Gambling Books

A friend of mine told me about this book and it helps me understand, enjoy and have more success at the tables. Before, I'd blow through $100 before finishing a drink. Now I make more when I'm winning and quit before losing too much. Also, I don't make sucker bets that dealers try to talk you into. Feel more confident when walking up to a craps table- I don't expect to lose; I know I can win!

This book does a decent job of defining and describing craps but John Gollehon is a terrible writer. I would recommend Edwin Silberstang's "Winning Casino Craps" as a much better book for a person who wants to win. After reading Silberstang's book, I won over $800. You will not get that from this book.

I bought this book while on a short vacation in Vegas. After reading the book for a half hour, I then went to the craps table with a simple system that gives the best odds. I won. I WON!! And guess what, craps is THE most action packed exciting game (with the best odds for the player - when played correctly) in Las Vegas. I highly recommend it!!

The basic premise of this book is that the best paying
slots will be in the high-traffic areas, and to walk
away if you don't win more than you put in for eight
pulls or so. The author puts about one paragraph on each
page and triple-spaces. Lots of white space in this book!
The 94 pages could have been ten or perhaps an interesting
webpage instead. Phooey.

I bought this at the same time as buying BREAK THE ONE ARMED
BANDITS and can recommend that one instead, very highly.

Stay away from this one.

A. Reader

I believe anyone who follows this book can win. I certainly did. A book with facts to help you make better decisions. If you are on a junket this book can show you how to come home after ten hours with more than a bus ride! He is standing in front of a jackpot and since the casino let him take the picture I'm sure it was a good one. Thank you Amazon for offering this book.

I actually WON MONEY following the advice of the author! This is a no nonsense book that is highly informative and tells you everything you need to know to beat the slots. It is compact and easy to carry, it has large type so it is easy to read, and it is very affordable. A must have for anyone who plays slots!

If you are just learning video poker including the basics this might make a nice supplement but I found it to be oversimplified and in desperate need of supplemental reading.

This great paperback gives you a thorough study of the 'ins and outs' of Video Poker. If you play Video Poker this book is a must.

Having played the game and read several books on the subject, this is the best. The author shows the best play for all situations in a way that is easy to remember. bd

Solid coverage of many topics, and some good examples.

I'm not a huge fan of Marty Bergen in general. However, this book is pretty complete in terms of coverage of common conventions that the intermediate+ duplicate player should at least be familiar with, if not using. I don't like all of his recommendations, and of course there is no substitute to discussion with your partner. This book is a good starting place though to improve your biddng.

I had been playing competitive bridge for about 10 months when I started reading this book. This book was ideal, as it didn't waste any time with the basics (e. g., the opening one-bid) and went straight into intermediate to advanced concepts. The ideas were clearly explained with examples and quizzes. I really enjoyed this book because Bergen promotes a very aggressive bidding style. The only drawback I can think of is that it was written over ten years ago, so it may not be quite as complete as one would hope.

Purely descriptive book written to get money from custommers. After I read it I still did not know how to play poker. A lot of unuseful information. For example, short chapter about holdem ends "If you want to learn how to play holdem buy my next book".

This was the first of four poker books that I've read (The Big Poker Book, Super Systems II; and Sklansky's books: The Theory of Poker, and Hold'Em Poker for Advanced Players). The Big Poker book was an excellent primer, and starts with the right message, "poker isn't about winning or losing but making the best possible decision with the information you have."

I like the writer's style, you get the sense that he is a real person not a professor or prima donna. The other books are much more technical, and easy to get bogged down in.

After watching the WSOP, I was itching to go all-in but the book gets you thinking about the fundamentals. A good read ...

This book is an excellent tool for those trying to understand the game, or for those that are looking for strategies to increase their winning odds. From the first complete history of the game, to explaining the play of the game and many different variations of each game, this book assists you step-by-step in learning and mastering the game of Poker. I've now actually started to win with my buddies each month!!!

