Gambling is more popular than ever, with multi-million dollar poker tournaments on television, gambling themed movies like Rounders gaining in popularity, and casinos opening in just about every state of the U.S. How to Cheat at Everything is a roller-coaster ride through bar bets, street hustles, carnivals, Internet fraud, big and small cons, card and dice games and more. You'll even find the exact frauds that the NYPD regard as the most common and dangerous today, and learn top tips on how to avoid each one. This inside information comes from Lovell's lifetime of experience in the field, along with additional information from both sides of the law. Not just a "here's how the con works" book; this guides you through the set up, the talk, the sell, everything about the con, and how you can be suckered into one. If you think that you can't be conned; then you are already halfway to being so! There is no preaching here, just a fun ripping ride through a world so few know about. You'll meet wild, eccentric and larcenous characters and you'll learn how they work their money-making deeds, all without having to risk a penny of your own money.
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Book Description
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From magician and reformed con-man Lovell comes this seemingly comprehensive guide to cheating with props, cards, numbers, coins, telephones, sleight of hand, dice, and more. The book is written with an impish grin (hey, we all know you wouldn't do this stuff, but here's how to do it, just hypothetically) and features dozens of hustles that anyone can perform, with a little practice. Most depend on a simple trick--when you bet that a tossed paper match will land on its edge, the trick is to bend the match in the middle first--but there are some that depend on elegance of execution, or on selling the mark a story (like "work at home" schemes or e-mails offering to enhance parts of the anatomy). For those who are willing to accept the larcenous premise, this is a thoroughly fascinating and even charming book, chock-full of fun and adventure. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
About the Author
Simon Lovell is a magician, former con man, and professional card cheat. Currently he stars in the one-man Off-Broadway show Strange and Unusual Hobbies. He is the author of seventeen books, has produced 14 videos and 5 DVDs on the subject of cheating, and has lectured to both police and casino operatives on the subject of cheating. For more information, visit his web site, www.simonlovell.com.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Covers a HUGE array of cons/cheats...from bar bets that are a sure thing (for you) to cheating at cards to criminal scams going on today. Detailed descriptions with occasional illustrations to help you understand. I'm giving it 5 stars because I loved it, and to help balance the one-star review from the guy below who didn't even read the book.
14 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've made it about 70% through, and I'm very pleased. It's a broader study than The Big Con, and doesn't go into as much depth, but it hits the kind of thing the average person is more likely to see. One thing lacking is the pictures on such things as the false shuffles. I suppose you'd truly need high-speed video to really see what's happening, but more than one picture per shuffle would be a good start.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
How to Cheat at Everything: A Con Man Reveals the Secrets of the Esoteric Trade of Cheating, Scams, and Hustles
January 11, 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a well written entertaining piece of work that can be pursued in small pieces. It covers human nature and the mechanics of some of the more popular cons and how to use them.
The sections on bar bets is worth the price of the book alone. I purchased a second copy and sent it to my son-in-law as a Christmas present after I conned him with one of the bar bets.
Aside from this, the conman character takes one on a great Elmore Leonard path.
The sections on bar bets is worth the price of the book alone. I purchased a second copy and sent it to my son-in-law as a Christmas present after I conned him with one of the bar bets.
Aside from this, the conman character takes one on a great Elmore Leonard path.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Bought as a present
My son the entrepreneur wanted this book just to see if it had any valuable information in it so I bought it as a Christmas present for him. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. X
Really Interesting Book
Lovell creates an interesting story, weaving facts and anecdotes in along with practical advice. His ability to make some of he more dry subjects, namely cards and dice,... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Alec
Meh...
A somewhat interesting book but uneven writing and odd digressions make for a tough read. It contains an interesting inside look at carnival games but not so much how to win at... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Edward Gittines
ewwwwwe. I gave it away. not an easy read.
This book was 98% card and carnie games. Not at all what I thgt when I read the review. Guess I got "cheated".
Published 18 months ago by YOLANDA A. BANKS
Oh the mind of the unconvinced...
Any book on con men reveals how easily smart people can be lead to do strange things. This book is no exception. The book is quite thorough in the topics it covers. Read more
Published on December 1, 2009 by Dantalion Jones
Don't Bother
This book is mistitled. Not at all what I expected. When the title read "How to Cheat at Everything", I was under the assumption that "everything" meant everything, not just street... Read more
Published on November 24, 2008 by Kathleen D. Halajian
Entertaining, fun and very cool stuff to know...
Who wouldn't want to gain the oohs and aahs of friends at dinner or a bar?
This book is loaded with some fantastic tricks. Read more
This book is loaded with some fantastic tricks. Read more
Published on August 13, 2008 by Dan Seidman
Slogging
Would be interesting if it were half as long. The cons were the most interesting; the endless variations on how to cheat at cards and dice and silly bar bets were tiring.
Published on June 26, 2007 by Alexander Rosen
TAKES A BIT OF COURAGE TO TRY THESE THINGS.
If you are seeking a way to con your neighbor, you can find it here. Also possible to realize a few broken bones in this day and age. Read more
Published on May 12, 2007 by RAYSOUTH
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
AS FREDDY so RIGHTLY POINTS OUT, THERE REALLY is ONLY ONE KIND OF BAR bet when he's playing: a losing one for the mug. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
faked dice, gaffed dice, amateur cheat, straight dice, percentage dice, professional cheat, overhand shuffle, prop bets, straight toss, left hand cards, right hand cards, tossing action, odd card, palmed card, following bet, forged money, side strippers, bottom deal, riffle shuffle, index corner, controlled die, poker dice, correct odds, bar bets, pigeon drop Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Stud Poker, Six Decks, Bruce Walstad, Doubling Cube, New York City, Three Card Monte, Pick Up Stack, Freddy the Fox, Sample Deck, Thumb Switch, Albert Fisher, Broad Tosser, Coney Island, Flat Count, Freeze Out, Hanky Pank, Indian Poker, Nick the Greek, Shoot Pontoon, Faro Shuffle, John Scarne, Liar's Poker, Some Bigger Hustles, Beat the Dealer, Buy Bet New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
AS FREDDY so RIGHTLY POINTS OUT, THERE REALLY is ONLY ONE KIND OF BAR bet when he's playing: a losing one for the mug. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
faked dice, gaffed dice, amateur cheat, straight dice, percentage dice, professional cheat, overhand shuffle, prop bets, straight toss, left hand cards, right hand cards, tossing action, odd card, palmed card, following bet, forged money, side strippers, bottom deal, riffle shuffle, index corner, controlled die, poker dice, correct odds, bar bets, pigeon drop Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Stud Poker, Six Decks, Bruce Walstad, Doubling Cube, New York City, Three Card Monte, Pick Up Stack, Freddy the Fox, Sample Deck, Thumb Switch, Albert Fisher, Broad Tosser, Coney Island, Flat Count, Freeze Out, Hanky Pank, Indian Poker, Nick the Greek, Shoot Pontoon, Faro Shuffle, John Scarne, Liar's Poker, Some Bigger Hustles, Beat the Dealer, Buy Bet New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 2
books:
- House of Games by David Mamet on page 48
- Loaded Dice - The True Story of a Casino Cheat by John Soares on page 328
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