When a person walks into a casino they are looking for one of two things. To win money or have a good time and the latter is always a good thing. So the question is this: Is there a way a person can win in a casino? The answer is: maybe......

How can someone do it? It is not easy but a book has emerged on the market that has made it a lot easier to accomplish. "Beginner to Pro" by Stephen Mead.

This is a no-nonsense book about the game "21" written in a clear concise manner. It begins with a bit of history on the game but does not get to intricate details. What it does emphasize is the teaching of Basic Strategy techniques. Again it does not delve into the mathematics of why it works but provides the lessons and practice charts in order to help a person advance themselves. It is broken down for each individual decision and they are illustrated in a manner which makes learning easy and, more importantly, fun.

Beginner To Pro also gives information about strategies for the advanced player. This includes Card-Counting, Shuffle-Tracking and Money Management as well as giving lessons and self-tests with which to practice before a person actually uses his simple and easy to learn techniques in the real world. He includes both an accurate and a casual system to make counting less like work so you can more enjoy your time at the casino.

Also included in the book are several sections that will keep the reader interested. An F.A.Q. section answers questions most guests have about the casino industry and how it works. Casino Etiquette gets into what a guest should expect and be expected of while visiting a casino. A section on complimentaries is also included to give the player the basics of how they can best utilize the comp system. A section on cheating in the casino is also found in the book on how both a casino and a patron can pull off a fast one. Although not really necessary this section does make for interesting reading.

Can this book make you a winner in a casino? Well, as a Pit Manager I can say this. I have read a lot of "Beat the House" type of books and this one is a little different than most. It tells you right up front about the game reminding you that you may not beat the house every time but patience, dedication, practice, and common sense can make you a winner.

I recommend this book for any casual player looking to gain a little edge on the house.

As someone who usually does not play table games at the casinos and was sick and tired of being robbed by the one armed bandit [slot machine], I decided it was time to learn a few new tricks.

And thus I worked to understand Black Jack aka 21. This was one of several books I purchased on the topic and I have poured over 100s of internet articles on card counting, cheating and other issues related to the game.

While I have always known how to play Blackjack informally, I know that only a fool sits down at a table in a Casino and starts placing bets without knowing every nook and cranny of the rules. I knew that the object of the game was to get as close to 21 without going over. I was also aware of splits and other such maneuvers.

Mead's book taught me what I needed to know - filled in the blanks. I would have always thought that one should split two face cards and take the chance that one would get an ACE on one hand and another face or high card on the other. But Mead explains why statistically this is a newbie mistake.

Loaded with invaluable insider information, Beginner to Pro taught me what I needed to know without confusing me with loads of useless facts, figures, charts, statistics and rhetoric. The title takes a very straight-forward, no-bull approach and wastes no time getting to the point.

Putting Mead's advice into action, my first night was very successful and I was quite pleased with the swelling of my bank account as a direct result

As a dealer it's painful to watch nice people throw their money away because they don't know basic strategy. In Beginner to Pro, blackjack players of any skill can polish their game by following the author's advice. Beginner To Pro is easy to read and full of helpful info. If you ever plan to play blackjack again, do yourself, your wallet, and your ATM card a favor and BUY THIS BOOK! You can thank me later.

The main argument of the author is that online casinos are different from land ones, so you need to adopt a different strategy in order to have a chance of winning. So this book describes a specific approach with the aim of accomplishing this. It's a interesting idea, but, ultimately, it doesn't work. The problem is that the 'systems' in this book are nothing more than very basic progressions; there is nothing really clever or innovative here. Another thing is that, according to the author, his approach only works on two types of casino software - the others are apparently 'unbeatable' because they cheat. All this is very unsatisfactory. Anyway, I tried the system and didn't do well except on baccarat; blackjack was a huge disappointment and craps very slow going. The next book in this series will be on poker - hopefully it will be a lot more effective than this one.

An amazing book of mathematical detective work, with bottom line results any one can use to win.

I heard the Gambling Geek on a Memphis radio show. I ordered the book and I find that it works pretty darn well. I don't always win but I have been seeing small wins just about everyday. It's not gambling as you know it - the book keeps saying that the online games are different and I think they have it right. I've played for the 10 minutes or less (mostly blackjack) and I have won on ten out of the last twelve days. I hope they come up with a way on the [website] of helping the readers select the fairest online casinos and keeping us updated on whats going on with the different software. All in all, I'm a happy camper. I'd give it 5 stars because it paid for itself in a couple of days.

