This book covers craps, blackjack, discipline, casinos, and money management offering tips and tricks to winning. The craps section is excellent although it covers only three bets extensively and the blackjack section is good for the beginner but, not great. Also covered is the Gollehon Imperial Method for playing. This method appears to work with single deck games, but may have too much rounding for the serious player looking for an accurate card count. A recommended read for beginners. Advanced players can probably skip this one.

The 131 pages tell you little about playing the game other than to "bet the pass line and take full odds" and if the table is really good "make a couple of come bets with full odds".

Stories of casinos are generic in nature.

In one section the author talks of two casinos in Elko Nevada and the fact that neither had a craps table. He missed the largest casino in Elko (Red Lion) which does have a craps table. This was the only inaccuracy I knew of for sure but questioned a lot of other ststements.

Thumbs down on this one!

This is a sweet book! It is beautifully written by a guy that obviously has had many years of experience in casinos. The advice on money management is right on, though different from most gambling books that advise you to budget your losses! This author says it is better to manage your money plan to win. The stories of his visits to casinos around the world are fun and insightful. And the words on casino psychology may well turn a disasterous visit into a profitable experience. He demonstrates why you should ONLY make bets with the lowest casino advantage. This is a different kind of book!!! You will love it.

50 Years At The Craps Tables by gambling expert Malcolm Jay is a hands-on, "reader friendly", personal account to the nature of the game of craps and the house odds that back it. Written by a veteran casino-goer who has indeed spent a full five decades observing craps play and how to shave the casino edge, 50 Years At The Craps Tables offers a fascinating wealth of insights as to why noisy tables are best to play; why one must never play simply because of "comping"; and much more. A fascinating read from first page to last, 50 Years At The Craps Tables is very strongly recommended for any casino patron interested in playing the game of craps and/or improving their skill at this particular form of gaming.

This comprhensive book is insistant on teaching a conservative method of craps and ignoring, indeed vehemently disdaining, the more tempting and colorful craps bets that the author proclaims to be money loser tbat glitter like tempting gold coins on the craps table. These and other tips are forcefully ingrained into the reader until they are nearly mantra-like in the mind. Still, by the time I arrived at the craps table I found myself wishing I could reach for this book to help me out with a bet or a question. I don't think the dealers and other players would have appreciated my referring to a "How To Play Craps" paperback in the middle of a roll. So later I read the book again and I'm still referring to it. Only complaint; the depiction of women as less than perfect craps players. I'm a less than perfect craps player. My first roll went flying off the table and sailing across the room like I was throwing darts. The author attributes such a wild throw to women and often refers to them as some kind of good luck charm.

I have won money using the techniques outlined in this book. Need I say more?

I liked this book so much, I usually keep two copies just in case
I loose one. Just bought another copy again this year to give to another friend, thats about the fifth copy given away in the last three or four years. (For the money), I'll guarantee the only way you could not win your investment back is if you stood at the craps table with you eyes closed. The book is straight forward but not dry with just a touch of humor. It explains every thing you should know, or could want to know about Craps,
yet is extremely easy to read, and hardly even a half inch thick.
I've read the book several times from cover to cover, and wouldn't think of going near a craps table without first brushing through the book one more time...

"Fifty years at the Craps Tables" by Mr. Stuart is NOT a book about craps. It is ramblings about Las Vegas and various casinos. Apparently, telling stories about casinos and his previous play, mostly all wins, of course, is suppose to be a book on craps. Boring. His craps system?..."Play the pass line and take full odds. After the come out roll, make a come bet and take full odds." That is the entire book! What a waste of my time and money. I recommend this book for the circular file!

-I gave this book two stars because the author comes accross as a nice guy and he is a seasoned fellow craps player. The shocking thing that comes out of this book is that after fifty years of experience and dealing with the casinos, Mr. Stuart is still infatuated with comps and being treated like a big shot. Comps are the casinos best weapon against serious gamblers because comps are so appealing and subtle in their destrution of your good intentions. The cardinal rule that all gamblers must keep in mind and one that Mr. Stuart has apparently never learned is, ..If the casino wants you to do something or offers you something, it is almost never in your best interest. Sure take a chit for a free lunch or dinner AFTER you have gambled, but, if you become a comps player you will inevitably find yourself gambling where you shouldn't be and playing longer than you should. This is one of the most valuable lessons that can be handed down to newer gamblers and I'm surprised and shocked that Mr. Stuart never learned it.

While other books can provide a more detailed analysis of the various odds, bets, and betting strategies, I would not hesitate recommending this book to anyone interested in learning more about the game of craps. If you play craps, it pays to heed many of the lessons Mr. "Stuart" has learned over the last fifty years.

This book doesn't really have much of interest in it. For just a little bit more money you can buy "American Mensa Guide to Casino Gambling" which has a lot of good information.

I have always been intimidated by craps because I knew NOTHING about it. I found this book very helpful in describing the odds and protocol. When I used the advice at the table, dealers talked to me as if I were a professional gambler, and by playing conservatively and consistantly, I won money at the table when everyone around me was losing. I love craps!

I thought this book was great. I read it on my way to Vegas, and tripled my money. Yes, it's for beginners, but it teaches you tips and lingo so you don't look, sound, or play like one.

Don't waste your money on this book. Even as a primer on the game of craps it falls way short. Most of the information contained is in the free gaming brochures that the casinos hand out. The real rip here is that in the last chapter Allen is hustleing an expensive "system" that you have to order seperatly. Look for other books on craps that go into detail about money management and winning strategy

(...) I have been playing craps for about 6 mo's and like most, knew the simple typical bets but was confused about the more "exotic" ones. This book clearly defines all the bets on the table. As far as how to play, well the book tells you the odds of each bet and what percentage of the time each number on the dice rolls. You should be able to determine the style you want to play from these numbers. There are many craps books out there that tell you how the authors' play, but are lacking in the specifics of some of the game's details if those details don't pertain to their way of playing the game. This book provides all the rules. Its short and concise. I recommend it if you want to know the specifics of each possible bet on the craps table. If you want to know how someone else plays and want to do nothing more than copy their methods of play, I would suggest a different book.

I have gambled in Vegas for 30 years, and read many a book from alleged experts. Save your money on this book. About the only advice this book gives that is worth anything is to bet more when winning. Otherwise, only very green beginners will find anything of worth in this book. I gave it one star because it has a great title. But, that's about all it has.

The first thing I need to say about this book is that it is an update of Gollehon's " Pay the Line". This information doesn't appear in the blurbs for either book on Amazon. Having pointed that out I can say that this is an excellent book for serious gamblers. The advice is difficult to put into practice, particularly for newer players. Does anyone really think that parking your butt at a craps table for eight straight hours is a formula for success? People do it all the time. Does anyone really think that the casinos beg you to take comps and insist on giving you rfb because its to your best interest? Everyone takes comps. So its difficult to be disciplined when it comes to gambling and visiting Vegas, but if you want to have a chance of winning you must practice what Gollehon preaches.

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...

I read the review of the book prior to buying the book and I was impressed by the way the review was written. When the "work booklet" came, I was immediately disappointed because I expected, for the price, a "hard bound book" with some real depth of the game including many techniques to try. The booklet was so small that I read everything within an hour. The 24 hour service was to call the casinos around the U.S. I did'nt need that. I felt that I should be able to call the Author or someone associated with the Author and get some real Help, as we say (from the horses mouth). This booklet gave 1 technique and I have known about that from other books. Personally, I wish I didn't buy this book. As far as I am concerned I would not recommend this book.