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You Can't Beat the GameBlakely Hall | $4 to wish list | |
Wyman's Hand-Book of MagicJohn WymanThis work covers a lot of ground, from various parlor tricks, chemical tricks, card tricks, to a section on two person codes, and a section on artifices of cardsharks.
| ★★★★★ $8 to wish list | |
Wanderings of a VagabondJohn MorrisA classic in gambling literature.
| $9 to wish list | |
Tricks and TrapsClifton R. WooldridgeThis ebook exposes the scams and swindles used by carnival midway cheats, street gangs, road hustlers, and crooked mail-order businesses to cheat the public. Written by a Chicago police detective. Many of these scams are still in use today. But please don't read this ebook to cheat -- instead, use it for your own protection, so you don't become the next victim. Colorfully written, this handy guidebook ebook reveals the true-life scams, cons, swindles, ruses, devices and methods of the cheats and how they were taken down and brought to justice. Also includes descriptions of rigged carnival... | ★★★★★ $8 to wish list | |
Three Card Monte: John Scarne explains why you can't winAudley V. Walsh & John ScarneThis is a treatise on the sucker effects of the Three Card Monte. It starts with an intro by Nate Leipzig, includes a definition of gambling terms and goes on to explain moves, routines and schemes to work the Three Card Monte. John Scarne was a master in performing and demonstrating this sucker effect. Learn everything about it in this digital reproduction, either to be aware of the various ways this can be played and thus be protected, or to learn to perform it for entertainment purposes. From the preface by Nate Leipzig: For those who are not acquainted with Mr. John Scarne, I wish to say that... | ★★★★★ $5 to wish list | |
The Unkindest CutBrick TilleyA false cut that uses the action of burning a card as misdirection. Particularly useful for cheating at BlackJack. Chuck Smith was recorded doing this cut. (A letter from Chuck Smith to Brick Tilley is reproduced in the PDF.) He used it to beat players during the years of WWII. The sequence of actions is the following. You first openly cut the cards and complete the cut. Then you take the top card, turn it face up and place it as the bottom card. During the action of burning the top card you undo the cut. The demo video will prove how honest and fair this looks. You will receive a PDF... | $30 to wish listPDF & MP4 | |
The Sharper Detected and ExposedJean Eugene Robert-HoudinThe first part consists of stories about cardsharks and other crooks from Robert-Houdin's recollections. This is very readable and an entertaining part of the work. The second part explains some of the technical details of the methods used by cardsharks. However, the methods are for the most part only described in very rudimentary form. As Robert-Houdin writes himself, this is not meant as a way to teach you how to do it, but merely to give the reader insight in how the different ruses are accomplished. Nevertheless, it provides interesting insight into the ways and means of cardsharks. This... | $7 to wish list | |
The Second Deal: Advanced Concepts for the Card TableT. HayesThis ebook takes an academic look at the second deal and its use at the card table, specifically in the game of Texas Hold’em poker. This is achieved by first examining the mathematical rules of the second deal. These rules are then applied to the basic structure of Texas Hold’em and the use of the move is advanced by also considering poker strategy. In addition to this, the probabilities of dealing target cards, when using a binary marking system, are derived. The use of the second deal in conjunction with stacking techniques is also considered, with a focus on the block transfer. Whilst... | ★★★★★ $15 to wish list | |
The Score: playing card marking systemDaniel MadisonThe Score is an ebook that teaches a special playing card marking system inspired by a concept probably as old as playing cards. The system has been re-thought and re-mastered by Daniel Madison with help from sleight of hand junkie Randall Freeman and a retired card cheat who wishes to remain anonymous. The Score markings system teaches you how to mark any deck of cards that has a white border, such as standard Bicycle Rider backs, Mandolines and Bee Stingers - we'd list all of those decks here but there are far too many to mention! The Score is a minimalistic system; two simple tiny marks... | ★★★★★ $15 to wish list | |
The Right Way To Do WrongHarry HoudiniThis is a fun book to read. Great stories about pickpockets, burglars, bunco men, thiefs, and others. Houdini collected interesting cases talking to detectives, and police chiefs. The book describes the methods used to scam innocent victims. Some of these schemes are still popular, which shows again, that one can learn a lot from the past. published 1906 by Harry Houdini, Boston MA; later reprinted by Gamblers Book Club, Las Vegas; 96 pages Table of Contents page
| $5 to wish list | |
