Gradually, Scarne became an expert at not only magical effects, but games of all kinds as well. Articles were written about him in various magazines, and he was hired as a consultant or adviser by various companies, as well as by the US Army, which sent him to bases around the world in order to educate soldiers about the dangers of card and dice cheats. He wrote fifteen books and co-wrote a few more for a total of twenty-eight books on games, such as "Scarne on Dice", "Scarne's Guide to Modern Poker" and "Scarne's New Complete Guide to Gambling". He also wrote two autobiographies: "The Amazing World of John Scarne: A Personal History" (1956), and "The Odds Against Me" (1966). He served as a technical advisor in the 1973 motion picture "The Sting", and doubled for actor Paul Newman's hands during scenes that involved card manipulations and deck switching.