真正的“皇家赌场”

　　我们不经常向您推荐电视节目的，但是你碰巧赶上晚上九时，有一档精彩的电视节目，你不要错过哦。昨晚第4频道的“真正的皇家赌场”节目，如果你错过了它，可以尝试看第4频道的重播。

　　“真正的皇家赌场”是所谓的“Toffs和Crims”最新的纪录片系列，我们认为这是一个已故的约翰阿斯皮诺尔建立和运行的关于在梅费尔著名的赌场生活调查。

　　著名的“真正的皇家赌场”赌王，约翰阿斯皮诺尔，是英国最成功的分析赌博利弊的人之一。根据他的调查方案，在60年代，一个千万富翁设了一个长达2年的骗局，他在自己的俱乐部骗取了他的客户数百万英镑。

　　在阿斯皮诺尔的纪录片中，这种说法被他的家人和关系密切的朋友强烈否认。阿斯皮诺尔的纪录片是对那里发生的故事的第一手资料。

　　“像同一时间抢劫诺克斯堡和英国银行 - 只是轻松了许多”，McKew说，一名黑帮成员。管理这个聪明的计划是该俱乐部的老板约翰阿斯皮诺尔。

　　McKew声称，阿斯皮诺尔与黑社会老大合作。他是负责和约翰阿斯皮诺尔接触人。这部纪录片是根据一本由道格拉斯汤普森编写的《身强力壮》的书拍摄的。阿斯皮诺尔痴迷金钱，根据汤普森，他认为只有这样才能赢得社会未来。

　　在50年代末和60年代，阿斯皮诺尔的俱乐部接待了几名伦敦世卫组织成员，包括伊恩弗莱明，卢西安弗洛伊德和主卢坎。

　　赌场在当时被还被认为是非法时，阿斯皮诺尔就在伦敦举办百家乐赌场，采取一些行动中在赌博行业中分得一杯羹。赌场开业邀请的嘉宾包括德比伯爵和德文郡公爵。有赌注是1000英镑（相当于今天25000英镑）的游戏。德比阁下在一夜间失去了300000英镑 ，等同于在今天7万英镑。

　　赌博合法化是在60年代初，阿斯皮诺尔的克莱蒙俱乐部在梅费尔伯克利广场开幕。

　　在阿斯皮诺尔的克莱蒙俱乐部，使用一台机器，巧妙地弯曲克莱蒙的卡，可以标记卡的数字，然后把卡放回包装，重新密封。

　　然后坐在俱乐部里面的人毫不知情地玩着游戏。伯克说：“他们不能读取卡完全相同，但他们知道，如果它是一个高，低或零卡。这是足以增加优赌博势 。当阿斯皮诺尔和希尔之间分裂时，这个骗局被揭穿。

　　译文

　　The Real Casino Royale. Underground Dealings at Aspinalls

　　It is not often that we recommend a TV program, but did you happen to catch the “Real Casino Royale” on Channel 4 last night at 9pm? If you missed it, try and see it on a rerun or on More4.

　　It was the latest in a series of documentaries called “Toffs and Crims” and we thought it was a riveting investigation into the life of the late John Aspinall who set up and ran the famous casino of the same name in Mayfair.

　　According to “The Real Casino Royale”， John Aspinall, the famous Mayfair casino king was one of Britain’s most successful gambling cons. According to the programme, over 2 years in the sixties the multi-millionaire ran a scam in which he cheated his customers to the tune of millions of pounds in his own club.

　　This allegation is vehemently denied by his close family and friends-the documentary has first-hand accounts from the surviving members of Aspinall?s world with reconstruction that tells the story of the Clermont Club and the alledged con that was going on there.

　　‘It was like robbing Fort Knox and the Bank of England at the same time – just a lot easier,” says Bobby McKew, a former gangster who was part of the scam called “the Big Edge”。 Managing this clever scheme was the club’s owner, John Aspinall.

　　McKew claims that Aspinall teamed up with gangland boss, Billy Hill to carry out the con. John Aspinall had the contacts, and Hill had the muscle. The documentary is based on a book called The Hustlers, written by Douglas Thompson. Aspinall was obsessed with money according to Thompson- he saw it as the only way to get ahead socially.

　　During the late 50s and swinging 60s, Aspinall’s club played host to a Who?s Who of London including Ian Fleming, Lucian Freud and Lord Lucan. London was where the action was in the world and there was plenty of money swilling about.

　　When casinos were still illegal, Aspinall organised baccarat parties in London, taking a slice of the action. Only the seriously well off were invited. Guests included the Earl of Derby and the Duke of Devonshire. There were games where the normal bet was ?1,000, （？25,000 in today?s money）。  Lord Derby lost ?300,000 in one night – a sum that would equate to ?7 million in today?s money.

　　When gambling was legalised in the early 60s, Aspinall opened the Clermont Club at 44 Berkeley Square in Mayfair. The upper levels of society banged on the door to get in and Aspinall obliged. However, Aspinall had to pay tax and could only carge for the table, which soon saw him running into the red. This is where Billy Hill stepped in.

　　Using a machine to subtly bend the Clermont’s cards, the group could mark the numbers off in the deck. The cards would be then be put back into their wrappers, sealed as new and delivered to Aspinalls for the night’s sessions.

　　An inside man would then sit in at the games and, with the knowledge of the other player?s hands, rig the odds to the house?s favour. Burke explains: “They couldn’t read the card exactly but they knew if it was a high , low or a zero card. That was enough to give the house and increased advantage”- the house edge balooned from a low percentage to around 40-60%. The millions of pounds that it generated was alledgedly split between Aspinall and Hill. Hence “The Big Edge” scam.

　　If true, this would be one of the biggest cons of all time, certainly within these shores.