Gambling Books

Gambling is one of the most powerfully addicting past times in this country. Gale Mitchell's Easy Casino Gambling is a nice guide for beginners and seasoned casino vets alike. With tips on the slots, blackjack, poker, craps, roulette, and more Mitchell helps bust the myths and beat the odds of gambling. These are simple strategies anybody can use and appreciate. I really suggest picking this up and getting in on the fun of gambling.

This delightfully well written book should be must reading for anyone who plans a gambling trip. Ms. Mitchell presumes no prior gambling knowledge from her readers and provides a comprehensive overview of the various popular casino games. Her book opens with chapters on intelligent gambling, wager management and casino lingo. There are discussions of winning strategies for the games as well as listings of game specific slang for poker, craps and bingo.

In addition to the traditional casino games there are chapters on sports betting, the ten worst bets, a guide to comps, casino security, Internet gambling and even a section on bingo

In additional to the valuable advice on gambling techniques this book also has chapters solely devoted to listing the various gambling establishments in the United States and Canada as well as selected casinos throughout Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, Central and South America. The information provided generally includes telephone numbers and website addresses and in certain instances the casino square footage, dress code as well as the specific games available. Prior to reading this book I was completely unaware of the global extent of casino gambling. For example the book notes that there are six casinos located in Nepal which is in the Himalayas.

Be clear on one point: this book is not for general consumption. Helm is writing for a particular audience, and that is thoroughbred horseracing handicappers and bettors. That said, I cannot recommend this volume highly enough. Witih the explosion in computer technology over the past several years, and the attendant availability of rafts of information, there are very few true "frontiers" left to the race handicapper. Pedigree -- a horse's bloodlines, and all that they suggest about his/her abilities -- are, in Helm's view, the last unexplored territory. He begins with a compelling examination of the current state of the thoroughbred breeding industry. But his truly original contribution to the ever-growing literature of handicapping follows, as he creates a cogent technology for applying pedigree information to the analysis and playing of specific types of races. In Helm's view, the real opportunities at the racetrack arise when one can, based on reliable data, project that a horse will be able to accomplish something that it has not yet attempted. So, a first-time starter may be backed with confidence...if the bloodlines suggest precocity. A sprinter may be backed in a distance race...if the pedigree suggests stamina. And so forth. Races that previously appeared to be unplayable become golden opportunities. Bottom line: this stuff works! Since this initial volume, Helm has published several updates, and puts out annual "Sire Ratings," so that those of us who use his essential technology can work with the most current information.

With the publication of Exploring Pedugree horseplayers finally have available information(an a perspective of how to use it) that allows them to intelligently evaluate debut runners in maiden races, as well as young horses stretching out, switching to the turf or trying an off-track for the first time.

"A quantum leap in handicapping consciousness." The Cramer-Olmsted Report

"A major breakthrough in handicapping." Daily Racing Form

A very interesting book on an icon. Jimmy was a broken man, who felt that he had lost his self-respect, after he was fired by CBS. Jimmy was a sacrificial lamb in an early poltical correct world. Jimmy ultimately filed lawsuits for wrongful termination against CBS, but most were past the statute of limitations. He died in Las Vegas. His daughter and a friend that he met late in his life were his best friends in his last years. Reading between the lines Jimmy must have had a strained relationship with his wife. The book talks of his fight with Brent Musberger and how he hated Phyllis George's then husband John Y. Brown, even though Jimmy was the catalyst in them meeting. Jimmy had sued John Y. over money that Brown had owed him from a business deal, then withdrew the lawsuit because he felt it would hurt his on-air relationship with George. Again reading between the lines, it is interesting that neither Musberger, George, Irv Cross, or any CBS executives attended his funeral. Although Jimmy had three children who were buried in Las Vegas, he chose to be buried in his hometown of Steubenville, OH. I've only been in Steubenville once in my life, but if I get near there again I'll stop and see Jimmy.

More than a biography, this books reads like a novel--deftly written with narrative pinache. I entered the book with reservation since I didn't particulary care for the man, but left with an appreciation for him and the writer of the book. Ms. Wadsworth is a talented researcher, interviewer, and writer. She engaged me from the beginning and then guided me through the gaming jargon in the middle. By the end I felt I knew Jimmy the Greek personally.

