Gambling Books

o.k., here's the thing of it-i count cards and i also sometimes play using a positive progression. i have won and lost big using both systems,counting cards and positive progressions that is.
i very much enjoyed all of Walter Thomasons books.

The author presents many theories that are interesting and unique. My problem is that 90% of this book is research/results, and 10% is actual gambling advice. Who is the target audience? This book might be relevant to gambling theorists but is not helpful to your average gambler. I am a basic strategy player and felt let down by the lack of advice and tips. I still don't know how you could implement his quit point strategy in today's casinos with crowded tables and tight rules. I would give this book four or five stars if the book was 50% research and 50% advice.

This is Thomason's best book to date. The Quit Points bring a wholly new dimension to the game. His progression are the most intelligent and an improvement on his previous ones.

I think he proves his case and makes no wild claims but is very fair and balanced.

Using his mehtods I am way up and what is more I can play higher limits on a smaller bankroll. This is the great value of his method. You get a shot at the House for little risk. Only the House can truly rely on the Law of Large Numbers to allow their built in advantages to play out. The rest of us have to make the most of winning streaks and limit our losses on losing shoes. This method allows one to do just that.

I use Mannorino's Gregorian Strategy NOT basic strategy as I believe this is a more powerful and advanced strategy against six and eight deck shoes.

The combination of these two methods is deadly. Ignore the dimwits who whine about Thomason's methods and proofs. Clearly they have not read the book or are merely jealous competitors. Perhaps they enjoy losing.

Blackjack is now fun again!

I've seen a lot of strategies, read a lot of books, looked at a lot of web pages. They all say the same thing, progressive betting systems don't work. Just look at the first reviewer who harangues the system. It didn't stand up to all of his umptybillion simulations. Well I don't live or play blackjack in a simulation. I've used this system over the last year and have yet to see it just break down and fail. Or on the same token do worse than flat betting. If you are a casual player that wants to win get this book. But be forewarned do not tell anyone how you are winning, because remember progressive betting doesn't work. On a more serious note, this book is extremely easy to read if a little longwinded. After seeing the size you may wonder what I mean. Well the strategy itself can be wrapped up in about 3 pages but you don't get to it until chapter 20 something. Not that I'm complaining I think the background is very important. My final word if your looking for a book that means you want to win. So try this strategy and find out for yourself. Don't let the "experts" fool you with their billion hand simulations, i've never played a billion hands , nor will you.

Why they chose that first reviewer at top is a mystery. If you read the book, within the first few chapters you'll know his review is worthless.

First the author does something that very few other books do, he compares his system against flat betting and card counters on the exact same sequence of hands dealt from shoes and compares the final results so all you are seeing is the results of each betting system. And his system does not always come out on top, that's not his contention anyway. His contention is that compared to the flat better you will lose less and win more with his stategies.

Secondly, all his findings are backed up by very exhaustive research, there is no "trust me" statements, everything is backed up by real world data and testing.

The premise behind how it works is simple. Given any shoe, if you have a sequence of 5 wins and 5 losses, a flat better would come out even. However if you had a minimum bet on the losses and a maximum bet on the wins then overall you would be ahead. Mr Thomason's system helps to put you into this position to come out ahead.

Now as to real world experience, I have won 29 sessions against 5 losing sessions. I am very much ahead. Prior to this as a flat better I would say that I lost a little more than I won, a little below .500. What's more its a pleasure to play and see things happen as they are predicted in the book.

There is also something in here for card counters as well. Pay very close attention to his "Quit Points" section. It is probably the most effective defensive strategy anyone has come up with and it works.

There is no doubt a card counter will win more often and more money but I go to Vegas to relax and have fun, I already have a job and to me card counting is work. Instead of stressing and straining I now sit at the tables relaxed enjoying myself and still walking away a winner most of the time.

Thanks Mr. Thomason for helping me win a lot of money and at the same time allowing me to enjoy myself.

Scoblete has written a masterful followup to his first book and a must read for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the Captain's methods of play. The book is ... worth every penny.

I can't recommend this book to the casual craps player as it doesn't explain how the gameis played. It assumes you know already. But if you are a serious craps player I say, go and buy this book right now. It will probably change your view of craps forever!

