Publisher's Synopsis
This is the most profound book to rattle the casino industry since the 1963 publication of "The Green Felt Jungle." A former blackjack dealer has found the courage to publish a book guaranteed to shake-up the casino industry in Las Vegas and beyond. Starting his dealing career in the early 1970's and finally stepping away from the tables in the early 1990's, his story reveals subject matter casino bosses and owners would rather not mention and material even the most seasoned gamblers have never considered. As a dedicated house dealer, he used his ability in manipulating a deck of cards to further increase the house's advantage; he was a bustout dealer, a dealer willing to steal for the house. When the glitter of "Fabulous Las Vegas" began to wear thin, when the façade of the gambling industry began to crumble in revealing an industry serving no useful purpose, he became a crossroader, a dealer willing to steal from the house. Having taken pleasure and pride in stealing for the house, imagine his delight when he began stealing from the house.Besides revealing how he used his unique skills to benefit the casinos and then himself and his agents, he answers questions related to the gambling industry few people ask and fewer, even those in the industry, can correctly answer: why does the house win, what is gambling and how does it differ from risk, why does the house stand on seventeen - why not sixteen or eighteen, does card counting give the player an advantage over the casinos?Combining his personal narrative with a historical account of the gambling industry, this book is a rare gem; there is nothing else like it on the shelves. The revelations put forth in "Milking Las Vegas" will forever change how Las Vegas does business and how gamblers might want to reconsider their options before opening their wallets.Here are some memorable quotes;"Instead of classifying myself purely as a crossroader or bustout dealer, I retained both titles by allowing one to serve the needs of the other; it is possible for Peter to pay Paul.""While they (the casinos) were busy guarding their vault, we were nonchalantly riffling through their wallet.""Bosses are looking for cheating dealers with the same level of enthusiasm as an air traffic controller devotes to keeping his eyes open for flying saucers.""Holding public hearings on sophisticated cheating scams does not serve in the best interests of the casino industry.""The casinos take no action against card counting because it is not real; it is not a viable threat to their bottom line. Perpetuating the myth of successful card counting actually works in their favor.""Why did I steal money from the casinos of Las Vegas? I can answer in a whimsical manner by borrowing from George Mallory, a famous mountaineer and Willie Sutton, an infamous bank robber; I stole money from the casinos of Las Vegas because "they were there" and because "that's where the money is."
