Michael MacDougall (1906-1996) was a writer called “the world’s only card detective,” who drew fees from “steamship lines, gambling houses, clubs, and individuals for spotting card crooks.” His book “Danger in the Cards” told his life story of uncovering card cheats.
He was elected to The Lambs in 1948 as a Professional member.
In 1917 he was an apprentice to Horace Goldin in rope tricks and by 1918 was reading S. W. Erdnase, author of “The Expert at the Card Table,” a book detailing sleight of hand, cheating and legerdemain using playing cards. He was a professional cardman as a teenager, including working a Svengali pitch cross-country and at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. MacDougall had a nightclub act. As a gambling investigator and lecturer, he competed bitterly with John Scarne in 1940s. He later left cards and magic to be a stamp and coin dealer.
He was the author of “Gamblers Don’t Gamble” (1939), “Card Mastery” (1944), “MacDougall on Dice and Cards” (1944), “Card Mastery” (1944), “Don’t Be A Sucker!” (1945), and “MacDougall on Pinochle” (1951). His autobiography was “Danger in the Cards” (1943).
He died on St. Patrick’s Day 1996 when he was about 90 years old.