is slightly bent in the hand, and then the deck is imperceptibly shifted back to the old place.
When playing stos, it is extremely important to know which card falls head-on and how to choose it correctly when cutting. There are a number of ways for this purpose. For example, all jacks are selected from the deck and slightly bent from the corners. When pruning, they try to get under the card on which the jack lies, the jack is “guessed”.
If the deck is new, the back of the card being trimmed is waxed to a shine, and when trimmed, when the deck is removed, a vague reflection of the bottom card is obtained on the back, which should go on the forehead. In some cases, on parts of the cards - let’s say, on all the “figures” (12) - light cuts are made on the edge, or the so-called “ruff” is made (slightly jagged edges of the card are rubbed with wax), which is easy to feel for the hand of the trimmer (when trimming, the card should hold a little obliquely and "feel" the edge of the top card). The player can already roughly navigate which card will fall on the forehead. In homemade cards, a “bulk point” is possible. In the usual seven, the place in which there should be a point in the eight is rubbed with a tallow candle, and a point from the soot of burnt white bread is transferred to it through a stencil. It turns out the usual eight. If it is necessary to make a seven, the point is quickly erased on the table. The glue point and the galantinka are almost never used in the Spanish game, since these tricks are too well known. In addition to these most common "numbers", there are a number of "production secrets" that are not told.
The partner, noticing that he is being taken “for free”, “for God”, can stop the game at any time: “Your number is old.” In this case, he must indicate the way in which he is beaten. If he points correctly, then the win is his. The attitude to this kind of "chance" among the punks is extremely calm.
Having cleaned the partner to the last, the “playing” shows him “what he won”, and the one who remains in the “putty” (13) does not mind - the “answer” (14) remains in force.
Interestingly, those present have no right to interfere in the game. Those who break this rule risk being beaten. According to the Spanish proverb, "lose - pay, and win - get." True, players who are not confident in themselves can take one of the roots to help, but their participation in the game must be strictly agreed in advance.
In games that require complex arithmetic calculations, players can set counters, which usually "go in a dime", i.e. receive a dime from each ruble won and lost. Counters are especially needed when the game goes on all night and it's easy for players to get tired.
In addition, usually each of the players tries to knock down the other in the account and get more than he is supposed to, but if the partner catches on in time, then the cheater usually does not argue. The best guarantee of the correctness of the account is the word of the swindler. The crook's oath is quite trustworthy. The most serious oath in prison is the oath of will. But the success of the game of stos is not made up of “chances” alone - one should still be able to dispose of the jackpot. The stakes are the same as in an ordinary shtos, for example: a ruble a point, a ruble a sum, a corner, a transport. There are game options: soldier, chamfer, etc. Those who do not know how to manage the jackpot and are little versed in "chances" are called "easy partners". There are players who do not play, but, according to the Spanish expression, "perform", i.e. win for sure. In Moscow, for example, there are several such players, and their names are known to every punk.
They usually play for all cash, “rags” (15) and “under the answer”, but the so-called “cherished”, or “blood”, i.e. underwear, top dress, pillow and rations are not lost by real crooks. Old thieves claim that in their time, if they noticed that they were playing the "cherished", they would have the right to beat both the winner and the loser. Now the "blood" is protected by the players themselves. On Solovki, among the "sewn-in" and in general "cheap people" playing the most "cherished" is too common. In general companies there are cases of losses - rations of bread for a month in advance and more. In the 13th company in the winter of this year, the card game reached enormous proportions. At first they played for junk and rags, then for rations of bread, then for lunches and dinners. Lost even "under the answer" passed from hand to hand and, finally, accumulated with the top three players in the camera. Lost a total of about 150 people. Some were "in putty" for as much as three months. The company commanders arranged meetings at which it was proposed to stop paying the debt, since people could hardly stand on their feet from hunger, but no persuasion led to anything. When the issue was put to a vote, all the losers voted for the return of the lost rations. In the end, on the initiative of the medical unit, they had to resort to force-feeding in the corridor and search after eating so that the bread was not “stuck” (bread, for example, was hidden in the groin).
To repay a card debt is the first duty of the loser. If the loser does not repay the debt on time, he is declared "overplayed" - outlawed, along with the cops, the bastards and passive pederasts (the name of the latter is obscene). A person is recognized as "overplayed" only from the general decision of the punks, and from him they are already "received in blood." The beating takes place as follows: the “flirty” stands, surrounded by punks, and keeps his hands at his sides and does not even have the right to raise his hand to protect himself from blows: otherwise he is threatened with reprisals from the side of the “brazhka” (16). The victim "receives" as much as he wants [the winner]. After the beating, the “overplayed” may not pay, but he remains “overplayed”. There are cases when the losers, unable to pay the debt, gave it back with their own fingers. One of “his own” told how once an old thief lost 200 rubles “in 15 minutes” “on account” (he was supposed to be brought by a detached). When the money didn't show up after 15 minutes, he went to the bookbinding shop, chopped off two fingers with a paper cutter, and used them to repay the debt. Usually an old criminal, sitting down to play, announces in advance: "I have so much to lose." It is considered good form not to feel sorry for the lost money and not to express joy with a big win. “I cry like a count and receive like a robber,” says the tabloid knight.
