The author Stanley Roberts calls himself the Blackjack Guru of the 80's. gu·ru ( A teacher and guide in spiritual and philosophical matters. A trusted counselor and adviser; a mentor. A recognized leader in a field: the guru of high finance. An acknowledged and influential advocate, as of a movement or idea: This description is totally accurate. A contemporary and a contributor to the founding fathers of Blackjack. Stanley Roberts writes to the beginning Blackjack Player and shows them how to advance through the levels of play needed to become an expert Player. Stanley does this with a minimum of "hype" for any particular system which is so evident in many other Blackjack books. Stanley starts with the development of Blackjack theory and methodology for beating the game. He expalains about the affect of casino rules on the house advantage over the player using noted author Lance Humble as his expert. Stanley explains the use of Basic Strategy as well as any other author. He even goes on with the help of Julian Braun to give the extremely rare and vital information on Double Exposure and Home Game basic strategy. Arnold "the Bishop" Snyder contributes a chapter on the casino conditions and other topics. Jerry Patterson contributes a chapter on a topic that became the next area of attack against the casino, the order of the cards and how it is affected by the shuffle procedure. After all the mathematics of the strategy and count systems had been developed then teams came into play. Ken Uston writes two of the most interesting chapters on team play and getting Barred. All areas of play are discussed including cheating, bankroll management and a plan for progressing up the ranks to an advanced player. This is a terrific for a beginner. There is no advanced strategy for Sale. But, it is written by a true visionary in the gaming world at a time when Blackjack was a Main course on the casino platter.

This book proved itself in minutes. It was definitely the best tool available for devising a strategy for winning at the blackjack table. It contains an easy to use chart that can be carried with you to remind you what to hit and when to hold. It really works. Truly amazing.

If you are new to blackjack, this book will save you many hours of trying to memorize tables and charts contained in longer books. Braids provides an illustrated easy to use guide to casino play, with two simple logical rules for quickly reasoning the correct play of any hand. Also his explanation of card counting is the clearest I've ever read. I now understand the underlying logic behind the many counting systems out there. You will find blackjack strategies much less confusing after reading this book.

No baloney in this book. gets right ot the facts and gives you a simple plan to cut the house edge and get the edge yourself.

No other book on Blackjack tells the real truth of how the game is actually being played in the casinos of the 21st Century. Every other book relies more on the "theory" of Blackjack, rather than on the reality of what the players will actually find in the casinos when they get there and try to play it. All other books look at the game of Blackjack from the "old thinking" perspective, by teaching the game with the methods and strategies that used to work 10-20 years ago, but are all but useless in the real world of today's casinos.

Other books talk about "card counting" as if this was the only and surefire means to winning, but don't tell you how hard it is do actually do it -- IF you can still find a casino that will allow you to do it, and if you can still find a game whose rules and methods of dealing allows this to work to anything more than merely a better guess. Other books talk about Basic Strategy, but then force the reader to learn tables upon tables of modifications for this and that and so on, creating a mess of information that not even experts can easily digest.

Victor H. Royer's book tells the truth of the real game of Blackjack as it actually exists in the casinos where the readers will go to play. He teaches the theory, shows the "traditional" methods, and explains why they work and don't work, and under which conditions. He gives the reader a Modified Basic Strategy, that incorporates all of the various "modifications" and makes an easy-to-learn strategy and hand-decision chart that allows anyone to play Blackjack to as close to an even game as it can get.

Additionally, Royer provides the reader with a clearly defined "session event strategy," a method of playing Blackjack successfully by using the MBS along with a tiered wagering and fractional differential principles for utilizing group-event methodology of blackjack play. For the more adventurous reader, Royer invites them to also read his book Powerful Profits from Winning Strategies for Casino Games.

David Sklansky' key card concept is a revelation for any player serious for counting. Finally someone places the importance of each individual card that still composes the deck. Sklansky reveals strategies for special situations when certain cards in the deck are depleted or in surplus. These ideas have never been discussed before and lead to a new kind of counting system.

In most casino games it is not possible to actually get a mathematical edge over the casino. But Frank Scoblete explains which video-poker games are the ones where players actually have a long-term chnce to win. This book covers many of the best video-poker gamnes and his strategies are easy to understand and apply in a casino. Very worthwhile book if you want to play one of the best games the casinos have to offer.

