A Grand Expose of The Science of Gambling, 1860. 42 years before Erdnase!
This book is one of my favourite early titles on crooked gambling. What’s interesting about this book is that the author was (and still is) COMPLETELY anonymous. He calls himself “an adept”, that is all we’ve got. Unlike Erdnase where we have ideas on who it could have been, we have no idea with this book.
Interestingly enough, when this book first came out in 1860, there were only 7-20 copies ever made.
Upon reading the book, the range of topics is broad. The highlight for me are the tales told by “an adept” of his own personal sharping experiences on trains, boats etc. It is a fascinating look into what cheating was like in the 1800’s, alongside still proving extremely relevant today.
It makes you wonder why he publicized this book anonymously… upon reading this book, it is a worthy exercise to try and determine who “an adept” was. Was he a card mechanic, a con man, hustler etc etc.
There are a number of interesting and some contrasting statements in this book which make you question the authors profession, I have my own theory, I will let you discover your own.
This book covers many topics including card manipulation, dice, roulette and a whole manner of con games/proposition bets. It really is a fascinating journey from an informative mind.
This book is not just an expose, it is a means of travelling back in time, re-living the fascinating experiences of the author whilst it all expands your knowledge. This is a special book.
I encourage you to go back to these old books, study them all and build your database. Only then will your work and knowledge be enriched.
Thank you “an adept”, whoever you may have been.
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