Often the criminal loses "under the answer", hoping for a successful theft. If the payment period is short, and in most cases it is measured in hours, the punk runs straight from the "shawlman" (17) to "take" some store or reaches into his pocket somewhere on the tram. Then he does not understand and commits the most daring and impudent thefts. From the "falling asleep" or "having fallen asleep" the card debt is not asked. The debt is paid upon leaving prison at the first opportunity (there is no time limit here). One shop thief said that he “earned” almost all his convictions on losses, stealing at lunchtime through the front door of the store under the guise of the owner.
In the environment of "stitches" in custody, there are common cases of losing "under the answer" things of newly arriving fraers, but, generally speaking, a fraer, once in custody, is considered a friend.
In some cases, if the swindler has his own "roots" or "clients" (18), the latter have their share from the game on the same terms as from "earnings" (19). In particular, the share is carefully paid out when the client has “dropped in” (20). It must be said that in Solovki, where the thieves' ethics is largely shaken, cases of non-payment of gamble debts, especially among "sewn-ups", are very numerous, and the influence of old criminals is gradually falling. (According to the Solovetsky proverb “Your own is not yours, but do not stand on the road”). There are cases when they lose themselves - these cases are especially frequent in prison. The thief, the “boyaring” (21) punk, deliberately lures him into the game and wins the “last” from him. The loser allows various most wild perversions in relation to himself. The loser thus falls into a position of complete alienation - he has no right to talk to anyone, touch dishes, etc. In the old days, there were common cases of losing "marukh" (22). It is now being phased out.
The losses of oneself and the “last” in general most often come from the so-called “ambition”. If two people who have a grudge against each other “clash” (23), or if the players for some reason consider it a shame for themselves to lose, the game can go very far. They lose gold teeth, which after the game are torn out with pincers or knocked out with a hammer. Fingers play, play by ear, etc. There are some kind of card duels. The avenging one tries to force his partner to "climb on the horn", i.e. cause him to lose something that he cannot repay, or cause him substantial harm.
But such a game, although it is considered quite "legal", however, cannot go unpunished. It often happens that one of those present takes revenge, but also takes revenge legally - with cards.
In corrective houses they play “out of ambition” or for laughter, “1000 flies”, “1000 cockroaches”, “1000 crosses”, i.e. the loser is forced to catch 1,000 cockroaches or lay down 1,000 crosses. The winner, if he is rich, is hired by a special counter from the boys, who monitors the correctness of the "payment". The loser always tries to "pay off" the debt in full and does not stop being baptized, even when the administration enters. From the side there are suggestions that the loser has gone mad. A paramedic is called, the loser is put on a stretcher, etc. Laughter and fun - without end. The so-called "sticks" are especially successful. The loser is forced to stick several hundred pieces of paper on his face. The papers fall off the face, and the loser cannot keep the full amount of them. They also play for "reels" - the loser rides the winner, or "jumpers" - the loser is forced to jump.
It happens that the loser shouts out the window or into the chimney for 5-10 minutes: "I am a fool, I am a fool" ... Hence the expression: "lose through the chimney." Games “for a song, for a fairy tale” are very frequent, but they are played, of course, only with those who really skillfully sing or tell. Some singer sings until the "fart" (24) turns in his direction, and sings diligently, because this is his bread. Fictions of this kind are inexhaustible. However, such things do not flourish on Solovki - here the game is much more "business" in nature.
The Spanish environment on Solovki is decomposing. Card debts are not paid, and there is no way to get them - the loser goes to complain to the commander. The environment of “their own” is diluted with “embroideries” and fraers, thanks to which it is impossible to strictly adhere to the Spanish “laws”. Finally, the very atmosphere of semi-freedom, semi-prisonment and forced labor destroys the Spanish caste isolation. The Spanish physiognomy fades, and the bigotry disappears. The fall of gambling ethics in Solovki, examples of which we have seen above, is only a particular.
This decomposition is undoubtedly good, because it prepares the ground for correction, but if nothing is given to replace the Spanish morality, then this will cause negative consequences.
What can be obtained from a punk who will not have any connection with anyone, even if in an extremely ugly form, whose desire for theft has not disappeared, professional skills have not been forgotten? So you need to take care and give him some other foundations. Work in this direction at Solovki has not been sufficiently extensive, but these questions are complex, and we will return to them in future articles.
1 A big thief is called a wind thief: "The wind blows the jackpot."
2 Zhigan is a “real”, daring thief, a hero, as the punks draw him.
3 "Own" or "mass" - a thief.
4 Rams is a Spanish card game.
5 volts - jack.
6 Lipa is a fake document.
7 Beaters - cards, they are also wash, machine gun, maidan, etc.
8 Crowbar - thieves' tool.
9 Shpana from small.
10 Shukher - anxiety.
11 First card when throwing in stos.
12 King, queen, etc.
13 "In putty" is a loser.
14 "Answer" is duty.
15 "Rags" - the clothes of a swindler, even if they are good.
16 "Brazhka" - the same as "brotherhood".
17 "Shalmin" - a brothel.
18 "Client" - the same as "root" - a comrade in crime.
19 "Earnings" - stolen.
20 “I got hooked” or “fell down” - went to jail.
21 "Boyarovat" - to persuade, court.
22 "Maruha" is a mistress.
23 "Clash" - converge.
24 "Fart" - happiness (fortune).
HELL. Likhachev
(“Solovki Islands”, 1930 No. 1, pp. 32-35)
