Whether you are embarking on that Monte Carlo night in your home town or a livin' it up Las Vegas gampage, this is a book to get!

The author covers several areas from Slots, to the table games, including one of my favourites, Roulette.

Awareness is key, why learn the expensive way? Making rookie mistakes learning by paying through the nose. Get educated and pick up some great tips and understand the rules.

Well written and worth it, you'll spend more on 2 minutes in blackjack or 5 minutes at slots.

You won't have the odds against you with this book.

When I moved, I found this book in my library. I go frequently to southern Nevada, but I no longer have the money to sustain the losses one can incur even if one is a good player at "21." I do enjoy gambling, and had decided to try video poker. I was presently surprised to find that with the information on pp. 43-48, I could turn a machine with a decent payout schedule into a positive expectation. I left Nevada with a net amount higher than I had seen from "21" in quite a while. The information in this book has made me a great fan of video poker played statistically properly.

I really like this book and have recommended it to others. It covers all the basic casino games. The descriptions are clear and concise. It is small enough that you can even put it in a coat pocket for a trip to the casino.

Yes, there are other books that tell you much more (in my opinion, way too much more) about one certain game or a certain few games. I have found no other book that covers so much in such a straightforward manner.

I'm a pretty smart guy. Just tell me the rules and the basic strategy and I can figure things out. I don't need to be told how stupid I am if I ever even think about playing Let It Ride or Caribbean Stud. I don't need to hear "war stories" about how the author made his living gambling and why his "system" is so great. I don't need a treatise on Probability and Statistics. (I have a degree in Mathematics, thank you). This book doesn't bore you with any of those things. It gives you the facts and leaves it up to you to decide how to gamble.

In addition to the rules and basic strategy there are straightforward tips on etiquette, interacting with the dealer, and tipping.

PS- In second place, I would put the Fodor's guide to Las Vegas.

This book did not quite meet my expectations. Since I have more reason to criticize I shall start my review by listing the flaws.

First thing that strikes me as a mistake is the fact that the works are not arranged in any order, but rather just thrown in at random. Although the authors make it clear in the introduction that this was done deliberately it still strikes me as a poor decision.

Next, neither one of the two authors is an art historian. Too bad, because a lot of the works merit better descriptions.

In my opinion the authors included too many works by LeRoy Neiman, and at the same time failed to include some very important works of art that should really have been included to make this book complete. LeRoy Neiman also wrote the Foreword, which is fine, except that he made a big mistake in his description of the world famous painting "The Cheat with the Ace of Clubs" by Georges de La Tour. He says, "Women gambling pops up frequently in this collection. Georges de La Tour's painting of a woman being cheated..." The famous painting in question shows a young man being cheated by small conspiratorial group of two women and a man. How could such big mistake slip through the cracks and end up in print? Sloppiness?

While at the subject of La Tour's masterpiece, "The Cheat with the Ace of Clubs". The authors do mention that this painting is a virtual clone of another work by the same artist, "The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds", however they did not include a color plate of the other one. Why not? Furthermore the authors have totally failed to provide an accurate description of this masterpiece. According to the authors this painting is about a cheat switching cards. Yes, a cheat is seen holding out two aces behind his back, however there is more to it; the main foundation for this painting is a moral essay on the three main temptations of the 17th century - women , gambling and wine. A quick glance into a few art books would have made this fact known to the authors.

Although the authors did note that the above-mentioned work was strongly influenced by Caravaggio's "The Cardsharpers", they failed to include any paintings by Valentin de Boulogne, a celebrated artist, also influenced by Caravaggio, and the only one said to come close or even surpass Caravaggio's talent. The two masterpieces by Valentin that should have been included are "Cardsharpers" and "Soldiers Playing Cards and Dice" (aka "The Cheats").

Other paintings that should have been included are works by Theodor Rombouts, such as "Card and Backgammon players" (aka "Fight Over Cards"), and two renditions of "The Card Players". The exclusion of the above-mentioned works makes this book incomplete.

As I had already mentioned, the descriptions of the paintings tend to be a bit incomplete, sometimes inaccurate, and often tend to focus on irrelevant subjects. For example, in the description of "The Dice Playes" by Georges de La Tour, which was painted in 1650, the authors slip away to a description of an event that happened in 1984 when a Texan (unnamed) made a one million Dollar bet at the Craps table, at Binnion's Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. Although this is undoubtedly a good story, what does that have to do with the painting that La Tour painted in the 17th century?

