I could barely put this book down. It pieces together the events in a celebrated libel action brought in England in 1891. What is at stake? Simply a gentelman's honour, which may not mean much these days. However, for me the whole book was a gripping if sad commentary on human nature and personal motivation, further magnified by the English class system. The plaintiff in the case, a highly decorated soldier, has been accused of cheating in an illegal game of cards. Was he or wasn't he? He simply wishes to clear his name, but other issues are in play - notably that his friend, the Prince of Wales and heir to the English throne, was also (scandalously) playing. The authors skillfully piece together the events of the weekend of the fateful card games before carefully examining the subsequent trial, including brilliant cross examinations, revelations of prejudice among the witnesses and apparent prejudice on the part of England's most senior judge. Why should anybody care about all of this upper class cheek slapping? Perhaps because it contains parallels in today's world at every turn, from the desire of society's lever-pushers to supress a scandal to the way in which people run for cover once the lid is blown off. You don't need to be a lawyer or a historian to read and enjoy this book. It is extremely well researched and written. In fact the only thing I didn't like was the jury's verdict........

This book is far too technical with computer decisions and very little help when i"in the trenches".The counting required is strenuous and I quit using his system when the deck was player favorable and the cards, in their random mix, failed to produce. a player could handle 2-3 shoes before burnout. The casino edge includes player burnout which causes stupid bets. Thats why the dealers change every 20 or so minutes. I have beaten bacarrat only when I anticipated the unexpected, a tie.

This book is a great SUPPLIMENT to other baccarat books, such as John May's Baccarat For the Clueless (a misleading title for great book) or Frank Scoblette's book on baccarat, the title which I have forgoteen but it has something to do with "attacking" the game. To get back on track, this book goes over possible counting strategies and various other good info, albeit in a technical manner, it concludes that although good situations do come up and card counting at baccarat can tell you when they do, it is simply not worth it. Even with the best counting system, you can barely pull a dollar an hour in expected value, so it's really not worth it, especially since games like blackjack can give you a helluva lot better edge. But if you want to learn some cover games to avoid heat and know more about the math of the game, this book is great. Get John May's book for a history and other methods besides counting for beating this game. I gave Winning Baccarat strategies 3 stars instead of four or five, is not because it's short, but because there is a section on ESP as a form of advantage play, which I find completely rediculous. But it's a good addition to your library, and although it's a bit stiff [money amount] it's the only book with a counting system and math and the rest of it.

Not only is this book awful for it's smarmy tone, it also contains misinformation in certain areas. Get John May's book instead (ISBN: 0818406046).

I am a borderline bibliophile, and in the rare cases when I get rid of books (usually because of duplicate copies), I donate them to the local library. This is the only book I have thrown away, because I did not want to be responsible for someone borrowing it from the library and taking it's information as true.

John Patrick continues his misleading statements and his misuse of the word Win. This book does not overcome basic mathematics and the player disadvantage built into the game. Save your money and don't buy it; better yet, save even more money and don't play Baccarat.

Let's face it. Casinos are tough to beat. Yet every book makes it sound so easy. They go into some strategy, tell a few stories about episodes at the tables all while giving the reader false confidence that costs real money. These books rarely delve into the most grossly under-represented aspect of gambling: the loss. Not the case when it comes to books written by John Patrick. Patrick addresses losses for what they are: a sad reality. Truth is that losing and losing sessions are one half of the game. How will you handle that loss? The seasoned gambler knows that all of the table games are tough to beat. This tough player knows that the "secret" to winning is catching the streak. How does the veteran do this? How can you do it? Get this book and learn the fundamentals. The rest is up to you.

I browsed through this book at the local bookstore. All I can say is don't take any pointers from this guy. He says before placing bets on "any craps", you should wait until the die hasn't produced craps for atleast 18 rolls???? He says after this the probability of any craps showing is 88 %. What is this all about? The truth is the odds of rolling craps is the same (11 %) regardless of how many times it's been rolled in the past. If you already own this book, I suggest you take your loss and throw it away.

This is the first review I have written on Amazon. I felt compelled to write this to keep unsuspecting people from purchasing this book. I do not know the author, I am not an author, and I have no interests in whether this book does well or not. I am simply giving my opinion.

