Gambling Books

things u didnt know about the game within the game of craps....this book will really help u win!

This book has many,many strategies to play craps, a down to earth book for people who are not greedy,he shows mostly conservative way to play.

This terrific book is really 600 pages of good, solid advice - everything you always wanted to know about craps! You'll learn over 50 different super systems and John Patrick REALLY drills them into you in his "unique" style (he kind of yells at you a little). But at least you'll remember stuff like I did. Don't be put off by his style - he does it for a reason - he's really trying to help. READ THIS BOOK it may take a while but it's the best book you'll ever read on the game of craps!

I bought 6 books to better improve my craps game. This was the best book purchased. It's around 500 pages, and offers the most insight into all aspects of playing craps. This is an Advanced book though and if you're new to craps, get a more basic book to start. Be warned that Patrick uses sarcastic anecdotes, but the wit is meant to drive home his key points. Also recommended, "Craps: The Real Deal" by Vogel and Edell's "How to Make Your Living Playing Craps."

This is by far the best book ever written on craps. Patrick's style of writing is easy to read and very often entertaining. He gives detailed examples of different systems to use at the table. He not only describes the proper moves to make but also explains the reasoning behind each bet. Patrick briefly talks about the different bets available to a craps players and then jumps right into an analysis of the game. His style involves careful money management and a powerful regression move. By reducing your bet after a win, you lock up a profit and guarantee yourself a winner. Using Patrick's techniques for both right and wrong betting, you'll become a better player. Will you win all the time? Of course not, no system can guarantee you a winner everytime. But at those times when you do lose, Patrick's money management helps you keep the losses down. If you're looking for the big score, this book isn't for you. Advanced Craps is for the conservative player, looking to grind out small consistent wins. If you wanna win more money, bet more! Patrick's book has tought me the three most important words in craps -- Take Me Down. I highly recommend this book.

It took me until 2003 to read this book. As the book says Lil E. Tee had a dime store pedigree and I figured that being the case this book could not be that good. Boy was I wrong. Eisenberg researched this Lil E. Tee's story thoroughly. He loads the book with detail yet it reads like a novel. It is a fascinating creation. I could not put it down.

I purchased this book on a whim, let it sit around for a while, and randomly picked it up on my way to bed, thinking that I would read a little bit and then quickly fall asleep. Little did I know that I would be up all night, my usually short attention span completely riveted, as time flew by. This book provides a wealth of information about Lil E Tee's origin, racing career, and the people around him.

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the author had a tendency to introduce characters out of sequence. For example, sometimes background information would be provided on a person who was not involved in the progression of the story until several chapters later. By breaking up the sequence in this manner, the flow of the story was impaired and choppy. The author's sentence structure also tended to be loose and brief. Also this oversimplification made reading the story easier and faster, I did feel like the book was written for a younger audience.

Again, the subject matter was facsinating and the author obviously did a lot of work to uncover a wealth of information on the life of a relatively obscure racehorse. If you're interested in racing trivia, or are simply looking for a captivating sports story, then this book should cater to you!

As one of millions who was caught up in "Arazi" fever following his stunning Breeders' Cup Juvenile win, this book provides a fascinating look at a horse which most people totally over looked.

In May 1992, I sat down to watch the Kentucky Derby expecting to watch the coronation of a horse named Arazi as the best horse since Secretariat. However, a horse I had never heard of before, Lil E. Tee, pulled a shocking upset of Arazi and won the Run for the Roses. After Lil E. Tee failed to win the Preakness Stakes, he was forgotten in my mind. That was until I picked up this book.

John Eisenberg's story of Lil E. Tee is one of the most fascinating horse racing stories you will ever read. A horse with suspect breeding, chronic colic problems, bad legs and who changed hands several times (including once for a mere $3,000) went on to win the Kentucky Derby over several royally-bred colts plus the so-called unbeatable Arazi. He also gave an accomplished jockey, Pat Day, his first (and so far, only) Kentucky Derby winner, when Day himself thought Lil E. Tee was one of his worst Derby mounts ever.

