Card Games Books

There is something tremendously likeable and attractive about these images -- the garden in moonlight is a fantastic concept and these cards really do take one back to a time of childish delight. While I can see how the term "whimsical" could be used to describe this deck -- I much prefer ENCHANTING -- like an enchanted forest. I also much prefer these to the Hansen-Roberts and even the Revelations Tarot although there is a similarity in feel with the latter. (The design on the card back is also one of the more beautiful/interesting designs I've seen.)

As a dealer of occult merchandise I have had the opportunity to view many decks and this deck, while not the best, is certainly one of the better ones available. The esoteric imagery of the major arcana is largely preserved - we see the High Priestess seated between the black and white columns, holding the tora with the moon at her feet. The artist also incorporates her own interpretations - the Empress depicted as fairy. Larger liberties are taken with the minor arcana, but I find this to be of little consequence, as many highly regarded traditional decks leave these cards without any pictorial illustration. Whether you like or dislike these interpretations depends entirely on individual preference; some decks resonate more strongly with certain personalities than others. If you have an opportunity to see the actual cards before buying I recommend that you do; the finer enchanting aspects of the paint colors that bleed into each other at the edges (water-color I imagine), make the cards visually more striking than photographic images portray. Of course, that may not be to you're liking either, which is all the more reason to view them before buying.

I am currently using this deck (as I need to replace my Quest deck), and while the artwork is cute, fanciful, and dreamlike...

I find this deck somewhat difficult to read with, because the images lack a good symbolic foundation. As someone who is still learning Tarot (I've been reading just over 2 years now), I haven't 'memorized' each and every single card meaning, and therefore still rely on the image on the cards before me to get the intuitive juices flowing (since I also don't use any books in my readings anymore), and this deck, while at first stirring the imagination (upon simply seeing the cards for the first time) doesn't really lead to any definite interpretation when used in readings (the real point of the cards).

On one hand, I'd like to say this could be a good deck for children interested in Tarot, but on the other, I think that might be a bad idea, since it's unlikely they'll actually learn anything about the meanings of the Tarot and just end up having a pretty deck of cards...

I know there are many fans of this deck out there, and perhaps in time I will be able to become one of them, after all, the main reason I ended up with this deck to begin with is I had a couple of different friends telling me how much they loved it!

About the book: Even though I'm not crazy about the deck itself, I do really like the book! For each card there is a meditation, ritual, spell, and/or recipe related to that specific card, and this is the only Tarot deck companion book I've seen with this particular feature, thus far. Also, the author's insights into how she came up with the ideas for the artwork, style, and theme of the cards (which is all her own, she created the deck, did the artwork, and wrote the book, another rare find in Tarot decks) is very nice, particularly because it all started with a beautiful poem (included in the book) and I like a lot of her interpretations for the cards...

I really want to like this deck, and hope some day I will, but for now, I just want some cards I can successfully do READINGS with!

This deck is the prettiest deck I've ever personally found. Some people think the artwork doesn't portray the meaning of the card as well as could. Not true! In the book is described the full meaning of the behind the imagery on the card. Although, greater care is taken to describe the Major Arcana than Minor Arcana. The more you read the the "Rendering" the more you'll pick up with each reading.

The book has three sections. The Rendering, the Reading and the Ritual. I think it's equally as important to read the rendering every time same as the reading. It can help clarify the reading, and allow you to draw deeper connections. I think the rituals are interesting, but I don't know great they are to use as I've never tried any.

This was the deck I learned off of. So having used it for over 5 years I understand the deck well. But I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner. Often times connections are to astrology, chakras and runes, and the person doing the reading needs some understanding of pagan or wiccan religion as there is much mention of the goddess and reincarnations which I wasn't raised to understand by my religion.

But I think the depth makes this deck fabulous for someone with experience, or for someone truly serious about getting deep information. It can easy to be thrown by big, strange words in the renderings and readings which one is unfamiliar with. But this is definitely an amazing deck for anyone willing to put the necessary focus and effort into understanding it.

