The Secrets of Cheating - Games of Chance and Skill: Sharps and Flats

Written by one of the great illusionists and exposers of fraud, The Secrets of Cheating – Games of Chance and Skill: Sharps and Flats by John Nevil Maskelyne unveils the hidden tricks, sleights, and deceptions used by gamblers, card sharps, and professional cheats in the gaming halls of Victorian England. Drawing upon his expertise as both a magician and moral reformer, Maskelyne exposes the methods of manipulation and psychological cunning that turn honest play into calculated deceit.

Covering a wide range of games—including cards, dice, billiards, roulette, and betting systems—the book explains in meticulous detail how swindlers operated, the mechanical devices they employed, and the ways they exploited human greed and trust. Yet beyond its revelations of trickery, Maskelyne’s work serves as a moral warning and practical guide, aimed at educating players and protecting the unwary from ruin.

Part exposé, part handbook of human psychology, this volume remains a classic in the history of gaming, deception, and illusion, blending the analytical eye of a scientist with the showman’s flair of a master conjurer.

Complete edition of John Nevil Maskelyne’s exposé on gambling and deception

Details cheating methods in games of chance and skill

Written by a renowned magician and pioneer of modern illusion

Essential for readers of gaming history, psychology, and the art of deception