John Eisenberg has provided a well-researched tale of the life of Lil E. Tee prior to the Derby. Interviews have been conducted with pretty much all of the principles of his story and those tales have been woven into an entertaining story that reads almost like fiction.

"The Longest Shot" isn't quite the masterpiece of Laura Hillenbrand's "Seabiscuit", but I think that this book might have great potential as a movie, because it really is a true equine "Rocky"!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Longest Shot. I found it at my local library but have since purchased a copy for my growing horse library. I've been a horse nut my whole life but had not been following racing too closely. However, reading this book rekindled my interest. The author weaves the story of the horse and his people. There was always someone who believed in the horse and his career continued. The trainer, Lynn Whiting, and the jockey, Pat Day are particularly interesting as they help this horse towards the top of the equine world. One does not have to be an expert in the racing world to enjoy the book, but at the same time it does not speak down to the reader. I have recommended the book to my family members who have accompanied me on my adventures to Kentucky to visit Lil E Tee. A very well written book which will bring tears to your eyes as you realize that the horse and his connections will actually WIN the Kentucky Derby. An excellent sports book. As well written as a John Feinstein book. Read it!

I read the reviewes on Amazon and decided to get this book in the library. I like books about mafia and I found this book is better than Puzo's "Godfather". I always thought that it is hard to write better about mafia than Puzo did, but you have to read this book yourself to understand what I am talking about. I think there is a movie based on this book and I watched it before, but it is not as good as the book itself.

I read a lot and found this book in a second hand shop and bought it on a whim for 1 dollar. Could not put it down I recommend it to everyone. Better than Puzo's Godfather.

Ride A tiger is the most riveting novel of the MOB since The Godfather. It's not only just another book about the MOB, it is a shattering isight into the personality of a major vrime. Leo Gorodetsky stsrted of with his illegal card game and ended up becoming American most wanted crime leader. With the success of his business, him and his inmate friend Harry Wiserman, along with some of the biggest names of the Italian families combined and created their own organization with their own sets of rules. With the obsession in the business, Leo nearly destroyed his own family. This novel is filled with unique characteristic and clawed with betrayal,trust,love, and hate. This novel is a must read!

Follows the life of Leo Goredetsky who starts his life as a runner for illegal card games and becomes a Godfather in American crime. The story cleverly parallels the history of the US through the 30's to 60's and leads the reader to speculate on how much could actually have been influenced by such people and their organizations.

Ride A tiger is the most riveting novel of the MOB since The Godfather. It's not only just another book about the MOB, it is a shattering isight into the personality of a major vrime. Leo Gorodetsky stsrted of with his illegal card game and ended up becoming American most wanted crime leader. With the success of his business, him and his inmate friend Harry Wiserman, along with some of the biggest names of the Italian families combined and created their own organization with their own sets of rules. With the obsession in the business, Leo nearly destroyed his own family. This novel is filled with unique characteristic and clawed with betrayal,trust,love, and hate. This novel is a must read!

If you want to learn about dice buy it. If you want to learn to play craps look for another book.

If you want to know every thing about craps read this boo

I learned how to play casino craps with this book and would recommend it to anyone. It is very factual and informative....Combinations and Ways table is one of the best features of the book.

This is a great book for knowing what is a good bet and what is not a good bet. For example, regarding the Crap Table, Scarne gives you the house percentage (P.C.)that is against you for every bet. He also gives you the odds for any type of roll or bet.

John Scarne is the master when it comes to all types of gambling. If you want to learn the best way of understanding what the true "odds" of the game are, read his books. He goes into detail about how people cheat at the games and what to do. His argument about different methods of play are very accurate in showing you how you will eventially lose. I have always played the game using the "true odds" and have managed to come out a winner. His presentation of using money management is very important and "MUST" be considered whenever you play. I would highly recommend this book to my friends.

This tape is easy listening and contains great information. I listen to it everytime I go to the casino to review my strategy and prepare myself mentally. Scoblete is a good speaker and he really holds your interest. Craps players will love this tape.

I learned a tremednous amount of information about the five count and how to beat this crazy game. This tape was great.

Listen to this before you enter the casino to play becauseit will help you tremendously. Really goes into the Captain's 5-Count in a way that makes it easy to understand. Scoblete is a great speaker.