The Rich Uncle from FijiM. P. AdamsA classic textbook containing numerous swindles for those who desire to take down and rope the public! It is unique in that it has the only written description of the coin purse swindle - complete with photographs. Many of these cons are being used today, some with minor changes and some exactly as they were played when Rich Uncle was written. There are monte mobs working today in the same manner they worked a hundred years ago. published 1911 by The Exchange Press, Melbourne; later reprinted by Gamblers Book Club, Nevada; 64 pages Table of Contents page
| ★★★★★ $4 to wish list | |
The Reformed GamblerJonathan H. GreenThis book is one of the classic books in gambling. It is an autobiography and describes Jonathan Green's conversion from a gambler to an exposer and teacher. Among others it exposes: game of thimbles; diamond cut diamond, or the gentleman's game; Dead open and shut; church gambling; five aces beaten; lotteries; post office game; pound cake, or ring game; the preacher and the gambler; grab loo. It commences by showing how he became a gambler - why he resolved to reform - destruction of his gambling instruments - he makes restitution - the question of reformation - his conversion - unites with... | ★★★★★ $19.50 to wish list | |
The Reference Guide to Early Works on Card CheatingT. HayesThis ebook presents an analytical review of works on card cheating that are written in English and published before 1900. Given this scope, The Reference Guide to Early Works on Card Cheating takes 151 publications, and documents the card cheating techniques that they describe. Only card techniques discussed in the context of cheating at card games are considered. The 146 defined techniques are used to evaluate the publications based on their breadth and their contribution to the literature. The breadth is indicated by the absolute number of techniques each work describes, and the contribution... | $20 to wish list | |
The Original Blue Book 1949H. C. EvansFrom the back cover: This, our latest SECRET BLUE BOOK with many features added, is the most complete catalog of the kind ever produced. The SECRET BLUE BOOK is but one of THREE CATALOGS of our complete line which covers the entire Indoor and Outdoor Amusement Field, supplying adult games of every description. In the SECRET BLUE BOOK we list and describe a complete line of Dice, Cards, Trade Stimulators and Counter Games, Table Games suitable for use at public gatherings, Adult Games for the home or private play and Various SPECIAL Games. Our CLUB AND CASINO EQUIPMENT Catalog, printed... | $10 to wish listPDF_facsimile | |
The Open BookJ. H. JohnsonThis is the book that tells the truth about cards, dice, punch boards, gambling wheels, races, and all other kinds of gambling. Don't be a sucker! The Open Book reveals how crooked gamblers, cheats, and con artists fleece the innocent and unwary public out of thousands of dollars daily. Even that carnival game at the local fairgrounds may not be as innocent as it looks. Get the inside scoop. Valuable secrets of marked cards, gaffed dice, ink formulas, holdouts and other cheating devices -- all clearly explained. Also included are scams and cons used by the unscrupulous to bilk the unwary.... | ★★★★★ $12 $10 to wish list | |
The Manual of The Three Shell GameEddie JosephThis is one of the best explanations of the Three Shell Game or Thimble Rig including 24 moves and 3 full routines. Jack Lamonte has drawn 86 clear illustrations to make studying the moves and routines a lot easier. Excerpt from the introduction: The Shell Game is essentially a close-up effect. It has no appeal, we admit, beyond the intimate range, but when demonstrated within its rightful sphere it commands a peculiar fascination. [Note: You will also be able to download a facsimile version of this manuscript.] 1st edition 1959, 30 pages; 1st digital edition 2013, 49 pages.... | ★★★★★ $10 to wish listPDF & EPUB | |
The Little SecretsFrank BonvilleA great book on the tricks of the trade of professional gamblers, how they cheat and get an advantage in the game. From the introduction: It has been my fortune, or misfortune, whichever you wish to term it, to have traveled a good deal and to have observed not a little. I have engaged in more than one business; it pleased my fancy, and can say, with a pardonable pride, that I have met with some degree of success. During the past few years of my life I have studied human nature in all its phases, from its lowest forms in the gutter, in the slums, in the gilded dens of vice, in the gambling... | $9 to wish list | |
The Highway to HellJohn Philip QuinnThis is essentially a small excerpt from Quinn's primary work Fools of Fortune. A couple of chapters have been taken, some incomplete, together with endorsements and other promotional material, to produce this volume. 1st edition 1895; PDF 68 pages. | $5 to wish list | |
The Gyp ArtistWilliam W. LarsenHere's an entertaining, 25- to 60-minute lecture that you, the magician or mentalist, can present on the topic of scams and cons. And it's a money-maker.
