For a long time now, I’ve been a total mark for anything written about con men, tricksters, and legerdemain specialists. Whether it’s fiction, memoir, or how-to, I’ll read it. It’s not that I want to cheat other people, or that I’m paranoid about falling victim to them–it’s my sheer fascination with guys who are masters at subverting the apparent. I think it speaks to a deeper strain in American culture. I’m not about to launch into an extended essay here, but to read an entire history of the United States (until 1828) from this angle, check out Walter McDougall’s Freedom Just Around the Corner. I know that his Throes of Democracy is out, but I haven’t reviewed it yet, so I can’t comment on it(hint, hint).

Anyway, this is a protracted way of saying that when a book detailing how to cheat at poker showed up in my mail, I was eager to get to it. Continue Reading →