...Someone has finally taken the next logical step beyond thecanonical work of Andrew Beyer, 1975's _Picking Winners_, and given usthe next step in looking at speed handicapping. Which is good, because of all the types of handicapping out there, Beyer's is the one that the public seized on, and it's since become so popular that Beyer's figures are published in the Daily Racing Form, and are so deadly accurate in most cases that those races which can be unlocked through their application have become unprofitable. Carroll gives us another way of looking at speed, a new take on velocity that turns the work of Broahmer and Sartin on its head, and in doing so takes the many complex calculations of _Modern Pace Handicapping_ and instead substitutes the kind of one-number handicapping ease that the crowd loves. Does it work? I don't know, I have a whole lot of fact-checking to do before i go endorsing Carroll's methods and theories. But as a book, it's a pretty good one. Carroll doesn't go over the same old racing history as most books, but instead gives us background information that we haven't seen before-- the various schools of handicapping, how the money flows, and most notably conformation, something many handicapping books steer far clear of. Most of it has nothing to do with handicapping speed, but any knowledge a player can get is knowledge he can put to use, if he knows how. A worthwhile addition to the shelf of the horseplayer, and if it works, it becomes the sixth book in the canon.

While this book claims to be a history of gambling in American society it really is a history of organized gambling on the American frontier, whereever that may be. While the author presents the interesting idea that gambling has followed the frontier he fails to explain what is happening behind the frontier. Illegal gambling is hardly mentioned, possibily because it is harder to research. It's an interesting book and provides a good bibliography for those interested in pursuing the topic, but alone it is not a great resource.

I feel that it had a lack of detail on programming punters however if there would be a updated book concerning the detailed programming aspect that book would be number one in my opinion.

William Murray, The Right Horse (Doubleday, 1997)

availability: amazon

Murray's The Wrong Horse was one of the truly amusing
books in equine literature, a collection of anecdotes
that gives ample evidence that Murphy's Law is a live,
well, and an intimate of every person at a racetrack,
from the grooms to the president to the long-suffering
punters. The Right Horse unfortunately abandons the
jocularity for the most part and takes the tone of an
instruction manual; an odd choice for a book whose
subtitle claims, in part, that the book wants you to
have a great time at the track.

Not to say it's a bad book by any stretch of the
imagination; it's more a question of repetition. If
you've read more than two handicapping primers, it's
likely you've seen a good deal of what's here in the
past. Murray writes well, even when he's not taking
potshots at Mr. Murphy and his law's application to
racing, and the book is certainly readable. I'd just
have liked to see more that hadn't previously been
said. ** 1/2

If you are a once-a-week 3-hour player like me, you might want to pass this book. While there are numerous advanced techniques and some excellent diagrams, this just might not be the book to take you beyond an advanced-beginner's level.

The book sorely lacks details on techniques & practice tips on cue ball control, which distinguishes the novice from the advanced. The author relies on your 'natural ability' to master the cue ball and hence misses out on a very very important aspect of mastering the game.

I am a thoroughbred racing fan and the owner of many handicapping books. Although many of these books contain valuable material, others have been just a waste of money. When I first started to read this book, I thought it fell into the latter category, but the more I read, the more interesting it became. Although not all the ideas in this book are easily attainable, there are still many that can be added to a persons handicapping arsenal. The discussions about the morning line, jockey and trainer are the best I've seen. I think this book is worth the money.

I read this book with an open mind - my only prior knowledge of Steve Wynn was that he was the guy that built the Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio - the Mirage having ushered in the new era of modern luxury casino hotels in Vegas, and the $1.6 billion dollar Bellagio having upped the ante.
That said, I can see why Steve Wynn fought so hard to prevent this book from being released. Wynn sued the the original publisher and apparently helped force it into bankruptcy.
Any reader of this book will likely come away believing that:
1) Wynn rubbed elbows with mob figures, and may have served as a front man in some of his early dealings, before he accrued enough juice on his own,
2) Wynn leveraged his money-making capacity into a large measure of control over the local and state government and judiciary,
3) Wynn is an egomaniac,
4) Wynn kicks puppies....
You get the idea. Although the book makes a fair attempt at biography, its real purpose is to be an expose'. After 350 pages, it has the effect of beating a dead horse.
Wynn may indeed be all of those things, and certainly some of the things he's accused of could result in the loss of his Gaming License - although it seems Nevada is far too invested in him to ever let that happen. I wish there was a more balanced, well-rounded account of Steve Wynn's story out there.

