Casinos Books

A friend directed me to this book. While expensive, it's one of the best security books every written. It is a scholarly take on how people cheat at casinos and the countermeasures casinos put in place.

This text is pricey at around $200. There are two groups of people who should pay this: serious pro gamblers, and serious upper-level casino management. As a former pro player, Forte is a goldmine of information for advantage players. I have been a studious advantage player for 6 years, and this text addresses almost every winning technique I have seen. For any card-counter, this will open your eyes to legal ways of making money you never thought of. His approach to Blackjack alone is worth the cover price (especially if you are willing to study more difficult areas like shuffle tracking and sequence tracking). Another benefit of reading this book is you know how NOT to look like a cheater. If you're curious why there are some weird procedures (e.g. you cannot touch the cards with two hands, or some of the bet placement procedures).

This information is obviously valuable to casino managers, but there are additional explanations geared towards casino management. How do you identify an advantage player or cheater? How much will this player cost you? What is the most effective way to deal with him? There is a lot more analysis on running an efficient shift/casino, but as a mere player, I am not qualified to evaluate that.

Forte identifyies many other legitimate authors in this business (both from the player and casino perspective) that readers might search for additional information. Without exception, every source cited is one I would recommend for the topic addressed.

I was fortunate enough to be allowed to copy-edit this book as it was in production. I make this admission up front in case anyone thinks this review might be a bit biased. It is!

Simply put, Steve's book is the single most important book ever published on the subject of casino game protection. No other book even comes close. The book clocks in right at about 600 pages of text, with an additional 19 pages of glossary, and a complete index. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 color photographs illustrate the text in the appropriate places. This thing is nothing if not a monster!

It is difficult to summarize the contents of the book in part because of its sheer size. Suffice to say that many, many different scams, hustles, cheating methods and even a few never before seen techniques are revealed. All in an informal, and very easy to follow style.

If you're a casino owner, GM, Floor person, or pit boss, and you're not reading this book, I suggest you attempt to get a copy immediately. Maybe your games are already safe, maybe they aren't. In any event, this book will open your eyes to some possibilities that you've probably never considered.

This book deserves the highest possible recommendation.

Jason England

I love these signet editions of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. This is not only Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel but one of his best. It is richly textured, well written, clearly defines the Bond character and has survived not only as good literature but as a great period piece of the 50s. It also gives us a glimpse of the often unseen smoke filled cocktailed night life found in Europe's plush casinos of that era. Clearly, James Bond is a worldly character that lives and breaths in this unseen world described by Ian Fleming in this novel. James Bond can easily adapt to any locale or situation, size it up and endure. He is both innovative and resourceful and he must rely on his talents and instincts to survive. This is a very good Bond novel.

This is not only Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel but one of his best. It is richly textured, well written, clearly defines the Bond character and has survived not only as good literature but as a great period piece of the 50s. It also gives us a glimpse of the often unseen smoke filled cocktailed night life found in Europe's plush casinos of that era. Clearly, James Bond is a worldly character that lives and breaths in this unseen world described by Ian Fleming in this novel. James Bond can easily adapt to any locale or situation, size it up and endure. He is both innovative and resourceful and he must rely on his talents and instincts to survive. This is a very good Bond novel.

This is not only Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel but one of his best. It is richly textured, well written, clearly defines the Bond character and has survived not only as good literature but as a great period piece of the 50s. It also gives us a glimpse of the often unseen smoke filled cocktailed night life found in Europe's plush casinos of that era. Clearly, James Bond is a worldly character that lives and breaths in this unseen world described by Ian Fleming in this novel. James Bond can easily adapt to any locale or situation, size it up and endure. He is both innovative and resourceful and he must rely on his talents and instincts to survive. This is a very good first James Bond novel from Ian Fleming.

Price is back with a fast-moving, exciting story with his continuing character Chad Belmontes and Chad's feisty financee Cassie Wong. I really admire her courage in dealing with the gangsters. There is no putting this book down. I live on a Pacific Island, and I took the book with me to a fiesta, on a fishing boat, and had my wife drive us to a wedding, so I could finish the last three chapters on the road. If you want a close-up look at American-Chinese crime, and some romance and mystery, and some shooting and dead bodies, this is the book for you. Now that Chad has retired from the police, and getting married, what's his next move?

