A hardened ex-cop, Tony Valentine now nabs hustlers who rob casinos, and the Micanopy Indian Reservation Casino in South Florida desperately needs his expertise. A blackjack dealer has rigged a game, dealt a player eighty-four winning hands in a row, and then disappeared. But the missing dealer is part of an even bigger, far deadlier scheme. Valentine’s trail leads him to Rico Blanco, a ruthless gangster who once worked for John Gotti; his shady, elusive partner-in-crime, Victor Marks; and a bombshell named Candy Hart, a hooker with dreams of love—a combination tailor-made to double-cross. It appears they have a con going down involving a cocky, filthy-rich Brit and his millions of dollars. Valentine’s challenge: to figure out how all the pieces of the seamy puzzle fit together . . . before his luck runs out and his life goes bust.

The national bestselling author of Bled Dry returns to vampire-filled Las Vegas! A night of indulgence can feel like an eternity. Gwenna Carrick has a history-900 years of it. As the vampiress ex-wife of the notorious vampire Roberto Donatelli, she must keep a low profile. Not easy when you're bathed in the neon glow of Las Vegas-especially when there's a whole online group of vampire slayers bent on dealing you your last hand. A wild night with a stranger was not in the cards for Gwenna. But that's what happened when she met the ruggedly handsome detective Nate Thomas. Their passion made her feel alive again. But when Donatelli catches wind of the tryst, he's determined to clean house, with Nate the first on his to-off list. Gwenna knows she hit the jackpot with Nate and won't let anyone stand in the way. But both soon realize they have far more enemies than Donatelli- both on the strip and underground.

This book offers an enjoyable account of one man’s mission to learn how to make his money work for him. With humorous anecdotes of his hard-learned lessons and experiences in his early attempts to navigate the chaotic waters of investing, the author offers easy to understand explanations of basic investing options making it easily accessible to those new to investing. If anyone is looking to get into investing I recommend they read this book, and take to heart the lessons that are being shared.

Sports betting is the general activity of predicting sports results by making a wager on the outcome of a sporting event. Aside from simple wagers--betting a friend that one's favorite baseball team will win its division, for instance, or buying a football "square" for the Super Bowl--sports betting is commonly done through a bookmaker. Bookmakers generally offer two types of wagers on the winner of a sporting event: a straight-up or money line bet, or a point spread wager. Moneylines and straight-up prices are used to set odds on sports such as soccer, baseball and hockey (the scoring nature of which renders point spreads impractical) as well as individual vs. individual matches, like boxing.

Randomness is an active element relevant to all scientific activities. The book explores the way in which randomness suffuses the human experience, starting with everyday chance events, followed by developments into modern probability theory, statistical mechanics, scientific data analysis, quantum mechanics, and quantum gravity. An accessible introduction to these theories is provided as a basis for going into deeper topics.Fowler unveils the influence of randomness in the two pillars of science, measurement and theory. Some emphasis is placed on the need and methods for optimal characterization of uncertainty. An example of the cost of neglecting this is the St. Petersburg Paradox, a theoretical game of chance with an infinite expected payoff value. The role of randomness in quantum mechanics reveals another particularly interesting finding: that in order for the physical universe to function as it does and permit conscious beings within it to enjoy sanity, irreducible randomness is necessary at the quantum level.The book employs a certain level of mathematics to describe physical reality in a more precise way that avoids the tendency of nonmathematical descriptions to be occasionally misleading. Thus, it is most readily digested by young students who have taken at least a class in introductory calculus, or professional scientists and engineers curious about the book's topics as a result of hearing about them in popular media. Readers not inclined to savor equations should be able to skip certain technical sections without losing the general flow of ideas. Still, it is hoped that even readers who usually avoid equations will give those within these pages a chance, as they may be surprised at how potentially foreboding concepts fall into line when one makes a legitimate attempt to follow a succession of mathematical implications.

In the modern world the theory of probability is used extensively in mathematics, science, engineering, medicine and, of course, gambling. A proposition bet is one that involves the use of probability –both estimated and actual –where an individual makes an apparently attractive bet to someone who is easily deceived by the odds, which are at first glance in his favor. The Book of Proposition Bets gathers together, and reveals the true mathematics behind, over 50 classic and original proposition bets. From the famous Three Card Monty (really an exercise in the Monty Hall Paradox), to probabilities based on rolling dice and pulling playing cards, or whether or not a mark can guess 3 correct digits of a one dollar bill’s serial number (spoiler: the odds are against it), author Owen O’Shea here compiles a fascinating and engaging survey of prop bets. In addition, Part 2 of the book contains a brief history of the theory of probability and some examples of cons and scams perpetrated on the general public to this day around the world, (plus a few more mathematical proposition bets!). Whether to learn the intricacies used by hustlers, or borrow a couple of tricks for yourself, we wager that there is a high probability that readers will enjoy this entertaining and illuminating book!

How much did Munchkins get paid? What great cultural institution stands on the site where West Side Story was filmed? Who was first considered for the role of Mary Poppins? The Great Movie Musical Trivia Book spins out revelation after revelation with entertaining answers to intriguing questions that will test the wits of even the most die-hard musical fan.