Each week I invite friends and guests to discuss a gambling-themed book (however loosely-defined) and whatever else may come up. Writers, entertainers, bon vivants and other smart and interesting people help me figure out what all belongs in the canon of books about gamblers as I work on my own contribution to whatever that is. Presented by InGame.com.
davidhill.substack.com (https://davidhill.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
The last time we discussed Garrett Adelstein on this show was when we talked about the famous “Jack-Four” hand on the episode about Nate Silver’s On the Edge (https://davidhill.substack.com/p/on-the-edge-with-jennifer-shahade). This week we go even deeper into not only that infamous hand, but Garrett’s fascinating and turbulent life story, told in his new memoir Beneath the Cards: A High Stakes, High Anxiety Poker Journey.
Joining me to discuss Beneath the Cards is the poker player and actress Caitlin Comeskey. Caitlin is perhaps best known for her hilarious videos parodying various poker celebrities, but she is a skilled and accomplished performer as well as a successful player over the felt. There is no better person to chop it up with about the world of professional poker in my opinion, and it was a treat to talk to her for this episode.
Buy Beneath the Cards (https://www.youtube.com/@caitlintexaspoker)
Subscribe to Caitlin on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@caitlintexaspoker)
Listen to Andrew Neeme: The Pied Piper of Poker (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3miNHd2JBZHtbkoJXBuSYQ)
American Gambler is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidhill.substack.com/subscribe (https://davidhill.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
7 Oct 2026
You Can’t Win with Karl Johnson
Karl Johnson, author of The Magician and the Cardsharp, returns to the show to discuss Jack Black’s 1926 memoir of crime and punishment, You Can’t Win. Jack Black was a gambler, conman, burglar, safecracker, opium addict, train hopper and prison escapee who lived through the straightjacket at Folsom Prison. He eventually went straight and published his memoir to great critical acclaim. The book then fell into obscurity for many decades until the 1990s.
Buy You Can’t Win (https://bookshop.org/a/6487/9781773237978)
Buy The Magician and the Cardsharp (https://bookshop.org/a/6487/9780805080599)
Listen to Karl Johnson’s episode from Season 1 (https://davidhill.substack.com/p/the-magician-and-the-cardsharp-with)
Theme music by TRØN THE ARCHER (https://www.instagram.com/tronthearcher/)
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American Gambler is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidhill.substack.com/subscribe (https://davidhill.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
30 Sept 2026
The House of Mirth with Kate Knibbs
Edith Wharton’s tragic 1905 satirical novel The House of Mirth is about the commodification of women, the hypocrisy and false moral rectitude of the rich, and the conflict between art and romance and the strict social order of the Gilded Age. It’s also about gambling - on cards, on stocks, and on love.
I’m joined to discuss this American classic by the writer Kate Knibbs. Kate is a senior writer at Wired who covers, among other things, the prediction market beat. We discuss Wharton’s novel as well as the current state of gambling and prediction markets in the United States.
Buy The House of Mirth (https://bookshop.org/a/6487/9781834120201)
Read Kate Knibbs at Wired (https://www.wired.com/author/kate-knibbs/)
Theme music by TRØN THE ARCHER (https://www.instagram.com/tronthearcher/)
Check out Edge Boost (use promo code AGB for $100 deposit match) (https://www.edgeboost.bet/guide?oid=561&affid=476)
The EDGE Boost Visa® Debit Card is issued by Cross River Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. EDGE is not a bank and is not FDIC-insured.
Deposits to EDGE Boost are eligible for FDIC and/or NCUA deposit insurance up to $10,000,000 or more through Cross River Bank, Member FDIC, and Participating Institutions. Learn more about IntraFi® Network Deposits℠ and the network banks eligible to receive your funds.
The $100 deposit match is a promotional credit issued by Edge Markets; match funds are no-withdrawable, have no cash value, and expire 60 days after issuance. Real-time transfers available for eligible account tiers; new accounts are subject to initial hold periods. See Terms of Service and Cardholder Agreement at EdgeBoost.io
American Gambler is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidhill.substack.com/subscribe (https://davidhill.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
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