Become an Expert on Cons and Swindles...
Fabled Bunco Games of History... | ★★★★★ $12 to wish list | |
The Expert at the Card TableS. W. ErdnaseOriginally entitled Artifice Ruse and Subterfuge at the Card Table, is probably the most cited and referenced book about card gambling moves - a classic in the history of magic literature. A must read for any card magician or aspiring gambling expert and an indespensable reference book. While the authorship of this book is hotly debated we are convinced it was Edward Gallaway. (For a detailed work on the search for Erdnase see Hurt McDermott's Artifice, Ruse & Erdnase.) [A copy of this book is also included in Michael McDougall's Card Mastery. This ebook is also available in a German translation. Paul Fleming wrote: The information contained in this book is the very basis of modern card conjuring. When first... | ★★★★★ $5 to wish list | |
The Destruction of Mephisto's Greatest WebJames Henry KeateAll grafts laid bare being a complete exposure of all gambling, graft and confidence games with stories illustrating the methods employed by the different operators. This is a wonderful book on all things cheating at gambling (sleight-of-hand and machinery), various confidence games and other scams and crooked methods with several revealing illustrations.
| $8 to wish list | |
The Confessions of a Con ManWilliam Henry IrwinA wonderfully interesting confession of a con man who was a contemporary of Erdnase, and just like him operated for a time while traveling with small circuses in Illinois and surrounding states. Of particular interest is a full dialog of how an unsuspecting person on the train was lured into gambling 3 card monte. The dialog demonstrates how skillfully these operatives were and how well they understood human nature. Other cons are also described in detail. Excerpt from the preface: When these confessions appeared serially, friends and distant enquirers took it for granted that they were fiction;... | $15 to wish list | |
The Change RaisersWilton Moore TuckerReveals the inside story on how the con artist forces you, or a store, or even a bank teller to hand him too much change. This bit of larceny gains the criminal five, ten, or more dollars each time -- and that from a $2 purchase. Also shows how to keep from being shortchanged. Almost defies detection, and practically works itself. This is no pie-in-the-sky con. Newspaper and TV stories report that victims of every age and ethnicity are taken in by this technique. Audiences are hungry for this information, to avoid being "taken." Makes an excellent lecture to provide to banks, stores, senior... | ★★★★★ $15 to wish list | |
The Bunco BookWalter GibsonGaffed games, clever cons, sensational swindles - how to spot the bunco artist before he cheats you. This may well be the greatest exposé of gambling methods, swindles, confidence games and carnival midway hustles ever published. No matter if you're a magician, gambler, carnival midway patron (or operator), law enforcement professional, or simply want to protect yourself, you're going to enjoy this book. Especially valuable to those with an interest in carnival and gaming paraphernalia are the methods used to gaff the devices as sold back in the day by H. C. Evans, K. C. Card Co., and... | ★★★★★ $12 to wish list | |
The Book of Thirty-OneTotoFrom the preface and introduction: This book could be titled "The Game of Thirty-One Revisited" because of the various articles that have made an attempt to describe the game. Why then did I set out to write this? First, because I consider the game of thirty-one such a delightful diversion from the "norm" that I want to bring it to the attention of the magic fraternity, and second, because I have many ideas I would like to add. At the Magic Castle, in Hollywood, the game was first shown to me by Dai Vernon in August of 1980. The "Professor" frequently showed me card puzzles that he had learned over... | ★★★★★ $10 to wish list | |