The first time I ever read about controlled shooting was in this book in 1993 when it first came out. Now, everyone in craps talks about how to control the dice. Scoblete did it first and has done it best. This great book is for serious players who want to really look at the game of craps with the intention of actually winning at the game and not just pretending to win. Get this if you are a dedicated player. The other books I recommend are The Craps Underground, Beat the Craps Out of the casinos and Forever Craps, two masterpieces by the master himself.

My wife just gave me what I really wanted, a complete set of Frank Scoblete's books and tapes on craps. While I have read and reread all of them several times, my copies have gotten beaten up. Now I have a pristine collection: Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos, Frank's first book, introduces the Captain and his marvelous methods of play such as the 5-Count, The Captain's Craps Revolution look more indepth at the 5-Count and variations in betting systems, then Forever Craps creates the ultimate method of play by utilizing 5 basic concepts to actually get the edge at the game.

In addition to these, my wife gave me Sharpshooter Craps, Scoblete's audiotape, and Guerrilla Gambling, the best overall book on the casino games.

My wife also ordered me The Craps Underground, Scoblete's new hardcover book, but that has not yet been released.

I love the man's writing and I recommend him to anyone with the least interest in craps or casino gambling. His books run the gamut from craps to blackjack to even slots and they are all just so well written and instructive and fun to read.

This book came out in 1993 and has been considered by me to be a superior book even to Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos, Scoblete's first book. The reason is that this book is written for people who already know the game of craps. While it is best that you read Beat the Craps first, that is not mandatory. There are excellent strategies in this book that have helped me immensely at the tables.

This is a great just basic book I wouldnt say it goes into any great detail just give you the basic understanding of the games and where your odds a probably better at making money. But in reality the house always has the advantage your almost better off going the first minute you get to vegas take all your money right to the roulette table and go black or red if you win take the cash and enjoy the rest of your trip not gambling!

This book helped me incredibly understand the odds and help beat the casino at their games. I recommend it.

I found this a delightful book. It's very easy to read, covers all the major games, and contains lots of practical, useful advice.

And at less than $20, it's excellent value for money.

My only criticism (a very minor one) is that the Roulette section focuses mainly the "double-zero" wheel, used in the USA. The "single zero" wheel used in Europe and in Australia, doesn't get much coverage.

However, this is a minor issue. Overall I found this an excellent book, containing a wealth of useful advice.

This book is great, it's very funny and will provide many laughs. Unfortunately, if you are looking to read a book on how to gamble well, this is not it.

This book states how to beat Craps (controlled rolling of the dice to land on certain numbers), Blackjack (taking advantage of non-random shuffling and finding groups of high and low cards), and Roulette (watching for a zone on the wheel where the ball repeatedly falls due to the dealer throwing the ball with the same speed).

These methods of how to beat the casino are all completely irrational, unattainable, and at times just plain ridiculous.

If you could beat craps by controlled throwing of the dice, don't you think the casinos would recognize this and change their dice rolling procedures. To avoid having controlled rolls is the exact reason is why they make you hit the back wall in the first place.

If you could beat roullette by taking advantage of dealer memory, where they always throw the ball with the same speed and therefore produces certain zones on the wheel that are hit consistently, don't you think the casino would recognize that certain numbers hit more frequently and change their procedures. The obvious fact that the Author fails to mention is that in order for this method to work, the dealer would always have to throw the ball with the exact same speed and he/she would always have to release it at the exact same spot on the wheel...which is nearly impossible or at least so low a percentage, that I would not bet on it!

The Blackjack stategy is the only one that even resembles rational thought, but even this method of taking advantage of non-random shuffling and finding pockets of either high or low cards and then increasing or decreasing your bet accordingly fails to mention one obvious fact. Even if you do see pockets of high or low cards, you never know how big the pocket is...you could see two hands of all high cards, change your bet accordingly, then the next hand could change to a pocket of low cards.

In summary, this book tells you how the Author consistently beats the casino using these methods...I think the Author needs to realize that he is just getting lucky using his less than scientific systems. If you want to read a book on how to gamble well you should pick one that explains how to minimize your losses, by decreasing the house edge. At least find one that is non-fiction!

