This short book covers the history of gambling from Classic times down to the present. Gambling means wagering money on events which are beyond your control. (But sometimes the events can be controlled!) Gambling can encourage a reckless disregard for two precious commodities: time and money. As often as there is gambling, there are ways to fix the results. "Don't bet on anything that talks" is what some gamblers say. But the house figures the odds so they have the advantage.

It is commonly believed that compulsive gamblers have an unconscious desire to lose. They also tend to be tense, irritable, suffer from insomnia, and think of suicide. They come from all levels of society and have many different backgrounds, but the overwhelming majority are men. Knowing that the odds are against them rarely stops people from gambling. Compulsive gamblers are a danger to themselves and to society.

Written in a easy to understand fashion, the book provides useful examples of how to use beyer figures and when the top fig is vulnerable.

Very good treatment of bounces and form cycles. The statistical studies in the book are worth the price alone.

Anyone who has read Beyer on Speed should also read this!

Gambling has always been around in our culture. People bet on horses, dogs, play the lottery, and sports. Gambling in its varied forms has been used to fund both government and religious institutions. At times it was illegal to gamble but today everyone partakes in the gaming industry and the most notable group are teenagers.

A Sure Thing? explores the sociological world of gambling in all of its facets. It gives a brief history of gambling, lays out the views of those for and against legalized gambling, shares the stories of young people addicted to gambling and opens up the question of whether sports gambling should be legalized. This is an excellent book in introducing to teenagers an area of life that has become so common place in our society.

Author, Jeff Savage, lays out the issues, shares the negative and positive impacts about gambling and leaves the reader much better informed about the gaming industry. He also brings up the paradox of gambling being legal for some things and yet for sports, it is illegal because it can undermine the "integrity" of the game.

If you never discusssed the moral, ethical and political issues regarding gambling with your teenager, this is the book to have. Savage is not preachy in his presentation but is not afraid to share the hard facts of gamblings destructiveness on teenagers, sports figures and adults. His bibliography provides further resources in exploring the issue in depth.

I just learned the American version of the game and was looking for some history and basics as well as pointers on strategy. This book has some good strategy sections as well as sections on the American and Japanese games as well as Chinese and other Asian variations. Addresses and descriptions of American and Japanese national organizations are given.The illustrations are small and in black and white so if you are looking for more pictures, this is not the book for you. On the other hand, the illustrations of hands were useful - you just have to look at the page more closely.

This is a very good book for anyone who is trying to adjust to playing the $2-$5 hold'em games that are spread in the casinos of Colorado. As a resident in Colorado, I found it frustrating that I could frequently beat the fixed limit games commonly found in California and Las Vegas but struggled whenever I went to play some cards just "up the hill." This book definately turned my game around, and I have been winning more consistently since reading it.

However, be warned that this book is not for beginning players. The author assumes that you are familar with the game and are well-versed in poker literature and lingo (i.e., you will appreciate this book more if you have read David Sklansky's "The Theory of Poker). But for anyone who has been struggling to beat the often volitle $2-$5 game, you will get your money's worth out of this book.

For someone who has never played casino poker before, this CD is an excellent prepatory guide. Playing in a casino card room can be very intimidating for the first time, and by listening to this CD, a begining player can learn what to expect in less than an hour. As an experienced player, there wasn't very much in terms of new information and strategy for me, but I loaned the CD to a friend of mine who wanted to give casino poker a try, and he was able to walk in knowing what to expect and feeling far more comfortable than he would have otherwise.

While the strategy on the CD isn't as intensive and detailed as a good book on the subject, there's enough to help you get by for your first outing. What is extremely helpful for the novice is all the tips and pointers on the simple logistics of playing in a casino -- from buying chips to making your bets to handling your cards. I sincerely wish I had this CD before stepping into a casino for the first time. I would have definately been a lot more at ease.

The challenge of cardcounting is not learning to do it, but "conning" the pit personnel into letting you do it.

I was the stereotypical counter till I read this book (felt guilty, avoided contact with pit supervisors, neglected value of rapport with dealers). The result was very quick shuffles and even being told not to make any more blackjack bets.

Since I have adopted the mind set described in this book and the resultant behaviors, (engage pit personnel in conversations that interest them, appear to play just for fun and the money means nothing, dress like you can afford to lose) I have enjoyed deep penetration into single decks for multiple hours at a time (the difference that makes the difference).

I agree with the top authors on the game that this is the best book on casino comportment and developing your "act".

this is a very informative and helpfull book

A great compilation of Frome's works. I found myself engrossed in it as if reading a new Grisham novel. This book contains everything from the basics on Video Poker to humorous anecdotes to quizzes to test what you have learned.

It was a good tutor type book, I read it some time ago, decided to review it to see what I forgot. I was hoping to get another book by him or a similar book. I am not a big winner, but the book helped me to at least hold my own while playing.
If you are going to play, get this book!