Sharps and Flats by John Nevil Maskelyne
A Complete Revelation of The Secrets of Cheating at Games of Chance and Skill
Sharps and Flats is probably the most important early book on cheating devices and methods. Sharps being the cheaters and flats being the cheated, the mark. Maskelyne details among others, marked cards, holdouts (Kepplinger holdout), reflectors and manipulation. He describes not just cheating at the card table but also cheating with dice, cheating at Sporting houses, and at Roulette. The book is very thorough with many wonderful illustrations.
1st edition, 1894, Longmans, Green and Co., New York and London; reprinted, Gamblers Book Club, Las Vegas; 335 pages.
- Preface to the Second Edition
- Preface
- I.Introductory
- II.Common Sharpers and Their Tricks
- III.Marked Cards and the Manner of Their Employment
- IV.Reflectors
- V.Holdouts
- VI.Manipulation
- VII.Collusion and Conspiracy
- VIII.The Game of Faro
- IX.Prepared Cards
- X.Dice
- XI.High Ball Poker
- XII.Roulette and Allied Games
- XIII.Sporting-Houses
- XIV.Sharps and Flats
- Postscript