I always hesitated getting tapes because I figured how much information can be contained in 60 minutes worth of listening? This tape is different. It gets right down to the essentials of the Captain's systems and it is a great followup to Frank's two books about the Captain which are Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos and The Captain's Craps Revolution which are both available from Amazon.com. This tape really gets into the 5-Count and why it works. It also has information on don't betting. You won't be disappointed.

If you want a thorough explanation of the Captain's 5-Count this is the tape for you. The very best gambling tape I have ever listened to.

Many months ago, I purchased "The Ultimate Guide to Handicapping the Horses". I'm Canadian, and grew up loving harness racing more than the runners. The title caught my eye, along with the last name of the author for I can vividly remember a driver by the same name. I'm not sure if there is any relation, but this book was extremely informative and INCREDIBLY INTRIGUING! I haven't received "The Tuttle Way II" yet, but I'm greatly anticipating learning more from this amazingly talented vanity writer.

Good Luck to all!

J.R.

I'm rapidly becoming quite the fan of this relative unknown: Joseph J. Tuttle. It's quite obvious that he was not an English major (if he went to college at all), but his insightful nature and his ability to write as though he is talking to you I find rather comforting. I've since sent Mr. Tuttle an e-mail stating that he has a duplicate paragraph in his book, that needs to be rectified. His response was quite timely, in telling me that he was away in Europe for the soccer tournament and he told me that this would be recitifed within a week. This is the 3rd book of his that I've purchased (either through Amazon or another outlet), and I'm just unbelievably impressed by his strategies and techniques. This may sound corny, but he has certainly enlightened me a great deal with the three books of his that I've read (his baseball handicapping book, his football handicapping book and now this horse handicapping book). Apparently, he also has a creative side, for I'm about to order his novella "Trainer". In closing I'd like to say that I think it's a shame that this man has to "self-publish" and doesn't have the benefit of proofreaders and editors at his disposal. But, I'm sure somebody is going to eventually pick him up and one day these minor-typo-filled books will become collector's items. Good luck to all!

(Her review IS completely inaccurate and despicable!)

And for the record, it has AMAZED me over the years how
writer's of handicapping books have misspelled the word "intrinsic",
by spelling it "intrensic", for YEARS!!!! Yet this man who writes first drafts in
purple crayon, gets it correct?! This women's review was/is completely
defaming, and it's a shame Mr. Tuttle cannot sue on the basis of defamation
of character! At the very least, her "review" in slanderous.


God, where should I begin. First off, I think it should be noted that the
real/true beauty of being a "Vanity Author" (as Mr. Tuttle probably is) comes
from the fact that there aren't sixteen different versions floating around.
Think about it.... Do you really think that the likes of some of your more notable
horse handicapping writer's don't actually need a lot of help with grammar
and punctuation? Joseph Tuttle is clearly a man doing this on his own, in an
effort to better serve us! HE IS A PROFESSIONAL GAMBLER..... www.winners57.com

He makes no bones about it, he is a horseman first and foremost, and his
horsemanship perspective has taught me more than I had ever dreamed imaginable. His methodologies are insightful and stimulating.
I purchased this book (at a different site) some two months ago, and have had
some incredible results. As far as I'm concerned, for someone write a such
disparaging remarks they must have an axe to grind!!! Ms. Shawda Brown....
You should be ashamed of yourself! Didn't anyone ever teach you the old saying....
"If you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all."?
In closing, I want to leave all of you with a wonderful excerpt from "The Tuttle Way".


Excerpt from this book......

".....This is also how you can determine how strong of a "brush" a horse might have,
which can ultimately lead to more winners and a better overall opinion
(for yourself to develop), of horseflesh.


{What I like to do looks something like this...}


:22 (for the horse that led after the opening quarter)
:23 (my "horse of interest" was sitting 3rd, 5 lengths off the leader)

:45(the time that the leader of said race hit the half at)
:45.1 (my horse was still sitting 3rd, but now only one length off the lead)


At this point you need to calculate three of four highly intrinsic variables:......"