I have studied Computer Engineering, Mathematics and law; I also gamble for a living. That said, this is the most challenging gambling book I have ever read. The concepts in sequence tracking are a hundred times as difficult as card-counting (which are trivially easy for anyone who has done it).

The mathematics explaining why certain ideas work become progressively more complicated. By the time you are halfway through the 129 pages of the main book, each line of mathematical analysis requires concentrated effort to follow. I did not check for errors at that point, but I saw no fallacies in the first 70 pages.

Despite the difficulty of the material, these techniques look promising from a mathematical point of view. Unfortunately, there are fewer than 400 people in the U.S. with the mathematics and general gambling skills required to benefit from it. It is a fascinating book, but incomprehensible to most people.

If you are thinking about buying it, you should be able to 1. Easily count cards, and 2. have a good understanding of slug tracking. If you cannot master those first two areas, this book will be beyond you.

Publisher submitted early draft reviews and description:

DESCRIPTION:

The Art of Advanced Location Strategies for the Casino Game of Twenty-One! With a foreword by Michael Dalton. Cover art by Abigail Kamelhair. The winning blackjack technique known as Ace Prediction, Ace Tracking, Sequence Tracking or Key Carding remained the closely guarded secret of a handful of high-stakes professional blackjack players for more than 20 years. Ace prediction can be extremely profitable given the right conditions. Here it is folks -- the complete scoop on this mathematically valid and proven blackjack winning technique. Sequence trackers will find in this book the author's own formula for identifying the profitable games. The author begins the book by studying all known published references on the subject. Chapter 2 examines aspects of non-random shuffling. Chapter 3 is the author's own analysis of non-random shuffling using a statistical procedure provided by Ed Thorp. Chapter 4 tells how to identify and exploit weaknesses in casino shuffles. Chapter 5 offers practical advice on locating Aces in shuffled decks. Chapter 6 explains how to predict Aces during the game. Chapter 7 deals with the calculation of mathematical expectation using simple formulas. Chapter 8 gives advice on bet sizing, probability of ruin, return and risk. Finally, the tables at the end of the book will be useful for making your own analyses of shuffles. Intermixed in the author's exhaustive presentation are some exciting personal stories from the pits.

REVIEWS:

"David McDowell has written the best book of the new millennium on blackjack advantage play, by quite some distance. The book is a rare combination of creative innovation and intellectual rigour, qualities found in some of the more talented gambling authors but very rarely both together. In time I will believe it will be held up as a blackjack classic second only to Thorp's seminal "Beat The Dealer".

"The book covers the art of blackjack sequencing, a dark art that even very few gambling professionals truly understand, let alone have mastered. The basic method involves memorizing a string of cards hoping that their order will be partially maintained by the shuffle. Under optimal conditions, this can give you an advantage a card counter could only dream of. The method is both completely legal [and] very difficult to detect."

"Although writers like myself, David Morse and Arnold Snyder have hinted at the possibilities of sequencing, McDowell is the first writer to completely explain all of the fine detail required to predict aces successfully, and in a stroke render all other writings on the subject obsolete. Every piece of information you could possibly need to use this extremely powerful technique is contained within. There is no waffle, though the book also uses some entertaining stories by way of illustrating the techniques therein, and is surprisingly readable given the scientific and dry nature of the basic subject matter. The book is worth several hundred times its cover price, and is an essential purchase for the intelligent gambler, particulary those who like to travel, where ace prediction techniques can be used with devastating effect."
--- John May -- author of the books Baccarat for the Clueless and Get the Edge at Blackjack

"With his compelling Blackjack Ace Prediction, David McDowell, a relative unknown in the blackjack world, bursts onto the scene in impressive fashion. His scholarly approach to the subject, replete with enlightening illustrations and copious footnotes, is a joy to read. I have a feeling that the relatively small group of players already aware of the techniques that McDowell describes are not going to be happy that he has gone 'mainstream' with the information. This is a well-researched treatise, and I'm happy to recommend it to serious students of the game."
--- Don Schlesinger - author of the book Blackjack Attack: Playing the Pros' Way