I looked at this listing and found that the description was for the "paperback" version. Well this book, "Casino Gambling: Winning Techniques for Craps, Roulette, Baccarat and Blackjack" (C)1982-3 is said to contain chapters with silliness like how to control dice and spot a roulette wheel. That description is NOT for this book! It is for a book called "Casino Gambling : A Winner's Guide to Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, and Casino Poker" (C)2000. The newer book lists several authors. The added sections must be from the new authors and account for the lame "beat the system" advice. The 1983 book is very solid with excellent math and logic only! It tells you up front that you can't get an edge on a casino but shows you exactly what the house edge is on every single bet. This makes you an informed consumer at a casino. Such a book is refreshing in a sea of books about gaming that purport to give you a "secret" to gain riches. HA! The best you can do in a casino is either get up early and stop, (but you could also get down early) or play smart and loose small amounts slowly while enjoying the game and maybe some free drinks. If you want to learn to play casino games and want the straight info about the risks of each play, this book is perfect. If you want to hear a fairytale about how to "beat the house" look any ware else. PS this book IS paperback as well. ISBN: 039950656X

This book offers real, mathematical ways to ensure winning the lottery - provided you choose the right numbers. This books provides a great way to eliminate random guess lottery playing that rarely results in a win. Although there is obviously still a lot of luck involved in playing the lottery, this helps to eliminate some of the guess-work. This book is more detailed than the information you can find online, but if you want a sneak preview of wheeling systems, check out some online lottery websites like [...], which provide overviews of lottery strategies like the wheeling system.

It took me a while to understand Iliya's system, but I finally got the hang of it but have not had the opportunity to try it out as of yet because I will have to go to Georgia or Tennessee Line to play the Lottery since Alabama doesn't have a lottery here yet with all these HYPOCRIT Preachers and ignorant people saying that the lottery would cause crime, without the lottery there are at least 2 murders at night and 2 at early a.m. hurs practically every day

a lot of system provided for me. I believe i can win with the system that i choose. thank you very much.

Save your money. You have a better chace of winning by saving your money. This book is so hard to follow. It not worth you time.

I don't know if I understand the whole thing, but I am keeping my fingers crossed!

I thought this book would be more how to be "smooth" and "cool", but it more about getting your life on track, with a few tips on "coolness". It did motivate me though and I have been a much better house keeper since reading this book.

If you want to improve your lifestyle, you need this book.
If you want self-improvement, you need this book.
If you want to gain a happier life, you need this book.

The book is a step-by-step guildline to improve your LIFE. It is practical and easy to follow. It really works.

Thanks Mr. Kyriazi, you wrote a great book.

You'd expect this to be a joke, but Kyriazi takes his Bond very seriously. This is an amazing book, one that gets you excited just thinking of all the possibilities that the techniques could open up for you. Highly recommended!

Kyrazi's Bond seminar book offers a lot of good, practical advice that, upon first glance, seems like a no-brainer. But just the fact that one has purchased this book shows that he or she is motivated to improve his or her lifestyle, and the advice offered in this title becomes more realistic and attainable than it was before with that first step.
Although the text is not the great American novel by any stretch of the imagination, and I would go so far as to say that it is poorly written as far as books are concerned, this is not the point of the book; nor is it the point of the book to turn someone into James Bond or even to get someone to accomplish all of the things suggested therein (you have to be able to pick and choose things that are relevant to your life, personally, as we are all unique individuals). The book is, however, meant to help someone achieve his or her maximum potential as a unique human being, and this is what Paul Kyriazi does extremely well in the book. I have seen immediate results, and I haven't looked back since. The only place to go is up.

I hadn't expected a curious thing that happened while reading "The Complete James Bond Lifestyle Seminar" book: I was already doing a lot of what I found there. But I'm in my early 40's and I've been watching and rewatching the Bond films for most of my conscious life (I'm currently rereading all of the novels and just finished Andrew Lycett's wonderful bio of Ian Fleming), so it stands to reason that something had to rub off.

But if you're in your 20's or 30's, I'm sure you'll pick up a lot of very helpful tips about the style of your new cool life. The author doesn't limit his seminar to 007 but also includes very cool and swingin' insights from Bond's American cousins--Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.

