Book excerpt: Thoroughly illustrated and researched, and enlivened with historical sidebars, 52 Ways to Cheat at Poker is essential reading for anyone who plays cards for money—or anyone interested in the ingenious ways cheats steal your money while appearing to do nothing at all. It’s no news that cheating pervades American culture. Americans cheat on taxes, tests, sports and spouses. But the largest arena for cheating may be at the poker table! With an estimated 60-80 million Americans playing poker every week—for the highest stakes ever—you can be sure that not everyone is playing by the rules! In this fascinating look at the card sharper’s art—from its origins in Renaissance Italy to the high-tech methods of today—deception expert Allan Kronzek reveals 52 of the most diabolical scams ever invented. Topics include codes and signaling systems, hidden cameras and miniature ear pieces, false shuffles, cuts and deals, peeking and flashing, deck and card switches, culling, instant stacks, marked cards, location play, the cooler, and dozens of other devious devices. Each chapter zeroes in on a single cheating concept and provides expert advice on how to spot and foil the scam (when possible!). You’ll learn the secrets of shade, flash, and juice—the subtlest marking systems; why cutting the cards doesn’t guarantee an honest deal, how a crooked dealer can stack the flop in hold ’em, why casino card rooms are not 100% safe, and how cheating crews crush the opposition without marked cards or sleight of hand.