In 1995, on a street in Guangzhou, a fifteen-year-old boy stumbled into a gambling game and witnessed an incredibly clever scam. From that moment on, his life was changed forever.
After bouncing from place to place, he became the student of a retired master of cheating at gambling and began a life of contests involving human nature, desire, and money. After three years of grueling practice, he surpassed his master and made the rounds of gambling dens across the country, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, as well as Japan, the United States, and South Korea. He even ventured into the underground casinos of the Golden Triangle.
Yet behind the glamour of the gambling world lay countless souls destroyed by greed. He once wagered fortunes and nearly lost his life at the table. He witnessed the darkest side of human nature and tasted the power of money.
Then one day, he finally saw through it all. He decided to quit gambling for good, leave the tables behind, and record his life with a pen.
“I beat every opponent, but nearly lost myself.”
This is a true memoir of gambling tricks, deception, human nature, and choices: the ultimate contest between strategy and fate.
