VASCO: If you want to play ‘Andar Bahar’ poker without any hassles, then Vasco is one of the safest places to do so. One can see and even take part in the open gambling games, which take place not within the closed doors of any premises, but in the open, busy
market area.
(Andhar-Bahar or Inside/Outside is a fairly straightforward 50/50 game of chance played with a single deck of cards).
Interestingly, it was merely three weeks ago (December 26, 2015) when Herald exposed how daylight gambling was going on in full swing at the Zuarinagar slums and how gamblers had converted a public bus stand into a gambling den without fear of getting caught by the police.
After taking cognizance of Herald’s expose, a concerned Vasco citizen provided information about similar open gambling activities going on unhindered near the chicken market in Vasco.
After verifying the tip-off, a team of reporters kept a constant vigil on the area and noticed that every afternoon, gamblers from Vasco would assemble in a small passage between the stalls and play ‘Andar Bahar’.
What was more surprising to note is that the selected passage is adjacent to the T B Cunha Chowk at Khariwado and the market place, which is frequently visited by shoppers.
On Friday at around 4.20 pm, Herald reporters took cameras to the site and started clicking pictures as well as shooting videos of the gambling activities that were going on in broad daylight. Looking at the reporters, the gamblers started running helter-skelter. One of them even managed to grab the cash before leaving, and within few seconds, the whole passage, which was full of gamblers, became empty.
Surprisingly, despite the reporters making efforts to find out who was involved in organising the gambling in the open market, no vendors who have their stalls close to the gambling site agreed to give any details. However, few confirmed that gambling was taking place for the last few weeks.