This book really needed to be written. It's well-documented, impeccably researched, and it's about time somebody stood up to the mighty Steve Wynn and the gambling industry. Where else but Nevada can Wynn and Governor Bob Miller state, in the libel trial on this book, that they recently spent the weekend with Michael Milken, a convicted felon, without anyone taking notice? Book readers, take note! Wynn is placing all his finances into stopping this book from printing. He has already put the publisher of this book out of business. The First Amendment must prevail, and all of us must be vigilant so we don't lose those rights to write and/or read what we please.

Contrary to your notice, this book is in print and has been since early October 1995. The book is a quick read and tells a compelling story about the rise of Wynn in the gaming industry. It's tought but fair in its description of him as a creative guy who also is a ruthless business man capable of overcoming many law enforcement investigations of his business and personal life. The author also is under fire in Las Vegas for daring to write about the most powerful man in Nevada.

Boy, is this Patrick guy bad. In fact, he is quite well-known now for his bad blackjack advice. The problem is, he writes in a style that sounds convincing and "common sense".

People, you cannot use "common sense" in blackjack. Some of Patrick's plays are just plain wrong. These plays cannot be judged right or wrong because you happen to win some hands by playing that way. There are HUGE variances in blackjack, and any play or money management system can win in the short term. The only way to know if a play is correct, in terms of probability and long term winning percentage, is by mathematical proof or large computer simulations. Otherwise, you're just wishing it to be true. There's a very good reason casinos make billions of dollars every year. Patrick's book does 2 things
1) makes him money
2) ensures that the casinos stay in business so he can make more money selling more blackjack books.

Is everything in this book wrong? No, most of it is right. But why buy a book like this when there are many more that get it ALL right? Read Wong, or Schlesinger, or Griffin, or Uston, or other proven authors. It really doesn't matter how easy this book is to read if it gives bad plays. And it doesn't matter that you went into the casino and won using Patrick's methods, because in this game your experience is too short to count as valid and meaningful in terms of probability. If you don't understand that, there's no hope for you anyway.

Can you explain why you are more likely to get a blackjack with 1 deck than 6? Do you understand why preferential shuffling can hurt you? Do you understand why you should hit your 16 against the dealer's 7, even though you will probably lose the hand? If you understand all that, then you sure don't need this book. If you don't, then go find another book that explains the REAL fundamentals of blackjack. Anyone can win at blackjack - even total idiots - in the short term. Only a few actually play the game with a mathematical advantage though.

I have read this book and I have implemented his system of money management and basic strategy at the tables. I have won more money consistantly at the tables with his methods. True I did not get those enormous wins but I never made a stupid bet at the tables on emotion. I think his regression system and up and pull chapters are the way to go when gambling at blackjack. I have watched numerous times when someone doubled down against a dealers 10 and they had 11 or a 10 and they get wacked. The logic is why put more money down when hes strong?? Always kick the dealer when he is weak. Those double down opportunities are a lot better when hes showing a weak card. Makes perfect sense to me if ya think about it and listen to what he is trying to tell you.

As far as counting cards go, his system is still the easiest to master.

I have bought numerous books on blackjack and I feel his book is still the best. No matter what anyone else thinks about his book, he has made me a consistant winner and thats the key to gambling

For all the people that gave this book a negative review, they definitely did not get his style of writing. Not once does he ever mention playing hunches which one reader wrote. Also, he never mentions "playing with the casinos money" as someone else wrote. Once you win that money it's your money. The casino doesn't say they're playing with your money when they win.

I have been winning consistently for many years using John Patrick's methods. I have become an emotionless robot when I play. Every move I make is pre-determined (no hunches) and every bet I make is pre-determined. It may not be as much fun playing the game, but the three hour ride home is great knowing how much more money is in my pocket.

He is the only author to say you don't always have to split Aces and Eights. I have read the other reviewers talking about computers and statistics. My degree in finance has me familiar with both, but it was only John Patrick's common sense explanations that stopped me from getting burnt anymore playing those hands. How many times have you split these hands only to get killed? But, it was the thing that you were "supposed to do". He makes you look at why you should be making moves in a logical sense, not because the computer said that you should and that's the way it has been handed down.

