This is a great book to get if you are a novice craps shooter. It doesn't get into the step by step betting sequences like some other books. If that's what you're looking for than this isn't the bookto buy. This is an "attitude" book. It explains a few strategies and talks about the mental toughness to be a good craps shooter. The best part and biggest reason to buy is the exercise about rolling the dice and charting the outcomes! You'll be amazed!!

I enjoyed this book because it had a realistic sense of what it is like to play and gamble in the Casinos in Vegas and Atlantic City. Mr. Stuart has "been there, done that". I have used with some success two of his "systems", on occasion. He knows percentages and how to use them, and his other advice on gambling is very helpful. We all know the house will always win in the long run, but he really puts it to them, in his lucky streak, and I believe, as does he, that is the only way to go.!! Great Reading.

Packed with true grit and determination. Funny and witty at times. True stories from a 'high roller' hit home even for one who spends his time at the 2$ tables. Has saved me thousands. Even came away a winner a few times. Re read it every time I go back to Vegas. Wish I could have met the author. George S. Getz October 7, 1997

Gayle's first book is an easy read and easy to understand--she offers not only the rules of five best bets, blackjack, craps, (mini)baccarat, slots and my favorite video poker but explains the best strategies to "attack" these games. She tells some good stories and offers best casinos in Vegas and Laughlin - I now have her second book.

We purchased this book because we wanted to possibly expand the number of casino games we were playing. With all of the screams at the Craps and Blackjack tables, were we missing the fun? Our only game was slot machines before we read Gayle's statement,"If you play and learn only one other game, make it video poker." After studying the strategies in this book, we have found the FUN. My VP play seemed successful from the begining. My 4th trip delivered the "Royal Flush". My wife, also a beginner, has recently hit one as well. Even more astounding, to us, in a 3 week period this month we hit 19 VP and 2 slot jackpots. Making a 1999 total of 26 jackpots, so far. This book has improved our selecting slot machines and we never had any VP strategy previously. We are now ordering her book "Video Poker Made Easier", just in case this winning can indeed get easier. Thanks, Gayle.

Superb book - learned so very very much - thanks Gayle - you taught me so much and I had a great time with your humour. Learning can be fun, can't it?

I would consider myself a better than average card player, and I can play blackjack pretty well. But I have never looked at the formal mathematics or strategies involved in playing blackjack, *to win*.

This book covers "BS", the Basic Strategy, in itself enough to improve your game. Once you master this topic (you are dealt an A,7 and the dealer has a 3, what do you do?), the author introduces more and more advanced topics to continually improve you chances of winning (or rather remove the advantage the casinos already have, i.e. your chances of losing)

These advanced topics include several different methods of counting cards (take your pick), ranging your bet based on the count, and then finally using MBS, or "Modified Basic Strategy", complete with a whole new set of tables to master, oh my!

This book provided me exactly the information I wanted to become a better player, namely the BS strategy table, methods for counting cards, and sound reasoning to back it up. As a bonus, the author continually stresses how to reduce the chances of getting wiped out, and in general I think provides some good tips to keep in mind when gambling.

I bought this book because I was going on vacation to a destination with a casino, and although I'm hardly an avid gambler, I thought I'd spend some time playing blackjack. But this time, I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing, because I was tired of simply showing up at a table with a pocketful of hope.

I was aware that there were basic systems around for amateurs that purported to even out the casino's edge in blackjack, but to be honest, I'd never taken the time to read about them or learn one. If I ever knew all the right plays, like when to hit, stand, split or double in every conceivable situation, I had long ago forgotten the rules. For example, do you hit a 16 when the dealer has a 7 showing?

Enter "Professor" Reynolds with The Complete Book of Blackjack. I call him Professor because I never would have imagined a more literate, humane, or succinctly instructive treatment of a subject like this. If you ever decide to play blackjack, the section on the "Basic Strategy (BS)" will repay you many times over. In this unit, you learn the cold, hard mathematically validated rules on when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em, reinforced with practical exercises and drills. There's an immensely readable chapter on myths of blackjack, all debunked with the same matter-of-fact, analytically based style. I didn't have time to absorb info on money management techniques and the real payoff that comes from counting systems, but the Professor assured me that I could hold my own with the basic strategy, so I decided to give it a try.

