Gina Fiore
Gambler, writer.
As an advantage player I spent decades creating characters for myself in casinos – backstories of why I was in a small Oklahoma casino on a Tuesday afternoon or sitting alone on the graveyard shift in a card room in Compton, California.
Now I use the creativity needed to survive in the world of advantage play, as a writer. I share my experiences from twenty-four years of professional gambling in my memoir, Advantage Player: Blackjack, Backrooms, and Beginnings
ADVANTAGE PLAYER: Blackjack, Backrooms, and Beginnings
One woman’s unlikely rise to the top of the professional blackjack world, mastering the art of advantage play while building an elite team to beat casinos at their own game.
“Gina’s assured and bold voice makes me feel like I’m not listening to a lecture on the subject; I’m listening to a fascinating friend describe the story of her life and career. The ease with which she can weave together deeply personal stories about struggling with mental health and expert knowledge of advantage play makes for such an involving and compelling read.” — Gillian Flynn, Gillian Flynn Books
“This book is a significant contribution to gambling literature and a testament to the extraordinary accomplishments of author Gina Fiore, one of the most talented advantage players of her generation. Her experiences are compelling, her insights are genuine, and her passion for the craft is unmistakable… Advantage Player [is] thoroughly enlightening and captivating, a one-of-a-kind journey into this notoriously secretive yet colorful field!” —Steve Forte, author and former professional gambler
“Gina Fiore has lived a life that seems too extraordinary to be true. Her journey is as gripping as any screenplay because every impossible twist actually happened. Her story is unforgettable—and Advantage Player is one you won’t soon forget.” — Riley Keough, actress and author of From Here to the Great Unknown
“Gina Fiore's memoir, Advantage Player, is an all-consuming roller-coaster ride through family dysfunction, mental illness, and professional gambling. Fiore is a gorgeous, electric builder of worlds most of us have never seen before, making the landscapes of her troubled life cinematic and alive. An unforgettable story about a brave and fascinating woman.” —Domenica Ruta, New York Times bestselling author of With or Without You