This is a great sixth edition to the series! I admit, I was shocked at the coldness of many of the characters but I wasn't surprised after reading the previous books. This book left me very excited to read the seventh and final book of the series. While the whole series errs on the trashy side, this is the best guilty pleasure I've ever read. The story is about how the whole gang handles Vegas. People's secrets come out and you will probably be surprised at the way that the characters handle the truth.

I couldn't help but fill myself up on this book. Gluttony is Robin Wasserman's sixth book in the Seven Deadly Sins series. I have read all the other books and all of them had seemed to get better as they went along. Although the fifth installment, Sloth, had fallen short of my expectations I was anticipating Gluttony to see if Wasserman still had that touch, and she does.
The majority of this sinful novel happens in no other place than Sin City itself, Vegas. It seems as though most of Haven High, makes a trip to Vegas. Harper and Miranda are trying to make up for lost time and regain each other's friendship. Kane and Adam also seem to be getting back to becoming the friends that they once were. Beth, good girl turned bad, and Reed are trying to forward their relationship.
Harper and Adam begin to spend more time together after Kane gets them a room at a swanky room at hotel. They are also sharing the room with Miranda and Kane who also seem to be spending a little bit more time together. Miranda, who's been chasing Kane forever, is finally feeling like giving up on him. Kane is all for living it up in the short time in Vegas. Beth and Reed are getting much closer until a girl names Starla seems to be getting in the way.
This book had to be one of my favorites in this series. As always, I love these books. The surprises in this novel were incredible. I didn't know what to expect starting this novel and I sure didn't expect some of the outcomes. I am very anxious to see how Wasserman will tie up the loose ends in the upcoming-and last-book of the series. I certainly can't predict how this series will end, and I am sad to see that it is almost over.
It's Vegas. Anything can go and anything will. Secrets revealed. Twist and turns. The road through Vegas is a full of lust, envy, pride, and anger. So go ahead and indulge yourself in this book.

The rights and the plight of Native Americans have gathered a lot of public interest in the last two decades. But the growing prominence of Native American Indians has turned into a two edged sword in Connecticut.

On the one hand, Indians are getting some long overdue justice. On the other hand, with the help of murky financial backers and questionable politicians, many American Indian tribes have turned to gambling to help them achieve the American dream. The result is not a pretty picture.

Brett Fromson, a former Washington Post journalist with roots in Connecticut, is the latest to tell the story of the Mashantucket Pequots, one of the most successful Indian tribes in North America. Foxwoods, the Mashantucket Pequot casino in southeastern Connecticut has grown into one of the largest gambling establishments in the world.

Alas the story, as Fromson recounts it, is a nightmare. In his book, Hitting the Jackpot--the Inside Story of the Richest Indian Tribe in History (Atlantic Monthly Press), Fromson describes how the Mashantucket Pequots evolved from a single descendant-- Eliza George, a frail old woman who lived alone on the remnants of a tiny reservation in Ledyard, Connecticut--into a sovereign tribe that had the backing of Connecticut politicians and Arab and Malaysian investors.

Fromson's book reads like an indictment. He describes how the pervasive influence of money essentially corrupted an Indian tribe that had questionable historical origins to begin with. He tells how the Mashantucket Pequots and their backers flaunted the regulations under which the federal government is supposed to protect the interests of Native Americans.

And, in an author's talk that he gave at the Kent Memorial Library on February 29, Fromson charged that the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Department of Interior has evolved from an agency overseeing Indian affairs into a "corrupt" lobbying arm of Native American Indian tribes.

"I think there is a (need) for the BIA to be challenged," Fromson said in his talk at the Library. "I think you have a bunch of hacks who are in the pockets of the tribes. There is no accountability, and where there is no accountability, there is always an opportunity for corruption."

Most Americans believe that Indians got the short end of the stick in the first 300 years of American history. In the tradition of fair play that characterizes the American psyche, a large part of the American public believes the Indians should be given certain advantages to compensate them for the injustices they faced.

But does that mean that remnant tribes or families with sometimes dubious Indian heritage should be elevated to a rarified sovereign status that allows them to live under a separate set of laws from the rest of the American citizens?

