humor along the lines of high fidelity. it is a good read.

This is a great title for novices to casinos and pros. It covers more than the rules of the games, breaking down odds, strategy, table etiquette and how certain games are played differently in different parts of the world. The only thing I would have liked to have seen were more diagrams, but a more visual component aside this book helps you get a grasp on games that may have been alluding you...and draining your wallet.

From the first page, Allen takes you into the mysterious world of pool gambling, from beginner to "drop dead" hustler. Tips, tricks, tactics, counter-tactics and more abound throughout this primer. A must for anyone who can't seem to get out of the pool room

The Internet Gambling Report is a great resource for anybody who is interested in what goes into making those virtual slot machines, card games and other Internet casino games that are burgeoning in cyberspace. In particualar, internet entrepreneurs wishing to start a casino or Internet gambling industry analysts/consultants would greatly benefit from this report.

The report, with inputs from some of the most respected experts in the field, adequately covers two of the most important aspects of Internet gambling: 1)Security- which, is a concern both, for the people running the casinos and for the people availing of the services. The report tells the reader the secure payment methods that are offered by some of the sites and also what factors contribute to security hazards.

2) Legality: There is a raging debate going on in the US regarding the legality of gambling. At present, however, the legailty is a gray area. The book dwells on this subject and even explores the legal status of Internet gambling in a number of countries apart from the US.

The report also addresses the technological innovations that make it possible for entrepreneurs to offer customers a near real life casino experience. Further, it gives the reader a lot of industry/market specific information on size, players in the field etc.

Two things that I felt could be better covered were: 1) The financials of starting a virtual casino from scratch with profitability figures and 2) The question about whether Internet gambling will lead to a rise of chronic gambling.

But in all a great report!

When I opened this book, I couldn't put it down. Patrick's analysis of casino money management was excellent. He offers many constructive suggestions on how to save yourself money at the various games. I then read it a second time. Although I'm sure the author has many critics of his strategies, his philosophy is sound - keep as much profit as possible when things are going good and bail out when things are heading south.

I did not agree with his feelings on blackjack being a "poor" choice especially when you are playing for profit combined with comps. You can certainly play blackjack for an extended period without getting hurt too badly while racking up excellent comp time. Even a using just basic strategy, the average player shouldn't have his bankroll decimated too substantially unless you are playing with a shortage of funds. However, I did agree with his suggestions on attacking the dealers weak cards whenever possible.

Patrick's chapters on Baccarat, Craps and Pai Gow poker are especially insightful although I'm sure the math wizards would roast his opinions. The author makes a good point that most of us who make a couple of trips a year to a casino are not playing in "the long run". We need to get the most bang for our buck while not losing our shirt.

I believe this book would be an excellent addition to any casino visitor's library. There are very few titles out there dealing with just money management alone. Combined with a few good strategy books, the player would have an excellent chance of coming out ahead.

Now that I've commented on his outrageous writing style, let me say that his money management rules are solid gold. From the breaking of play into sessions through "Naked Pulls" to win goals and loss limits, Patrick's advise is right on the money. My only criticism is that following his system to the letter tends to take the fun out of slots-it's too complicated, too much to remember while playing. But there is much that we can learn from Patrick's book. It's one of the best out there for slot gamblers.

From the perspective of a city planner representing a city considering the "opportunity" of legalized gambling, I had searched for a book that comprehensively tackled the subject from both sides of the difficult issue. This is the first such book that effectively meets that goal. Heretofore, much of what I had read had a particularly biased approach that failed to fairly represent the pros and cons of legalized gambling. This book is a good start, but should be complemented with additional readings and up to date statistics and anecdotes.

As someone who has experienced many of the events depicted in this book, I was very impressed with Johansen's take on a very confusing time in our history. Unlike others who have taken on the subject, he saw through the rhetoric and presented a straight-forward analysis of the Mohawk civil unrest of 1989-1990. Unfortunately, I do not agree that these conflicts are ultimately the fault of industrial polluters who forced Mohawks into smuggling and gambling operations. Individual greed, cultural assimilation, and personal conflicts were just as much to blame. Some might accuse Johansen from being biased toward the anti-gambling faction and "conservative" traditionalists. I also found the book somewhat "distant," as if it happened a hundred years ago, while memories of these very turbulent events are still very much alive to myself and other Mohawks. It is based mainly on newspaper accounts and documents, not on contemporary interviews. I guess we will have to write our own book on the subject to really capture the essence of what it was really like.

When I was teaching full-time in the '80s, the math topic that students found most interesting was the analysis of gambling. One student in particular had written a program that analyzed the past history of racing greyhounds in an attempt to increase his odds of winning at the dog track. The students were also the most attentive in class when I was working through an analysis of either casino games or the state run lotteries. We held several discussions on various ways to "beat" the games that were suggested by the students or explained in class. I received and answered many questions about the odds of winning in many scenarios, sometimes to the disappointment and disbelief of the person asking the question. From now on, I will direct students with such questions to this book if they find my answers unsatisfactory.
It is a brief, yet thorough analysis of the mathematical foundations of some basic board and casino games. Problems for further testing and study are given at the end of most sections, so it is possible to use it as a textbook in short courses in basic probability theory. The level of difficulty is consistent with that of a beginning course, and the only mathematical prerequisites are the most basic of algebraic operations.
Gambling is an activity that will continue to be a part of the human experience as long as humans have their present form. To many, it is an activity of addiction, to others one of recreation and to mathematicians it can be both. I fall in the latter category, as I often point out to people how their opinions about the possibility of success are exactly what the gambling companies want them to be. This book is an excellent description of how the games work and how billions are made by being on the right side of slightly favorable odds.

I am a programmer as well as a sports bettor and this book is right up my alley. The book is very well written. He gives many sports handicapping programs in BASIC for baseball, football, basketball, horse racing and dog racing. Unfortunately, although the programs are written in BASIC, they are written in a version that is outdated on today's Visual Basic compilers. Unless you know Visual Basic down pat, you will not be able to use the programs. I liked the book a lot and wish Jasper could have written follow ups. But I am glad to have this one. His sports betting books are the best ones of the genre!