Testimonials
Gambling Sleight Of Hand - Forte Years of Research will revolutionize sleight of hand with playing cards and forever change the way you handle cards. I know because it happened to me. A whole new world of deceptive thinking and execution awaits you!
—Bill Malone
If your interest is gambling moves, the sleight-of-hand community now has a definitive guide! Gambling Sleight of Hand - Forte Years of Research is a ground-breaking reference source from the best in the biz. Expect the real work on authentic gambling moves, eye-opening perspective about Erdnase, and amazing insight and creativity as my mentor even has some fun with pseudo gambling stunts!
—Sal Piacente
There has never been, nor will there ever be, a book on sleight of hand with cards like Gambling Sleight of Hand - Forte Years of Research. No book has ever been written by an outsider to the magic world, for the magic world, and it’s all based on Steve’s extraordinary experiences and expertise. I’m betting that it won’t take long before The Expert at the Card Table will be a mere footnote while Gambling Sleight of Hand will be the trusted, respected, go-to reference for future generations of cardmen!
—Norman Beck
Steve Forte’s Gambling Sleight of Hand is the book I wish I had when I started learning about card handling techniques. There are so many ‘why hadn’t I thought of that before’ moments. Gambling Sleight of Hand is a MUST have for any serious card man.
—Gary Plants
If you love gambling sleight-of-hand with playing cards, Steve Forte’s magnum opus is the absolute best course to mastery at a world-class level in literally any facet of the craft.
—David Malek
Steven L. Forte’s Magnus Opus, Gambling Sleight Of Hand, is hitherto the single greatest exposition on the subject to date, and henceforth shall never be surpassed. All future work (by others), by necessity, will be relegated to the category of derivation and/or extrapolation of Mr. Forte’s masterpiece. With that being said, let’s get to the crux of the matter, indeed a “warning” as it were, to those self-appointed “card experts” (in this I include myself) who at first may have difficulty subjecting themselves to the proper humility in order to render themselves teachable:
The sheer volume and incidence of inspired instruction regarding execution, deportment, and philosophy—all of which never entered your mind (and never would have)—will have a daunting, humbling, and may I say at times, a “shaming” effect. At times you may enter periods of distress, exclaiming, “Will I live long enough to fix all my errors and weak thinking?” Many of these inspired gems of instruction that will change your card work forever, occur in short paragraphs and even single sentences—so read each line carefully! Now that you’ve been sufficiently warned, and are properly prepared to begin your long journey through the hundreds and hundreds of moves, stratagems, and stunning routines (or “stunts” as Steve likes to call them); I can safely say that, as we enter the “roaring 20s,” this is the only book that you need to purchase this decade. (I’m serious—you may very well need the time to finish it!)
—Jack Carpenter
If you've ever wondered what it takes to raise your card table work to the next level, it takes Gambling Sleight of Hand. Encyclopedic in nature, invaluable in advice, unequaled in authenticity. This is the real deal from the real deal.
—Charlie Frye
The greatest compilation of authentic gambling moves ever. I hope the government bans it. I hope the church burns it. I hope only my copy survives.
—Jarret Andrus
As a state government director of gambling regulation/enforcement for three decades, and having met most of the top gambling experts, I’m certain of one thing: Only an intensely passionate, lifelong researcher of gambling sleight of hand with an innate grasp of the field could present scores of never-before-published moves, variants, and ideas in a learnable manner. Steve Forte is that man.
—Bruce Samboy
I’ve been passionate about sleight of hand my whole life, and I’ve met my fair share of world-class magicians and top-shelf hustlers, but no one fooled me more than Steve! For over 20 years, every time we got together, he fooled me with moves, stunts, and even things he had previously tipped. I can’t think of anyone else I’ve seen who can do that, and here’s why.
Steve’s standards are both exceptional and simple: Perfection! He won’t compromise. He won’t stop until he reaches excellence. Genius thinking combined with flawless technical execution is the ultimate combination.
Gambling Sleight of Hand is the legacy of a creative perfectionist who spent 40 years obsessively collecting information, elite moves, concepts, anecdotes, encounters, and much more. While it may have taken him four decades to compile so much perspective and detailed, priceless information, it will take us a lifetime to fully comprehend and appreciate the scope of his research.
This book will teach you why everything looks better in his hands than in any other hands.
The wealth of information in Steve’s new book is light years beyond anything that’s ever been offered. He put together a fantastic collection of gambling moves, but more importantly, he provided the thinking, logic, and technique behind them.
Not only does this book have things I wish I knew 50 years ago, it offers things I wish I knew last week. If you truly want to learn gambling sleight of hand and save yourself a lot of time and aggravation, start with Gambling Sleight of Hand. You will never regret it. And you will never outgrow it.
—Ron Conley
This is the book Dai Vernon thought he was buying in 1905!
—Jason England
Since meeting Steve almost twenty five years ago, I’ve always been astonished by both his depth of knowledge and his incredible skill when discussing gambling sleight of hand. In that time, I’ve learned a great deal to satisfy my appetite for ingenious methods and demonstrations of cheating technique, but it wasn’t until I read the first drafts of Steve’s book that I understood how seriously he analyzes a move and applies it to a demonstration. Chapter one describing some of his ideas is one of the most enlightening and important pieces ever written on exploring sleight of hand and the insight he shares continues throughout the book.
Gambling Sleight of Hand offers an amazing collection of cutting-edge card technique and represents a wealth of Steve Forte’s knowledge that will inspire future generations of enthusiasts to explore new ideas, apply new methods, and think more deeply about the art of sleight of hand with playing cards.
—Paul Wilson