This was the first tarot deck I ever owned and in fact, these were the first tarot cards I ever encountered. A friend of mine gave them to me as a Christams gift. He was an expert tarot reader and somehow saw in me a budding intuitive full of potential (way before I had that realization myself). he gave me this deck as he thought that it would be an excellent starting point for a beginner: the cards are beautiful, very feminine, very "lunar" (obviously) and very fairylike. I had never encountered the Tarot before, so these cards were the doorway through which that initiation occured, in some ways my very first step into the intuitive world. Because of these reasons, I am very fond of these cards, even if I moved on to other , probably better decks a long time ago.

The major limitation in these cards is that the symbolism present in most tarot cards is not as clearly drawn out. They are not as precise symbolically as decks such as the Raider-Waite tarot or the Morgan-Greer deck. However, since I experienced using these as a beginner, I found that they were excellent for trigering psychic ability. I found that each time I sat with these cards, I felt as if I could walk through them into another world. Some of the "symbolic" details in the cards were so vague that I was forced to rely much more on my inner "sight", than on traditional interpretation. I am not sure that that was such a bad thing. I personally benefited from the process.

So, if you are looking for a very "traditional" and symbolically explicit deck, this one will not do. But if you a looking for a very beautiful feminine dreamy set of cards to help you tune into the subtle realms of reality, you might find great satisfaction in these tarot cards. I personally enjoyed them very much.

My students really like this product. One side of the card is the the pose with the name, and the other side shows the four steps to achieve this pose. As an OT I work with children with tremendous difficulty motor planning new movements; and because of the steps presented visually, my kids do really well figuring out how to do these poses with more independence. It is a wonderful product. BUY IT and have fun!

We are still trying to fit a set time for this yoga with our crazy schedules, but we have already worked on it some and my husband and I and our two girls one five and the other three all love it. The creator of these cards seem to want to create strong families. It should be easier after the holidays to establish a family yoga routine. I can't wait.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!! It teaches young ones about yoga and breathing with great illustrations. This is an awesome book for parents and children to bond with as well. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who have children!

What I like most about these is that they are color coded for different kinds of poses and activities. I like the flexibility of mixing up the poses or focusing on one kind, rather than using a book that sets the sequence. The only thing I don't like about this and some other kids yoga products is that the names of poses are changed to make them more kid friendly. Since there's no consistency between products, one will call child's pose, for example, "sleeping mouse," and another will call it "rock." But overall, I highly recommend these cards.

I bought the book with it and they are wonderful. My 4 and 2 year old can do many the yoga positions!! Great way to connect and to wind down for bedtime!!

What is the difference between Vol 1 and this book? Part of selling a book is to give the buyer an idea of what the book is about. Do I need to buy Vol 1? Is Vol 2 incorporating Vol 1 or an addition to? Unfortunately, I can't pluck the book cover off the monitor screen and read the back blurb to make that judgment for myself.

Among all 4 volume published, this is the most comprehensive, it contains every cards in magic during that time and this is the first - First Official Guide. Before having this guide, collectors have to keep track with Duelist or Inquest for a full list (in text). This book is not only a good book with all coloured pictures, it is also the best reference for any Magic Collectors. Highly recommended.

The collectable card game Magic: The Gathering was first released in 1993. Since then, dozens of expansion editions have been created and discontinued. This first Encyclopedia (made in 1996) shows every card from the first 8 editions - from Arabian Nights to Alliances (made in 1996) - as well as the whole 4th Edition (the Basic set at the time). Most interestingly of all the cards that were Discontinued before the 4th Edition are also displayed. All of the cards pictured in the book have been out of print for at least half a decade, so this is most likely the only place where you will be able to see them. The guide is well made, all in colour, official looking, and excellently laid out by the people who created the game. The card images have been shrunk by about 25% so that 12 of them can be fitted onto a side, however, the artwork and text are still clear. The rarity of each card is also detailed. As well as the encyclopedia images, there is a foreward by the game's creator, an introduction to each set (with each sets best cards highlited), deckbuilder's indexes, images of promotional cards, misprinted cards and oddities, a history of the game, and a visual guide to Magic cards (teaching how to identify ones from different sets, e.g. cards in the Alpha set have more rounded edges). I have owned this book for three years and I still refer to it regularly....

