Deadman's Bluff - James Swain [111]
One of two things will now happen. Either the accuser will back down and the game will resume. Or the accuser will hold firm and the cheater will leave the game in a huff. Either way, the cheater has saved his neck.
There is a better way to deal with this situation, and it’s something all cheaters fear. It’s called forming a posse. If you suspect someone of cheating, mention it to the others during the break, when the cheater is out of earshot. Then start watching the cheater. Figure out what he is doing, even if it takes several sessions. Once you know the scam, confront the cheater as a group. This is one scenario a cheater can’t worm his way out of.
Be careful when playing with a group of players you don’t know, especially if there are high stakes involved. If there is cheating going on, 99 percent of the time two or more players are involved. Don’t try to be clever and turn the tables on the cheaters. The results can be disastrous. The best thing to do is leave the game.
Then there is the problem with being cheated in a casino or a card room. If you suspect foul play, file a complaint with the management, and make sure you have corroboration from another player as to what happened. Do this immediately after you’ve been swindled. If management brushes you off, write them a letter documenting what happened. Include the date, time, and where you sat. Be sure to copy whatever governing body regulates them. Don’t forget to mention that the casino or card room “looked the other way” when you lodged your complaint. The governing body will follow up on your complaint, either by letter or phone. If other letters are on file, they’ll probably pay the establishment a visit.
Praise for James Swain’s
Tony Valentine novels
“Mixing humor, suspense, poignancy, and insider-lore, Swain is one terrific writer.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“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, funny series has got to be one of the finds of the decade.”
—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 skinned alive.”
—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 Bet is 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