Synopses & Reviews
It?s no news that cheating pervades American culture. Americans cheat on taxes, tests, sports and spouses. But the largest arena for cheating may be at the poker table! With an estimated 60-80 million Americans playing poker every week?for the highest stakes ever?you can be sure that not everyone is playing by the rules!
In this fascinating look at the card sharper?s art?from its origins in Renaissance Italy to the high-tech methods of today?deception expert Allan Kronzek reveals 52 of the most diabolical scams ever invented. Topics include codes and signaling systems, hidden cameras and miniature ear pieces, false shuffles, cuts and deals, peeking and flashing, deck and card switches, culling, instant stacks, marked cards, ?location play,? the ?cooler,? and dozens of other devious devices.
Each chapter zeroes in on a single cheating concept and provides expert advice on how to spot and foil the scam (when possible!). You?ll learn the secrets of shade, flash, and juice?the subtlest marking systems; why cutting the cards doesn?t guarantee an honest deal, how a crooked dealer can stack the flop in hold ?em, why casino card rooms are not 100% safe, and how cheating crews crush the opposition without marked cards or sleight of hand.
Thoroughly illustrated and researched, and enlivened with historical sidebars, 52 Ways to Cheat at Poker is essential reading for anyone who plays cards for money? or anyone interested in the ingenious ways cheats steal your money while appearing to do nothing at all.
Review
Over the course of this plainspoken, often entertaining volume, the reader will learn how to subtly deal from the bottom (or middle) of the deck; various ways to false-cut the cards; methods for colluding with your partners and a range of far more sophisticated maneuvers with rather enticing playoffs.... Anecdotes about such things as cheaters narrowly escaping detection (and, presumably, a whupping) enliven the pages, as do a sprinkling of germane quotes and jokes.... This little book could actually change your life.
Kostya Kennedy, Sports Illustrated
This book has class, depth and covers a mountain of territory....For the price and the depth of material offered, this could be one of the best books of the century on the subject.
Howard Schwartz, Gamblers Book Shop
Provides unique insight into the art of the cheat. In a game where the accumulation of knowledge is paramount, it doesnt make sense to miss out on this one.
Chuck Blount, syndicated poker columnist
Kronzeks delightful compendium is a fun and witty guide to the nefarious methods card thieves use to, as they put it, get the money your money. He arms you with the knowledge youll need to protect yourself and he presents it with all the verve and snap of a crisply dealt card.
Karl Johnson, author of The Magician and the Cardsharp
A remarkably fresh turn on a very old subject. Without doubt, the first book I would buy a friend who asks, Im in a weekly poker game. Do you think anyone would try to cheat me?
Jamy Ian Swiss, Genii Magazine
Once you start reading, even if youve never played a game of poker in your life, youll find yourself endlessly entertained by the rich history and enticing lore of Americas favorite card game. Of course the book is a perfect gift for anyone who loves poker.
Peter Block, Penthouse
The book is a pleasure to read and study.
Martin Gardner, MUM
Synopsis
How poker cheats can rob you blindaand how to protect yourself. How do cheats win at poker? What are the swindles, marking systems, and other devious tools of the trade? In his fascinating look at the card sharperas artafrom its origins in Renaissance Italy to the high-tech methods of todayamagician and sleight-of-hand expert Allan Kronzek reveals 52 of the most diabolical scams ever invented. Topics include marked cards, codes and signaling systems, peeking, flashing, deck switches, lay stacks, collusion, apapering the neighborhood, a stacking the flop in Hold aem, false cuts and shuffles, using the cut card as a cheating device, askinning the deck, a playing alocation, a and much more. Youall learn the secrets of shade, flash, and juiceathe subtlest marking systems; how cheats can rig a Holdaem tournament, why cutting the cards doesnat guarantee an honest deal, how cheating crews crush the opposition without marked cards or sleight of hand, why the most brutal scams are easy to get away with, and how to spo cheats at work (when possible ) Thoroughly illustrated and researched, and enlivened with a wealth of historical sidebars, 52 Ways to Cheat at Poker is sure to appeal to anyone with an interest in poker, card games, cheating, or to the merely curious who want to know the secrets of ahow itas done.a
About the Author
Allan Kronzek is a magician, writer, and educator. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Sorcererandrsquo;s Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter (Broadway Books, cowritten with his daughter Elizabeth), and the acclaimed A Book of Magic for Young Magicians andndash; The Secrets of Alkazar. He performs and lectures on the history of conjuring at schools, colleges, libraries and museums. He was a student of the crooked gambling expert Frank Garcia.