Volume 2 covers Mirage, Visions, 5th Edition, Weatherlight, Portal, and Arena League (only 1 page for this last). As always, this volume covers ONLY those expansions released between the publication of the 1st and 3rd volumes of the encyclopedia, and ends with a "Deckbuilder's Indexes" section. This last is the only reference to other expansions of Magic, so it actually isn't useful anymore; the deckbuilder information for the most current volume should be used instead. Frankly, this volume should not have been released until a few more expansions were out; it's skimpy, but if you want complete coverage of all Magic expansions, you're pretty much trapped; the 2 stars are for the material not available in other volumes.

The introductory material (i.e., the section before the expansions are presented) is a bare minimum in this volume: "How to Use this Guide" and "A Visual Guide to Magic Cards". The book isn't intended to teach a newcomer to play the game, or to explain much of Magic strategy; seek elsewhere for that sort of thing. On the other hand, each expansion covered in Volume 2, as usual, is provided with its own introduction, describing any new twists added for that set (including new types of decks that came about as a result), any noteworthy cards in that set, and a very brief description of the storylines affected by the expansion). Consequently, the entertainment value of the introductions is in inverse proportion to the number of broken cards in the expansion and the severity of the flaws, so the introductions in this volume are much more bland than those of Volume 1.

For example, Mirage's introduction, the longest in the book, covers the introduction of "instant enchantment" and "Charm" cards, and two special abilities introduced with this expansion, "flanking" and "phasing". The descriptions of these characteristics compare them with pre-existing (i.e., volume 1) spells and game mechanics, so you need to be familiar with Magic to get anything out of this. Similarly, new cards introduced as toned-down versions of old spoiler cards don't come with a detailed description of the old card (e.g. Final Fortune vs. old Time Walk). The story line description is given in 4 paragraphs, padded with lots of white space, followed by two equally padded pages of details of famous Mirage cards: Grinning Totem, Celestial Dawn, Hammer of Bogardan, Maro, Tombstone Stairwell, and Political Trickery.

After each expansion's introduction, all its individual cards are listed in alphabetical order, shown at about 3/4 actual size. The versions of Magic that included those cards (at the time of printing) are specified, as well as any errata. The artwork came out fairly well, but the flavor text for red cards is hard to read. My copy suffers from other printing problems as well (the non-flavor text came out blurred for some Mirage cards). Each card's name is printed separately below the card, but it's annoying to pay money for this.

This is a very good encyclopedia, with up to date cards, and even a discontinued & misprint section, both of which are interesting. The only problem with this book is that it is an encyclopedia. Nothing much else, besides an introduction to the book and each section, which should be expected. It gives no tips on, forsay, how to use the cards, or something to that effect. Overall it's a good book, if you're looking for an encyclopedia.

Full color photos and errata on every card... a must

This book was a great help to search for a deck of Magic cards.Its cool you should buy it.

Just finished the review below...since when an erratum for every card was good? Errata are the behind-the-scenes changes in the rules - how is that good? It only complicates the game. Also, I've noticed that with every volume the amount of info steadily decreases:the first volume held images of well over 2000 cards from Third and Fourth Ed., Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends, Ice Age, The Dark, Fallen Empires, Alliances, and who knows what else. It was jam packed with an out-of-order chronology, the banned cards, lots of strats and card info. The second volume was thirty percent smaller - 1300 cards from Weatherlight, Visions, Fifth Ed., and Portal. It was bleaker, smaller, less enthralling. Now, THIS volume features 900 cards from four small expansions - they didn't even wait for the block to be over. Some of illustrations are botched or ill-colored, and the text on the best cards... Of course, if you want some sort of help choosing or organizing your M:TG cards, you will need this, but, believe me, this is not a diamond in the rough.