This is a wonderfully imaginative mystery, which rapidly unfolds into a fast-pace action filled story. It's a commendable debut sequel to 'Lair of the Dragon,' and I'm surprised this author did not receive more recognition as a new mystery writer upon publication of his first book. Although 'Dragon's Ghost' does read well without having read the first book, I recommend reading 'Lair of the Dragon' first, which captures the personalities of the characters. And by the time one begins the sequel, he knows the players quite well. A good read that you won't want to put down until the very end.

Once again, Frederick Price has written a galvanizing book. I started reading, and couldn't stop. This book is a roller coaster that never slows down. Action, suspense, mystery ... it's all there in Dragon's Ghost. Price is a consummate story teller and his characters are believable and captivating. I haven't enjoyed a book the much in a very long time.

I actually used to work at Harrah's. I saw this book in one of the casino bookstores while heading into work one day. I was enticed to read it because these events took place in my backyard. This area has grown much over the years and it's always changing. From my understanding the book is only published by the Nevada history center(UNR) so it might be hard to find a copy. I understand Bill's passion for this industry, but even if you don't it's still a great book. There are very entertaining anecdotes. There is one in particular about the Jerrari that I found hillarious. I've seen the Jerrari but the description doesn't even begin to explain how it looks in person. I would think that anyone who has heard of Harrah's or has an intrest in Casinos would enjoy this.

This is a fascinating story told in the words of a great collection of people who "were there." Former wives, dealers, PR types, executives, many from the '40s and '50s offer candid insights and memories that illustrate the complexity, and at times the profound sadness, of Bill Harrah's life.

Casino cheating (by owners, employees, and customers!), evolution of gambling machines, promotional stunts, big name entertainment, and the famed auto collection are covered extensively.

My only reservation (a minor one) is that Harrah's subsidized some of the production costs of the book which probably had some editorial impact. For example, embarassing or critical material is typically played down. (No interviews here of disgruntled competitors or former employees) Please do not let this comment keep you from reading "Every Light", it is great!

This oral history about William Harrah is excellent. I believe the manner in which Kling interviewed all of the people gives you a inside edge to understanding more how the gaming business was run in the early years, and how Harrah help to create a successful industry. This book is definitly worth reading!

I HAVE BEEN AN INSTRUCTOR FOR 8 YEARS AND THIS IS NOW ONE OF THE REQUIRED BOOKS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN MY TRAINING CLASS FOR NEW DEALERS. AT MY SUGGESTION A LOCAL POKER ROOM HAS INCLUDED THIS AS THEIR RULE BOOK AND ALL SUPERVISORS ARE REQUIRED TO USE IT. THIS BOOKS HAS COMPREHENSIVE UP TO DATE RULES. AS WE KNOW RULES MAY CHANGE FROM ROOM TO ROOM, BUT SOMETHING THAT IS CLOSE TO STANDARD THE POKER ALMANAC HAS IT ALL. TDA RULES, ROBERTS RULES, GAMES, AS WELL AS A GREAT UP TO DATE GLOSSARY. THIS BOOK IS AN ASSET FOR TRAINING NEW DEALERS. I USE THIS AND THE PROFESSIONAL DEALER'S HANDBOOK AS A REQUIREMENT TO PURCHASE.

This is a concise encyclopedia of the rules for poker. The Official Rules will particularly appeal to novices as it explains the nature of the cardroom, the equipment integral to the game, and hand rankings. Much of it is based on Robert's (Bob Ciaffone's) Rules of Poker and is elaborated upon by the author. It provides an introduction to the game as well by experienced player, Kelli Mix. The various styles of games are also discussed: limit, spread limit, no limit, and pot limit. The text covers just about everything including seven card stud high low and deuce-to-seven high low. The explanation of tournament rules is valuable because, as those of us who watch HSP already know, tournaments and cash games are entirely different animals. It even tells you what should be done with the "odd chip" in casino games. I appreciated the definition of "kill pots" and wish I would have read it before I began playing in kill limit games online, lol. This is definitely something I could have really used back in 2004 when I first began learning about the game.