After three days of occasionally studying the tables and quizzing myself until I had BS memorized, I summoned up the courage to enter the casino, despite the fact that the book prudently warned me to practice at home or on the computer first. It's an entirely different game when you know the statistically right thing to do in every situation: violent emotions of hope and despair are replaced with relative calm and dispassionate observation. Don't get me wrong: this system doesn't guarantee that you will win every time out or get rich quick. It just insures you won't make a decision that concedes the advantage to the house.

So what happened? I played for two hours the first night and won $85 betting $5 a hand. I played for 45 minutes the next day with the same betting routine and won $75. Unfortunately Professor Reynolds can't accompany you and swat you in the head when it's time to get up from the table-you have to do that for yourself, although he offers advice on how to quit when you're ahead. Cost of book: $12 plus shipping. Return: $160. Not bad for openers.

I'm sure there are plenty of other books that offer similar systems and probably even more depth, but this a terrific primer for someone who doesn't want to devote his life to the subject. Thanks, Professor!

I've got to declare my bias up front... I'm the author's son, *but* I am also a computer programmer -- *the* computer programmer that wrote the simulation programs used by T.J. Reynolds in his research, in fact.

I knew very little about the game before I became responsible for replicating its play electronically and assisting in the proof-reading...

I used the amalgamated systems to win enough to pay for my honeymoon cruise through the Carribean, and still had enough left over to buy a *very* nice watch!

The best thing about the book, in my opinion, is how the author explains the rationale behind every element of the Basic Strategy as well as the more complex topics in a straight forward manner that seems to assist in remembering them.

I also appreciate the section that debunks the common Myths of Blackjack, and shatters the superstitions that are the most common causes of ruin among amateurs -- once again he pulls no punches about the statistics while wording the explainations in a way that is accessible to those of us who are crappy at Math...

With this book -- which is a fusion of all the most noted works on the game of BlackJack published this century -- you don't need to buy any of the originals by Thorpe, Wong, Uston, etc. -- It's all inside reduced to the essential concepts without any of the peripheral dissertations that would only be of interest to Statisticians.

If you can only afford to buy or travel with one book, THIS IS THE ONE!

Coyote is a kick in the pants. Richard Miller's character Beffle, alias The Beer Fairy, changes personas and disguises like most of us change socks. In fact, many characters in this book change identities as Beffle and her erstwhile employer Two Bears roar through several American Indian casinos trying to escape a vast unnamed conspiracy that threatens to murder them.

From an Ohlone home base casino in Carmel Valley, Calif., Beffle and Two Bears plot the resurgence of American Indian culture through the pocketbooks of American consumer culture, primarily gambling, called here as in advertisements, "gaming." Miller not only places the reader on the Big Sur coast but also trails us to Las Vegas and Connecticut, while making a strong point that the motel rooms that Beffle frequents could be "anywhere USA."

Beffle and Two Bears travel to develop a scheme that will combine casinos around the country to buy back Indian land and establish a new Indian confederacy. The motel culture of the dominant culture won't do; perhaps the resurrection of the Indians with their respect for nature will save society. Or will it? Miller makes the reader acutely aware that casinos are sprouting in places where the deer once roamed.

There's lots of background on what the dominant white culture has done to the Indians since stealing their land and Two Bears becomes an eloquent spokesman for the injustices as well as for the dreams of the tribes. His diatribes skewer our contemporary consumer culture as surely and accurately as an arrow strikes the bulls eye.

Yet there's something rotten in Denmark, as Shakespeare would say, when various people attempt to kill Beffle, and the pair, along with their trusty bodyguards, confront an unknown force that could be the CIA, the FBI or the Mafia. Who is trying to kill them and why? Or is anyone what they seem? And who are these sex-crazed twins and their cohorts who keep popping up to rescue Beffle at the oddest times?

Not to give away the plot, but no one is who they seem to be and the last pages of the book once again turn identities on their heads. Make an afternoon free to read this compelling story of ideals that bend back on themselves like pretzels and still hold out hope that something can change; people will triumph over their own doubts and greed and we can look to some of the beliefs of the American Indians to see us through our complex so-called civilization.

