The most updated version of the book is excellent for all forms of play in Hold'em. This book is primarily designed for the more skilled games, $10/$20 limits and up. However, the updated version (1999) has a wealth of information about playing against less skilled players you find in lower limit games ($2/$4, $5/$10, etc).

This book is clearly for advanced or at least experienced players only. Beginners will not take much if anything from this book! It's pretty clear it builds off a few books more toward the beginner, which I haven't read. If you aren't experienced at this game, check out the more beginner level books. The concepts in Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players are extremely complex. Most notably, many of these concepts are very subtle in the book. They're very easy to pick up if you are a solid Hold'em player. But if you are new to the game, they'll be difficult to pick up and much of the wealth of information in this book will be completely lost.

This is must read information for anyone who wants to play this game at any serious level and win money.

This is one of the books on the "required reading" list for the Poker Discussion Group in San Diego. It is really absolute must reading for anyone who intends to play Texas Hold'em in a casino and wants to be a winner. One notable thing regarding this book is that if you have not read "Hold'em Poker" by David Sklansky, this book may not make much sense to you. It really is for advanced players, and describes many plays that are sophisticated and beyond the scope of a beginning book on poker. The hand rankings are critical for beginners learning the difficult art of pre-flop play. The advanced plays described in some of the later chapters become the basis for winning play after the flop, particularly at the middle limits. Some of the plays are not all that useful in the small limit games, but the section on "loose games" is critical for beginning players learning how to navigate large multiway pots. Overall, this book is must reading, and anyone who hasn't read it is probably not going to be playing anywhere near optimally, no matter what limit of Texas hold'em they play.

I have most of their titles-the best poker advice backed up with easy to understand examples. contains the least amount of dubious advice of any poker text. this book will make a difference to your bankroll. No matter how good a player you are you are a clueless newbie until you read this text. Once caveat: Keep in mind that in general their advice is directed towards your playing in a game with tight aggressive skilled players. These authors no longer play in low limit games and to some extent have lost touch with the type of player the low limit playing reader faces.You should find another title to read that addresses games with loose bad players in it so as to obtain a proper strategic approach to all situations. A good poker book teaches you how to think about situations more so than what to do in specific situation.Any text by the team of skylansky malmouth is worth it's weight in gold. Look for a revision of some of their classic texts, subtitled- "year 2000 or 20c. update"?

This republication of the 1937 edition is still to the point today. This book contains over 600 card tricks. There are sections for using normal decks as well as trick decks. I have been performing illusions for years, and I haev found this book to be useful. Explains how to set-up and perform each trick in an easy to understand manner. If you wish to do Card magic, this is the only book you need.

Jean Hugard was one of the greatest writers on magic. This book collects hundreds of his tricks and contributions from other cardicians. It is splendid--there is no doubt about that. Sure, a lot of the writing has that naive, antiquated quality simply because of the manuscript's age. But still, for the serious card magic student, this book is a must-have. Beginners will have their eyes opened, and experts will smile and nod their heads in approval with Hugard's outstanding trick compilation. The Dover reprint is superb and a great value--quite a few of the concepts here are worth the price of the book by themselves. I have to go now, as I need to learn the amazing Nikola card system at the end of the book!

Jean Hugard's "Encyclopedia of Card Tricks" remains one of the most comprehensive and exhaustive texts on card effects even after 60 years of being in publication. A brief summary of the table of contents shows the variety of effects covered: impromptu card tricks, spelling effects, "you do as I do", special cards, special decks (Svengali, Mene-Tekel, Stripper), calculation effects, and miscellaneous card tricks. Hugard describes the effects clearly and accurately, attributes the originator of the effect (if known), and occasionally offers an editorial comment or suggestion. The book is quite literally a gold mine of information, awaiting an interested and motivated magician to mine its contents. I continue to amaze audiences with Stewart James' original handling of "Miraskill" (p. 330). And Kli Ban's "The Spectator Finds Your Card" (p. 348), in which the spectator finds the card I chose, has been in my routine for years. Virtually all effects require no difficult sleight-of-hand. However, Hugard does devote a chapter describing important card sleights. This Dover reprint is one of the best values in magic. With this volume, and possibly the addition of John Scarne's "Scarne on Card Tricks", any magician can develop an entertaining card routine that audiences will enjoy. "Encyclopedia of Card Tricks" belongs in every magician's library.

