1995: The Underworld of a Thousand Doors

Memoirs of an Old Cardsharp: 1995–2015

More than card tricks, this is the underworld

My name is Lin Tianfeng. I'm an old cardsharp...

I started learning card tricks in elementary school. This craft brought me into the orbit of powerful people, and that's what kept me alive.

From an innocent boy in an arcade to a feared figure in international casinos

From a reckless street tough to an underworld kingpin in the Golden Triangle

In eighteen years, I traveled a road that takes others several lifetimes

In the end, I realized that true success isn't having the power to change the world

It's knowing when to stop and cherishing the happiness you have

Last month, another young man in his early twenties came to my gambling recovery center

His parents fell to their knees before me, saying their son owed more than 700,000 yuan and had been driven to the brink of jumping off a building

The kid kept saying he had a “System” that guaranteed he'd win.

So I asked him one thing: “Do you know what a card trick is?” He shook his head.

Exactly.

Nine out of ten gamblers lose. That one winner is just a sucker someone has set up

There's a saying: “Nine out of ten gambling games are rigged. The only way to win is not to gamble.”

Opening this book is like turning over a deck of cards long left untouched.

Remember, behind every glittering game of chance lies a world of blades and bloodshed.

Beneath every dazzling sleight of hand is blood and gore.

Nine out of ten gambling games are rigged. The only way to win is not to gamble.

Every game is rigged, and every gambler loses.

Lin Tianfeng

April 1, 2025