2 comments about Winning Baccarat Strategies: The First Effective Card Counting Systems for the Casino Game of Baccarat.

1. This book is far too technical with computer decisions and very little help when i"in the trenches".The counting required is strenuous and I quit using his system when the deck was player favorable and the cards, in their random mix, failed to produce. a player could handle 2-3 shoes before burnout. The casino edge includes player burnout which causes stupid bets. Thats why the dealers change every 20 or so minutes. I have beaten bacarrat only when I anticipated the unexpected, a tie.



2. This book is a great SUPPLIMENT to other baccarat books, such as John May's Baccarat For the Clueless (a misleading title for great book) or Frank Scoblette's book on baccarat, the title which I have forgoteen but it has something to do with "attacking" the game. To get back on track, this book goes over possible counting strategies and various other good info, albeit in a technical manner, it concludes that although good situations do come up and card counting at baccarat can tell you when they do, it is simply not worth it. Even with the best counting system, you can barely pull a dollar an hour in expected value, so it's really not worth it, especially since games like blackjack can give you a helluva lot better edge. But if you want to learn some cover games to avoid heat and know more about the math of the game, this book is great. Get John May's book for a history and other methods besides counting for beating this game. I gave Winning Baccarat strategies 3 stars instead of four or five, is not because it's short, but because there is a section on ESP as a form of advantage play, which I find completely rediculous. But it's a good addition to your library, and although it's a bit stiff [money amount] it's the only book with a counting system and math and the rest of it.

2 comments about The Basics Of Winning Baccarat.

1. This book only teaches you the rules and nothing about how to win in baccarat. It deceptively set you up for purchasing the more expensive $20.00 book instead, so why did I need to buy this one.



2. This book is terrible. A complete waste of money. Luckily I bought it used and didnt pay full price. Nothing in this book to help you win or give you any strategies at all. Skip it.

5 comments about Lyle Stuart on Baccarat.

1. Lyles Stuart tells not only how to win at Baccarat but more importantly how not to lose your shirt. Lyle is a world champion Baccarat player and actually plays exactly how he writes with enthusiasm and passion, balanced by common sense.

   This incredible book gives an insider's view of both the game and the world of gambling. His stories will have you laughing and grimacing from one moment to the next as he tells of millions lost and won.

   As a gambling authority, Mr. Stuart, is often called on to help casinos protect themselves from cardcheats and cons. He tells you exactly which games to play for the best odds and which to run from with wallet gripped firmly in hand.

   All in all this is one of the best baccarat and gambling books I have ever read.

   Caterina Christakos




2. Lyle Stuart does it again, shining light on the world of gambling, true tales of instant wealth and even faster ruin. Stuart is one of the foremost authorities on Baccarat and gambling, winning several world champion Baccarat games and going home with hundreds of thousands of dollars in winnings.

   Lyle tells you the odds, how to beat them and how to walk away before they turn against you.




3. Although this book does not recommend any specific system to employ at the tables, it does however give the reader a breakdown of result occurence (banker, player) which could be used when anticipating the best time to place a bet.



4. This nicely produced book contains stories from the author's personal experience with baccarat and a table summarising data from 160 shoes. His "rule of three", unfortunately, is NOT supported by the data. Thus the merit of the book is limited. Kayser's book is more useful.



5. I found gambling stories in this book that I never heard of.
   As to making money playing baccarat its still about a 50-50 chance. You have to get lucky, and Stewart admits it. With a large bankroll I believe you can make money if you are patient and will accept small pay offs. Outlines story of Australian
   millionaire that beat Las Vegas but does not go into specifics of exactle how he did it

5 comments about Beating the Casinos at Their Own Game : A Strategic Approach to Winning at Craps, Roulette, Slots, Blackjack, Baccarat, Let It Ride, and Caribbean Stud Poker.

1. Beating The Casinos At Their Own Game is a book you should consider if you'd like some help playing at the casinos. It's a well, written and nicely illustrated 278-page gambling guide with instructions for most of the games you'll find at any casino. The author, Peter Svoboda, knows his math because he has the credentials: a degree in both mechanical and civil engineering.