COYOTE is a swirling vortex of thoughts and ideas. It is about our mortal and immortal selves. It is about the pyramids of power who do their damnedest to control us, and inadvertently, themselves. It is about innocence and deceit. Who are the bad guys anyways? Should we be judged by what we do or why we do it? COYOTE is both thoughtful and fun, a fast-paced fiction that raises many serious issues. I truly recommend it!

Like its namesake in Native-American mythology, Miller's Coyote is playful and cunning. Its heroine, the resourceful and mysterious Beffle-who's an accomplished disguise artist-takes the reader on a coast-to-coast tour of Indian Casino gambling, that includes a stop in the nightmarish Mecca of gambling, Las Vegas. It also includes a bizarre high school reunion in the bowels of Ohio. Coyote is funny, suspensful, and serious as it looks at the history of relations between Native Americans and the Europeans who dropped by uninvited. Lots of good history wrapped in a witty, fast-paced adventure. I read it over a weekend and forwarded it to a friend who read it in a night. Terrific book.

To win at the races you need to eliminate the losers. This book gives the serious handicapper the tools to choose the horses that are really in contention for todays race. With the help of this book and some reasonable handicapping skills, one can see a difference at the betting windows. The only criticsm is that there is not any great insight on money management, which was not the purpose of this book but would have been a nice bonus.

A great book that fully explains class differentials and what horses to look for to win certain classes...Must read for any player

This was truly an eye opener for me, a casual Thoroughbred bettor. James Quinn has positively showed me the light! This book is an up to date, complete analysis of modern formulas to understand how eligible horses qualify for certain races and how to spot the probable winner. 100 stars!!!!

This book has basic information of the sort you quickly find on your own. Like other _Idiot_ books, pages get filled with elaboration of the obvious. The book also has a very rah-rah cheerleading tone for the gambling industry -- a highly complimentary reviewer above is in Belize, a major host of gambling servers. There is a short, common sense section on how to avoid problems, but no mention of any of the actual URLs who've been ripping people off. For that, go to the free portals like winneronline, gamemasteronline, gambling.com. However, I think the book still would be quite useful to someone new to both gambling and the web.

mark balestra has done a wonderful job in putting together what potential players will need to know before playing offshore. it is simple to write a book that explains how the different games are played online but the big concern here is safety factors when fronting your money offshore. mark makes these things crytal clear and tells you what to avoid and where to go for advice. i highly recommend this fine book for anyone who is considering internet wagering!

brian georgia partner in bettorsworld.com

After reading this book almost cover to cover, I can easily say this is the most comprehensive book regarding online gambling written to date. From software providers to sites to avoide, Mark Balestra has included it all. I have found it to be an excellent choice for reading as well as a good reference tool. Thank you Mark Balestra.

As a novice I found this book helpful at learning the very basics of craps. To me, the bold print and the drawing were helpful.

After reading this book and going to the casino I found that I could perform basic functions and know what I was doing. What I am desiring after a few trips to the casino is a second stage (an intermediate level) that goes into brief straight-forward details of other bets on the table. I realize these bets are not recommended, but I have seen the table "hot" and nice rewards gained there.

I enjoy the game and I am ahead. If the table is cold (or turns cold) I walk away.

This book is by far the most concise book I've ever read on craps. The language used made it easy to understand and very easy to implement. On my first trip to Las Vegas, after reading the book, I was able to win at craps for the first time. Thank you Mr. Gallager. You made my trip to Vegas very enjoyable.

This book only has 26 pages so I guess on a price per page basis its cost is high. Another way to look at it is that its simplicity makes understanding the game easy for the beginner. There is none of the usual filler material to page through and skip. Every page is right on target.

I found this book extremel amuzing. It is a little morbid but entertaining none-the-less. Mike Gelfand is a great author which comes through in this literary endeavor. I highly recommend this to anyone no put off by the death issue.

A great change of pace. I don't give anything a five star, so four is good!