This book has all the information you could possibly need, is very interesting, is complete, and has wonderful pictures. This book is great!

GET IT

Seems like it's getting thinner and thinner each volume. They should publish it later (until they have enough cards to fill-in). But then as a serious MTG collector, it's still a must to have.

I love the Renaissance, Medieval times. Victorian eras.
So I had to have this tarot deck. Great images, well done.

Charming and exquisitely rendered, this deck is reminiscent of the of 17th-century alphabet symbols used to teach children (on display in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia). Nevertheless, while the artwork is beguiling, don't infer from its beauty that this is a set to be taken lightly: It's just as multi-functional and expressive as any of the older, more traditional decks. Not only does the symbolism fulfil expectations, but the unique, silken finish makes this a sheer joy to hold - a tactile advantage that many decks simply can't offer. If selecting one's favorite tarot deck is based, in no small part, on the very feel of the cards in one's hands and the ease of interpretation, then this promises to be a collector's must.

There seems to be nothing short of a warm summer afternoon to describe this deck. I particularly like this Tarot in that regard. It is true, there are not a lot of occult, mystical references here but it is very user friendly by client standards.

Many decks scream at clients as the cards are turned. This is not one of them. The subtle tones and warm colors lend to this calm feel-a big plus for many who have had customers squirm at various decks. I would recommend this for kids as well. The images are obvious, but not threatening. Ms Kneen illustrates for childrens books as well.

I use this deck for folks who have stressful issues facing them. The colors are soothing, yet the images are not too soft. This deck has a very agrarian feel to it. Many of the minor trumps depict pastoral scenes, which could be used for folks asking about gardening or farming. Do not feel limited to this purpose alone! In skilled hands, this deck can be consulted on all issues.

Many reviewers here and elsewhere had said this Tarot lacks something. Occult references, I believe, were left out on purpose. The overall feel of the deck becons one back to the Middle ages. I could see this as being as an intermediate deck for someone who has had some experience with this particular system of divination. The Tarot is not for everyone to read. It is a fine art, that needs many years of practice to perfect.

I gave this deck to my friend for Christmas, and I really like it. Some of the human figures seem to be just slightly out of proportion, but overall, I like the colors and the symbolism which is reflective of Rider-Waite-Smith. The minors are mostly pips, with a tiny scene at the bottom of each card. It is a really interesting way to illustrate them, which I haven't seen ain any other decks. The Little White Book that comes with the deck is pretty limited, so if you are a beginner, I would suggest a standard Tarot handbook to go with it, like Tarot, Your Everyday Guide by Janina Renee or 78 Degrees of Wisdom.

This is a beautiful deck, as a history buff I really appreciate its imagery and style. In my personal readings, I get the best readings of my entire deck collection. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the imagery of the minors, while largely not straying from the Rider Waite Smith system, is from a source that is very obscure, at least here in America we aren't really taught much about the Lutrell Psalter, this is my first exposure to that book specifially. I wish Maggie Kneen would write a more thorough book than the Little White Book included, not only would that mean more business (hint!), but also a deeper understanding for people like me! Other than that, this really is a great deck, but unless a real book surfaces, I can't recommend it to anyone who isn't pretty familiar with the Rider Waite Smith minors.

THIS IS A GREAT BOOK FOR THE CASINO PROFESSIONAL.

Although this is a great book you really need to know what it is and what it IS NOT!
It is not an introduction to blackjack. It's assumed you already know how to play the game.
It is not an introduction to card counting. The author assumes you already know a card counting system, or at least have a basic understanding of what one entails.
It is PROBABLY not going to make you a better player. It's not really a "how to" guide for the game as much as it's a guide to show you how to effectively ANALYZE the game.