"Thorp didn't want to publish on Ace location, and my chapter on the subject is short for the same reason. Nevertheless, here it is, 160 pages in plain English, and worth its weight in flawless diamonds. Blackjack Ace Prediction is the fire from the dragon's mouth, bound to burn unsuspecting tables around the world. This book is a total must-have for the serious blackjack player."
--- Rob McGarvey - author of the book Aces and Faces Blackjack

"If you are interested in how to beat casinos by analyzing non-random shuffling, you will find David McDowell's Blackjack Ace Prediction an interesting and enjoyable read."
--- Ed Thorp - author of the best selling book Beat the Dealer.

"David McDowell's Blackjack Ace Prediction is the most authoritative book on the subject. Many will consider his work as the final chapter in advantageous blackjack play - as the cat has finally been let out of the bag."
--- Michael Dalton - author of the Encyclopedia of Casino Twenty-One and editor of the Blackjack Review Network

"Blackjack Ace Prediction offers a scholarly treatment of the subject with pragmatic potential for increasing profits for the serious blackjack player. David McDowell, the author, and Michael Dalton, the publisher are to be congratulated for this important addition to our knowledge of blackjack."
--- Lance Humble - senior author of The World's Greatest Blackjack Book

"Blackjack Ace Prediction is a winner. It will, no doubt, prove to be the best work on ace tracking published to date."
--- Steve Forte - author of the book Read the Dealer and the Gambling Protection Series videos

"Does shuffling a deck of cards put them into random order? Not exactly. This book explains how to follow particular cards through the shuffle to have a much-better-than-guessing chance of predicting when they will be dealt. This skill is particularly valuable when used to predict aces at blackjack. David McDowell discusses the work that has already been done on ace prediction by other people, and makes his own contributions to the topic. All in all, an interesting work."
--- Stanford Wong - author of the book Professional Blackjack

"McDowell's book is well researched and represents a wonderful compendium of all the important work relating to non-random shuffling and its effects on the game of blackjack. Probably the best book on Ace prediction today, and an interesting read to boot."
--- Robert Hannum, Ph.D. - Dept. of Statistics & Operations Technology, University of Denver

"David McDowell provides an interesting example of how the game of blackjack can still be exploited by the knowledgeable player. He does an excellent job integrating statistical inference with advantage play theory, and interesting gaming stories. This book is a must read for any player interested in assaulting the casinos by locating and tracking those valuable aces."
--- Bill Zender - author of the book Card Counting for the Casino Executive

"[Blackjack Ace Prediction] is the most comprehensive work on the subject I have ever read. As an advantage player and gaming risk consultant I have an extensive advantage play library. I have one shelf with books that, in my opinion, are the very best at covering their chosen subject - I have made room for one more. I don't think this book will do too much damage to AP's - it is brilliant, but like Grosjeans book and Arnold's Cookbook, you have to read it - casino people are unlikely to put in the effort; that's why they're casino people."
--- Michael Barnett - Surveillance Technology, Perth, Western Australia

Blackjack Ace Prediction by David McDowell is NOT what it's cracked up to be. Not by a long shot. It promises to reveal a surefire method for beating casino blackjack by using the powerful underground technique of Ace sequencing. It promises to do that -- but it never quite delivers. The flavor is there. The aroma is there. The smoke is certainly there. But the beef is nowhere to be found. Blackjack Ace Prediction by David McDowell will NOT get the money. In fact, utilizing the Ace sequencing system presented in the book, you'd be lucky to be playing even with the house. The problem is in McDowell's fuzzy math. His basic approach is sound, and Ace sequencing when done properly DOES work. But McDowell does not really know how to properly do it. And the math he provides to back up his inflated claims is riddled with logic holes big enough to drive a Hummer through. He makes many fundamental logic errors in his probability calculations that reveal he does not have a grasp of the basic math of advantage play. He has clearly bitten off far more than he can chew. The real mystery for me is why this book has apparently been glowingly endorsed by some of the most renowned names in blackjack, such as Ed Thorp, Stanford Wong, and Don Schlesinger. People of this caliber not only know the relevant math, in some cases they actually WROTE it, which makes their endorsements of Blackjack Ace Prediction all the more incomprehensible. Go figure.