I've purchased a lot of different handicapping books over the years and consider myself an advanced handicapper, but after reading this book I'll definately be studying the racing form a little more in depth to say the least. You can tell this book has been written by a real horse bettor and not some ghost writer which is also a plus.

Thanks, PSL King

Definitely some helpful tips on spotting the horses that seem to consistently come in the money. I feel confident that I'll always be getting something back from the window - even if its not my primary bet. And my success on my primary bets has increased markedly as well.

For the price of a couple of races, this was a good investment.

Excellent book. Very well explained. I never played this version of Dominoes and I really like to do it. I like to contact Mr. Roberson in order to share some thoughts. My emails are: gtejeira@panamacom.com gtejeira66@yahoo.com

Sincerely,

Gabriel Tejeira

I'm a native Texan and both my parents are native Texans from the east part of the state. So this means that the 42 tradition runs deep in my family. This is the game that I watched "the elders" play at family reunions, weddings, birthdays, and probably even a funeral or two when I was growing up. When I was about 32, I was finally invited to to play with the "big boys". My dad and his brother were partners and me and one of my other uncles were partners. I was paired with this particular uncle because he is known as "the best damn 42 player in Texas" among my family and I was but a lowly rookie. Despite their generosity in pairing me with a known 42 shark, my dad and his brother proceeded to skunk us seven hands to zero twice in a row. Even though I had been taught to play years ago, am a fairly good spades player, and have a natural talent for math and statistics, I could not even come close to pulling my own weight at this game when it came to real competition with veteran players. How was I to find the skill required to compete with the hard-core 42 players in my family?

Enter "Winning 42" by Dennis Roberson. In "Winning 42", Mr. Roberson lays it all on the table. He begins with a brief introduction to the rules and terminology of the game. He then jumps into one of the most difficult aspects of the game, bidding, and handles it with an ease and clarity that belie the difficulty of the topic. If you master this 14 page chapter alone, your game will take a quantum leap. He then spends a chapter discussing basic strategies for playing out your dominoes once you have won the bid. He then devotes two chapters to helping your partner and setting the bidder. In these 45 pages (five chapters) Roberson gives you the essentials for becoming a solid 42 player who will seldom make a glaring mistake at a 42 table and who would be a respectable 4th among a table of veterans.

These five chapters also demonstrate one of the fantastic features of this book, namely that each chapter builds perfectly upon the preceding material and gives the reader information that will be immediately useful in 42. Reading this book in order, one could easily finish a chapter, put down Roberson's book, and be a better 42 player from that point on. Roberson's systematic approach to the basics of the game free one from the necessity to master the entire book before reaping it benefits and make its first five chapters alone easily worth the price.

The next six chapters cover several intermediate topics. Two of the most essential of these chapters teach one how to recognize and play an 84 hand, how to help your partner make an 84 bid, and how one sets an 84 hand. The other essential chapter teaches one how to recognize, bid, play, partner, and set "doubles as trumps" hands and "follow me" hands. Though the above numerous topics are presented in only three chapters, the topics are covered sufficiently to enable one to play confidently and correctly in these situations.

Chapter 12 covers "Advanced Bidding and Playing" and is what I consider the third major part of the book. The hands and play discussed in this chapter are illustrative of key points Mr. Roberson feels are critically important. Because these hands are illustrative, they do not appear to be typical hands and so may not be terribly engaging to the average 42 player. But if you have grasped the material of the preceding 11 chapters, you will easily understand the importance of chapter 12. Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, in chapter 12, Mr. Roberson demonstrates his masterful ability at 42 analysis. Anyone who has observed veteran 42 players analyze hands after they are played will know that analysis is one of the cardinal components of 42 culture.

Chapter 13 covers the "optional" topics of nel-o, sevens, and plunge. This material may help one depending on who he finds himself in a game with. Mr. Roberson is not fond of these variations, so he presents them in a cursory manner. I don't think this is a weakness of the book, however, because none of these variations are found in any official or tournament rules of the game.