As the title suggests this book is a fairly comprehensive review of the theory of blackjack. While a traditional counting book will tell you the HOW of card counting, this book will show you WHY it works, how card counting systems are derived, how to compare the power of different card counting systems (the so-called "efficiences") and contrast them to an (linearly) ideal system. You will also learn how to calculate exact probabilities (well, really how to write a program to do this) that could be used to determine the values (in terms of expected return) of different hands or to design a tool that will give you the optimal play in any situation that may arrise in blackjack. This tool isn't to be confused with "basic strategy", which only gives you the optimal play off the top of a freshly shuffled shoe.

This book is ideal for someone who is comfortable with playing blackjack in a casino environment, has a basic understanding of the difficulties faced by card counters, and is comfortable with mathematical formulas and their derivations (although a lot of concepts can be understood without a strong background in math, you'll get a lot more out of the book if you can follow its derivations). After reading it you should be in a position where you COULD develop your own card counting system, calculate expected values (essentially probabilities) for given hands and given plays, and have the satisfaction of knowing that you have a better understanding of the inner workings of blackjack than 99% of the people who play the game!

Who knew a mathematician could be so funny? In this well written, enormously entertaining and enlightening book, the late Peter Griffin tackles the questions of why blackjack can be beaten and what kind of edges players can get using a count system. There are some interesting revelations in the book, too. I would recommend that players with some experience of the game are the best audience for the book, and the truly best audience are those players who have mastered a card counting system and have enjoyed/suffered the slings and arrows of being an advantage player. This book clearly explains why blackjack is a roller coaster.

I think this is one of the must-read blackjack books of all time.

Frank Scoblete: Author of Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution!

I ran across this book many years ago in a used bookstore (mine was the 2nd edition). I must say this book changed my opinion of books about gambling books. Up to that point, all the gambling books I've come across were laughable. But this book was startlingly different. It thoroughly explains the mathematics behind basic strategy and card counting techniques in a way that really made sense.

This may sound too advanced for many folks, but frankly the math is fairly easy to understand (it mostly uses basic statistics that you probably learned and forgot in high school).

If you are serious about card counting, the information in this book will help you evaluate BJ counting systems (or even systems you invent). It will also help you subtly modify your play for changes in rules at different casinos.

Do you need to be a computer programmer to use this book? No, but it wouldn't hurt. Is this book useful for writing BJ simulators? Yes, but it's also great for really understanding what it takes to be a really good card counter.

Personally, this book convinced me that I don't have the patience (or time) to become a good card counter. But at least now I know why.

The theories in this book are rock solid, but unless you have a degree in mathematics, it will be a very tough read. There are lots of complex theories and equations that the everyday Joe might have a problem following.
Also, this book mostly covers 1 deck blackjack which is not played in any casino in the world these days. Most casinos use 6-8 decks, but the theoretical aspect of the book holds true regardless on how many decks are used.

What do you thing of when you think Vampire? Blood? Sex? Seduction? All of the above? This deck takes a look into the lives and hearts of vampires. I am unsure of any particular mythology ascribed to by the author and the artist, but the imagery and symbolism paint a beautiful realm of dark, forbidden and unappologetic pleasures.

I haven't even seen all the cards yet, or even purchased this deck but it is absoulutely amazing! I love Anne Rice's books and I am definetely going to buy this pack. It is a must!

I find this deck mesmerizing and accurate. The blood element may freak some people out, but it really isn't as macabre as it seems. The blood in this case is meant to represent life, so this deck really gets its message across in a different and powerful way.
I often take them out just to look at them. True the cards don't have a zillion things happening on them, but I find those kinds of decks taxing and needlessly complex. We aren't stupid, we don't need a thousand tiny details to understand what the cards are telling us. What I really appreciate about the vampire tarot is that, unlike so many other decks where the characters are distant and passive, in this deck the characters appear to acknowledge your presence and seem to be active participants in the reading. Another great thing about the vampire tarot is that the booklet provided with the cards explains the symbolism of the artwork of all 78 cards as well as their upright and reversed meanings. The cards are also very well glossed, and are a very good size to shuffle normally.
I highly recommend this deck to anyone ready to graduate from simply reading the cards to really understanding and working with the cards.

