I have gambled in Vegas for 30 years, and read many a book from alleged experts. Save your money on this book. About the only advice this book gives that is worth anything is to bet more when winning. Otherwise, only very green beginners will find anything of worth in this book. I gave it one star because it has a great title. But, that's about all it has.

The first thing I need to say about this book is that it is an update of Gollehon's " Pay the Line". This information doesn't appear in the blurbs for either book on Amazon. Having pointed that out I can say that this is an excellent book for serious gamblers. The advice is difficult to put into practice, particularly for newer players. Does anyone really think that parking your butt at a craps table for eight straight hours is a formula for success? People do it all the time. Does anyone really think that the casinos beg you to take comps and insist on giving you rfb because its to your best interest? Everyone takes comps. So its difficult to be disciplined when it comes to gambling and visiting Vegas, but if you want to have a chance of winning you must practice what Gollehon preaches.

This book does not tell you anything about what the title of the book suggests. It basically was meant for people who never stepped into a casino. For those of you who expects to get pointers on what to do in order to get more comps, don't bother buying this book. It doesn't even give the most basic strategy about how to improve your comp. By this, I mean that it doesn't even tell you that when you are playing at a table game, to tell the dealer to hold your spot while you go to the restroom. For those of you who don't know this, the reason is simple. While you are gone, your play is still being recorded for a good amount of time until they stop holding your spot. I am going to be returning this book today. So don't bother wasting your money on it

This book provides a good view of the gambling indurstry from a person who lives it every day. The author is the President and CEO of the Claridge Casino Hotel, my favorite establishment in Atlantic City. The book explains in overview fashion the process by which casinos decide who to give free gifts to (such as a free room or a free meal). It explains what the casino looks for, how it makes its evaluations, and how to take advantage of that process. There is also a section about newer table games, such as Carribean Stud.

There's nothing new in this book that hasn't already been written about playing slots.

I personally enjoyed this book, which I borrowed from the library. The part that I enjoyed the most, were the case studies near the end of the book, which described several types of slot players, and the common mistakes that they made, and how they overcame them. One case study was about a guy who won 2 million dollars playing 10 dollar slots, and continued to play after he had won. That was really interesting. There might not be much new in this book, as another reviewer mentioned, but playing slots is not as complicated as other casino games. This book is to the point, and drills home good ideas and strategies like the title suggests.

the title starts with slot machines. well there's only ten pictures of slot machines and three are blurry and two are drawings.i went through it in two minutes. don't buy for the slot machine part.

Kurtz had done a beautiful job documenting many of the other arcade machines. Not slots, not pins (though both are covered) but the fortune tellers, strength testers, helicopter simulators, safe-cracking games, baseballs and bowlers that were in the rear corners of the arcades of my boyhood.

The photography is first rate. He's gone to a lot of trouble to light and photograph terrific examples. There's the usual brochure copy as well. The copy is well written, but this book is really about the pictures and captions.

A great item for your gameroom!

This is really a facile treatment of an extraordinarily complex subject. Sweepstakes "artists" can claim to be the first professionals. Indeed, records go back to early Myan times in the Americas, the 1st dynastic period in China, and to Ramses I in Egypt - basically as far back as written records. I really didn't get the sense that the individual writing knew the historical context as well as he should have.

Not a very incisive view but to be honest I just found this book boring. Not very insiteful and not a real pageturner.

I'm not college educated on this subject and I can't speak to the truths at large. Still, I found this book kind of lacking in the details. I really wish that the authors had taken the time to try to draw somemore substance into it before going and making conclusions.

This book is really bad. I wish I had found the time to review it when I bought it - then I could have returned it for a refund. This book is full of mathematical jargon, and never does provide clear explanations or examples of how to apply what is discussed to a lottery. Someone would be better off with a good book on probability theory, and develope their own models than to try to read this book. Save your money - Do Not Buy this book.