Fromson writes that a system that was developed to help the Indians has been corrupted by lawyers, business developers and foreign money. The Mashantucket Pequots initially applied for recognition following federal guidelines, but the lawyers, with the help of Connecticut elected representatives (principally then Sen. Lowell Weicker and Rep. Sam Gejdenson), skirted the BIA guidelines and won federal recognition through an act of Congress. Fromson contends that the lawyers intentionally avoided the BIA process because the Mashantucket Pequots could not have met the BIA guidelines for federal recognition.

So Congress was persuaded by old fashioned political horse trading to give the Mashantucket Pequots federal recognition-- and that political coup started a process under which the Mashantucket Pequots built a gambling empire. First an Arab bank put up $6 million to create an elaborate bingo parlor, and then a wealthy Chinese businessman from Malaysia, Lim Goh Tong, was persuaded to invest $60 million (under very favorable terms, including a percentage of revenue and the profits) to construct a huge casino on the Mashantucket reservation.

The rest was history. Foxwoods came into being, and the Mashantucket Pequots soon became rich beyond their wildest dreams.

Yet for the most part true happiness eludes the Indians. Intra-tribal feuds, some of them with racial overtones, have roiled the tribe. Skip Haywood, the grandson of Eliza George, who spearheaded the rise of the Mashantucket Pequots (with the help from two lawyers from Maine), was voted out as Chairman of the tribe, to be replaced by Kenny Reels, a black "Pequot" from Rhode Island, who himself has since been replaced.

Members of the tribe who lived on the reservation were more concerned with their annual "incentive" awards and their BMW and Mercedes automobiles than with maintaining their culture, according to Fromson; many tribal youths were into drugs; violence broke out on the reservation, and the Connecticut State Police were told to stay off the reservation.

Moreover, the Mashantucket Pequot culture does not really exist, according to Fromson. He describes how a huge $250 million museum was built at Foxwoods to celebrate the Mashantucket Pequot culture, but there is little Pequot culture in the museum. Rather the artifacts and exhibits were drawn from all over the Northeast (and beyond) and, at best, the museum celebrates the public perception of the North American Indian culture.

Indeed, Fromson questions whether the current Mashantucket Pequot "tribe" is, in fact, an American Indian tribe.

"We are the first tribe in American history to be formed around money," says Bruce Kirchner who is a member of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council, as reported in the book.

Writes Fromson:

"There has been considerable public skepticism about the genealogical authenticity of today's Pequots. Writers have alleged that none of them descend from the original Pequots. These questions cannot be answered with complete certainty without an independent genealogical investigation and today's tribe will not allow such an inquiry for both political and privacy reasons." Fromson himself questions whether the Pequots could demonstrate any tribal characteristics: In one of the rare moments of humor in the book, the author describes how, when tribal representatives were asked at a Native American gathering to sing a Pequot song, they sang "You Are My Sunshine" because it was the only song all of them knew.

Fromson's book is not the first about the Mashantucket Pequots. The first book about the development of gambling in southeast Connecticut was Without Reservation, by Jeff Benedict, published in 2000. Revenge of the Pequots--How a Small Native American Tribe Created the World's Most Profitable Casino, by Kim Isaac Eisler, was published in 2001. Now we have Fromson's version of the history. All three books, in their own way, describe the same events, each with their own unique perspective.

All three books also point out how destructive the evolution of Indian gambling casinos has been on the cultural and social structure of Southeast Connecticut. Where once there was a placid, rural environment, there is now a huge tourism industry, complete with huge traffic jams, crime and drug trafficking.

Moreover, with their new found riches, the Indians have tried to buy up land and attach it to their original reservations. Fromson describes one incident where the Mashantucket Pequots were not successful in this regard, but he warns that they will probably be ultimately successful in expanding their reservation.

Fromson's book is an instructive book, especially for the people of Kent and Northwest Connecticut. In this regard, Fromson is the first to make the link between the Schaghticokes in Kent and the other Indian tribes in Connecticut. As Fromson relates it, the Indian movement was sparked in the early 1970's when the head of the Schaghticokes, Irving Harris, tried to organize the Connecticut Indians. Harris was not successful, but he did bring the plight of the Indians to the attention of the United Auto Workers Union, who took up the Indian cause.