Game Day highly recommends this book as the standard poker book for use during all types of poker games. This book is especially helpful to players in home games of poker, where it is important to have a way to resolve rules disputes quickly and amicably.

We at Game Day saw that there was something missing in the current field of poker books: a standard poker rule book. Before we published the Official Rules of Poker, the only authorities on the rules of poker was Scarne and Hoyle, which were written in the Nineteenth Century. The game has changed, especially in the last ten years, and we realized that it was important to have a Twenty-First Century rule book.

When we put out the word that we were looking for an editor and for such a book, Kelli Mix came forward. Ms. Mix, or "Poker Mom" as she is known at the poker table, eagerly took up the challenge of gathering and writing the rules to suit the modern game of poker. This turned out to be a gargantuan task. Ms. Mix researched each rule, making sure that they were found in at least five independent sources. Mix turned out to be a wonderful choice as editor and author of the Game Day Poker Almanac Official Rules of Poker.

Mix is a professional poker player. She is still under most poker players radar, but she is quietly climbing the ranks of tournament poker players (she finished 11th in the 2007 World Series of Poker Texas Hold 'Em Women's tournament in a field of more than 1,200 players). However, she is more likely to be found at cash games, playing high stakes.

The Official Rules of Poker includes all the rules of poker, from the most basic hand rankings to the most obscure tournament rules.

Contents:
1: Elements of Poker. This chapter covers the most basic rules of poker, and also describes the way poker is played in casino card rooms. Mix wrote these rules in a way that makes them easy to use while playing a game.

2: Professional Poker Rules. These rules cover more of mechanical means of acting in a poker game, giving the finer definitions of what constitutes a raise, a call or a fold. They also discuss the penalties of rules infractions. There are four parts to this chapter.

a) Robert's Rules of Poker. These rules were written by professional poker player and authority, Bob Ciaffone, as a standard set of rules of cash games in casino card rooms. While local laws may require changes to these rules, and some casinos use their own rules, these rules are often cited as the official set of rules in professional play.

b) Robert's Rules of Poker for Private Games: This is Ciaffone's "Robert's Rules of Poker" which he adopted to home games where no impartial dealer or floorperson is present.

c) Poker Tournament Director's Association Rules (TDA Rules). Each year, the Professional Poker Tournament Directors Association updates its rules, which most casinos and poker leagues use as their official rule book in tournament play. Tournament rules add a new layer of rules to poker, as tournaments are about eliminating players, not about accumulating money.

d) World Series of Poker Rules: The World Series of Poker is considered the premier poker tournament event. Due to its sheer size and commercialism, the rules for WSOP tournaments are different than TDA rules. Many poker leagues use WSOP rules instead of TDA rules, as the WSOP rules are more popular among those who learned poker from television.

3: Poker Etiquette. There are types of behavior frowned upon in poker games, due to the fact that poker is a highly competitive game and may involve large sums of money. In some games of poker, violating etiquette may result in ejection from the game.

4: Variant Poker Games. Includes 69 different versions of poker, including 5-Card Draw, 5-Card Stud, Cincinnati, Chicago, Baseball, Anaconda, Mexican Stud, Chinese Poker, Iron Cross, Guts, English Stud, Kansas City Lowball, California Lowball, Pineapple,Spit, Three-Card Draw, and the ever-hilarious Indian Poker. Also includes rules for declaring wild cards and using jokers. WhIle professional poker players and casino card rooms will never play most of these games, home games are notorious for playing "dealer's choice" where the dealer chooses which of the many variations of poker will be played that hand. (Note: Mix and I had a really good time finding out about all of these games.)

5: Glossary. Again, Mix was very thorough in her research. Poker terminology is highly colorful and is a lingo all its own. from the Nuts to the Fish. Mix used multiple sources, as there are many local poker terms and terms used that do not last more than a few months. She excludes popular names for two-card Texas Hold 'Em hands, purposefully, although we plan to have a separate glossary for hand names in future editions. Still, this is one of the most complete glossaries I have seen in a poker book anywhere.

