hillcountrymagic
$20.00
Condition: Very Good.
Ex Libris Kreskin - Signed by Kreskin with his marking through book.
Published in 1975 by Trik-Kard Specialties, Gambling Tricks with Dice by Nick Trost is a classic 30-page stapled softcover manuscript. Part of a four-part gambling demonstration series, this book serves as a practical blueprint for magicians and mentalists looking to replicate the techniques of street swindlers and casino cheats without requiring decades of underground casino practice.
Rather than teaching complex, professional dice-switching or expert sleight of hand, Trost breaks down the fundamental mathematical traps, physical controls, and gimmicks used to hustle unsuspecting players.
1. Dice Control (Physical Manipulation)
Trost introduces how physical manipulation can alter the probability of a roll.
The Pad Roll: A technique used on padded or soft surfaces (like blankets or felt) where the dice are set to specific numbers and rolled with a specific spin to prevent them from turning over axially.
The Slide Shot: Designed for hard surfaces, this method involves sliding one die completely flat across the table to lock in a specific number, while the other die rolls naturally to disguise the trick.
2. Sucker Bets with Dice (Mathematical Propositions)
This section pulls back the curtain on proposition bets—wagers that appear completely fair or even favor the spectator, but mathematically guarantee the operator a long-term advantage. Trost outlines the exact math and presentation for:
One to Four-Roll Bets: Bets engineered around how quickly specific combinations (like a 7 or a specific pair) will appear.
Before Seven Bets: Forcing the player to bet against a 7 appearing before a harder-to-roll number.
Multi-Dice Propositions: Flawed probability setups utilizing three, five, or more dice where the sheer volume of options visually confuses the victim about the true odds.
3. Dice Games and Swindles (Fixed Game Structures)
Trost details classic carnival and street gambling games structured entirely to drain the player's bankroll.
**Chuck-A-Luck (Bird-Cage Game): A breakdown of the traditional three-dice cage game and why the payout structure heavily favors the house.
Beat the Dealer & Under and Over Seven: Fast-paced, high-dice games with deceptive rules that visually mask an aggressive mathematical house edge.
The Thirty-One Game: A brilliant historical swindle played with a single die, attributed to Stuart Judah. Players take turns rolling a single die, adding the numbers sequentially. The goal is to hit exactly 31, but through a hidden mathematical grid strategy, the performer can always force a win.
4. Crooked Dice and Devices (Gimmicks & Apparatus)
The final portion of the book shifts from psychological and physical control to mechanical cheating devices.
**Tops and Bottoms (Mis-spotted Dice): Dice that only feature three distinct numbers repeated twice. Trost teaches a "Craps" Demonstration using these dice to show how an operator can completely eliminate losing combinations.
Horse Race & Poker Dice: Entertainment-focused routines utilizing specialized or unevenly weighted dice sets where the magician wins specific mock "races" or poker hands.
Loaded Dice & Shakers: Techniques for demonstrating loaded dice (weighted heavily toward 1, 2, or 6), alongside mechanical cheating devices like the Eli Box, the Chinese Dice Box, Magnetic Dice Shakers, and the Slick Cup (a dice cup designed with smooth internal walls that prevent the dice from actually spinning or changing position as they are shaken out).