As an example of an inaccurate description I could mention the Carl Kronberger's "Surprised". At first glance one can see a scene in which three card players, seated under a bridge are distracted by a carriage that happens to be passing over the same bridge. The authors are attempting to guess which three-handed game of card the players could be playing. However, what they failed to notice is that the players are seated on top of their bags, around a make-shift table, and that there is an abandoned fourth bag over which the absent fourth player laid his hand of five cards to rest. Furthermore this fourth player left his wager (a few coins) on the card table. At the same time he is seen begging for change, hat in hand, on top of the bridge, as the rich man seated in the carriage in tossing spare change into the man's hat. The painting obviously shows an interrupted four-handed game, and not a three-handed game, as the authors are guessing.

On the good note, I still find the book interesting. It is probably the best gaming-related art book with good color reproductions. Despite its flaws it is till obvious that the authors did do a substantial amount of research and I do recommend this book for anyone interested in gaming and/or gambling, and art.

I bought this as a gift, and I only had time to thumb through it. I figured that I would write a quick note since it has not been rated and others might at least want an idea.

This book is full of interesting and colorful art work. From card games to horse racing it has it all. If you think you will be interested you will like it. I was very happy with the purchase.

This book is primarily for non-counting beginners who want to improve their basic strategy. Although there is no counting, the strategies provided are pretty good. There are some statistics for the different approaches, but not an abundance of support. It is basically a simple intro guide with some good hands-on information like how the dealing takes place, how to handle the IRS, how to play some other variants (which I do not care about), etc.

Having read dozens of books on the subject of blackjack, I found this one to be exactly what it is intended to be... a guide for anyone who wants to beat the multiple blackjack game. While it is a great primer on the game for anyone who has never been inside of a casino, it can also serve the more experienced player as well. It does not offer any anecdotal accounts of the author's experiences at blackjack. It does not offer card counting strategies at all. If you're an experienced player who's looking to hone your card counting skills, this book is not what you're looking for. But even an experienced player can benefit from all but the book's first chapter which details rules, equipment and blackjack terminology. It is probably the best book I've come across covering basic strategy. It not only shows you the correct basic strategy to use based on the number of decks and house rules, the author explains the "why", making it easier for players of all levels to recall what their correct play should be. It also offers a formula for determining the house advantage on the games that you may face by adding %'s of house advantage rules and deducting player advantage rules. Based on the various house rules, it gives you the variations of basic strategy that the player should employ. Whether you're an experienced player who wants to brush up on your game, a novice that wants to learn what variations of basic strategy to use, or you're simply a beginner who wants to get ready to hit the tables for the first time, this is the book to get.

This great paperback gives you a thorough study of the 'ins and outs' of Video Poker. If you play Video Poker this book is a must.

Having played the game and read several books on the subject, this is the best. The author shows the best play for all situations in a way that is easy to remember. bd

Blackjack Strategy is a good overview of the game. The book starts with a brief history of the game and then quickly moves on to the "Basic Strategy" of Blackjack, i.e. minimizing your disadvantage.

The chapter on the basic strategy is enough to make you confident enough to tackle any Blackjack table without looking foolish. It will teach you when to hit, stand, double down, etc...

The next few chapters go on to describe a basic card counting strategy. It is easy enough to understand but if you are looking for some serious information on card counting this book will probabaly not be good enough by itself.

Overall the book was a quick read and easy to comprehend. If you are about to hit the Blackjack tables and want an understanding of the game and its strategies I would recommend reading this book before hand. This book is also a good reference with many tables in the appendix. You can easily read it in one sitting. If you are looking for a meaty book with ton's of detailed information you may want to look elsewhere.

This is a good book that can give beginners a good introduction to black jack and some of the casino rules. For non-beginners (people with some "know how") there is plenty of material to.

It gives you an overview of gambling/black jack history (very brief but interesting) and it tells you some of the "unwritten" rules that only people that visit casinos know. It provides you with fundamental rules, reference tables for different scenarios and advance techniques.

To the bottom line... I follow the book direction and it helped me to make enough money that my trip to Vegas was pretty much free. For my first attempt at black jack obviously I am happy, and I plan to read it again and check the advanced material for my next trip.

Finally, Black Jack is a lot more fun and intense than the roulette or the coin machines.

The book "Blackjack Your Way to Riches" is a highly informative Blackjack book with much more than just BJ techniques. Much, much, more. It offers advice on tipping, gestures, and comps during in which that time the author and his four "associates" are keeping you in constant laughs. It is fine for a general reference if you just want to level out with the house but many of their techniques are outdated and do not work in most of today's conditions. The author brags about his counting system not getting you barred, but that is a lie. All users working counting systems are almost always found out and barred, no matter who they are. All in all a good book though for the newcomer to BJ or someone just going on a vacation playing a few hands. If you would like some better strategies that are more up to date please order a copy of either Ken Uston's "Million Dollar Blackjack" and/or Jerry L. Patterson's "Blackjack A Winner's Handbook", both 5 star books. And, if anyone wants to try it, no one I know has used the system in the back of the book. If you do please feel free to e-mail me with your results and comments.

