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1963. 'Esquire's Book of Gambling' by David Newman & The Editors of Esquire

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• Esquire's Book of Gambling [top]
  By David Newman and the Editors of Esquire. Introduction by Arnold Gingrich; Illustrated by Tomi Ungerer.
  First published in 1963 in Great Britain by Frederick Muller Ltd, black cloth hardcover, no dj, 334 pages

Contents:

Prologue:The Second Oldest Diversion: An introduction to gambling, the traditional pastime, in many guises-Gambling through the ages, including Shakespeare's and yours-The Peculiar Delights of the gaming way of life-The glamourous gamblin' man-A look at Ferencz II, Patron Saint of Gamblers-A harsh word on cheating-John Gates, who bet a million-A guide for readers' interests-A gallery of contributors

Part One:

1) The Pleasures of Gambling. Winning-how to win lavishly and gracefully-A look at lucky winners-The London Football Pool and attendant national madnesses-The pleasures of partaking:atmosphere, fellowship, excitement-Poker as a source of joy-Types of Poker addicts-Meet the Men who must win, the "subsistence" gamblers-The mathematical realities of chance and probability-How to win $100 a week

2) The Perils of Gambling. Losing-How to be a good loser-when to stop being a good loser-why do people really gamble?-A review of psychological explanations-the peril of the chronic gamblers-why the compulsion exists-testimony of a lost soul regained-a friendly warning-Gyps and how to spot them-the ways they cheat at dice, including trick rolls and loaded cubes-the ways they cheat at cards including phony deals and clever cuts-the marked-cards industry-spotting guide for every well-known deck used-the ways they cheat at horse racing, including tipsters and touts-some rules to wear in your hat

3) The Palaces of Gambling. What makes a gambling spa so special-the lavish setting inspires the lavish betting-Monte Carlo, most famous casino in the world-the Mississippi riverboats, floating palaces-Runyonland, not so jolly as all that-the truth about floating crap games-the horseplayers hangout, even in Philadelphia-the New European centers, Travemunde in West Germany-Las Vegas:games, girls, guys and money-Who works in Vegas-who plays there-who dies there

Part Two:

4) A Good Game of Cards.  Poker-the early days-the rules confusion-the way they played on the riverboats-big poker, a man's game-poker players, a variety; techniques, how to win and be a wolf; poker odds and how they work; the MacGregor Equation; What's wrong with hunch playing; raising, bluffing; types of play; new games for the poker buff; variations on a theme; poke; poke with deuces wild; bluff poke; handicap poke; five-card stud with with the hole card wild; roll 'em; roll 'em, hole card wild; bet or get out; no peek; aces or better; legs; pig; spit in the ocean; dizzy liz; california; omaha; baseball; one-eyed jacks; seven cards, deuces; 5 and 10; low hole; 444; 333; high-low; the Russian's preference; fan-tan; nap; knock poker; strip poker

Rummy-the joys of gin; how to "double"; when not to; other rummy games; contract gin rummy, with demonstration game; java rummy; chicago rummy; king rummy

Odd Cards-how to improve your image and raise your status with new games-check pinochle; cavendish; Pif-paf; Spade Cassino; Kalabriasz; build-up; Belote; Chicago Piano; Easy Go; Hooligan Hearts; Football for Feeble Fullbacks; Pasteboard Derby; Six-Pack Bezique; Ratfink; Solo; The Final Question

5) A Day At the Races. Horse Racing, a basic preposition-a day with a two-dollar bettor; how he bets; the hunch players, pro and con; betting with bookies; the types of bets; Parlays; If-money; Back to Back; Reverse Play; Win-Hole, or place and show bets; Where horseplayers make their mistake; four prerequisites for betting success; the selectors; how they pick them; handicappers; "form" playing; the scientific approach-Professor O' Dowd and the scientific system revealed; a system to beat the horses; the Dowst system-how it works; how it was actually played; another system-the Vadeboncoeur-how it works and plays; comparison of the two; bookies-a defense of them; analysis of the weakness in the current racing system.

6) Indoor Diversions for the Curious, the Adventurous. The need to expand into new areas; a defense of Craps for upright citizens; the game of craps and how it works; the thirty-six possible combinations; how they are thrown; types of dice players; kinds of Craps; Bank Craps; Private Craps; House percentages; Gambling-House Craps; the tables; Probability; tables that tell all; the Esquire Dice System played through; Another dice game-Bidou; Aces Up; Poor Fish; Montevideo; Roulette; Where they Play; How the Wheels Work; the American wheel and the European Wheel; The Five Systems; Attack; Martingales; Progressions; flat-stake play; Paroli; Versions of Each; Difficulties of Some; Shipwreck Draw

7) Outdoor Diversions for the Speculative; the Dauntless and the Jaded. Healthful aspects of Outdoor Gambling; How to Bet on Baseball; The New national pastime; the Davenport system for betting winning teams; The Streak System applied to Cellar Dwellers;  Cockfights; The businessman who bet on a rooster; Dog Racing-A defense of a maligned sport; How the race is run; The ego-satisfaction of esoteric gambling; Snake Fights; How the rattler fares against the king; how the bettor fares against the king; Rules for the Great Outdoors