Maskelyne, John Nevil: Sharps & Flats The Complete Revelation of the Secrets of Cheating ©1894 Longmans, Green and Co., London & NY Hardcover, 335 pages ©1971 Gambler's Book Club, Las Vegas Softcover, perfect-bound, 5x7", 335 pages Facsimile reprint

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Comments: A description of many of the methods cheaters use at gambling. An interesting read.
According to the preface in the Gambler's Book Club preface, the second edition of this book was produced only eight months after original publication, and included a new informative preface.

Contents:

vii Preface (J.N. Maskelyne)

1 Chapter I Introductory

10 Chapter II Common Sharpers And Their Tricks
11 Three Card Trick: Three card Monte
18 Sharps and Flats: coin spinning
20 Purse Trick: money swindle
23 Penny Nap: game

26 Chapter III Marked Cards And The Manner Of Their Employment
27 General Principles of Marking
29 The Marking of Unprinted Backs
33 Marking by Dot and Puncture
36 Cards Mark & In Manufacture
43 Shading and Tint Marking

60 Chapter IV Reflectors
63 Table-Reflector
65 Pipe-Bowl Shiner
66 Tooth-Pick Reflector
68 Counter Reflector
69 Simplicity Vs. Complexity
71 Working the Table Reflector

73 Chapter V Holdouts
76 Robert-Houdin Cuff Box
78 Collar Holdout
79 Knee Holdout
80 Mechanical Holdouts
80 - The Bug
82 - Cuff Holdout
83 - Cuff Pocket
87 - Ring Holdout
87 - Coat and Vest Holdouts
94 - Sleeve Machines
97 Kepplinger
100 The Kepplinger Holdout
107 Table Holdout

112 Chapter VI Manipulation
116 Bottom Deal
118 Dealing Seconds
122 Knowing the Top and Bottom Cards
124 False Cuts
124 The Pass
128 Dodging the Cut
129 The Bridge
130 False Shuffles
137 Overhand, Riffle, Ecarte Shuffles
142 End-Bridge
144 Stocking Hands
149 Counting Down

159 Chapter VII Collusion And Conspiracy
160 Ecarte
162 Secret Telegraphy
165 Mr. Henry Labouchere, M.P.
167 Lambri's System
169 Baccarat
170 Poker Collusion
173 Robert-Houdin's Havana Narrative

184 Chapter VIII The Game Of Faro
185 The Faro-Box
186 The Check-Rack
186 The Cue-Keeper
187 Cue-Cards
189 The Shuffling Board
189 The Layout
189 The Faro-Table
189 Game Play
193 Methods of Cheating at Faro
194 Cheating the Bank
201 Bank Cheating the Players
204 - The Faro Dealer's Shuffle
206 - Two Card Box

215 Chapter IX Prepared Cards
216 Stripper Plate: for cutting cards
217 Trimming Shears
219 Large Card
220 The Wedge
222 Convex and Concave Cards - Strippers
223 Treating the Deck
226 Rough & Smooth, Etc.

229 Chapter X Dice
230 Cheating With Fair Dice
231 - The Dice Box
231 - Securing: die manipulation
236 Cheating with Gimmicked Dice
237 - Dispatchers: mismarked dice
238 - Loaded Dice
239 - Electric Dice: magnetic
243 Techniques and Application in Practice
246 Over and Under Seven
250 Yankee Grab or Newmarket
253 Sweat
255 Hazard
257 Dice Tops: spinning dice

261 Chapter XI High Ball Poker
261 Description of Game: played with numbered balls in a bottle
263 Methods of Cheating
264 Holdout

267 Chapter XII Roule1te And Allied Games
269 Faked or Falsified Roulette
274 A True Gambling Experience: a story of a cheat
280 Other Spindle-Games

285 Chapter XIII Sporting-Houses
286 Sample Catalogue of Cheating Supplies
293 Catalog Featuring Holdouts
299 Sample Marked Card Catalog
300 Sample Faro Dealer Hand-Bill
302 Instruction Sheet for Marking Fluid
304 Poor Grammar Common
307 Police & Law Enforcement Involvement

312 Chapter XIV Sharps And Flats
315 Gambling is Essentially Dishonest
318 Gambling is Unfair to Both Parties
319 Gambling in the Long Run is a Loss

331 Postscript: Prof. Karl Pearson article Science and Monte Carlo