6. Index: Okay, I did the index. I believe that indexes should be thorough, and so I did my best to make the index easy to use in the heat of play. Still, this was a fairly easy index to create, as Mix's presentation of the rules and her organization of the material was straightforward, allowing me to easily pick out the rules.

The Official Rules of Poker has been wonderfully received. Professional poker dealers have been clamoring to get this edition. When we released the book at the WSOP 2007 in Las Vegas, the WSOP dealers practically knocked me over trying to get their own copy.

Thank you for considering The Game Day Poker Almanac Official Rules of Poker. I personally hope you will find it to be of great use, and that the book will provide you with years of fun--and fair--poker.

David A. Rozansky
Publisher
Game Day (an imprint of Flying Pen Press)

Are you a kid of the '60s and '70s? Did you love the "big plastic" toys of that era, like Mr. Machine, The Great Garloo, Mouse Trap, Mr. Potato Head and Big Loo? Are you fascinated with dangerous toys from the past like wood burning kits, shattering Clackers, pour your own molten metal soldiers and lawn darts? If you answered yes to any of these questions than this book is for you. Steve Casino and Steve Fink have taken all of the above and mixed them into a magic/tragic collection of fictional toys with side-splitting results. This is not simply a parody of playthings. The two Steves bring a masterfully creative energy to the toys in this book. "Cudsy the Cow" is a plastic cow that produces "real" cud balls. "Rodeo Rover" turns any pet dog into a buckin' bronco with the simple genius of a plastic horse head (that fits over Fido) and some straps. "Fu Manchu, I Love You" is a Chinese doll whose long mustache little girls can style and braid! Gobler toys are all so over the top, tasteless and politically incorrect that you will laugh and long for a sequel to this very funny book. Twisted Fun!

This reminds me of the old National Lampoon at its finest. It's not only a collection of hilarious fake toys and their history, it's the warped story of their creator as well.
Ira Gobler had a dangling neck skin that he yanked on for inspiration. With each tug of it, he created insane toys with names like "Kiki The Fashion Tiki" and "Fu Manchu, I Love You!" I seriously had tears streaming down my face at some points.

I ordered this book while serving time in prison. Boy oh boy did it make the time pass. Me and my cell mate thought this book was absolutely hilarious! A staggering work of comedy genious. The phoney toys are amazing: Kiki the Fashion Tiki, Hair Putty, Marble Mouth, Mad Daddy Shoes,Wiener Works, Whip-Its and so much more. My only regret is that these toys aren't real. If I had some these while growing up, I might not have ended up on the wrong side of the law!

Zender is the most recognized expert on casino cheating in the world. His preface focuses on where you have to worry about cheating - mainly outside the US, or in small unregulated US casinos (if you play in Las Vegas or other large casinos, cheating is not a problem).

The second area he focuses on is the methods casinos use to cheat, and how to detect them. I have played in casinos outside the US, and have personally seen casinos cheating (in Curacao). As a card-counter, I could have been financially wiped out if I played there unaware of what the casino did.

This book is a quick read - it is entertaining with the antecdotes, but also includes good documentation on how to identify cheating, including illustrations. Another book to consider if you play many casino games is "Casino Game Protection" by Steve Forte.

If you frequent casino blackjack tables this book is well worth your time.

This book deals with a controversial subject -- insider cheating in casinos. Although the days of unregulated bust-out joints is over (at least in the US it is) it is not impossible to encounter some kind of cheating at casino blackjack tables. According to the author (who worked as a casino exec for a number of years), nowadays insider cheating in casinos is rare and it mostly happens by the floor staff running their own scams; not by the house running a scam against their customers. Even if the establishments are not to be blamed for such occurrences this book made some noise in the casino community simply because these establishments do not want the subject of the possibility of insider cheating even mentioned. I say, wherever money passes hands there will be some fast hands and the subject can not be ignored.

Those who are already familiar with some standard blackjack cheating techniques and strategies will have to read through some descriptions they already know. However, I still found some fresh ideas and even the author's opinion on the subject is well worth the read.

Highly recommended.