I have to disagree with the author on page 217. He writes, "I've never seen Bond running out the door yelling, 'I'm late. I'll never make it.'" The section is called "Be Early." Good advice. And it's true that we've never seen Bond rush out late...but that doesn't mean he's always on time either. In THUNDERBALL, M chides him in front of the other double-O's with, "Now that we're all here!" And how many films have shown a flustered Moneypenny trying to track him down?
He might be late once in a while...he just doesn't get excited about it, even if the world hangs in the balance.

But that's a quibble, along with typos and the first half of the book mentioning "Blowfeld" instead of "Blofeld" (it's corrected in the second half).

So with tongue firmly planted in cheek and open to improving your coolness, you'll have a good time reading through this seminar for tips. I did.

Im not a big fan of poker books. They tend to be very dry and difficult to apply the specific theories to the game. This book is simply explains another way to look at the game. It is very easy to apply to the game after reading. It is mostly a book about folding and how to fold well. When youre folding well, youre playing well. Folding well implies betting well. The book states this much more clearly. Overall a great book for any poker player.

This is a great book for the beginner to middle player skill level. It starts off like it may be for advanced players but with its redundant reminders of how to play certain types of hands and what to do in case scenarios it drills it into the player. Making it much easier to retain the information.

This is the one book that I can read time and time again, and always learn something new depending on where I'm at in my poker career and my life. It's not a poker instructional book by any means. It's about you and who you are at the poker table -- but really, it's about who you are in your every day existence.

If you like to look inside and make yourself a better person, then this book addresses core issues that can help you excel. Let's face it, life is poker and poker is life. Larry Phillips encapsulates this beautifully. It will help you play better and it will help you live better, if you are willing to do the work and look at yourself honestly.

It's a quick read with much thought provoking insights on just abou every page. It is written very well.

I have been playing poker professionally for a little over a year now and have read all different kinds of poker books. But this was the first one that really took into the importance of your mental state. If you want to read a book that is going to give you statistics and odds this isn't it. If your looking for something that is going to make you think more about your innerself and others at and away from the table this is a must read. By the way- I have never written a review before but I felt that this was a must for the serious or even part time player!

This is not the best book to buy if you are just learning how to play poker (try Sklansky or Harrington), but if you are an advanced beginner or intermediate player, this book offers a whole new approach to the game that will radically improve your play. Most beginning players find themselves playing too many hands, and with disastrous results (hitting top pair with a weak kicker, or hitting second pair). This book's advice (Poker Rule #3) is that "If you've been folding a lot, for a long time in the game, and you're starting to think that maybe it's time you got in a played a few hands again... Keep folding." It counsels patience, emotional detachment, and selective confrontation. In a world of big egos, players on tilt, and WPT wannabees, this book will help you find a calmer, more profitable path.

Well I never used any of the coupons in here but it did have good tips and reading in it. It was prompt on getting here.

We bought this book before our last trip to Vegas. It was well worth it just one coupon for dinner paid for the book. We always rent a car so getting to the different places was easy. The two for one buffets at Green Valley, and the Silverton were great. If you only go to the big hotels on the strip you wont get the full benifit of the book.

Loads of good info and a ton of coupons. If you are planning a trip to Vegas this book is a must have. You won't find offers from many of the large resort casinos but you will find enough free play, free gift, and food coupons to pay for this book a few times over in just one trip!

Bought the book on a friends advice. If it saves you one night in a campground, the book has paid for itself

Some interesting reading information in the book, but we found ourselves going out of our way to try to use the coupons, just to try and get our money back. Spent too much time going to casinos that were out of the way and less time just relaxing and enjoing ourselves. I wouldn't suggest that people buy this books before going to vegas, usually hotels will give better coupons anyway.

Imagine building an Internet business during the dotcom boom/bust and selling it to Microsoft for millions. Now imagine buying the famous Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas and selling it in less than a year and half for hundreds of millions. Now imagine you are barely in your 30s and you are doing all this with your very best friend. This is the story of one of Las Vegas' most dynamic duos, two young guys from different backgrounds coming together to own the world.

The Book tells the story in autobiographical form of Tom, a simple hard working boy from Minnesota, and his friendship with Tim, a local Vegas boy who has gambling in his blood. The two formed a bond that has lasted throughout the last 20 years and will be around till one of them passes on to the big casino in the sky. The pages of the book offer the reader an insight to a world that most of us will never be in: a world of fast cars, movie stars, corporate jets and millions of dollars wrapped in cellophane being bet on one roll of the dice.