In January of this year, the BIA gave recognition to the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation--despite gaps in its political and historical culture. Like the Pequots there are intra-tribal feuds within the Schaghticoke Indians, and like the Pequots, the Schaghticokes have plans to develop a casino--somewhere in western Connecticut, if they can find a community that wants a casino. Bridgeport and Waterbury are considered the most likely candidates for a Schaghticoke casino.

There is an axiom that says the past is prologue. Let's hope that the recent past history of the Mashantucket Pequots is not the prologue to the development of the Schaghticoke Indians here in the Northwest Corner.

Readers might like to see published reviews of the book. Here are some of them:


"HITTING THE JACKPOT is fascinating, an extraordinary look into America,
both our troubled past and our equally troubled present, one in which money,
law and identity interact bizarrely. Astonishing reading."
- Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent

"An engaging exploration of the tangled politics surrounding Native American affairs."
- Kirkus Reviews

"[Fromson] spins a concise, straightforward tale of ambition, politics and ancestral pride." - The Washington Post

"Well researched and tightly written...[HITTING THE JACKPOT] offers a useful history lesson on modern Native American gaming and tribal recognition."
- The Hartford Courant

"Fast paced and well written...Let's hope we've learned some lessons from Connecticut's decade-plus experience with Pocahontas-as-croupier, a story told in devastating fashion by Brett Fromson in HITTING THE JACKPOT."
- New York Post

The info on playing blackjack has benefited my whole family--never feel like an idiot again! His section on money management is essential as you will realize when you start using it--you can't make any profit during a run without it. The section on craps is somewhat confusing as to the flow of of the game but again, the advice on what bets to place and money management is stellar.

If you gamble, this book will be probably be one of the best "investments" you'll ever make in reducing your losses and may even make you a winner. This is an easy to read, common sense book with something for everyone - from the novice to the seasoned gambler.

This American book was first published in 1963. The author, Mike Goodman touts himself as a professional. "How to Win" covers a wide range of gambling, from the casino to horses to poker machines.

The standout of the book is the black jack strategies. There is very sound, probability-based advice on how to play without card counting hassles. One of the most important and often overlooked aspects of gambling - money management - is also extensively covered. In a nutshell, Goodman's advice is bet more when you win and less when you lose.

In most cases, Goodman starts from the premise that in the case of Casino games, the house has an insurmountable edge. But, and here is the magic of his book, he offers sound, easy to apply advice on the best ways to play to minimise this house advantage.

I've been serious about gambling for 20 years and this book has been my betting bible. Buy it!

Have seen author interviewed on tv several times. Obviously he was an actor, for he is very good. Don't know about secrets of winning lottery, but information on contests and game shows most effective. Understand author has won considerable prizes and money by entering contests and appearing on game shows - so he knows his stuff. Recommend book to people interested in these things, especially because of entertaining style of writing and anecdotes

I read this book a couple of months ago. I know that his ways to win sweepstakes works because it has worked for me. I will also be trying his game show technics in a couple of years. A must read for people who really want to win.

This educational material has helped provide information about an addiction to gambling and older adults.

Many health care agencies are now raising questions about older adults and gambling problems. This educational kit is an excellent way to train staff. Good job.

I volunteer at a nursing home where I have taught a group of residents how to play poker. The ones with poor vision have had trouble finding playing cards that they can read. They have said unanimously that these cards are the best. I highly recommend these for people with vision problems. The 6's and 9's are hard to tell apart at the beginning, but you get used to reading them.

These are perfect for individuals who have trouble seeing and want to play card games.

Not only does this book contain an immense amount of information about the gorgeous and fascinating state of Nevada---but it is all presented in a personable, idiosyncratic, witty and winning style. As with most guidebooks, you'll probably be interested in reading only those sections relevant to a planned trip. But the book is so informative and fun, you might find yourself---as I did---reading sections about areas in Nevada you have no plans to visit. Highly recommended.

Amusing and useful, well-laid out with honest reviews of both wilderness areas and the glitter gulches--I have used this book for several trips to Nevada and it is indespensible