The Best Short Change Scam EverDevin KnightThis is probably the best short-change swindle every created. In his younger years, Devin Knight worked at a carnival doing Robert Nelson's Horoscope Pitch. During his stint with the carnival, he met a professional short-change artist, who showed him the most ingenious short-change scam Devin had ever seen. It made the scammer $10.00 every time he walked into a store and bought an inexpensive item. Devin was familiar with the sometimes crude short-change methods used by carnies, but he had never seen a swindle as sophisticated as this one. The scammer would very slowly and deliberately count... | ★★★★★ $7 to wish list | |
The Australian Gambling Game of 31Ken de CourcyThe Ace to Six of each suit are placed on the table, and the two players turn cards face down alternately and a running total of the pips is maintained. The winner is the one who takes the total to no more than 31. Even after the spectator is told the secret to winning, the magician still wins. Ends with an extra kicker. PDF 10 pages | ★★★★★ $10 to wish list | |
Spotlight on the Card SharpLawrence ScaifeAn instructive warning to those who must play for stakes. Interesting amusement for those who do not. Excerpt from the Foreword: This book is an explanation of the fundamental principles upon which all card sharping is based. Once the main ideas are thoroughly understood, it becomes a comparatively easy matter to detect any subterfuge no matter how intricate. This book is nicely illustrated by Charles Remmers from photographs by the author. It contains a description of cheating at the popular Australian game of Two-Up which makes it unique.
| $10 to wish list | |
Spot the SpotBrick TilleyAny red showing loses! The spot game is the black widow of the midway because an untrained player has little chance to cover the red spot using the five zinc plates supplied. Rules: the player must drop the plates one at a time from a distance of at least an inch attempting to cover the entire red area. He is later allowed to drop fewer plates bettering his chances of winning. The spot game is seldom seen these days because law enforcement consider it to be beyond the possibility of chance. It is an excellent aid to the magician, especially when combined with a demonstration of a short... | ★★★★★ $10 to wish list | |
Short-ChangingPenny Ante JimThe classic 1941 treatise on the grifter's short-change con, now available again. Don't let it happen to you! Short-changing is is used by unscrupulous ticket takers, food vendors, carnival workers, clerks, cashiers - anywhere that money changes hands. This ebook contains the "inside dope" on how it works and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim. Described are various short-changing techniques, including the Bar Room Clip, Carnival and Circus Take and the Bill Slip-Over. Original copies of this privately printed book are extremely hard to find. A recent copy sold at auction... | ★★★★★ $15 to wish list | |
Sharps and Flats: A Complete Revelation of The Secrets of Cheating at Games of Chance and SkillJohn Nevil MaskelyneSharps and Flats is probably the most important early book on cheating devices and methods. Sharps being the cheaters and flats being the cheated, the mark. Maskelyne details among others, marked cards, holdouts (Kepplinger holdout), reflectors and manipulation. He describes not just cheating at the card table but also cheating with dice, cheating at Sporting houses, and at Roulette. The book is very thorough with many wonderful illustrations. 1st edition, 1894, Longmans, Green and Co., New York and London; reprinted, Gamblers Book Club, Las Vegas; 335 pages.