This is the best book on baccarat I've ever read and I've read just about all of them, including John May's excellent book. But May is too esoteric, while Scoblete can teach the average player to really exploit this game for comps. He also has the most remarkable way to reduce the casino edge on the Bank bet by 20 percent! Get this book for its research and revelations. Like all of Scoblete's books it is well written and enjoyable.

I had never been interested in baccarat before but I am a Frank Scoblete fan so I bought this book. It was worth it. First of all, like all Scoblete's books that I have read, it is first rate. It is fun to read and just analyzes the game thoroughly. Scoblete shows why the traditional game of baccarat is much better than the mini version. He also explains how to really reduce what the house wins by maximizing comps and by using an ingenious strategy for reducing the commission on the Bank bet from 5 percent to 4 percent. I hve tried this strategy in five casinos and had success in two of them. Scoblete also analyzes over 40,000 decisions at baccarat and explains why these are very lose to the probability of what happens in the math. I wish I had better powers of writing because I know I am not doing this book justice. It turned me on to baccarat and I am loving every minute of it!

Scoblete does a very interesting experiment in this book. He copmpares 40,000 hands of baccarat betting bank or player on each and shows how the casino edge manifests iself in this run. He explains how to reduce the edge by betting select amounts on bank hands that the casino will pay off at a 4 percent commission instead of 5. Very ingenious. As with all Scoblete's books, it is excellently written and shows why he is the top gambling writer in the world. I learned many important things from this book and one was to stay away from mini-baccarat! I highly recommend this to casino players.

this book was entertaining, cool storys of kens adventures.
the info on blackjack is a little out dated. (but there will always be 52 cards in a deck, so counting systems should still be useful in todays games.) even though casino rules have changed, it is very possible to change basic strategy to suite the game. then choose a count system to advance your self to a better player.

Although the book is designed more for the card counting player, there is still plenty of information for the beginning or casual player. On the other extreme: for those who are more ambitious the book details The Uston Advanced Point Count. The APC is considered one of the most powerful (and complicated) count systems ever. It is still every bit as applicable today as it was in the 70's when it was developed. Several other simpler count systems that Uston devised are also covered in great detail. Stories of how they won millions of dollars from the casinos are inspiring and enjoyable to read. If you're in it for the stories, pick up one of his other books: Ken Uston on Blackjack. It contains NO 21 strategy advice, but is chock full of their clandestine 21 activities around the casinos. Very fun and quick to read.

Buying this book used turned out to be quite a bit pricy ...but it proved worth the investment. The book was informative, entertaining, inspiring, and will serve as a useful reference down the road as well. Uston will teach you precise basic strategy, open your eyes to the wonderful world of card counting, provide you with many interesting insights into the game, and has plenty of thrilling gambling tales to make this work the most comprehensive blackjack resource I've ever owned. Whether you're looking for an introductory read, or an advanced analysis, this book has it all.

This book is a good read - especially if you play backjack yourself, ever tried learning to count cards, and have ever thought of trying to make a big score doing it. I thought the plot, characters and the moral and ethical themes were interesting. My only issue was that I wish it was better written. It isn't trash but it really does feel like a first time author. Much of the dialog - especially when dealing with the morality or "lesson learning" is very unnatural and a little too neat and clean. The chapters that don't deal directly with blackjack weren't that interesting. The book is also quite predictable which isn't necessarily a bad thing but I like the predictability in a book to be more subtle. Luckily, the subject matter interests me and the twists and turns in the main blackjack story line were compelling enough to keep me reading through to the end.

I enjoyed reading my first novel ever where the main character, Raven, is a card counter and card counting itself is central to the story line. Mr. Blackwood is or was a professional BlackJack player, his understanding and knowledge about big time blackjack play is quite evident in the realistic portrayal of his book's characters. As a serious card counter myself, I found Raven's thought process quite similar to how my own thought pattern works in similar situations. While the good vs. evil conflict in "The Counter" is timeless, for me, having it play out in the world of blackjack made for an even more pleasurable read.

Speaking as one who has read hundreds of bestsellers, I found THE COUNTER kept me flipping pages until its exciting finish.

I had just recently returned from Las Vegas when I read this book and the descriptions were right on the money. I only wish I had read this book first, or better still, taken it with me. I am not a gambler, but after reading THE COUNTER, I feel I have some insight into the mind of a professional blackjack player.