Bill Zender worked his way up through the ranks from dealer all the way to Casino Manager at the Aladdin. He has also worked for the Nevada Gaming Control Board. His unique perspectives on casino cheating are a "must read" for the serious blackjack player, as a cheating dealer can obliterate your bankroll faster than a Vegas floozy. He discusses seconds-dealing in great detail, and how to detect it from the players chair. He also discusses methods taken by the casinos (since they are often victims of cheating dealers as well) and by the commission. All serious players will hit a bad streak eventually. You MUST be confident in your ability to determine whether it is luck alone, or a cheating dealer that is to blame (it's almost always bad luck, but you gotta know this). If you can't do this, you won't win over the long haul, it's as simple as that.

this book is superb. very informative and helpful, especially for those who would like to work for the development of the Mapun Island municipality in Tawi-tawi, Philippines and the Jama Mapuns.

jama mapun belong to the muslim group.they are known to have a RICH ECONOMY AMONG THE SAMAL GROUP.

jama mapun belong to the muslim group.they are known to have a RICH ECONOMY AMONG THE SAMAL GROUP.

This is a good book for players who want to win.
Very easy to read and understand.
I used the strategies to hit more than once.
Well worth the look.

The passion for gambling dates back to ancient times, with poker being one of the oldest and most popular forms. Author Michael Stelzer became fascinated with the game and convinced that his knowledge of math could help him understand and beat the odds, decided to investigate its complexities from a mathematical standpoint. Letting the chips fall where they may, he formed his own astute conclusions on poker's risks and rewards, and his findings make up this terrific little handbook. Mathematical Strategies to Winning Casino Poker, which is one that good poker player can't afford to be without.

Whether you are a novice or an expert player, you'll find lots of fascinating tips and tricks to get the upper hand on your opponents. Stelzer suggests that the games are actually not stacked as highly against the player as you might think. Any good player can win big money on poker and walk away with those winnings, he found, and this discovery so buoyed Stelzer's own confidence that he began hitting the casinos himself to play.

Lucidly and elegantly, Stelzer gives the reader a concise history of the game as well as those all important poker basics. His thorough analysis of the various poker hands, as well as their accompanying mathematical proofs, is straightforward enough so that anyone can benefit.
Readers will learn playing and betting strategies, such as play or fold decisions, hand derivations and game strategies, how to manage a bankroll and more. Encompassing years of personal research in casino poker games, Stelzer's book is packed with enough information to help anyone play better and enjoy poker more. Knowledge is power, and with this handy guide, any reader can have the confidence to win.

In his new book, Mathematical Strategies to Winning Casino Poker, engineering Ph.D. and mathematician Michael Stelzer shares simple playing and betting strategies that guarantee poker players will leave both tables and tournaments as winners.

Providing a brief history of poker and basic playing strategies, Stelzer's approach does not require players to have any previous skill or experience, nor does it involve learning a complicated system or counting cards, making it practical for players of all levels of experience in both casinos and private games.

Stelzer's study of poker began as a hobby based on his extensive mathematics background. The discovery that many poker games offer players odds as favorable as 50/50 inspired Stelzer to test gaming strategies of six popular poker variations. Using computer simulation, Stelzer was able to establish strategies for determining whether or not a hand should be betted on based on desirability.

Stelzer encourages responsibility in betting and gambling, emphasizing that Mathematical Strategies is not a "get-rich-quick" book. However, players who follow these tested probability methods will find that they can minimize losses by folding undesirable hands while capitalizing on virtually guaranteed wins.

I first purchased Mr. Bourie's annual book many years ago, andlook forward to each new and expanded edition of his work. He tellsyou practically everything you need to know about casino gaming, then describes the basic offerings of every casino in the country, and then provides coupons that will save you hundreds of dollars when you visit many of the casinos listed. What else could you ask for? Any casino player who doesn't purchase this book every year is missing the boat!

Like to gamble? Me too! This guide tells you where all the casinos are in the good old USA. There are maps, plus detailed city maps of Las Vegas, Tunica, Biloxi, and others. It has strategy tables for blackjack and coupons for various discounts and freebies. You'll find me at a video poker machine--see you there! Good Luck!