The Master cheat is fiction although the cheating methods used are real. The main characters are fiction although they are based on real life casino cheats identified as such in Nevada, New Jersey, as well as other places throughout the world. So why is this fiction? It is fiction not to protect the innocent or the guilty, it is to protect the author. Some of these cheaters are still out there plying their trade, stealing from casinos as well as customers.
The author spent eleven years with the Nevada State Gaming Control Board, a law enforcement agency. During this time he acquired knowledge and experience which caused him to be requested as an expert witness in state and federal courts during cheating trials. He designed a 120 hour training program for new agents teaching them who and how cheaters cheat. He also told them what to look for to identify these criminals.