The One-Armed Bandit by Bob de Groot

Why read the book?

The Caille brothers, keen tinkerers, have built the first slot machine, the one-armed bandit, and a senator asks Lucky Luke to escort them as they test it in the gambling towns of the West. The machine promises honest games and so draws the fury of every crooked dealer in the territory.

The worst of them, a professional cheat known as the Boss, sets out to destroy the invention and the brothers with it. Luke must keep the inventors safe, defend their machine and outwit a parade of swindlers, with Jolly Jumper along for the tour.

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What I Loved

The gentle satire of gambling and greedy dealers gives Bob de Groot's script a clear target, and the inventor brothers make endearing, hapless charges for Luke. The machine itself becomes a fine running joke.

The parade of crooked gamblers and the showdown with the Boss keep the comedy moving briskly.

Key Takeaway

An honest machine upsets a town of cheats, and Luke has to keep it spinning.

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