The main theory behind this book is that the sports betting market will create a closing line that is generally more valid than the opening line. Moore's idea is that one could be successful betting on sports by utilizing his "Blindfold Method" in where a bettor picks off rogue numbers off of sportbooks that are slow to move their lines with the common market line. Some of the ideas are not very practical as many books offer the same line

Great information. Very helpful.

Best Gambling Portal http://www.increasedodds.com

The first three quarters of the book offer a highly entertaining and educational overview of sport betting. Moore takes the reader through all of the various types of bets and thoroughly explains how the odds for different sporting events are expressed (e.g. money line, point spread, etc.) He also defines much of the lingo in sports betting and devotes an outstanding chapter to the subject of examining (and debunking) many popular misconceptions.

However, Moore's betting system (the "Blindfold Method"), which he uses the last quarter of the book to unveil, is amusing at best. His theory, which suggests that bettors can exploit "soft lines" between different bookmakers, assumes that significant variations in odds can be found regularly ("one or two games per week"). In practice, this does not occur. Most bookmakers are well aware of the Vegas line for all sporting events and manage their betting imbalances by using "lay-off" operations instead of simply changing their lines (a fact completely ignored in the book). As with all betting systems, it is worthwhile to wonder why the author is writing about them instead of using them to make untold millions. For those that do put their faith in Moore's system, the "Blindfold Method" could not be more aptly named.

I just started playing Poker a week ago and wanted a really simple explantion of the game. This book did the trick. It opened up my eyes to different types of games, styles of play and where to play.

If you are looking for a simple general overview into the world of Poker, this is it.

p.s.
Once you have chosen the type of Poker you want to play, Glazer gives excellent great reads in his Appendix.

First, let me say that I wholeheartedly recommend this book. The fact that it is inexpensive is an immediate bonus but also, Mr. Glazer, has strong writing skills and the pages are very accessible. If you're not in the mood for concentrating you could even scan it, because, as is true with all of the "Idiot's Guide" series, "Poker" has little subgroupings that allow for quick digestion. In this edition, they're little boxes called "the inside straight, table talk" and "perilous play." Each page is full of advice and tips. It's a belly busting value play if you ask me.

As far as particulars are concerned, Glazer exposes us to all of the intricacies of the poker omniculture. There isn't a game, style, or concept that he doesn't devote words to. What I personally found most useful were his discussions about the internet and tournaments. He really does a great job explaining to the reader what exactly goes on in a tournament. It's very hard to know if you're just watching ESPN or the Travel Channel as to what exactly is transpiring behind the scenes. Previously the methodology behind tournament payouts was a mystery to me. His section on player personalities was memorable as well.

This book is more of an overview of poker that I could see being very helpful for novices. It provides in introduction to various games, such as Hold 'Em and Omaha, and presents other general concepts such as bankroll management, playing in casinos vs. playing online, and poker etiquitte. Everything is easy to understand and useful for certain audiences, I just don't know how useful it would be for someone who has been playing the game for a while. It is also light on strategy.

I actually really enjoyed reading this book, it's well written (though it has a few easy-to-spot factual mistakes), and I will no doubt go through and re-read a number of sections over a few times. If anything, this book will help enculturate you as a hold 'em player; the jargon, proper etiquette, common strategies, etc. Even if you're playing no-limit, for the price this is an excellent first book. Once you're firmly hooked on hold 'em, I'd suggest Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play; it's a lot longer, and more expensive, but will definitely do more to improve your game.

I gave this three stars because, for me at least, it fell well below 'Everything'.

