Beneficiary by Alexandr Kuprin. Short summary

5 seconds

A beneficiary is the owner of an apartment where card games are held. He serves the players, receiving a certain fee for it. In this case, he can not participate in the game, but the players are constantly changing the meeting place and the head of the house.

1 minute

There are no special gaming houses in Kiev. Such activities are prosecuted by the police. But a small fraction of wealthy people occasionally get together, each time in a new house.

The host of the benefit is one of the players. But in this meeting, he is not allowed to play with everyone else. He serves the participants — serves them drinks and food, and warns them of the police. For this, he is paid money for each game and 10% of the winnings.

The meeting takes place late in the evening and lasts until morning. The beneficiary’s profits are fickle, ranging from 20 to 500 rubles per night. Every next time the host changes.

Sometimes a «carp» — a random person — appears at gatherings of regular players. Everyone joins together to achieve a common goal — to empty his purse. Special signs, knocks, and coughs are used. The profit from losing the «Crucian» is divided equally among the participants.

When there is no «carp,» participants play among themselves, often forgetting the rules. As a result, card games turn into bloody battles.