about two to one
In that assembly a man who plunges half-lire pieces on every spin of the ball is a man who means business ; and the _ dilettanti _ soon let me press through to a stool at the table . Going on _ pair _ and _ impair _ or the colour was not to my taste . Either luck was going to stand by me that evening , or I was going to be broke ; so I planked my money haphazard on four numbers every time , and did n't handicap myself with a system . I 'd a distinct suspicion that the bank had even a greater pull than was apparent on the surface ; but there was no chance of investigation , and I submitted to the fact that chances all-told stood about two to one against me . The play was slow , and for ordinary people unexciting , though you can guess it did not send me to sleep . I won a little , and lost a little ; but on the whole was able to shove a ten-lire note every now and again into my pocket . It does n't do to leave such trifles about in some places .