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.