I enjoyed this book and I would have loved to have been a part of the world written in this book. The authors tell this story at about an 8th grade reading level which allows the book to be finished in a few hours. The book is not just about Vegas, it is about a time in financial history that was exciting and may never be duplicated, I hope you enjoy this book.

A testimony to friendship in an exciting journey. Fast, furious, electric.
As the reading progresses one feels as part of the adventure. A very easy and fun reading. What a treat!
Can't wait for the next one.
Marne

"Double or Nothing" should be mandatory reading for any entrepreneur. This book is a captivating quick read and has the perfect mix of lessons and laughter.

Truly one of the most remarkable success stories in the fascinating, ever evolving history of Las Vegas. Tom Breitling and Tim Poster rank among the elite of the mavericks who molded and shaped Las Vegas, such as Benny Binion and Sam Boyd. Much like Boyd and Binion, Breitling and Poster started their dramatic and profitable rise on little more than a wing and prayer, not to mention a few "floated" checks.

Bucking the odds of the corporate casino mentality and invoking a strategy of "Old Vegas", Tim and Tom not only made a fortune, but managed to remain best friends and great guys. Tim and Tom's relationship has remained steadfast and strong throughout their whirlwind ride giving great insight into their character. Tom's introspect and honesty about his friendship with Tim and his early family life adds an insightful, touching side to this remarkable story.

The most amazing thing is the whole story is absolutely, undeniably 100% true! No B.S.! No embellishment and no filler! Imagine having the time of your life with your best friend, while making hundreds of millions of dollars in the process!

"Double or Nothing" is a must read for anyone contemplating a new business venture with a friend or just looking for an entertaining true story about two guys who worked their butts off and made a ton of money. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a passion for life, friends and business; it also doesn't hurt to have a sense of humor.

Having actually been there for the Las Vegas Reservation Systems and Travelscape parts of the story, it was interesting to read about some of the business deals that were going on at the time. While there was some new stuff that I didn't realize in there, there was also a fair bit left out. It is a very quick read, by the way. Lots of short chapters.

A definite how-to book for blackjack. Everyone serious about beating the house should have this book.

Very helpful for an easier approach to getting a better edge on the house
than basic strategy alone.

This is an intriguing book that adds a card counting strategy that is actually usable! For years, I have tried to memorize and practice various card counting strategies (Thorp, Uston, Revere, Wong, etc...); however, one poor estimate of the remaining decks or half decks left you with a count that was inaccurate, and even worse, led to poor game table results! Here is a book with a simple counting method that makes sense, that can be used at the casino tables or on-line very easily.

The book is a little long winded -- all that really matters is the counting technique and the betting technique and the revised basic strategy charts. That alone would be worth the price of this book.

This is a great method for those hobbyist players who want to enjoy themselves, shave a couple of points off of the house advantage, and not labor under the sometimes extreme pressure of more advanced counting systems. I have played several different counts over the years, and I have switched to the speed count completely. It's enjoyable to use, very simple to learn, and the playing efficiency is only very marginally lower than more sophisticated systems. I have found that my winning sessions have increased mostly because I make fewer errors with this count. Now, I'm not telling you that this is a miracle panacea and money flows across the table during all sessions -- those of us who play often know this isn't the case. However, I have noticed that in aggregate over 20 to 30 sessions, this system holds its own with proven results. Best of all, the play looks nothing like the play most counters use. I have used it with impugnity with wide bet spreads, and no one has been the wiser. I highly recommend this book, I can't wait for Frank's next book.

After reading this book, I have to agree with Scoblete and say that this is definitely the easiest card counting system on the market. What makes this system different from the norm is the fact that you are mostly working with addition and very little (but simple) subtraction, with no true count conversion needed. The basic strategy card deviations serve as good camouflage to the pit crew considering some table entries are different than normal basic strategy.

This book was written for the basic strategy player who tried counting cards but found it too hard to accomplish. This system only takes a day or two of practicing before you get it down and the system itself works slowly as you play (you don't count the cards as they come out, you count them after each hand has been played), which is much easier on the brain. I like the fact that the author provides millions of computer simulation results to back up the system. The results show that depending on how aggresive of a bettor you are, this system is 70% to 95% as powerful as the HI-LO. So you do obtain a long term edge over the house...HOWEVER...