If you are a lottery player looking for a book to provide you with guidance or strategies for playing lotteries then you need to AVOID THIS BOOK. If you happen to be a mathematician that wants to read 134+ pages of the author painfully detailing his mathematical model of a lottery then this might be your cup of tea. That this book is even remotely being marketed to the lottery player or the "average reader" as detailed in its editorial review is simply DEPLORABLE. The only portion of this book that would be of interest to a lottery player is the final couple of pages of the author's "treatise" where the reader is provided with a "basis for making an informed choice" when playing the lottery, the author's opinion on "so-called System Books", the author's view "About the Merits of Computer 'Picks'", and a blurb about the incredible odds that are against the player of a lottery. The "informed choice" and other stuff just mentioned is not that insightful nor helpful--certainly not worth the cost of the book! A funny story about this book: I was in one of those used bookstores, wherein people trade in their used books for credit towards other used books, and happened to see a copy of this book on the shelf. It was in perfect condition. Obviously, the original owner purchased the book, opened the book just once, saw all the mathematical symbols, maybe even tried reading a couple of paragraphs, closed the book, and traded it in as fast as they could. I laughed out loud when I saw it! Bottom line: a person has more of a chance of winning a lottery than this book has of being of any value (or read for that matter).

This book is published by Rutledge Books, a vanity press. Thatis, the author paid for the book's publication (It's a 160 pagehardcover). There is no index, and the short list of references, which cites an item in the Schaum's Outline Series, includes nothing more recent than 1977. There is much rigor here but no organization.

Y'know, its funny that John Patrick always dismisses authors who use mathematical models and simulations to figure out what the best play is by saying "you're not gonna play a million hands of 5,5 vs. 5 or 6, so the simulations mean nothing;split those 5's" , yet he has written a book on card counting which is, of course, based on mathematical principles! It's totally antithesis to everything he espouses. His "Up and Pull" systems are nothing more than ... regression systems, designed to quit when you're ahead(the Ultimate regression? Bet $; if you win, leave. If you lose, leave!), yet most of the value you get from counting cards comes from betting more $ when there is a higher count; something which JP says helps the dealer more than the player. He is, of course, wrong, and while his book on "Advanced" card counting does posess some facts which could help you beat a Blackjack game, his system is merely a rehash and slight modification of already existing systems. One of John Patrick's main claims as to his legitimacy is that he actually plays in the casinos, wheras most other BJ authors you never see; well, that's because casinos don't like dealing to people who posess the ability to play their game with an advantage for a significant amount of money. If you never bet more than $ a hand, you could be the best BJ in the world and few casinos would kick you out. JP is no threat to any casino BR, not in the slightest bit, if he plays as he says. Strangely enough, I think he's actually a very intelligent man capable of beating casinos, but he's a much better marketer. I guarantee you, if he had a $ bet out, he wouldn't split those 5's.

Professor Thorp proved the proper ways of beating a blackjack game nearly 40 years ago. John Patrick's methods of "up and pull" (really hunch and guess) set the standards back to the days before computers. This book is total nonsense.

A realistic account of how to survive playing blackjack. Book is focused on the player and not tons of theory that is suppost to "eventually" equal out. Theories on money management and betting series are worth the purchase price.

Barely informative and no true insight into the games. The only people who will profit from this book is the author.

Good book for the low price. Basic and easy steps to follow. Worth the money.

if you can spell "casino" you are much too advanced to waste time reading this. the author is apparently targeting the most uninitiated of casino visitors; however, it is difficult to imagine, with the proliferation of legalized gaming in this country, that any reader could be this wanting. all information in this book is readily accessible in any legalized gambling establishment free of charge and this author must certainly be aware of this fact. spend the $10 on a buffet when you get to Vegas!

The previous reviewer is correct when he says this a basic book for the first-time gambler. However, this is what the "Everything" series tries to do. These books will not make you an expert in any particular field. If you know someone who gambles occasionally, for them, this book is perfect. It covers many games and while not getting too in depth, tries to bring up the areas of each game in which to be concerned. Show me any other beginner's gambling book that covers every game any better than this one.

This author knows the rules of blackjack and describes them well. He is aware that people beat the game by useing competent systems. There is nothing more to learn from this book. Much of his data and commentary of blackjack directly contradicts the general consensus of those who have researched and explained the game accurately. In addition, in this and all his other books that I have read he discusses "streaks" how to bet them as if they were predictable. This book is a waste of time and money because there is too much inaccurate data and there are accurate books available.