Casinos want to take your money but at video poker the player has a chance to actually turn the tables on the casino as Frank Scoblete shows in his book. I have employed his strategies in Atlantic City and in Connecticut and they WORK!!! This book is easy to read and you will learn everything you need to know to get an edge over the casinos.

Frank Scoblete has given us strategies to approach all the various types of video poker machines. Some of these machines are even beatable, while others through a combination of return-percentage and comps can return more than you spend. The key is knowing which machines are which and how to play them. Scoblete gives his strategies in a very simple way, unlike most other video poker books that make it almost impossible to understand what the author is saying. This also has great sections of video blackjack and craps. Keno players will find a section on video keno as well. The book is very well written and Scoblete uses personal anecdotes to keep the book moving. He is a really great writer.

This book has it all. It's mathematically accurate, highly informative, up-to-date, and beautifully written. In addition, Carlson's anecdotes of high-roller life in the casino fast lane make for a really fun, entertaining read. Carlson is both a mathematician and a successful high-stakes Blackjack player, and he presents the concepts behind card counting in an easy-to-understand way that is informative, practical and very entertaining. This book is just chock full of priceless information. It presents the theory of card counting, basic strategy, game selection, camouflage, casino comportment, special "commando" tactics, money management, risk of ruin, etc., etc., as well as Carlson's own Advanced Omega II System, which all the experts agree is the strongest BJ system going. AOII is a level-2 card-counting system that I've found easy to learn and easy to use. And it works! It really gets the money. K-O and Hi-Lo don't come close. This book is da bomb! If you could only have one book on BJ, this should definitely be it. Highly recommended.

Blackjack for blood is a great beginner as well as advanced guide to playing blackjack. For the beginner, the description and charts on playing basic strategy are great. For the intermediate player, the book offers a basic hi/lo card counting strategy. And for the advanced player, the book introduces an advanced level two count system that is more accurate to use than the simple hi/lo system. The level two system, however, is slightly more complicated and requires the player to practice longer in order to master. The author also explains all of this in an easy to understand narrated format that makes the book quite enjoyable to read. For advanced players that want to learn the intricacies of the probability theory behind blackjack, I strongly recommend reading "Professional Blackjack" by Stanford Wong. I definitely give this book 2 Thumbs UP! Maybe the only blackjack book you'll need to succeed!

This book has it all. It's mathematically accurate, highly informative, up-to-date, and beautifully written. In addition, Carlson's anecdotes of high-roller life in the casino fast lane make for a really fun, entertaining read. Carlson is both a mathematician and a successful high-stakes Blackjack player, and he presents the concepts behind card counting in an easy-to-understand way that is accurate, informative, and practical. This book is just chock full of priceless information. It presents the theory of card counting, basic strategy, game selection, camouflage, casino comportment, special "commando" tactics, money management, risk of ruin, etc., etc., as well as Carlson's own Advanced Omega II System, which all the experts agree is the strongest BJ system going. AOII is a level-2 card-counting system that I've found easy to learn and easy to use. And it works! It really gets the money. K-O and Hi-Lo don't come close. This book is the bomb! If you could only have one book on BJ, this should definitely be it. Highly recommended.

In a revision of his 1983 book, Jerry Patterson offers professional and recreational gamblers alike a new perspective on the casino games of, blackjack, craps and roulette. In 21 chapters Casino Gambling dispels myths, crushes age old dogma, and enlightens new age gamblers of the true winning potential of the aformentioned games, as well as providing a no holds bared expose of many of the games offered by the casinos. Casino Gambling provides cutting edge methodology for all gamblers regardless of skill level. It is a technically complete yet easy read which can be understood by the rank amateur yet informative enough to provoke thought from the most experienced of gambling professionals. The methods outlined in it have helped me stay in front of the casinos for years. I feel the chapter on developing a winning attitude alone is well worth the cover price. A copy of this book belongs on the night stand or book shelf of every gambler out there,period. It is my opinion that this guide is destined to be a gambling classic.

I've been reading the books of Jerry Patterson for some 20 or so years. Over the years, he has consistently delivered fresh and unique approaches to casino gambling which have been very helpful to me. Casino Gambling is no exception. For example, "Winning Factors" for the multi-deck blackjack shoe games is something I can put into use right away.

