Gambler's Paradise

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Chris, you might want to check out Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel in the Denver library. It is the story of Denver's most famous card sharp confidence man of the latter nineteenth century.

I'm somewhat familiar with Mr. Smith, and his three-card-monte inspired soap scam which earned him his moniker. Always interested in learning more about such scoundrels, though. Thanks for the recommendation!

Yes, Soapy was the famous King of the Kon Artists before the turn of the century. Sadly, his life ended in 1898 in Alaska.

Killed in a pretty spectacular shootout, if I recall correctly.

Yes he was

There is a Magician by the name of Nicholas J Johnson from Melbourne Australia who has written several books on the art and artifice of gamblers and cheats, including the games they play.

Not familiar with Johnson's works. I did, however, read a fascinating book called Sharps and Flats by John Nevil Maskelyne, who was himself a crooked gambler in the early 20th century. Went into great detail about the tools and tactics of the trade. It's part of the Internet Archive project, so it's available free online, if you're interested. (Actually, I suppose it's available free online whether you're interested or not.)

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