(Eric Woolfson) "I've often, in common with many other writers, been inspired at the oddest of moments and one of the things that did start the creative juices flowing was actually sitting in casinos in Monte Carlo, with the din going on of people with machines, people talking, people moving about, and all the hustle and bustle that goes on there. It stimulated the writing of the track in particular 'Turn of a Friendly Card' and of course the track 'Snake Eyes'"

As Eric was living in Monaco at the time this album was being prepared, and as life in Monaco tended to revolve around the casino, it is no surprise Eric found inspiration there for his work. In the mid 60s, Eric had written a song called 'Turn of a Friendly Card' which was totally different to what eventually appeared on this album. Although he wasn't satisfied with the original song, he really liked the title and re-worked it for this album which was of course related to the theme of gambling.

The whole album is meant to be a warning about the dangers of casino gambling. The song 'Snake Eyes' has the lead singer singing the lines "Snake Eyes, Seven Eleven" and on the craps table if one were to bet on the bet known as 'snake eyes' as well as 'seven eleven', one would always lose, much like betting on red and black at the same time at the roulette table. There was a well known psychology book entitled 'Games People Play' which Eric's wife Hazel was reading at the time and Eric found this title translated nicely to the gambling medium. The Gold Bug title of one of the instrumental tracks is the title of an Edgar Allan Poe short story. The Ace of Swords title came from a pack of Tarot cards