Originally published in 1938, Sucker’s Progress is a complete look at old-time gamesmanship in America. From Midwestern riverboats to East Coast racetracks, Asbury explores the legal, and illegal, history of gambling in pre–World War I America. With a keen eye and acerbic voice, Asbury defines the world of gambling as one of “sharpers” and “suckers”: those who excel at the games by cheating, and their victims. From notorious gambling havens like Chicago and New Orleans to lesser-known outposts in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio, Asbury examines the gambling houses, big and small, which peppered the American landscape. Also included are photographs and details of the lives of some of America’s most famous gamblers, including Mike McDonald, John Morrissey, and Richard Canfield, as well as their infamous counterparts like “Canada Bill” and “Charley Black Eyes,” who made their names as grifters and con men. Asbury also details the games these men played, describing the rules and origins of a number of dice and card games. From one-dollar lottery tickets to thousand-dollar poker antes, America’s love of gambling thrives today, but it was during Asbury’s era that gambling was established as an American passion.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent review of 19th century American gambling,
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This review is from: Sucker's Progress: An Informal History of Gambling in America (Paperback)
I obtained a copy of the original printing of this book in the 1970's. It is an excellent history of American gambling in the 19th century. The first (smaller) part of the book covers the rules and background of the major games (the most popular, Faro, has since disappeared). The larger second portion is an extensive and colorful account in chronological sequence. I have re-read portions of this book numerous times. It is an ideal book to pick up and simply start reading at a random chapter.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Despite the proverbial ingenuity of the Yankee, he has never created a gambling game of the first rank; in this particular field his inventiveness has been confined to variation and adaptation. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, New Orleans, United States, San Francisco, Civil War, Old Smoke, Canada Bill, District Attorney, Tammany Hall, John O'Connor, Soapy Smith, Kansas City, Barclay Street, Richard Canfield, Brother Skaggs, Colonel Bryant, George Devol, Weekly Register, Wild Bill, John Davis, Louisiana Purchase, Tapis Franc, Hall of the Bleeding Heart, John Philip Quinn, Middle West New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Despite the proverbial ingenuity of the Yankee, he has never created a gambling game of the first rank; in this particular field his inventiveness has been confined to variation and adaptation. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, New Orleans, United States, San Francisco, Civil War, Old Smoke, Canada Bill, District Attorney, Tammany Hall, John O'Connor, Soapy Smith, Kansas City, Barclay Street, Richard Canfield, Brother Skaggs, Colonel Bryant, George Devol, Weekly Register, Wild Bill, John Davis, Louisiana Purchase, Tapis Franc, Hall of the Bleeding Heart, John Philip Quinn, Middle West New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 62
books:
See all 62 books this book cites
- Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi by George Devol on page 234, page 267, and Back Matter
- An Open Book by Orson Scott Card on page 61, and Back Matter
- Secret Band of Brothers (An Exposition-University Book) by Jonathan Harrington Green on page 180, and Back Matter
- Gambling and Gambling Devices by John Quinn on page 6, and Back Matter
- Stud Poker Blue Book by George Fisher on page 31, and Back Matter
See all 62 books this book cites
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