| ★★★★★ $7 to wish list | |
Secrets of GamblingHugh MillerThis is a great book on the secrets of how to cheat with cards and dice at many popular games - a guide to dishonest gambling. It offers a good overview of the various methods from mechanical cheating methods to sleight of hand. 1st edition 1970, original 128 pages; PDF 82 pages. Table of Contents
| ★★★★★ $12 to wish list | |
Scarne on DiceJohn ScarneThis is probably the most important work John Scarne wrote. It is complete and authoritative. In this revised edition John provides the reader with a complete look at the world of dice, including for the first time an insider's view of how dice games are played at the Atlantic City casinos. Scarne covers the history of modern dice and their earliest uses in games, and then analyzes the mathematics behind gambling to give players a solid foundation in odds and percentages. The most popular forms of dice games are then studied in detail. Bank Craps Las Vegas style gets full treatment with coverage... | ★★★★★ $12 to wish list | |
Saturday ReviewunknownThis is the review of Robert-Houdin's The Sharper Detected and Exposed that appeared in Saturday Review on May 9th, 1863. 1st edition 1863; PDF 5 pages. | ★★★★★ $2 to wish list | |
Punch Work for Texas Hold'emT. HayesThis short ebook focuses on one of the most popular tactile card marking systems, in the context of Texas Hold'em Poker. Punch Work for Texas Hold'em begins by commenting on the history of the technique and detailing the numerous methods in which the marks can be created. Following this, how the marks can be utilised is explored from the perspective of each stage in standard Hold'em game procedure. The ebook then considers the ways in which these tactile marks can be varied to convey more information. Finally, given the ambiguity inherent in the way this marking system is commonly implemented,... | $10 to wish list | |
Protection: the sealed bookJoseph Ernest MeyerAn underground classic, now available as an ebook! This amazingly insightful book, written by a newspaper reporter, contains full details of gambling devices and methods used by professionals to beat and cheat casinos and other players. Also described and illustrated are rigged carnival and gambling games, card gambling games, marked cards, holdouts, and much, much more. Not content to describe methods that others may also have exposed, Meyer went the extra step to purchase the rights to gambling systems that sold for as much as $25 each. These are also detailed, in their various author's... | $10 to wish list | |
Pre-Flop Single Card PeekT. HayesThis short ebook considers the game of Texas Hold'em, in which a cheat has knowledge of a single card that will appear on the flop. Whilst a couple of methods for achieving this are briefly described, the main contribution of this work is in highlighting the advantage that can be gained with knowledge of only a single card that will appear on the flop. Using analysis of how the cheats pre-flop range may be adjusted, the results show that even knowing only the suit of a flop card will give a significant advantage. 1st edition 2019, 8 pages. | ★★★★★ $0 to wish list | |
Mysterien des KartenspielsArthur ToskanaDieses Buch ist in Deutsch verfaßt und ganz dem falschen Spiel mit Karten gewidmet. Es behandelt unter anderem Griffe wie das Falschmischen, Spielaustausch, präparierte Karten und Gehilfen. Inhaltsverzeichnis
| ★★★★★ $7 to wish list | |
Monte CarlounknownThis manual exposes cheating at gambling of all kinds including more than 100 methods of rigged machines, tables, dice, marked cards, sleight of hand and more. It is unclear when this book was originally published, but it does reprint some illustrations from The Expert at the Card Table which means it must be after 1902. Our best guess is that this was published during the 1920s. From the preface: The lack of knowledge on any one subject is not ignorance. You may be the smartest lawyer, the most brilliant doctor, a captain of finance, an intelligent banker, an educated scholar, and a gentleman in every walk of... | $6 to wish list | |
Koschitz's Manual of Useful InformationKoschitzConcerning marks and stamps, portable and fixed devices, manipulation of cards and other matters of interest to lovers of draw. This is one of the better early books on card advantage play. We can be almost certain that Erdnase read this book.
| ★★★★★ $9 to wish list | |
Killers and StrippersT. HayesThis ebook focuses on the use of killing cards and the stripper deck to gain an advantage in the popular game of Texas Hold’em. The first part of the ebook is a short investigation into the art of using the cut to take cards out of play. Initially, the mathematics of killing cards is presented along with an assessment of probabilities when all the aces, tens and five value cards are killed. After highlighting the fact that very few cards are exposed during a round of Hold’em, the second part of the book looks at some different types of stripper deck that are available. This covers multiple... | ★★★★★ $0 to wish list |