My brother and I were browsing online, looking for THE Tarot deck. Anyone into this sort of thing would probably know what I'm talking about. The perfect deck, the one that calls out to you, that seems to cry out "YOU!"

So I saw this one, the Vampire Tarot Deck, and my brother found the Fantastical one, and we were spellbound. At the time, we just liked them because of the artwork and the energies we felt off them (yes, even through the internet we could tell they were right), and when we looked here on Amazon[.com], we found that they were actually sister decks! That clinched it, we decided then and there that we were going to order these right away!

While Tarot card divinations should be done with seriousness and even reverence, one should also enjoy working with the particular deck of one's choice. The vampire images of this deck make it the most fun deck I have ever worked with.

I devised my own 156 card meanings while using the gist of the card meanings offered by Nathalie Hertz as my starting point. One interesting feature of this deck is that some of the pictures force one to think outside the box, so to speak. In devilish fashion, for example, the meaning of The Devil is not of things evil. Hertz's devil represents things strong, vibrant, and sexual. Other cards in this deck necessitate approaching the card meanings from a more unique point of view as well.

For me, these unique differences of meaning result in more insightful and helpful divinations than I had been getting through other Tarot decks. I have been fascinated with other decks, but after a while the novelty seems to wear off. By contrast, I seem never to get tired of using this Vampire Tarot.

I was very impressed with the amount of good info packed into this book.

The book has really good information. The problem is that is painfully boring to slog through. I have noticed an improvement in my VP playing. I am playing longer and not losing as much still in search of that magical royal.

It took me over 2 weeks to get through this book and it is only 200 pages.

I strongly suggest any fledgling video poker player read this manual to learn the basics of the odds and strategies necessary to conquer the casino video poker machines. An excellent basic, introductory text, Paymar also sells video poker training software and strategy cards that are a must for the budding or even serious player. I contribute much of my success at the game to the precepts in this book.

This is an excellent book. It details the steps necessary to become an expert player, a professional player of Video Poker.

Optimal play is NOT perfect play. Mastering a trade is not easy. Discipline and practice are the watch words of all good Video Poker players.

Paymar's book is pretty much the definitive handbook for video poker play today. He discusses every factor involved in beating theoretically beatable games, and at least stretching your dollars and getting the most out of your play in the rest.

Dan disects each of the most popular games in detail, as well as multiple variations of each, and some of the older machines you might still run across. Each is subjected to computer payback and play analysis, and this runs to quite some length (and strictly speaking is not necessary reading). He streamlines all of this information into shorter hand flowcharts on how to play each hand to maximum potential, something which comes as quite a relief after going through his exhaustive and detailed optimum play discussion.

Further, he delves into just what the stats mean. If a game is technically beatable over the long run, what does that tell the player? Well, it means frankly a full-time career of playing video poker, all day every day for months, at almost unbelieveable speed and rapidity and of course with perfect unerring accuracy. It is not easy or simple, and I can't even imagine that it would be fun. Moreover, one's potential edge in even the very best game, with the best payback, is so microscopic, that the fluctuations in the player's bankroll, even with only slight statistical blips, are huge. Don't even think of playing full time at a quarter machine with less than $50,000 to start. His advice in this area is depressing but honest and frankly about the most important stuff in the book.

If the only thing this book does is to show the reader how to shop for a 'good' game and refuse to play short-pay ripoff games, it will be well worth the money. If your play improves as well, that's a bonus. Regular video poker players will benefit by reading this book.

Backgammon is as good as it gets. The rules take minutes to learn but a lifetime to master. Each checker on the board plays an offensive and defensive role, as the two opposing forces march past each, one going clock-wise, one counter-clockwise. And then there are the dice. Like chess, there is a tremendous amount of strategy involved in how to play each roll, but the dice add another level of probabilistic strategizing. And sometimes the better strategy loses, just because the rolls don't come through.

