Former Las Vegas blackjack dealer Gina Fiore has published a memoir detailing how she and teams of advantage players won $15 million from casinos worldwide over two decades by exploiting dealers who accidentally exposed hidden cards. Fiore, 48, a UNLV graduate and Green Valley High School alumna, began her career dealing at the Hacienda, Monte Carlo, and Agua Caliente in Palm Springs before switching sides to become a professional gambler.
Her book, "Advantage Player: A Memoir of Blackjack, Backrooms, and Beginnings," released Oct. 27, also recounts personal struggles including a dysfunctional upbringing, a bipolar disorder diagnosis, and a custody battle for her son. Fiore told the Review-Journal the lifestyle is "a hard way to make a living" and "very isolating," adding she does not recommend it despite still gambling on sports.
Fiore faced 101 rejections from literary agents before a connection made through a Tribeca Film Festival documentary viewer led to a book deal. She also secured a TV deal for a potential HBO series before writing the book, with actress Riley Keough attached to portray her after hearing Fiore on a podcast for The Ringer network.
The memoir describes an incident where $97,000 in cash was seized from Fiore by a DEA agent at an Atlanta airport. Fiore said her goal for the last three years has been to earn more from writing than gambling, a target she expects to meet for the first time this year.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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