John Scarne

#3 Gambling author

(March 4, 1903 - July 7, 1985)

He was born Orlando Carmelo Scarnecchia in Steubenville, Ohio. Leaving school after the eighth grade, he learned as a teenager how to perform card tricks like three-card monte and to gamble using cards and dice. His mother, disappointed in how he was making his money, encouraged him to take up magic instead. He soon started making money at card tricks.

Scarne became quite an expert at tricks and games of all kinds. Articles were written about him in various magazines, and he was hired as a consultant or advisor by various companies. He wrote 15 books on magic, gambling and games. He served as a technical advisor in the 1973 motion picture, "The Sting", and doubled for actor Paul Newman's hands during scenes that involved card manipulations and deck switching.

John invented many games. He was especially proud of one called Teeko, which he invented in 1945, re-invented in 1952 and modified in the 1960s. He was so proud of the game that he named his son John Teeko Scarne. But he never made a profit on the game, and it is now virtually unknown.

Coauthors: Audley V. Walsh, Dr. Jacob Daley

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