If you have already learned a more advanced system than this and have it down pat, I don't think you will want to switch to the Golden Touch method. Before reading this book I had been using the HI-LO with success to the point where counting came second nature to me and I wasn't making any mental errors while at the tables. And while this system will give you an edge over the casino, it is still a downgrade from the more advanced. The biggest disadvantage of this system is that the standard deviation of your edge is very large. What this means is that your calculated edge at times is not nearly as accurate as with other systems. There will be times while using the Golden Touch system that you will be asked to put up your maximum bet while the edge is very small. For example, if you are using the HI-LO and the count is +2, you will only be putting up a 1 or 2 unit bet while the GT system in that same situation may ask you to put up a 4 or 5 unit bet. You are still betting more $$$ when the count is positive giving you an edge, but there will be circumstances when using the GT system that you will be overbetting your bankroll and as a result you will experience much larger financial swings than in other more advanced systems. Because of this, the GT system requires a larger bankroll to sustain the much more dramatic ups and downs long term.

Like I said, if you are a basic strategy player that tried to learn card counting with little or no success but you still want to beat the casinos, then the GT sytem is definitely for you. If you are an experienced card counter that has mastered a system of "HI-LO quality" or better, stick with what you have.

Good luck at the tables everyone!

"Bets, Drugs and Rock & Roll" by Steve Budin. This book was written by the father of off shore sports book gambling and is a truly fascinating read. Having learned the basics of bookmaking from his father, who was one of the top bookies in New York City, Steve Budin demonstrated a remarkable talent for his chosen field. The book charts his rise from his early days as a high school bookmaker in Florida, who took bets from his classmates as well as their parents and his teachers, through his time as a casino host to his setting up of the first real offshore sports book in Panama and later in Costa Rica. He describes the difficulties this posed as well as his success in overcoming the many obstacles placed in his path. Steve Budin also discusses his battles with the US government, whichultimately lead to his downfall, notwithstanding that he was meticulous about paying taxes on his earnings. The book is filled with interesting tidbits about some of his celebrity clients, which included actors and professional athletes to his own philosophy about the proper conduct of a bookie. The book also provides an excellent introduction to the basics of sports betting which I found especially enlightening. I will note that Mr. Budin frequently pats himself on the back in his book and brags about his accomplishments but I think he is entitled to his pride when you realize he helped create what is now a multi-billion dollar industry. The book is a fast paced read which I finished in one sitting.

all he talks about is how great is father is (the guy seems to be in line for the nobel peace prize) and how smart he is when all he really is is a tool for the New York mob, which called all the shots. The guy is a shameless self promoter. I am ashamed I spend money on this book and immediately tossed it in the garbage.

Fast shipping, great product, got exactly as described. I would do buisness with this seller again! :) Thank you!

A third grader could have written a better book. This guy supposedly has the father of the year who was 6 foot 4 and full of muscle with the brains of Einstein and could never make a mistake. He makes the old man out to be Gandhi.

He makes himself out to be the coolest guy since James Bond. He admits that he smoked weed and cheated on his wife on a regular basis (she is also a Miss Universe clone). At the end of course he talks about how he is devoted to Jesus his savior and how he dedicated his life to him.

The so called "adventures" he goes through are so trumped up with BS and tall tales that you have no idea where the truth ends and fiction starts.
He apparently knows every mobster and wise guy in New York and Miami. He claims to be an international jet-setter.

Of course one his good buddies is Stu Feiner. If you know anything about sports betting I don't need to go any further.

I was really looking forward to reading this book. I did finish it out of some outside chance that the end would be better. That did not happen.

I had never heard of the guy and I follow this subject very closely. He really seems to be a two-bit broken down gambler with a trifle of a story that is blown way out of proportion.

If you like sports gaming and the stories that go with it find another book.

This is a truly fascinating tale of the rise and fall of a Sports Gambling ring. Steve Budin was a self-made millionaire before turning thirty, and we see how he coped with the money, the drugs, the sports, and the fall of it all. The book sucks you in to the very last page.