I have read most of the new collections of Lucy Maud Montgomery's short stories with enjoyment, but you do have to take the experience with a grain of salt. Due to the way that the short stories are being grouped - stories of orphans, stories of the sea, stories of marriage and etc - it can get rather tedious to read several stories all on the same theme. The best way to read most of these books in the first place is one story at a time - pick it up, flip to a story, and read it, then put it down. Some of the collections are worse than others - Akin to Anne, for example, is one of the most difficult. However, "Against the Odds" is one of the better ones. It's not half as exasperating as some of the others, as the struggles each person faces varies. One of my favorite stories features a boy who gets locked in the attic, and has to escape and walk a long distance in a dress in order to make a debate speech he promised his teacher he'd be there for. Another chronicles the journey of two girls who face bad weather and worse in order to reach a wedding they were invited to, while another features a young girl who must find some scheme to get money to send her brother and herself off to college. You'll admire the clever, stubborn and spirited characters in this book and as usual Montgomery's story-telling style is winesome and amusing. Her short stories, which previously have been lost, are great to discover if you just like light reading before bed (many of her stories are great to read to kids at bedtime too), and imperative to have if you're a Montgomery fan. She seldom lets you down.

This book was creative yet predictable..In it you will find a few funnys a few serious and a couple heartwarming storys... I reccomend you add it to your shopping cart.

The problem with putting together a collection of stories thatshare the same theme--in this case, overcoming obstacles--is that thestories tend to blend together and very quickly seem predictable. And, let's face it, LMM does tend to reuse plot elements, making sure, like one of her own thrifty characters, that she's getting all the wear out of her material. Even under these handicaps, however, some stories manage to shine. The book opens with one of the best in the collection, "A Patent Medicine Testimonial," which is funny and stands out because of the way in which the heroine accomplishes her aim. "Where There is a Will There is a Way," despite its prissily correct tile, is my favourite of the collection. It's a very simple, very short story about a boy whose guardian won't even let him take part in a debate, much less go to college. He defies her, humiliating himself deeply in the process, and in proving his mettle, wins his guardian's approval. Typical LMM, done in her best style. The last story in the book, "The Strike at Putney," is a close second. The elders of Putney's church decide to improve on Paul and say that not only can no woman preach in church, she can't even give a missionary talk. The women thereupon strike. As one of the characters says, "if women aren't good enough to speak in church they are not good enough to work for it either." It's a humourous take on the battle of sexes that raises some good questions about women's role in the church. These three stories alone make the book worth buying, for they are sure to be read and reread.

Jounalist 'London' Tony Holden, clearly no slouch at the poker table, is emboldened by a boss placement at the World Series of poker (he finished ninetieth). He decides to see if he can 'run with the big boys,' or become a professional poker player. Thus begins a year of much intercontinental travel and poker play. Reading this account, it helps to be familiar with card games, especially Texas Hold 'Em; if you're not you might be perplexed or just bored by the play-by-plays of various hands ('the flop was a Qc-Kh-7c... Did the river hold an ace?'). But you need know nothing about gambling to enjoy Holden's breezy writing style: within these pages lie more than a few telling and insightful remarks on the foibles of gamblers, on his own gambling obsession (courtesy of a shrink Holden hires for that purpose), on the history of gambling and cards, especially in America, and the crazed capitalism concentrate that is Las Vegas. It's good stuff, delivered with the wisdom of a seasoned traveler and the self-effacement of a confirmed Briton. The book probably isn't representative of what might happen if Joe Public were to start mixing it up with the pros of poker; given the ease with which Holden mops up most of his competition, and regularly busts out old pros, he must be one of the better players out there. But if you're looking for a book that takes a hard, sympathetic look at the culture of gambling, this is a good one.

Okay, I'm not a regular poker player, but after reading Holden's delightful book, I'd like to become one. His stories jump off the page and suck you in. You'll feel like you're right there with Holden, sweating the size of your bankroll, taking on the likes of Johnny Chan, and making your way through the World Series of Poker.

You don't need to know a great deal about poker to enjoy the book, but a rudimentary knowledge of Hold'Em would certainly make the poker-table anecdotes even more exciting. Either way, you'll be exhalting over Holden's wins and cringing through his bad beats right along with him.

Holden is an exceptional writer with a dry sense of humour that will have your friends wondering what the heck is so funny about that book you've been chuckling your way through for the past few days.

If you like poker, you will love this book. I did!

If you wasted your money on Bellin's Poker Nation, redeem yourself by picking up this previously out-of-print classic. You will not be able to put it down. Holden is one of the few serious poker players who comes off like a genuinely humane and funny person in print. You'll learn quite a bit about how to play, but this is really a book about the culture of the game. And when it comes to that topic, it has no equals. Alvarez's Biggest Game in Town came first, and is also well worth buying, but Big Deal has better pacing and a more personal touch that makes it compulsively readable.