I especially like the "getting an advantage" theme of the book which is prevalent in the blackjack, craps and roulette chapters. While I'm not a Craps player, the Advantage Craps System has me tempted to go looking for those long forgotten souvenir dice! And I like the fact that in this one book, I now have information I can use in playing any casino table game including casino poker games like Pai Gow and Let It Ride.

Chapter 2, entitled Mental Preparation, should (in my opinion), be read by anyone who ever places any type of wager. The advice given here alone, is worth the price of the book.

Highly recommended.

This book touches on many things that even most of the experienced "average gamblers" are probably unaware of. Even the blackjack player who considers themself as a good player who knows perfect basic strategy will find many other helpful ideas to improve their game, whether they wish to make use of just a few things covered in the book and play near even with the casino or seriously study and practice the tactics and make blackjack a profitable game for them. When I used to play blackjack, I had no idea that the cards were not random and lost much more than I should have at a bad table. After reading the book you should be able to eliminate those "bad" tables and keep any losses you have to a minimum by employing the prooper money management strategies. The craps and roulette chapters cover many useful ideas that most gamblers are unaware of. Whether blackjack, roulette, or craps, making use of the information in the book should seperate the reader from

majority of other gamblers. A must read for any gamblers bookshelf.

There are serious problems with this book.

The first is that the co-author Olaf Vancura now works for Mikohn gaming, a company which specializes in developing products for the casinos, some of which are specifically designed to foil the card counting strategy Vancura recommends. Patently Vancura has little faith in his own method if he chooses to make money that way rather than at the tables.

The KO system is very simple and this has made it very popular with players. The authors make a good case for stating that the % edge for using a professional level system rather than KO is small, say a few tenths of a percentage point. That is true-but what they don't tell you is that the gains from the use of a higher level system tend to increase like compound interest in a bank account, and this can make the difference between winning tens of thousands of dollars or hundreds of thousands of $'s over time. The claim that K-O is superior to its nearest commercial rival, the hi-lo system, is frankly stupid and supported by data that massages statistics in a way many politicians would be proud of.

You might think is just my opinion-and to some extent you'd be right. Then again, if you get a copy of Karel Janeck's SBA simulation software or Norm Wattenbergers CVSim you will see just how poorly KO performs against other count systems.

I would recommend Wong's "Professional Blackjack" for those interested in pure counting, also John May's "Get The Edge At Blackjack" and James Grosjean's "Beyond Counting" for professional gambling methods with real money-making power.

Overall, this is an excellent book for casual or recreational players who want a simple BJ system, based on card counting, that will provide them with a definite edge over the house. The K-O System presented in the book is a level-1, "unbalanced" system that is as easy to use as it gets. The authors, Vancura and Fuchs, cover the basics of card counting and casino comportment in a very clear, concise manner. So, unless your goal is to play at the pro or semi-pro level, this may be all the BJ book you need. My only real criticism of this book is the disingenuous way the authors exaggerate the power of the K-O System. It's a good system, but, Vancura and Fuchs to the contrary, it can not and does not compare to real powerhouse systems such as Carlson's Advanced Omega II System, or Uston's Advanced Point Count. And, actually, there wasn't any real need to overstate the power of the K-O System; considering its ease of use, it's plenty powerful for most players.

This is the first book I have ever read about blackjack and gambling. I know, as many of you already do, that Blackjack does afford the player the best advantage out of any game in the casino. I have never sat down at a Blackjack table because I knew that without knowing the proper counting and basic strategy techniques, the house would always win in the long run. I had read on the Internet of various card-counting methodologies, however they all seemed to complicated and discouraging to ever consider seriously proceeding with (unless of course I had a degree from MIT, which I don't.)

Alas, I read a review of Knock-Out in the Chicago Sun-Times, which alluded to my concerns over difficulty. This book is straightforward and interesting to read, and the card-counting technique is regarded as being simple to use comparatively to other popular techniques. Even though, admittedly, this will take some practice, I am confident I can master Knock-Out with enough patience and I am not discouraged to the point of not bothering to try. I did find it somewhat surprising how much money and time is needed to have an satisfactory amount of return with relatively low risk (the fact that you start to max your betting with only a 2% advantage over the house is a testament to this fact.) Nevertheless, the book only took a couple of days to read, and it was truly hard to set down. Even though this is the first Blackjack book I have ever read, from a beginner's prospective, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Wish me luck!