Chapters 14 and 15 provide one with a flavor of the game's culture. The reading in these chapters is pretty good, but I don't think Mr. Roberson has really captured the essence and pervasiveness of 42 culture that must have existed in certain parts of the state during the last century. Its true that 42 has mostly been a pass-time and is "just a game", but for many families in rural Texas, it must have been much more than that. I'm sure my family is not unique in that almost every person a generation older than me is an expert 42 player--as are their parents and grandparents. So 42 may not have been so much a pass-time for some families as it was an important cultural glue. I've seen family members who were at odds sit down at a 42 table for hours and play in perfect harmony with plentiful discussion and analysis. What other cultural expression could achieve this? But Mr. Roberson's book appears to be mainly about instruction and not history, so these chapters really have no bearing on its value as a work of literature, which is tremendous.

The last chapter of the book gives some critical statistics about the game. It would probably be helpful for one to memorize these numbers if he has a head for that sort of thing--but I don't think that memorizing these statistics is a sufficient substitute for the understanding and intuition one might gain from mastering the first 12 chapters of the book and plain-ol' 42 experience.

In summary, Winning 42 is not only a unique book in that it is the only one ever written about the game, but it is also a masterwork of instruction. I'm not sure what Mr. Roberson's profession is, but if he is not writing instructional books full time, it is likely that he has missed his calling.

Finally, if you play or are thinking of playing 42, read this book. I'm sure I can speak for any 42 player out there when I say that it is more fun to loose to good 42 players than it is to beat bad ones. That's the magic of 42!

This is a wonderful book for out-of-state Texans. You find yourself saying, "Yeah, I remember 42 scenes and parties like that growing up as well!" The book has a very thorough description of straight 42 and its rules.

I must say that I found the author's total dislike for and two-page description of Nel-o very disappointing. He even says, "it is an eminently uninteresting way to play, requiring little or no strategy". He goes on to say, "In fact, to play Nel-o, there is absolutely nothing in any of the preceding chapters that is any use at all. There is no strategy."

This is true for the game of Sevens and would be mostly true for Nel-o where, without further variation, doubles would always be high in their suit. What isn't covered at all in this book is the option in playing a Nel-o hand of stating how doubles are to be played. The author only states that "many Nel-o players will allow the bidder the option of declaring doubles high, low, or even their own suit. This inconsistency makes it just that much easier, unchallenging, and uninteresting to play Nel-o."

Many groups that I have played in contain a large number of players not familiar with Nel-o, but of the groups that play Nel-o, I've never run into people that did NOT play all three versions of how doubles are called - High in their suit, Low in their suit, or as a separate suit. This ability to call how doubles will be played for the hand, in my opinion, makes Nel-o very interesting and requires skillful play.

As a forty-year old Texan that has played 42 for thirty years now, 42 is one of my favorite games as long as you can play Nel-o and call your doubles. I have tried "Straight 42" on numerous occasions, particularly with groups not familiar with Nel-o, and I have to say that it is one of the most boring games I've ever played and I can see where it would have been created by a 12- and 14-year old in Trappe Spring, TX in 1887 as the book states.

I was also wrankled by the statement that most Nel-o players would be totally destroyed in a straight 42 tournament for lack of skill. I contend that the opposite is even more true - a veteran straight 42 player with the rules explained to him for Nel-o and the three doubles variations would likely get destroyed in a Nel-o game, because players allowing Nel-o bidding play straight much of the time, whereas straight players never play Nel-o.

Overall, I'm glad this book was published, but it just goes to show you what I've seen at 42 parties - just like with languages, there are different dialects, so to speak, of 42 and you will probably enjoy playing more with other players that "speak" yours.

I give this book 4 stars because I appreciate that it was made. Lots of folks play Nel-o, however, and this book would be better titled: "Winning STRAIGHT 42" due to its lack of coverage of the three Nel-o bidding options for doubles.

Dennis did a great job on this one. This one is perfect for a beginner, novice, or so-called "expert". He explains the 42 terms perfectly assuming nothing. I recommend this to anyone who wants to learn a great new game. My hat's off to you, Dennis.

