The Gambler, A Dog, And The Demons — Dennis Latham

Published in 2006 in Death Grip: Exit Laughing, the last collection from editor Walt Hicks and HellBound Books, this long short story is the original basis for Dennis Latham's insane destroy the world novel, Lord of Homicides, about demons and angels and their effect on humans. It answers the question: what would happen if you had a demon to help you cheat at the casino? Most people would like to find out if they knew for sure they could always win at the casino. Nathan Bright is one of those people: a chronic, drunken loser searching for a way to win. But Latham's demons are different than the standard idealized versions, and Nathan soon finds out that having a demon for a partner isn't going to be all fun and games. Odds are you will laugh many times while reading this story.