I've never written a review before, but I really think this book is worth rooting for. You won't be disappointed.

stone cold is right he sure knocked me out when i purchased his book

Sixteen-year old Dennis Doyle is learning about an important tool of independence - money. Like many young people, his first job is mowing lawns. He's good at his job, and keeps track of his profits down to the last cent. He learns that money can give him some control in his life, which is something he's been looking for since his dad left him and his mom.

We get to know Denn Doyle so well very early in "Stone Cold", especially since the book is in first person through Denn's perspective. Pete Hautman does such a good job portraying the stage of life Denn is in - somewhere between child and adult, and we can't help but laugh with Denn, and really like him.

Denn's newfound interest in money and the control it gives him leads him down a path we readers know he shouldn't go down, but can't help but wonder if we would take the same path if in his shoes.

It starts with a simple card game, but Denn wins, and he's hooked. He plays more and more, dreams about and studies poker, and we readers experience Denn's addiction, his obsession, and what it does to his life, and his youth.

Before we know what's happened, Denn Doyle has left childhood far behind, and we get quite a hint at what adulthood has in store for him.

"Stone Cold" is such a moving depiction of adolescence and addiction, and though I must admit it saddened me, it also had me laughing out loud more often than most books I've read. It's a good one - for both young adults and adults.

Stone Cold by Robert Swindells

Stone Cold deals with frighteningly realistic social issues in a sympathetic and understandable manner. It follows the story of Link, a runaway teenager, as he learns to cope with life on the streets in London. The reader is shown Link's progress from a naïve schoolboy to a streetwise kid. Somewhat unusually, Swindells chooses to unveil his plot through two narrators: Link and Shelter, a format which certainly increases the tension.

Orkin write clearly for the novice and uses a minimal amount of mathematics. He provides clear explanations of games of chance including roulette and blackjack. The coverage on blackjack is particularly detailed and some of the anecdotes are very amusing. It is a little disappointing however since it promises examples from everyday life in the title but concentrates mainly on gambling and coincidence and does not offer much in the way of real problems. Some of the examples are overly simplistic. Still the discussion of gambling is interesting and there are many good references.

I had to take statistics in college -- boy, do I wish I'd had Orkin's book back then!

Orkin uses primarily gambling examples, but also demonstrates concepts using other "real-life" problems. All the basics are covered; there is enough technical detail to satisfy the enthusiastic reader, but not so much that the more casual reader will feel overwhelmed. There were a few sections I needed to read twice in order to fully comprehend the concept presented, but, overall, the writing is understandable without being condescending or simplistic.

Recommended for those who are interested in statistics and mathematics, gambling, and those who enjoy puzzles and gaming (especially the mathematical puzzles of the Martin Gardner variety).

Did you know that if you drive 10 miles to buy a Powerball ticket, you are 16 times more likely to die in a car crash than you are to win the jackpot? Or better yet, that if you buy
50 Powerball tickets a week, you will win --- once every 30,000 years? And how about this one: The chances of tossing a coin in the air and having it land heads up 100 times in a row are one in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. (That's 30 zeros, folks.) The odds of having a great time while reading this book: 100 percent. Guaranteed. Author Michael Orkin takes a different spin on life with this lively read, a compendium of chance
in everyday life. Ultimately, it's a book about mathematical possibility --- and it adds up to great fun!

This book introduces a really good winning system that anyone can use.

There are many blackjack books out there. Nearly every one of them advocates using a card counting system. For many years blackjack authors have attempted to create more sophisticated counting systems. The result is that most of these systems are almost impossible to use under real casino conditions.

Advantage Blackjack introduces a highly simplified count, which anyone can use. In addition, the author demonstrates a practical progressive betting system that works very well.

I have been using this strategy for several months with excellent results. I have been winning close to 80% of my sessions, which I could never do with other counting systems.

The Advantage Strategy will not satisfy blackjack theoreticians. But trust me, it really works. Forget the complex counting strategies and try this one. You'll be glad you did!

There is no doubt you can win at blackjack using this strategy. It is just outstanding.

The author uses a much simplified card count system to identify favorable betting situations. This is by far the easiest and most effective count I have ever seen. But the strategy goes much further than simply introducing another card counting system.

The author, Roger Ford, reveals a dynamic betting strategy that will put you way over the top at blackjack. Combined with his simplified card count, it produces the most consistent winnings I have ever seen at blackjack.

I have been using the Advantage Blackjack strategy and racking up win after win. My win rate is just phenomenal and my losses have been very low. If you want to win consistently, even against the monster Atlantic City eight decks, you must use this strategy.

I found this book to be one of most helpful I have ever read on how to really win at blackjack. If you are looking for a book with page after page of charts you are supposed to memorize, then you won't like this book.

The author presents a powerful simplified count strategy that I learned in less than a week. Other systems require months and months of practice.