When I moved to Texas two years ago, many of my new friends played an unfamiliar game of "42". I hesitated joining their parties since "42" meant nothing to me. Then I found Dennis Roberson's book, "Winning 42". After reading cover to cover my confidence built and I am now part of the party and looking forward to the next session. The book does contain a few 'typos', but they force you to think and reflect on the game. If you want to learn "42" and its history, this is a MUST READ. book.

This is one of the best books written on poker cheating, and should be in the hands of everyone who plays for money -- from friendly Friday night games, to people who play in card rooms, to tournament pros. The author has done his homework, and gives the reader a superb education in the varied ways that hustlers and cheaters rob you of your money. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. Then read it. You will not be disappointed.

Allan Kronzek tackles cheating in poker as a magician and treats the subject with a conjurer's dispassion. This is a relief; if there's one thing we don't need, it's another self-congratulatory, non-falsifiable "insider's" story of how to cheat people. Instead, we get a quick but surprisingly serious volume that manages to feed the reader some history amid the tricks.

The title isn't an attempt at misdirection: after a brief introduction, Kronzek runs through 52 short chapters, each detailing one or more methods of cheating. Generally, Kronzek explains the technique involved, offers notes on historical uses, and closes by telling the reader how he can protect himself. Miscellanea scatter throughout the text, such as reproductions of cheating house catalogs and excerpts from landmark books, enliven the story.

52 Ways is written to be accessible to a novice who doesn't know a shiner from a holdout. But even veteran card mechanics could probably learn a thing or two from this book. Whatever your level of experience, reading 52 Ways will at least help you appreciate the ways that you can be cheated.

That's the rub: Kronzek is honest enough to admit that no anti-cheating tactic is absolutely guaranteed. The final proof is in the pudding: if you find yourself losing one suspicious pot too many, you should suspect malfeasance.

If nothing else, incorporating some of Kronzek's anti-cheating suggestions into your "friendly" home game will, at the very least, raise the bar for cheaters and help to keep honest players honest. You'll also gain a deeper appreciation for the ingenuity with which cheaters have approached poker.

There's only one class of person who I'd warn away from 52 Ways: those that combine a tendency towards paranoia with an overactive imagination. If you're the kind of person who can't browse WebMD because you start imagining you have symptoms for every malady you read about, perhaps this book is not for you. By lifting the veil on cheaters and the innumerable deceptions, Kronzek has made sitting at any card table a supreme act of faith-and vigilance.

This book is a pleasant surprise. The author updates all of the standard cheating methods that have been described in the past, and adds many new ones that can be used in Texas hold 'em and other popular games. He also provides a context for the scams, and shows how many go back several hundred years. I doubt that anyone can learn to deal "seconds" or "bottoms" by reading this book, but that doesn't seem to be the intention. Rather, you learn what these techniques are, what they are used for--and there are several surprising uses--and what to look for during a game. The "protection tips" alone are worth the price of the book. It's also a good bedside read. Two chapters and lights out.

After hearing the author describe some cheating methods in a radio interview, I decided to check out the book. It turns out to be a really fun read. The chapters are short and packed with information, and there are lots of amusing anecdotes. I also enjoyed the historical approach, which explains cheating methods from the days of Mississippi riverboat con-men up to the present. I have no plans to cheat anyone at poker, but I do like knowing how it's done. Great for anyone who enjoys reading about clever and devious thinking.

This books is great for a beginner or intermediate player. It covers the basics but also has great advice to improve your odds of winning. Great coverage of how to properly use the doubling cube.

This little book almost has it all, from the basics for beginners to the modern advanced concepts (especially related to doubling) for advanced players. Much of the advanced discussion is found elsewhere only in advanced (and pricey) books. All interspersed with personal anecdotes and historical development to make it all come to life. So much in one book makes it a great value and a book I would recommend to players at any level.

Everybody loves to play games, but more importantly everybody loves winning. This is the book to get if you want to learn all the tips and tricks of Backgammon. Full of interesting scenarios and questions every Backgammon player come across, it is a great book to pick up to improve your game.

This is the best book that I have read on backgammon for several years. It is an excellent introduction for beginners and a great aide for intermediate and advanced players. It is far better than the book with a similar name from the 1970's.