Bill Robertie, "The world's best backgammon player" according to the back cover, breaks the strategy down into discrete 31 topics, examples being "the opening," "the middle game," "the blitz," "crunch positions," "action doubles," and "the bearoff." The topics are covered by a series of snapshot moments from a potential game. You're given a certain layout and a dice roll and asked what the best move is. Then you flip to the answer section of each chapter and see what Mr. Robertie thinks is the best move and why. As someone who was a student for over 25 years, I'm well acclimated to this format of testing, and quite comfortable with it. However, the snapshot approach doesn't address what many players do wrong, which is to lock-in to a strategy early in the game, or to have overall certain tendencies, instead of focusing on the flexibility to change strategies at any time to match the action of the game. This strategic flaw is analogous to a football coach who says you always have to establish the run before you can pass (think Mike Ditka, Dan Reaves), as opposed to a coach who approaches each team differently and can adjust to the opponent throughout the course of the game (think Mike Shanahan, Bill Belichek). It's also seen in brokers who chase after trends in the stock market, or poker players who try too hard to avenge their last hand and lose their perspective.

Like other reviewers, I did find flipping back and forth between problems and solutions to be annoying, but not a deal-breaker. You just need two bookmarks and a little patience.

I recommend this book. I think it has helped my overall decision making skills in Backgammon. But it won't solve the big problem of not being in the moment, of not reacting and adapting strategy to each roll of the dice. A book won't fix that. Meditation might help. Wading through a creek might help. Relaxation techniques, mindfulness exercises, and beta blockers wouldn't hurt.

I'm only 3/4 of the way through this book, but that's far enough to gauge the benefits that this book provides for the Backgammon player who wants to get better.
With 501 sample problems, you will find that many (never all) situations that will come up in a game are illustrated here. The format is easy to follow, with each of the 31 chapters containing problems and solutions for facets of the game from openings to bearing off, and blitzing to holding games, and the author's comments in the solutions provide the tips that can be memorized. For example: faced with a choice, say between making a point, or hitting a blot, "do the hardest first." In Backgammon there are exceptions to almost every rule, and Robertie covers these also. I'd also like to point out that this is an extremely "fun" book, that you can pick up for 5 minutes or 55, at lunch, or in the car!

Other than the most basic rules of the game, like how to set up the board, everything is covered here, from beginner on up. Robertie has a real gift for clarity, and is able to speak to EVERYONE, from someone new, to an expert, in a clear, focused voice.

This book is of great tactical value. It let's you exersise and perform 501 plays that will change the way you play Backgammon. Not just a theoretical book, but actually a much more practical approach.

This book contains invaluable information for the improving backgammon player. It suffers from it's unfortunate layout (as do all Robertie books) --- poorly located diagrams or solutions in relation to the diagrams. Still the contents are a must read (and reread) for any advancing player.

This is a great, affordable book on backgammon that will quickly improve your backgammon game. I haven't read Robertie's "Advanced Backgammon" books, but I have read this one (501), BG for Serious Players, and BG for Winners. They are all good depending on your level, but this one and "Serious" I found very helpful. Between these 2 books, 501 has had a greater effect on my game than any other BG book I have ever read.

His approach is as simple as it gets. He discusses strategy and then gives you examples of how the strategy is implemented. The book is very easy to follow and you seem so soak up the teaching very quickly. (Nevertheless, this should not be your first book on BG. You should already know basic strategy before you get into this one, e.g. BG for Winners) The book is very broad as well. It covers practically every area and situation of the game you are likely to face, and will give you some very good principles to use in determining your move. Due to the format, this book does not have to be read in a continuous way from beginning to end as most books. It can be consulted as a reference when you need some help on a particular aspect of the game and do not want to trudge through an entire book on the subject.

