21 A Journey
Memoirs of a Professional Gambler
by
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Most people see a casino as a world ruled by chance and providence, a place where fortunes are made and more often lost, with no rational distinction between winners and losers. A kingdom where folly is king, luck his queen, fate his mistress, and serendipity his concubine; certainty and reason reduced to court jesters.
For me the casino is the most logical, predictable place I know. There is a set of laws, and everything follows those laws, follows them without exception or deviation. Some days I win, some days I lose, but in the long run, I’ll make 1.4%. Play roulette and you’ll lose 5.26%. Play red, play black, play odd, play even, play your birthday, play your girlfriend’s measurements, play long enough and you’ll lose 5.26%.
The laws of the casino are the laws of probability – laws that are more strictly enforced and irrevocable than any passed by any legislature. It’s like watching a rugby match. If you don’t know the rules, it looks like a street fight without the street. Know the rules, and it all makes sense.
Let others talk about “hot tables.” Let others talk about “cold tables,” about “baby needs a new pair of shoes,” about “luck be a lady tonight.” Luck is not a lady, she is not a tramp, she is not even a she. Luck is an illusion; luck is a myth. Know the rules and the mystery is gone. Rationality is the true king.
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About the Book
Stephen Custer led a life of
responsibility for over 40 years. Then, at age 56, he sold his business and hit
the road as a professional gambler. Not a swashbuckling, mid-life fling, luck
be a lady tonight gambler, but a calculating, card-counting, always figure the
odds gambler
21 – A Journey chronicles his travels from the Indian casinos of
You’ll learn why so many casinos
float, whether casinos cheat, why casino parking lots are dangerous places, why
you can’t quit while you’re ahead, and why there is no law of averages. You’ll
find out when to take insurance, how third base controls the table, and why the
dealer wins a majority of hands after a fill.
However, the real journey is an
internal journey of a man searching for meaning and love. This journey is
uncharted, oft resisted, and at longer odds and greater peril than any high
stakes casino game. This is the story of a man making $100 bets at the
blackjack table in order to avoid even bigger risks.
About the Author
Stephen Custer currently lives in
He earned his Bachelors degree in
mathematics from
He held management and executive
positions at IBM and Xerox, and taught in business schools at
He can be reached at
NewsletterSteve@aol.com.