In conclusion, I can only say that this book has totally changed the way I look at blackjack and has definitely made me a winner, sometimes in less than twenty minutes. If you are open to new methods and want to win consistently, then read this book. If you are closed minded, need computer print-outs and statistics, or just don't feel that you will ever have the dicipline to be a winner, then don't read this book.

Not only is this book awful for it's smarmy tone, it also contains misinformation in certain areas. Get John May's book instead (ISBN: 0818406046).

I am a borderline bibliophile, and in the rare cases when I get rid of books (usually because of duplicate copies), I donate them to the local library. This is the only book I have thrown away, because I did not want to be responsible for someone borrowing it from the library and taking it's information as true.

John Patrick continues his misleading statements and his misuse of the word Win. This book does not overcome basic mathematics and the player disadvantage built into the game. Save your money and don't buy it; better yet, save even more money and don't play Baccarat.

Let's face it. Casinos are tough to beat. Yet every book makes it sound so easy. They go into some strategy, tell a few stories about episodes at the tables all while giving the reader false confidence that costs real money. These books rarely delve into the most grossly under-represented aspect of gambling: the loss. Not the case when it comes to books written by John Patrick. Patrick addresses losses for what they are: a sad reality. Truth is that losing and losing sessions are one half of the game. How will you handle that loss? The seasoned gambler knows that all of the table games are tough to beat. This tough player knows that the "secret" to winning is catching the streak. How does the veteran do this? How can you do it? Get this book and learn the fundamentals. The rest is up to you.

"Playing Roulette As A Business", basically outlines a negative betting progression, similar to martingale type systems. The Author Claims, that his specific wheel number's, when bet in his recommended manner, will outperform actual probability, due to thier positon's on the wheel. If indeed, these numbers did hit as often as the author suggest's, you would not need a betting progression to gain an edge. "If" this were the case, these magic numbers could be printed and sold on an index card, and there would be no need to waste an entire book on the subject. That is what this book is an "Entire Waste"!

I was very excited at the prospect of this innovative system and
did very well at first. I had around a dozen winning sessions that averaged a $50-100 profit. The only downside was it took
FOREVER to make $$$. At least one hour to make $50 and 2+ to make
$100. A few times the wheel wasn't going my way and I got out
after breaking even. No losing sessions! I thought I had struck
gold and had crazy ideas about quitting my job, moving to Vegas,
and becoming a professional. A dream come true.

A few months later I went back to Vegas with a substantial bankroll to see if playing roulette full time would actually work. Total disaster. I should have known it was too good to be
true. No winning sessions, my numbers and the 0/00 were far and
in between. Either I was getting hammered or it took a few hours
just to break even. Many times I would check the electronic counter before playing, the numbers were hitting fairly often but as soon as I sit down- 8 losses in a row. It seemed like there was something funny going on but the luck I had
early on just disappeared. It could also be that every dealer has
a unique method of spinning the ball and it tends to land in certain areas more than others. Some dealers claim the ability to
have the ball land in an area of their choosing. Perhaps a good reason to be courteous and tip them.

And this system is NOT a relaxing way to gamble. Losing 7 in a row, pressing it up to $300, hoping the dreaded 8th loss doesn't
happen is very stressfull indeed. Fortunately, there was never 9
losses in a row but I'm never going through that hell again. Not
to mention the pitboss eyeballing you and the cocktail waitresses
ignoring you because you're spending ALOT more time at the table
than your average player who gets knocked out in no time.

I love the system in this book, and use it whenever I'm in Vegas or Reno. You can remember the system easily, and the simplicity of it turns a dangerous losing game into a relaxing and fun game. Half the fun of the system is watching other people come and go, dropping hundreds of dollars, while you stay for hours and enjoy free drinks. The system delivers on at least one of its goals, which is to avoid losing money. You cover slightly less than half the wheel, your bet wins slightly more than even money, you win when zero or double-zero come up (an important part of enjoying the game), and the argument about the consecutive nature of the numbers has validity if you consider that the wheel and the ball are not perfect, so the numbers that come up over time are not perfectly random.