I have two shelves full of of holdem poker books including Super System 2, Hellmuth's book, Sklansky's books, TJ Cloutier's and others. Yet, Wenzel's book, believe it or not, may be the best of the bunch.

His writing is so good, that it makes Sklansky seem like a hack. And while many beginners will pick up this book, I think intermediate players (such as myself) will get the most out of it. This is because Wenzel comments on and refutes many things that have been written in some of the other books. What's more, the book is easy to read, yet packed full of useful info.

I also like that he doesn't just go forward step by step, but interjects all kinds of useful info. throughout. Thus chapter one is just as valuable as the final chapter. And again, the range of material that he covers is mind boggling.

If you want a book that "tells it like it is," rather than just giving you a bunch of theory, "The Everything Texas Hold'em Book" is your baby. And because it's an "Everything" book, it will probably be overlooked by most poker players as being too basic, but this is a good thing, as it will give those of us who do read it a significant advantage over them.

I really liked this book and was pleasantly surprised by it. It is not one of those extremely basic beginner type books that does little more than explain the rules of the game and tells you to play tightly. It's quite a bit more advanced than that and I found myself agreeing with most things the author had to say. My only problem with the book and the reason I didn't give it five stars is his treatment of internet poker. He more or less claims it is rigged and is strongly against it. He also makes silly claims like it is impossible to play more than one table at a time well etc. Obviously he is more of a live game type of guy and that is fair enough but he is wrong about internet poker. The hundreds of internet millionaires are proof of that. I myself have made a substantial amount of money playing internet poker.

That gripe aside, this is a very good book and well worth a read.

Gar Anthony Haywood, author of the superb P.I. Aaron Gunner series, used the pen name Ray Shannon to write FIRECRACKER. This story centers on Raygene Price, a superstar playing for the Dallas Cowboys. Contract negotiations are coming up, and Raygene has to keep his nose clean or else the NFL will exhile him. Reece Germaine is pregnant with his child and seeks support payments. Raygene balks. But Reece has a betting slip for the Super Bowl and a shot to win 1.25 million dollars in a payout if her team wins. Shannon moves around a large cast of complex characters (including Raygene's God-fearing body guard), and the boisterous climax in Las Vegas over the Super Bowl weekend is probably spot on. Well-written, deftly executed, and convincing dialogue, FIRECRACKER favorably compares to NORTH DALLAS FORTY and SEMI TOUGH.

See storyline above.

Shannon's latest is a no nonsense fast-paced story sure to attract more fans. You get twists and turns as well as a fun ride through Vegas. A highly enjoyable novel.
I have to question the authors knowledge about football in reference to one glaring mistake towards the end. Lets see who's keen enough to catch it.

Highly recommended.

Entertainment public relations specialist Reece Germaine and professional football star Raygene Price shared a tight wild weekend in Vegas. Raygene, a Dallas Cowboy player, bets $25,000 on the Arizona Cardinals winning the Superbowl at 50-1 odds. He gives the ticket to Reece as a seduction sweetener and because as a player he is not allowed to bet on the games.

Now eight months later Reece is pregnant from that tryst and Raygene refuses any involvement including child support as this situation is not new to him. Besides his finances are a disaster, he has impregnated other women. However the improbable is that the longshot Cardinals are playing in the Superbowl on Sunday so that if they win, Reece will forget child support and run with the 1.25 million. Others vicious people want a piece of Raygene?s hide and that wager would make a fine down payment.

FIRECRACKER is quite exciting while showing the darker side of American professional sports. Paraphrasing LBJ, the irresponsible and unlikable Raygene seems like he played football without a helmet and the prime thug acts like his brain tripped and never recovered. The wild Superbowl weekend is vividly described and Reece is a solid heroine whose efforts to keep safe (ask the drunk she knocks out with a punch) and retain the ticket is fun to follow, but Raygene, not her, is the center anchoring the story line and he fails to stop the sacking of the plot.

Harriet Klausner