Don't get me wrong; this novel is not just about the fast paced world of casinos. If it were, I would've been lost immediately. No, the story touches on many universal themes such as relationships, redemption, and regrets. I've read everything from romance to horror and I highly recommend you buy this book.

Humble and Cooper's treatise on blackjack is far and away the best blackjack book on the market. Anyone interested in learning the game of blackjack or mastering advanced blackjack skills (e.g., card counting and betting strategies) needs to pick up this book. Although it is very lengthy and contains some fluff that could have been omitted, the book presents all aspects of the game in an easy to read format. Best of all, it contains percentages and mathematical information for those inclined to learn the game in a more academic manner, and also contains easy to read charts and more basic explanations of concepts for the more practical reader. The book is entertaining and informative, but most importantly, the information is accurate and reliable. I haven't found another book that tops this one - it makes a great reference to hang onto before trips to Vegas or the riverboats. Even though it is extremely long, the one chapter on basic strategy can be read in about twenty minutes (it's what makes the book worth the money). All in all, you simply can't go wrong with this Bible of Blackjack! Good luck!

This is the first book I read on blackjack and it is what made me so enthusiastic about the game. It is recommended read for most all blackjack players. The only gripe I have is that the HI-OPT I system has indices that only spread to +6/-6. When you are playing blackjack the count will somtimes go well out of that range. The counting system is a great start for the novice player but needs some adjustments to satisfy the skilled. As your skill improves you can increase the power of the system by using side counts for A's and running simulations to extend the indices.

HiOpt 1 is the card counting method of this book it is not quite as easy or powerfull as the simple hi lo method however it is better because it is more accurate when used to modify basic strat tables. No one can use card counting to its full potential withought geeting caught so the money variations are made smaller...that is were this book comes in: it presents another way to count cards and make money without large fluctuations in the amount of money being bet per hand...modified stratagie based off of increased knoledge through counting. If you already know the simple Hi-Lo card method and dont want to learn HiOpt 1 try reading books by Stanford Wong. I learned Hi-Lo first.

I got this book for my husband, as he's the non-fiction reader in our family. I was out of something to read, so I picked it up and could NOT put it down.

Bridges does a great job of putting a lot of convoluted information into readable form. Edwin Edwards and his Crazy Cajun Cronies didn't really do anything new...they just continued a long tradition of crooked Louisiana Politics!

I enjoyed almost all of this book...the only parts that made my eyes glaze over were the details regarding the financing. My mind just can't wrap around deals where the broker stands to make 27 MILLION dollars....and then one million a year after that!

If you ever wanted a peek into the world of slick politicians, oily gangsters and brash billionaires, this is your book. BAD BET ON THE BAYOU should be required reading for anyone who votes!

Enjoy!

Even for close followers of the Louisiana political landscape, things can get highly confusing with the favoritism, kick backs, back room deals, bribes, and bizzare family and professional political relationships. Throw in Edwin Edwards, David Duke, Edddie Debartalo and a rogues gallery of legislators, judges, the Mafia and some casino executives and we are left with a titantic mess in Louisiana. Happily this book sorts it all out, leaving us with the very unpretty picture of what happened in Louisiana over the last decade. It tells the story of the rise of legalizing gambling in Louisiana and the resultent social, economic and political disasters that followed. Bridges makes a powerful case for political reform and writes with a languid style reminisisent of a slow moving bayou. A bit too much repetitive text (I said "I read that already" a few two many times) but overall a masterful work.

This riveting tale of corruption reads like a nonfiction version of The Firm. With journalistic precision, Bridges details the patronage, extortion, payoffs, and other shady dealings that permeated four-term Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards' administration. While Edwards is the central focus of the book, the author introduces us to an array of fascinating characters. These range from mobsters intent on getting a cut of Louisiana's gambling revenues to ordinary people confronted with navigating an unthinkably dysfunctional state government. Bridges clearly knows his material and shows remarkable insight into the strange netherworld of Louisiana politics.

Playing Blackjack As a Business is one of the best books ever written on card counting. It is very comprehensive listing basic to advanced card counting strategies. Perhaps the greatest benefit is the author's decades of personal experience in playing and winning using the strategies presented in the book. The book is, I believe largely if not wholly accurate. (The basic strategy charts are amongst the most accurate in existence!) Lawrence Revere stresses the importance of discipline and practice and that, regardless of one's skill, there will always be occasions when you lose sessions of play. The book is useful for an intermediate card counter and an excellent place to start if you're a newcomer.