As with chess books, oftentimes the writer's recommendations are checked by a computer program and "errors" pointed out. I do this alot just for fun with chess problems, but I can't say it has helped me one bit when I let the computer do the thinking for me. He is human and one can hardly expect perfection when compared against todays computer programs. Further, a writer chooses examples and moves are presented in a manner that illustrates the point the author is making, when in fact there may have been a mathematically more accurate move elsewhere.

However, I think this computer analysis approach misses the point somewhat. Robertie is trying to impart principles and tools to the reader that can be used to evaluate a position and choose the best move, and this book does that very, very well. This approach will help you "think on your feet" and have a good set of principles in your head to help you evaluate and choose your move. The human brain can recognize patterns and positions and can apply principles in the situation, but it can never calculate like a computer and would advise you to avoid any approach that is strictly mathematical.

As I said, I have never read Robertie's "Advanced" series, nor Magriel's "Backgammon", but if I had to choose one BG book to take on the proverbial desert island, this would be it.

HE'S A GREAT PLAYER AND A GREAT WRITER! HE'S TRULY A WORLD CLASS PLAYER. A GREAT BOOK TO READ AND TO OWN!

Ian Andersen is an entertaining writer as well as a longtime high-stakes professional blackjack player. With his latest offering, "Burning the Tables in Las Vegas," Andersen has attempted to update his classic from the '70s, "Turning the Tables on Las Vegas," and make it relevant to today's game. The results are mixed. "Burning" is a good read for sure, with many fascinating vignettes about life in the high-roller fast lane, as well as quite a bit of useful information for pros on how to survive and prosper in an age of high-tech casino surveillance. But, all that aside, it still left me wanting. Andersen may write about blackjack with the entertaining talent of, say, a Bryce Carlson, but he lacks the solid mathematical knowledge of a Carlson, or a Wong, or a Schlesinger to back it up. For example, with his so-called "Ultimate Gambit," he is all too happy in the name of camouflage to reduce his edge to not much more than half a percent, and then throw even more ev out the window with fairly large bets at craps and other negative-expectation games. His whole approach smacks of a certain lack of appreciation for the harsh realities of variance and standard deviation. Don't get me wrong, "Burning" is a very good book, and I think serious bj players will find it enjoyable and useful, but in the real world of professional play--high stakes or otherwise--it laces in a little too much fantasy with the facts to rate five stars.

What's new in this second edition of Burning the Tables in Las Vegas? Mostly Chapter 9 on Green Chip Play. If you have a copy already, it's probably not worth it to buy the new edition, but you might want to borrow a copy to read this short new chapter on low-roller betting. In a nutshell, Andersen tells you how to win with $25-$50 bets, but don't expect to make a living at it.

Andersen spends about half the book talking about the mechanics of blackjack, and only the first few pages cover the basics. The rest is strategy and tactics, and he brings Stanford Wong along to add his expertise. The other half of the book covers topics that are not specific to blackjack, but are just as important: history, psychology, money management, risk management, health, demeanor. It is difficult to say exactly how much of a professional gambler's success is due to playing well and how much is due to people skills, being alert, reading a room, and staying healthy.

This is an up-to-date book that takes into account the way casinos operate today, not twenty years ago. Andersen adds a lot of what should be common sense to the nuts and bolts of playing winning blackjack. You probably don't need someone to tell you not to piss off the dealer (or even shoot them a disgusted look when you're losing), but it doesn't hurt to be reminded. Especially by a proven winner.

I am new to card counting and after reading this book - I feel like I have a whole new perspective on playing blackjack as a business. There is so much good information here. I would recommend this book a a must-read for anyone interested in counting as a business or just for fun!!

There are simply no other players quite as experienced as Ian Andersen. Even if you are not interested in counting cards, his experiences make for great stories and wonderful anecdotes. If you are serious about card-counting, then this book will pay for itself with the Ultimate Gambit. This book is perfect for your first trip to a casino as well as the experienced card-counter.