The book was entertaining and informational. A good read, very lighthearted. If you can't find humor in death, you must be dead!!!

Also, my favorite radio stud is the author. Go Mike!!!

Fate, Coincidence, and the Outcome of Horse Races is not so much about horse races as it is about the superstitions that plague the horse-racing fan. The author shows a rare type of humor, explaining with wry wit why the horse-racing fan should observe certain superstitions: never eat peanuts at a race track; do not keep losing mutuel tickets in your pocket; keep your eyes and ears peeled for the occurrence of coincidences, etc. Armando Benitez affirms that there is a power that arranges the occurrence of every incident on earth, and that sometimes that power is too lazy to scramble its results. Sometimes, also, when there are two or more similarly-named horses in a race, that power will tend to pick one of them to win the race . . . because it is unconsciously influenced by the repetitious occurrence of the names, the same as we are. The book is sprinkled throughout with anecdotes from the race track, quotes and examples from antiquity, and from authors ranging from Herodotus to Arthur Koestler. Whether you believe this stuff or not, or whether you are a racing fan or not, this is a book worth reading. Are there any other titles by this very funny and talented writer?

The intriguing title makes one want to open this book. Because, who has not been tantalized by the occurrence of a coincidence in his or her life? At the race track, especially, even the hardest nosed of race handicappers will occasionally throw their handicapping knowledge to the wind to follow a hunch or coincidence.

The practicality of the advice in this book aside, it is a little gem awaiting its readership. Full of anecdotes from the race track and from history, it is both fascinating and funny.

I am a HUGE Horse Racing fan and this book was terrific! Sometimes I feel that I am part horse when I read this book!

This book may be good for a player with absolutely no poker experience, or a player who wants to be able to keep his/her head above water a little longer at the tables while on a yearly trip to Vegas or Atlantic City. However, if you already know how to play Texas Hold'em and are looking to improve your game, there are a few books that are better than this one.

This book is very dry and flat. It is an interminable list of, "do this, don't do this, except what that happens". It reads like a buddy giving you advice on how to play.

However, there is really no logical way to digest all of this information. The information is useless if you can't recall it, and the way this is written it would be difficult for anyone to be able to use the advice without the book next to them to look it up whenever a particular situation comes up.

In my opinion, this occurs because Mr. Burton never really never goes into depth about why you should or shouldn't make a particular play. He does to a point, but never in a way that makes you think for yourself. He is just like a buddy that spoon feeds you advice without telling you the underlying how or why of a decision.

To be able to use any kind of advice, you need to be able to understand the underlying theory of the advice so you can make your own, well informed and educated decisions, not play like a robot. If you want to play systematically and unimaginatively, you'd be better off learning the basic strategy of blackjack and stick to that instead of poker. If you want a book that teaches you AND makes you think for yourself, check out Lee Jones' book.

There are many books available on this subject, but this one just might be the definitive work for those who are just starting out!

Not only is it incredibly informative, it is also both easy and fun to read! It chronicles Bill's first-time journey into the world of Hold 'em Poker, detailing the learning process and ups and downs of the game.

Having read just about every other book available on this subject, I can honestly say that this one presents new information and insight into this apparently simple, but incredibly complex game.

There is a world of mis-information circulating regarding the game of poker vis-à-vis "casino gambling in general.

If you are one of those who believe that poker falls under the general heading of "gambling", then this is a "MUST READ" for you!

As you make the journey with Bill, you will discover that, indeed, poker is a game of skill, not pure chance or blind luck, and that once you master the requisite skills, you too can be one of the few players who can be a long-term winner at this game.

Whether you are serious about mastering the skill, or simply want to expand your general knowledge base, this book will greatly assist in both!

This is another great book in the Frank Scoblete Get the Edge series and, as a poker player, I am happy to see that Frank's line is now incorporating this game. Bill Burton, the casino guide for About.com, has done a great job of boiling down the essentials of Texas Hold em to a series of rules and betting strategies that I find right on the money. Even as a long time player, I learned a lot from Mr. Burton. This book is an excellent book for beginners and somewhat more experienced players. Burton is easy to read and the book should be one of the two or three must books for starting players to master. Good job all around!