This book is well written and covers basic through advanced play in a way that should be easy for any level of player to follow. Especially insightful and useful are the charts on strategy. Some people argue some of the concepts in this book are out of date; however, if studied and mastered you should find they still hold true depending on the rules of the particular casino your are playing. It is a worthy complement to other books on the subject written more recently. The more you know and the more you have mastered different stategies the better you play will be. This is a great resource.

I've used this book for years as a reference before going anywhere I play Blackjack. Mr. Revere provided color coded, easily understood charts and tables for single and mulitple deck games. He gives basic strategy for each as well as several simple to advanced counting strategies. His rules regarding bet size, betting and playing time are rules to survival at the tables. I may not be getting kicked out of casinos, but I leave with their money 4 out of 5 times and the losses are pocket change compared to the winnings. Mr. Revere has since died, but his knowledge of blackjack is as true today as it was over 20 years ago.

I just finished putting into practice the four step method that Walter Thomason explains in this book. I had great success with it. The book is very good. It is well written and explains in detail exactly what basic strategy players should do to get a better edge at the game. I think that real world blackjack is different from the computer world. The dealers I played with never thoroughly shuffled the cards and there were wild streaks on all shoes. When the streaks were going against me, I was usually at my lowest bet but when the streaks were going with me I had maximum money out. Thomason's system made a lot of sense when I saw it in action in a real casino.

The only way to get a mathematical edge at blackjack is to count cards. However, not everyone can do that. For those players who can't or don't want to count cards, Walter Thomason's book is the best on the market. It has a progressive betting system tht has been tested in real-world conditions, computer simulations and field tests. It will save you money and will give you a great chance to beat the casinos. This book is very well-written and it includes an introduction by Frank Scoblete, a very famous author who explains what makes Thomason's book so unique.

I have been reading Walter Thomason's articles in the great gambling magazine The New Chance and Circumstance and I have always enjoyed what he has to say. I have always been cynical of progressive betting systems in general but this book had gotten such good publicity that I decided to read it. I'm glad I did. I have been playing basic strategy at blackjack for 20 years but I could never count cards as it gave me a headache. This four step progression of Mr. Thomason (used with his quit point strategy) has worked for me in my last 15 trips to Las Vegas. It is a much better way to play than just flat betting or increasing ones bet on a whim.

I echo what other reviewers have written: This book is better for the average home game where the stakes are low and play is loose. At the same time, the average home player may find the mathematical detail and the discussions of expected values difficult to follow. That doesn't negate their value, however, and I find that the academic approach Steiner uses is great (what other poker book has footnotes?). In particular, his discussions of the more popular games -- draw, 7-card stud, 7-card hi-lo, hold 'em (texas and omaha), etc. -- are valuable. Even if you have to reread some of the sections to fully comprehend them, it's an excellent foundational treatise on poker.

Thursday Night Poker is a well written and easy to read book that can help players of all levels improve their home game as well as prepare you for some basic strategy to use in the casino. Since reading the book I have become much more aware of many previously ignored, yet important aspects of the game of Poker. The section dealing with seven card stud beginning holdings was worth the price of the book all by itself and has definitely paid for itself many times in game play situations. I recommend this to all poker players, especially those who are new to the game.

A poker text has to fit the player-- beginners don't need statistical dissertation, pros don't need 'what would you do
here' stuff. Steiner's text is superlative for middle players, i.e. you love the game and you're not bad, but you know
there's plenty of room for improvement.

Steiner leaves few stones unturned. He discusses pot and betting odds, a wide range of games and tactics, and
especially probability with rare eloquence and clarity; this is a man who's been there, and paid close attention. His sample hands and quizzes are quite enlightening, neither obvious nor subjective, and he always supports his conclusions.

While certainly a game of numbers, poker is largely anecdotal, and Steiner is very aware of this too. He's quick to
defend variation in playing style due to variation in players, and readily admits to loose play to justify appetite for action. Testament that "Thursday" is so good is that it's dog- eared from going back and forth, unlike my still perfect Malmuth...

The title's the only thing I'd question. You play this way with your Thursday night chums, you're going to have to
find a new game fast. Stick to Steiner, try the tables, and I'll play elsewhere.