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Deke Castleman
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Whale Hunt In The Desert: The Secret Las Vegas Of Superhost Steve Cyr Hardcover – September 30, 2004

by Deke Castleman (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 39 ratings
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Whale Hunt in the Desert: Secrets of a Vegas Superhost
Whale Hunt in the Desert: Secrets of a Vegas Superhost
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In pre-1990s Las Vegas, casino marketing executives were all cut from the same cloth; sharply-dressed and smooth-talking with street-savvy. They rose through the ranks of operations--dealer, floorman, pit boss, shift boss and casino manager. When it was time to leave the trenches, they went "upstairs" into the executive offices, where they hosted a handful of established players according to the unwritten rules of old-school Vegas. Then Steve Cyr showed up.
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  1. Print length
    319 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Huntington Pr
  4. Publication date
    September 30, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0929712919
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0929712918
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Whale Hunt in the Desert one of the best gambling books I've seen in a long time. --John Grochowski, Chicago Sun-Times

About the Author

Author Deke Castleman has been in the gambling media business for more than 15 years and the travel-publishing business for 25. He's written numerous editions of Las Vegas and Nevada travel guides and, as senior editor at Las Vegas-based Huntington Press, he's edited upwards of 40 books on gambling and co-written more than 150 issues of Las Vegas' most respected gambling newsletter, the Las Vegas Advisor. This is his expose of the final undocumented frontier of the corporate-casino era: gambling's whales.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Huntington Pr; illustrated edition (September 30, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 319 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0929712919
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0929712918
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 39 ratings

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Deke Castleman

Deke Castleman

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
39 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Czechmate74
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting stories!
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
So great when they talk about all the stories of how the casinos bring the whales into their casino and what they have to do to keep them happy. Love the backstory of how Cyr became a super host. If you love casinos in Las Vegas you will love this book! Very easy read. Wish it was longer.
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Diana de Avila
5.0 out of 5 stars Read about the Best Whale Chaser in Vegas
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2008
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I love gambling and think that I was born with the gambling gene. This book attracted me at first because I wanted to get the chance to see what it was like to be a "whale" (the biggest gamblers with the largest bankrolls) and work with a whale.

Steve Cyr is known to be the best casino host in Las Vegas. In this book you will get the chance to see what the life of a revered casino host is like and that nothing is off-limits to a Vegas "Whale". You will also understand what a cut-throat type of business casino hosting is.

Shocking and eye opening in some spots--this book is a fast and fun read. If gambling is not in your blood, it may not be as enjoyable a book as you might like.
One person found this helpful
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DeVan Janssen
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating look into the biggest gamblers
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
This book holds your attention from beginning to end if you are interested in just how casinos attract the biggest of the big gamblers and what entices them to choose where they spend their money. Very well written with lots of inside information of how things work.
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H. Dennis
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2019
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Interesring
One person found this helpful
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iaminthevineyard
5.0 out of 5 stars Raw, and to the point
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is THE book that every casino executive host should own, read, re-read, and use like a textbook. Cyr pioneered many approaches to what this cut-throat business requires...it's not for everyone.
One person found this helpful
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Fred Bartholomew
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2016
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Eye opening look at the real Las Vegas 99% of us don't see, if half of its true it's amazing!
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Michael Mazzuca
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2019
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Stories great
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Bud Light 44
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2016
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author does good job of casino owner Australian mogul Packer and his lifestyle..
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Top reviews from other countries

angus spence
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2015
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Best book I ever read
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