As a dealer it's painful to watch nice people throw their money away because they don't know basic strategy. In Beginner to Pro, blackjack players of any skill can polish their game by following the author's advice. Beginner To Pro is easy to read and full of helpful info. If you ever plan to play blackjack again, do yourself, your wallet, and your ATM card a favor and BUY THIS BOOK! You can thank me later.

As someone who usually does not play table games at the casinos and was sick and tired of being robbed by the one armed bandit [slot machine], I decided it was time to learn a few new tricks.

And thus I worked to understand Black Jack aka 21. This was one of several books I purchased on the topic and I have poured over 100s of internet articles on card counting, cheating and other issues related to the game.

While I have always known how to play Blackjack informally, I know that only a fool sits down at a table in a Casino and starts placing bets without knowing every nook and cranny of the rules. I knew that the object of the game was to get as close to 21 without going over. I was also aware of splits and other such maneuvers.

Mead's book taught me what I needed to know - filled in the blanks. I would have always thought that one should split two face cards and take the chance that one would get an ACE on one hand and another face or high card on the other. But Mead explains why statistically this is a newbie mistake.

Loaded with invaluable insider information, Beginner to Pro taught me what I needed to know without confusing me with loads of useless facts, figures, charts, statistics and rhetoric. The title takes a very straight-forward, no-bull approach and wastes no time getting to the point.

Putting Mead's advice into action, my first night was very successful and I was quite pleased with the swelling of my bank account as a direct result

When a person walks into a casino they are looking for one of two things. To win money or have a good time and the latter is always a good thing. So the question is this: Is there a way a person can win in a casino? The answer is: maybe......

How can someone do it? It is not easy but a book has emerged on the market that has made it a lot easier to accomplish. "Beginner to Pro" by Stephen Mead.

This is a no-nonsense book about the game "21" written in a clear concise manner. It begins with a bit of history on the game but does not get to intricate details. What it does emphasize is the teaching of Basic Strategy techniques. Again it does not delve into the mathematics of why it works but provides the lessons and practice charts in order to help a person advance themselves. It is broken down for each individual decision and they are illustrated in a manner which makes learning easy and, more importantly, fun.

Beginner To Pro also gives information about strategies for the advanced player. This includes Card-Counting, Shuffle-Tracking and Money Management as well as giving lessons and self-tests with which to practice before a person actually uses his simple and easy to learn techniques in the real world. He includes both an accurate and a casual system to make counting less like work so you can more enjoy your time at the casino.

Also included in the book are several sections that will keep the reader interested. An F.A.Q. section answers questions most guests have about the casino industry and how it works. Casino Etiquette gets into what a guest should expect and be expected of while visiting a casino. A section on complimentaries is also included to give the player the basics of how they can best utilize the comp system. A section on cheating in the casino is also found in the book on how both a casino and a patron can pull off a fast one. Although not really necessary this section does make for interesting reading.

Can this book make you a winner in a casino? Well, as a Pit Manager I can say this. I have read a lot of "Beat the House" type of books and this one is a little different than most. It tells you right up front about the game reminding you that you may not beat the house every time but patience, dedication, practice, and common sense can make you a winner.

I recommend this book for any casual player looking to gain a little edge on the house.

This is a great book to have and easy to understand. I used his basic strategy for online gambling. I used a combination of "Lose Press" and "Win Press" betting which I learned from this book. Of course you can't count cards online but I didn't need to.

The 1st time I gambled online I doubled my money from $1,000.00 to $2,000.00. The 2nd time I played I started with a thousand dollars and was up to $1,700.00. Then I got to confident and lost the money with a total of only $700.00. I lost $300.00 of my own money. But I didn't panic and I made it up again. I went from $700 back to a thousand, which is what I started with. I took out my money and now I'm studing this book like a College Mid-Term book.

My only only complaint is that the Basic Strategy is changed slightly at different locations. Atlantic City, Reno, Vegas Downtown, and the Vegas Strip are each slighly different. This book only covers the Basic Strategy for the Strip.

True I did lose my money, but I made it back up and didn't lose a dime playing in the long run. This is a very powerful book and I can't wait to learn the card counting chapters.