Description

This book was written by an Assistant Commissioner of Police as an aid for Magistrates in Malayan Courts who had to hear cases involving all manner of gambling games common in the region at the time.

As the author, Dobree, says in his preface to the book, dated 1st February 1955, "The book contains detailed descriptions of the majority of gambling games, betting and lottery games and betting which usually form or which may form subjects of charges in this country under the Common Gaming Houses Ordinance No. 26/1953 and the Betting Ordinance No. 47/1953.

Also mentioned for the most part briefly, are other popular gambling games mostly in the card game category, which do not usually form subjects of criminal charges as they are invariably played under circumstances which do not constitute any offense under the Ordinance ..."

Although intended to be a functional legal document, this book has concurrently become a major reference work for gambling games in South-East Asia, containing descriptions and rules for games not described in English in print elsewhere. Dice and playing card collectors will find this volume to be an indispensable repository of information on rare and unusual Asian specimens. The work is liberally illustrated with colour plates of gambling implements.

A list of the contents follows:

Foreword
Preface
Notes on Legal Aspects of the Ordinances
Definitions
DOCUMENTARY BETTING AND LOTTERY GAMES:
An Introductory Note to the Games of Chee Fah or Hwah Hwey, Chee Tam and Chap Ji Kee
Chee Fah, Hwah Hwey or 36 Numbers
Whay - Kelantan version of Chee Fah
Chee Tam or 80 Characters
Chap Ji Kee
Sap Sam Tai Poh
Wee Sua Peow or Wei San Piew,or Tong Sua Peow or Quay Suay Peow
Pak Kap Piew or Pigeon Lottery
Tikam Ekor or 100, 1,000 and 10,000 Number Games
Lucky Numbers at "Fun" and Similar Fairs
GAMES WITH CARDS:
Games with English Cards
Games with Chinese Cards
- Soo Sik Pai
- Luk Foo Pai
- Seong Kum Pai or Pin Kum Pai
- Chi Kee Pai
- Sap Ng Hor Pai
- Tung Koon Pai
- Oh Peh Pai
Pair
Sap Sam Cheong or Lushun Poker
Three Cards, Sam Cheong, Pa Kau or Daun Tiga
Koo Kiew, Ten Kiew or Soo Kiew
Tau Ngau
Twenty One
Thirty One
Ten and a Half
Minta Daun
Three Card Trick, Mai Wong or Tikam Raja
GAMES WITH DOMINOES:
Pai Kow
Tau Ngau
Tien Kow
DICE GAMES:
Yew, Yee, Sam or One, Two, Three
Tai Sai or Big and Small (Simple Form)
Luk Kow or Dicing Six
Sepat
Ta Kai or Cockfighting
Chong Yuen Chow
Sek Poh
Sek Chai Tan or Kok Kok
Tai Sai or Big and Small - using Staking Board
Tai Sai combined with Sek Chai Tan
Hoo, Hey, How
MISCELLANEOUS GAMES:
Chap Ji Kee Pangjang
Daun Empat or See Kee Yah
Fan Tan or Tuahn
Four Numbers
Poh, Lien Poh or Ewok
Staking Methods in Fan Tan, Poh, Four Numbers and Sek Chai Tan
Pek Bin
Belankai
Dadu Katak Ular (a Javanese Game)
Dadu Muka Enam (a Javanese Game)
Dadu Belankas Mata (a Boyanese Game)
136 Numbers
Solhi (a Punjabi Game)
Games with Mah Jong Tiles
Games in Amusement Parks
Fruit Machines
Horse Race Betting and Bookmakers

N.B. Page numbers and Chinese characters have been omitted from the listing of the contents.