Frank Scoblete
Childhood
Frank Scoblete was born in 1947 in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Bay Ridge as the eldest of two children. He attended Our Lady of Angels elementary school and later St. John’s Prep, where he excelled in sports, earning a full athletic scholarship for baseball and basketball. After graduating from high school in 1965, he pursued higher education on an academic scholarship, majoring in history, literature, and philosophy. He earned three Master’s degrees and graduated in 1969.
Career
Scoblete’s career has been diverse, spanning journalism, acting, and gambling expertise:
Early Career (1969–1974):
Worked as a writer, editor, and publisher for Island Magazine, a Long Island news publication. He also hosted a radio show, Frank Scoblete Live!, and taught English and science fiction at Lawrence High School.
Theater (1975–1989):
Co-founded The Other Vic Theatre Company, producing, directing, and acting in around 50 plays. His research for The Only Game in Town (a play about gambling) led him to Atlantic City, where he discovered his passion for casino games.
Gambling Career (1989–Present):
After selling his theater company, Scoblete transitioned into gambling writing. His first book, Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos (1991), became a bestseller. He has since authored over 20 books on casino strategies, including Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution and Pokies Conquest.
Media Presence:
Appeared on TV shows like The Travel Channel’s "What Would You Do If...?" and contributed to publications such as Casino City Times and WIN Magazine.
Seminars & Events: Hosts gambling seminars, including the World Craps Championships (2006), and collaborates with experts like Henry Tamburin and Stanford Wong.
Personal life
Scoblete married Alene Paone, his co-star from The Only Game in Town, in 1993. The couple spent their honeymoon playing blackjack on a Mississippi riverboat. They reside in New York, where Paone also runs Paone Press, which publishes Scoblete’s works.
Revenue
While exact earnings are undisclosed, Scoblete’s success stems from:
Book Sales: His books, notably Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos, are bestsellers.
Media & Seminars: Revenue from TV appearances, columns, and paid seminars.
Gambling Winnings: As a skilled advantage player, he and his wife reportedly won significant sums through card counting and dice control.
Interesting facts
Scoblete’s pen name is "King Scobe".
He once boxed in college but humorously admitted, "I was pummeled in my last fight. I have no memory of the last seven minutes".
His 2006 World Craps Championships attracted 166 players.
He describes Las Vegas as "the Jerusalem of chance".
Legacy
Scoblete is regarded as one of the most influential gambling writers, known for:
- Popularizing dice control and card counting strategies.
- Mentoring aspiring gamblers through books and seminars.
- Being cited by The Washington Post as a "widely published authority on casino games".
Frequently asked Questions
Scoblete is renowned for his expertise in craps and blackjack, his bestselling books, and his contributions to gambling strategy.
Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos (1991) is considered his most influential work.
Yes, he and his wife, Alene Paone, were a successful card-counting team, winning substantial amounts from casinos.
Yes, he continues to write columns for Casino City Times and other publications.
He emphasizes math-based strategies over superstition, advocating for techniques like dice control and card counting.
