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The Gaming Table by Andrew Steinmetz, Volume II

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Doings In Gaming Houses

In some cases, in the higher class of gaming establishments, the
Greeks, or decoys, being men of title or considerable standing in
society, did not receive a fixed salary for seducing young men of
fortune, but being in every case very needy men, they nominally
borrowed, from time to time, large sums of money from the hell-
keepers. It was, however, perfectly understood on both sides
that the amount so borrowed was never to be repaid.[51]

[51] Grant, Ubi supra.

WHY CHEATS WERE CALLED GREEKS.

M. Robert-Houdin says that this application of the term 'Greek'
originated from a certain modern Greek, named Apoulos, who in the
reign of Louis XIV. was caught cheating at court, and was
condemned to 20 years at the galleys. I think this a very
improbable derivation, and unnecessary withal. Aristotle of old,
as before stated, ranked gamesters 'with thieves and plunderers,
who for the sake of gain do not scruple to despoil their best
friends.' We afterwards find them bearing just as bad a
character among the Romans. Says Juvenal--

Graeculus esuriens in coelum jusseris, ibit.
'Bid the hungry Greek to heaven, to heaven he goes.'

Dr Johnson translated the words, 'Bid him to h--l, to h--l he
goes'--which is wrong. A DIFFICULTY is implied, and everybody
knows that it is easier to go to the latter place than the
former. It means that a needy Greek was capable of doing
anything. Lord Byron protested that he saw no difference between
Greeks and Jews--of course, meaning 'Jews' in the offensive sense
of the word. Among gamblers the term was chiefly applied to
'decoys.'

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