Deadman’s Poker

“Run!” Valentine yelled through cupped hands.

Rufus hit the ten-yard line as Greased Lightning crossed the thirty. It was a contest now, and Rufus took a half dozen giant steps, and then fell face-forward with his arms outstretched as the horse raced past him.

“I win! I win!” the Greek shouted while doing a juvenile victory dance.

Valentine hurried over to where Rufus lay and helped him to his feet. The old cowboy was covered in grass and dirt and took a moment to get his bearings.

“Did I lose?” he asked under his breath.

“It was mighty close,” Valentine said. “Let’s look at the tape.”

Zack stood on the sideline with his camera pointed at the finish line. He rewound the tape, and let Valentine and Rufus watch the race on the tiny screen on the back of the camera. The ending was close, but the outcome was perfectly clear. Before Greased Lightning reached the end zone, Rufus’s hand had broken the plane of the finish line.

Rufus called the Greek over, and let him watch the tape. When it was over, the Greek was crying. Rufus raised his arms triumphantly into the air.

“I win,” he declared.

Also by James Swain

GRIFT SENSE

FUNNY MONEY

SUCKER BET

LOADED DICE

MR. LUCKY

Praise for James Swain’s

Tony Valentine novels

“In this series about gambling, the main character is a big wi

—JANET MASLIN, The New York Times

“Swain’s mysteries…are a sure bet.”

— Chicago Tribune

“James Swain is the real thing, a writer of pure, athletic prose, capable of bringing alive characters as original and three-dimensional as our best novelists.”

—JAMES W. HALL

“This smooth, fu

—Kirkus

“An expert on casino swindles, the author packs his books with mind-boggling cons and scams…along with entertaining dialogue and vivid characters.”

—Publishers Weekly

MR. LUCKY

“Bask in Swain’s Las Vegas without having to set foot in the place and risk being ski

—Washington Post Book World

“The momentum is great, the writing nimble, the action intricate. If you like Swain’s formula, as I do, you’ll get a lot of what you expect and love it.”

— Los Angeles Times

“Hits the jackpot. Impossible to put down.”

—MICHAEL CONNELLY

LOADED DICE

“Leaves us wanting more of this pulsing buoyant book.”

—Los Angeles Times

“A poker novel with the punch of a royal flush…ought to be required reading.”

—Chicago Sun-Times

“Pure entertainment, building to a slam-bang ending.”

—San Jose Mercury News

“Great fun with just the right amount of edge—sort of like a night out at the blackjack table.”

— Booklist

SUCKER BET

“Ingenious entertainment.”

—The New York Times Book Review

“Great fun…Swain, an expert on card trickery and casino cheating, is an entertaining writer whose breezy style and flair for wise-guy dialogue make the story zoom by.”

— Boston Globe

“A vivid insider’s look at casinos [that] hits the jackpot… Sucker Betis a sure thing.”

— Chicago Tribune

“Swain has come up with a doozy…. The gambling details are a treat [and] the banter is worthy of a place at Elmore Leonard’s table.”

— Booklist

FUNNY MONEY

“Fascinating…dazzling…entertaining…I can’t think of a novel I’ve enjoyed more this year.”

—Los Angeles Times

“There’s a certain intelligence to a book that teaches you something—even something as esoteric as how to spot a casino cheat—and Swain juggles that mix of learning and adventure perfectly.”

— Houston Chronicle

“Smart, snappy…tremendously infectious.”

—St. Petersburg Times

“Great fun—with oddball characters, a twisted plot, and scheming dreamers out for the big score.”

—Lansing State Journal

GRIFT SENSE

“A well-plotted debut mystery that pays off handsomely… Grift Sensedelivers a vivid and credible look at the gaming industry through eccentric yet believable characters.”

—Chicago Tribune

“ Grift Senseis one of the best debuts I’ve read in years. It has a great plot, wonderful characters, and a slick, subtle wit.”

— The Toronto Globe and Mail

“The hard-nosed dialogue and the fast-paced, serpentine plot deliver a page-turner of a mystery. Just when readers start to relax, thinking it’s clear sailing to the end, Swain throws yet another curve.”

— Canadian Press

Poker Protection Tips

Poker is an amazing game. It requires aggression, bluffing, money management, the ability to read tells, and knowing how to play hundreds of different hands. It also requires luck and lots of hard work. Anyone can play, and practically everyone does.

But poker also has a dirty little secret and it’s called cheating. Of the more than fifty books on poker in my library, all contain chapters on the subject. Cheating happens in friendly games, casino card rooms, and tournaments. It continues to be one of the largest unchecked crimes in America.

If you play poker on a frequent basis, it’s safe to assume that you’ve been swindled at least a couple of times. It’s part of the game, and something every player needs to guard against. There are a number of universal poker scams that are used to separate honest players from their money (unless you play in high-stakes games, the chances of ru

PEEKING

Ever notice when watching the World Series of Poker how zealously the players guard their cards when they look to see what they’ve been dealt? Ever wonder why? The obvious answer is that the players don’t want their opponents to see their cards. But the chances of that happening are slim. The other opponents are looking at their cards at the same time. So why do players do it? The answer is simple: They don’t want to be “peeked” by someone standing behind them. This person is called a confederate or an agent. Their job is to peek the cards, then signal their value to another player at the table. Peeking is a favorite method of cheating among professional card hustlers. Many great players (including world champions) have been scammed by peeking. Here are the card hustler’s favorite methods, and how to protect yourself against them.