A bit of advise from somone who has spent the last 6 years mastering and playing various BJ systems in Reno and Vegas. There is no single book in print that will give more playing power to a beginner than does Canfields. My father played with a "associate," for many years using the modified master system, which has astounding results, but is as complicated as "BJ for Blood" The expert running count as found in this book produces excelent results over many hours of play. Atleast one quarter of my year is dedicated to play and I still use most of the technique described. As far as getting caught and barred, I'm still rolling... Not everyone who counts gets caught, but they are watching, unfortunatly bank rolls are about double now to avoid detection and this system although powerfull is now more time consuming than before. It will make you money, My returns playing are usually under those shown per hour in the book, but not by much. As for those seeking the Master system, good luck hunting!

The Camden and Atlantic Railroad was built to connect Camden and Absecon Island in 1854 and provided faster access than by stagecoach. The terminus was named "Atlantic City" (p.15). By 1880 Atlantic City was a thriving summer resort. Its Convention Center was built in 1929 - the largest unobstructed room in the world (488 feet long, 288 feet wide, 137 feet high). Chapter 2 explains how any political machine must work to be successful: provide gambling, prostitution, alcohol, and drugs 24X7. With police protection for those who pay for it. (This ignores any commercial rivalry or union breaking.) The Depression and changing fashions led to the downfall of this Queen of Resorts.

Did corruption and crime kill Atlantic City? Can any resort area outlive changing fashions? Chapter 5 points to Newark. With its seaport, airport, and train station, New York close by, it should be NJ's best city, not a national example of urban decay. Does this reflect the policies of the state's Ruling Class? Chapter 8 tells of the politics in passing a referendum to allow gambling in Atlantic City. It names the politicians and fixers behind this deal. Does NJ have the reputation as the most corrupt in the nation? It was run in turn by large landowners, railroads, insurance companies, and big banks (p.62). Could this be due to its powerful state government and the relative lack of democratic power of the people?

Part II tell "The Way It Is" and covers the decade after the Casino Control Act was passed. It has all the big names in Jersey politics, and the squalid scandals. Read it for all the stories on corruption that they will never teach you in school. Since the book ends in 1985 it doesn't cover the effects of the other casinos across the country, or in nearby Connecticut. Too many casinos chasing fewer gamblers? This and changing fashions could mean another decline for Atlantic City. Or maybe not, it they can change with the times. Pages 204-5 tell how Bally moved from pinball machines into video games, and opened "family amusement centers" in shopping malls, and acquired theme parks, health clubs, and the biggest supplier of lottery tickets in the nation.

After gambling was legalized, property taxes, water, sewer, and utility bills increased by 200-300%; street crimes, prostitution, and drug abuse went up 500% (pp. 367-8). Ninety percent of the businesses operating in 1976 were gone by 1985 (p.378). So who really profited?

Chapter 31 gives "The Bottom Line" and summarizes the effects of legalized gambling. Where it once had 30,000 rooms and was a family vacation resort now has a fraction of that in first-class hotel rooms. Las Vegas has far more (but this may reflect travel times). "Gambling is a parasitic enterprise that thrives on the weaknesses of people. It leaves in its wake corruption, debasement, despair, and the subversion of moral authority. That is the real bottom line" (p.424).

This turned out to be a very good read about Atlantic City, New Jersey.You are able to read about the early history of this resort city. You are taken to the time period when gambling is legalized in the city.All of the major gambling companies that came to Atlantic City(as well as Donald Trump) are given time in this book.You are introduced to the politicians,the unions,as
well as some of the underworld elements that have come to dominate the Boardwalk. This is a very thorough book about gambling and Atlantic City,New Jersey. Buy this book and get the
story on the Boardwalk.

Being an experienced and well read gambler, I was looking for a new approach to my gaming experiences. I found it in Gollehon's "Budget Gambler". The book gives good methods for increasing winnings without increasing the financial risk I was already comfortable with, and it is entertaining, too. Very common sense approach, and methods are easy to use "live" in casinos. Reading this book felt like having a conversation with a friend who understood me. Very worthwhile gaming book.