In addition to the easy-to-learn count, I really appreciated the betting strategy. Most blackjack authors only concern themselves with the spread, i.e. varying your bets from one to four units or even ten units. The author, Roger Ford, explains that counting and using a conventional betting spread will get labeled as a "card counter" allowing the casino to barr you at the worst, or deal you a miserable game at best. The Advantage Betting Strategy is virtually unrecognizable to casino pit personnel and using it will give you the best chance of winning.

If you want lots of theory, read a different book. If you want to learn how to really win, try this one. I strongly urge those who want to gain the upper hand at blackjack tables to read this book.

P.S. On my first trip out trying this system, I won over $500. Not a lot, but I can see the potential.

gives and overview of the rules of the games in excrutiating detail. Nothing to do with strategy. The book is a waste of time for anyone who knows the basics of poker. Only one small reference to actual gaming odds of various poker hands. SUMMARY: If you have a pair of tens or better in Let it Ride you should stay. If you get a pair or ace-king in certian situations in Caribbean Stud you should stay.

This is a must read. It is very informative and useful for novices and expert alike. It includes easy to read charts and strategies that actually work.

Beyond a doubt, this is the best book available on these two games. It is tightly written, packed with info on everthing from odds and vigorish to playing strategy and winning methods. I've read a few other books on these games before, and I've been playing them for a few years now, but this book has more info than any I've read, and the strategies are the best I've seen. I've already won more money than I ever have before! Thank you Mr. Vogel!

I wasn't very impressed with this book in general. While I must admit much of the information is their, by and large I found it lacking when compared to other books of this genre.

Search around some more, their is better quality out there.

This is a great book for beginners or casual players. It gives great descriptions of the bets available to players and also gives good statistics on the bets. Not so great though for strategy. Wouldn't use the strategies they suggest, but I would use the explanations of the bets and the risk associated with them.

This is the best book I ever ever read on this subject. The concepts are laid out in an easy to understand format. It is an excellent book for the novice as well as the experienced player. I especially like the way the Mr. Roto supports his ideas with statistical evidence.

I'll admit it: I'm a geek, and the idea of a bunch of math geniuses using homebuilt computers to beat roulette is right up my alley. The plot does not disappoint, as an eccentric band of high-octane misfits create a commune motivated by discovery, innovation and greed.

Unfortunately, the author's style is often ham handed, leaving the reader with the unsettling feeling that the story should have been told differently. For one thing, the plot follows the project's timeline with mind-numbing accuracy. It's okay for journalism, but it leaves many of the juiciest details buried amongst mundane activities. In addition, the pacing does not change, giving the book a feel of bloodless efficiency rather than real passion or excitement.

A few years ago I read Paul Hoffman's "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers," the excellent biography of mathemetician Paul Erdos. The whole way through "Eudamonic Pie" I found myself wishing that Thomas Bass had emulated Hoffman's engaging intertwining of Erdos' life, the history of math and the obscure culture and argot of top mathemeticians. Instead, I found this book to be an interesting plot bogged down by a flat and lifeless style.

Sort of like Leonard Nimoy singing "Proud Mary."

A motley bunch of talented individuals driven by a mixture of altruism and selfishness but above all by a challenge simply because it is there, is a setting as old as humanity itself. This book is about one such enterprise. Mathematics, physics, chemistry, free thinking and sheer guts and the inevitable frustration, despondency and dropping out were the more specific components of this episode strung out over several years. For those interested in ~ the sixties era and its fallout into subsequent years ~ chaos theory ~ electronics ~ casino busting ~ aging hippies ~ mad scientists ~ sociology ~ anthropology ~ starting all over, this book is a must read. It is only the vastness of the human dimension where the author, perhaps understandably due to space and market niche considerations, has compromised. It would, otherwise, have been a five star book. (And considering it is out of print in any case, a lesson might be there for those who give disproportionate weight to market niches; When there is a richly textured tale to tell, go ahead and weave the rich tapestry. At the worst one's work might still go prematurely out of print but would leave at least one less unsatisfied reader and at the best....)

What this team tried to do was only possible during a very narrow window in history. Sharp analytical and electronic skills at the dawn the microelectronic age made it possible, and at a time when casinos weren't paying attention to the threat posed by emerging technology. Those days are gone forever.

Bass has done a great job of telling the story of how a couple of physics postgraduate students and their friends develop tiny computers controlled by toe switches enable them to achieve an edge over the casino at roulette.

This was particularly poignant for me, because I independently developed similar wheel-clocking methods and verified a 26% advantage over the house on a rented casino quality roulette wheel in 1976. The 'device law', which Nevada passed in the early 80s in response to people attempting to use technology to sack their coffers, largely put an end to concealed computers in casinos. Those to whom a felony rap is no deterrent are presumably still at it, using extremely advanced and difficult-to-detect hardware.

Bass' story is a fascinating read and highly reccommended.