Simply put, my problem with this book is that it is full of incorrect statements and poor advice which completely ignores probability theory. For example, on roulette, Mr. Svoboda actually says, "The house will always have a 5.26% edge, but you can increase your winning probabilities by playing it smart." What?!? When I read that, I knew he had a very weak grasp of probability theory. It is impossible to change the odds in roulette; they are fixed. You are always at a 5.26% disadvantage, no matter what your betting strategy is. Period. I suggest you run away from any book that asserts otherwise.

The surprising thing is that in several parts of the book, Mr. Svoboda agrees that the casino has an advantage over the player in the long run. However, to overcome this, he recommends that players play in the short run! I couldn't believe that an engineer, and someone who supposedly understands mathematics and probability, would actually write such completely incorrect information. True, in the short run you may win, but odds are that you will lose. The percentage disadvantage you face does not change.

Over and over, Mr. Svoboda asserts that his strategies increase your chances of winning. How can you increase your chances of winning if the odds against you are fixed? For example, after several pages of detailed and complex tables and charts, Mr. Svoboda admits that his craps betting strategy gives the house a 2% advantage. Yet he still advocates following his strategy, saying that you just need to know when to walk away when ahead. What he fails to mention is that you will be behind more often than you will be ahead.

In games of chance and independent trials (such as craps, roulette and keno, to name a few), the house has a fixed percentage advantage over the player. This is a proven mathematical fact. There are no betting systems or strategies whish can change this percentage advantage. The only thing a player may do is bet slowly and bet the minimums in order to decrease the rate at which he loses. Gambling at these types of games should be viewed as paying for entertainment, not investing, as Mr. Svoboda suggests.

Casinos love people with systems. Why do you think companies choose to spend $1 billion to build a new casino? Because they know that system betters will come in and lose more than that. Casinos exist because they make money for their owners. I had thought that with the advanced level of gaming theory available today, that books which advocated incorrect probability theory would become a thing of the past. Then I read Mr. Svoboda's book and realized I was wrong.

On the plus side, the book does clearly state the rules of the games and the odds of winning. It has very pretty and colorful charts and tables. As a rule book, it is very good. However, as a strategy guide, you are much better off ignoring this book. Mr. Svoboda's assertion that "this book will help you learn how to level the playing field...and gain a return on your investment" is false. This book does not tell you how to even the odds against the house. The only return on investment you will get by following the advice in this book is negative.

Beating The Casinos At Their Own Game is a book you should consider if you'd like some help playing at the casinos. It's a well, written and nicely illustrated 278-page gambling guide with instructions for most of the games you'll find at any casino. The author, Peter Svoboda, knows his math because he has the credentials: a degree in both mechanical and civil engineering.

You'll find casino basics in chapters 1 and 2 including some history, odds of winning and losing, what the casinos do to get you there, the house advantage, advice on managing your money and when to quit. And if you have a gambling problem, Peter will direct you to the right place. Chapters 3 through 13 list rules of the ten most popular casino games, with playing strategies and some betting systems you can try. The illustrations will help you learn the games and the math listed will explain the odds and probabilities of winning.

Peter includes some known strategies for Craps, Roulette and Baccarat. So, if you're inexperienced at any of these games, you can take an expert with you to the casino. Peter also presents some of his own winning systems.

If you've never been to a casino, but think you might want to try some of the games offered, I'd recommend studying this book before you enter. It has all the basic playing information you'll need to improve your chances of winning...

This book only teaches you the rules and nothing about how to win in baccarat. It deceptively set you up for purchasing the more expensive $20.00 book instead, so why did I need to buy this one.

As an experienced baccarat player who has experimented with many systems and been very successful with one, I found that the book exaggerates the probability of winning and recommends some systems that will only lead to losing your bankroll. The section that claims that "thinking lucky" will enhance your game, for example. Nothing really new in this one.

"the time period between 7 o'clock in the evening and 7 in the next morning is when tied hands come out most frequently". That is what the author writes at the very beginning of his book. You see how ridiculous it is! Besides this, there are many other "INTERESTING" things inside. Don't play with this system, unless you are a very lucky guy!