Budget gambling is an excellent book for the beginning gambler looking to increase his stay time at the casino. The book discusses the odds and rules of all the basic casino games, then applies Gollehon's 4 color betting strategy to each. Also included are some tips for gambling at the racetrack. The beauty of the 4 color strategy (which by the way is an excellent betting system for any level gambler) is that it is simple to learn, and can be applied to any table game. The system minimizes losses during a cold streak but lets you press your bets and cash in during hot streaks, which is the basis for all successful gambling systems. Also included are some interesting stories about gambling in general. I personally have used this system and have won a significant amount of money while the cards were going my way. For beginning casino goers I highly recommend this book. For more experienced gamblers, its still fun reading. Check it out!

Haynes Johnson begins his narrative analysis at the point where he finished in his mediocre political hatchet job on Ronald Reagan, "Sleepwalking Through History". For Haynes Johnson, Ronald Reagan was the reincarnation of Herbert Hoover, and the America that survived Reagan existed in one large Hooverville (Johnson has never adequately explained away the 13.5% inflation rate, 21% interest rate, the double digit unemployment, and gutted military system that Reagan was left by his noble predecessor). In the 90s Johnson finds average citizens struggling to overcome the legacy of the demon idiot King. He meets educated scholars performing manual labor (the horror!), distressed farmers, bankrupt businessmen, and a collection of people with "concerns" about crime, deficit spending, and the apparent decline in America's international prestige. Johnson could have spared himself the time and expense of his travels and just tuned into an endless stream of current political talk shows on CNN. Strangely enough, Johnson managed to cross America without ever encountering entrepreneurs, well paid workers, or anyone without an axe to grind. Johnson uses his narrative as an excuse to engage in the "gee, isn't Sweden wonderful" crystal ball gazing, waxing poetic about America's lack of commitment to long-term planning (read: National Industrial Policy, or other socialist variants of the aborted Clinton Health Care Plan described by Johnson in an earlier book). Anyone familiar with the works of Hayek knows where he's going with that arguement. A careful examination of the European economic situation (unemployment in the multiples of the American figures, crippling taxes, lack of housing, blatant legalized racism, economic stagnation) would reveal the vacuousness of Johnson's arguements.

One of the best of the tribe of journalists who has successfully made the transition to writing full-time as a contemporary historian is former television correspondent Haynes Johnson, who has penned a wonderful series of books on American politics and social issues like "Sleepwalking Through History", a savvy and fascinating best-selling study of the Reagan's presidency and its aftermath. In this book, "Divided We Fall; Gambling With History In The Nineties", Johnson continues his exploration of the social, economic and politics realities of the times in a work that largely acts as a snapshot of the country and the polity at a particular moment in time, i.e., in the early 1990s, just after Bill Clinton ascended to the Presidency.

One of the things making this book special is the author's ability to draw those that he interviews out of themselves, and as a result he mines some fascinating data from the wide range of people he contacted while making a kind of sentimental journey across America. He found that people quite consistently voiced concerns and reservations about the same kinds of issues; employment, race, education, public schools, and also about traditional values and what their place in contemporary America should be. At the same time, Johnson counterposes against this series of vignettes and interviews details of the inner workings of the early Clinton presidency in all its hoary (or perhaps gory) complications. Faced with unpleasant choices about where we are, where we want to go, and how to get there, this point/counterpoint perspective has some interesting points to make about the state of the country and the culture.

Thus, this is a book that paints an indelible and unforgettable portrait of today's modern America, a country characterized by the common people feeling estranged and disconnected from the government and from what it seems to be about based on what the people seem to hear about it every day. This results in a kind of free-floating anxiety and disappointment about our seeming inability to make the necessary changes needed to face a turbulent and complicated future. As always, however, Johnson finds reasons for hope and optimism, and some of the individual narratives provide ample proof that idealism isn't dead, that there are people who passionately care about their country and their values, and who are actively involved in trying to make this a better country and a better world.

In summary, this is a worthwhile book that squarely faces those problems and issues central to our growth and vibrancy, and which also explores the contemporary scene with uncommon verve and understanding. Johnson is an uncommonly good writer, just as he was always such a terrifically uncommon old-school journalist. I suspect he is also a quite substantial human being! I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!

This book is worth reading for the appendix and details on trip handicapping, but the material on track biases smacks of type 1 errors (finding differences that aren't really there).

The main theme of this book is trip handicapping and a horseplayer who mainly focuses on figures must read. This book will change your mind and ways of thinking. I am actually quite surprise that this book was written over 10 years ago.

With Andrew Beyers new approach to handicapping, I have grasped the full potential of my own creative handicapping skill. A full out knowledge investment. This book is gauranteed to lead an intelligent player to success.