   You'll find casino basics in chapters 1 and 2 including some history, odds of winning and losing, what the casinos do to get you there, the house advantage, advice on managing your money and when to quit. And if you have a gambling problem, Peter will direct you to the right place. Chapters 3 through 13 list rules of the ten most popular casino games, with playing strategies and some betting systems you can try. The illustrations will help you learn the games and the math listed will explain the odds and probabilities of winning.

   Peter includes some known strategies for Craps, Roulette and Baccarat. So, if you're inexperienced at any of these games, you can take an expert with you to the casino. Peter also presents some of his own winning systems.

   If you've never been to a casino, but think you might want to try some of the games offered, I'd recommend studying this book before you enter. It has all the basic playing information you'll need to improve your chances of winning...




2. This is the first review I have written on Amazon. I felt compelled to write this to keep unsuspecting people from purchasing this book. I do not know the author, I am not an author, and I have no interests in whether this book does well or not. I am simply giving my opinion.

   Simply put, my problem with this book is that it is full of incorrect statements and poor advice which completely ignores probability theory. For example, on roulette, Mr. Svoboda actually says, "The house will always have a 5.26% edge, but you can increase your winning probabilities by playing it smart." What?!? When I read that, I knew he had a very weak grasp of probability theory. It is impossible to change the odds in roulette; they are fixed. You are always at a 5.26% disadvantage, no matter what your betting strategy is. Period. I suggest you run away from any book that asserts otherwise.

   The surprising thing is that in several parts of the book, Mr. Svoboda agrees that the casino has an advantage over the player in the long run. However, to overcome this, he recommends that players play in the short run! I couldn't believe that an engineer, and someone who supposedly understands mathematics and probability, would actually write such completely incorrect information. True, in the short run you may win, but odds are that you will lose. The percentage disadvantage you face does not change.

   Over and over, Mr. Svoboda asserts that his strategies increase your chances of winning. How can you increase your chances of winning if the odds against you are fixed? For example, after several pages of detailed and complex tables and charts, Mr. Svoboda admits that his craps betting strategy gives the house a 2% advantage. Yet he still advocates following his strategy, saying that you just need to know when to walk away when ahead. What he fails to mention is that you will be behind more often than you will be ahead.

   In games of chance and independent trials (such as craps, roulette and keno, to name a few), the house has a fixed percentage advantage over the player. This is a proven mathematical fact. There are no betting systems or strategies whish can change this percentage advantage. The only thing a player may do is bet slowly and bet the minimums in order to decrease the rate at which he loses. Gambling at these types of games should be viewed as paying for entertainment, not investing, as Mr. Svoboda suggests.

   Casinos love people with systems. Why do you think companies choose to spend $1 billion to build a new casino? Because they know that system betters will come in and lose more than that. Casinos exist because they make money for their owners. I had thought that with the advanced level of gaming theory available today, that books which advocated incorrect probability theory would become a thing of the past. Then I read Mr. Svoboda's book and realized I was wrong.

   On the plus side, the book does clearly state the rules of the games and the odds of winning. It has very pretty and colorful charts and tables. As a rule book, it is very good. However, as a strategy guide, you are much better off ignoring this book. Mr. Svoboda's assertion that "this book will help you learn how to level the playing field...and gain a return on your investment" is false. This book does not tell you how to even the odds against the house. The only return on investment you will get by following the advice in this book is negative.




3. I browsed through this book at the local bookstore. All I can say is don't take any pointers from this guy. He says before placing bets on "any craps", you should wait until the die hasn't produced craps for atleast 18 rolls???? He says after this the probability of any craps showing is 88 %. What is this all about? The truth is the odds of rolling craps is the same (11 %) regardless of how many times it's been rolled in the past. If you already own this book, I suggest you take your loss and throw it away.



4. Once I picked up this book I knew immediately I would breeze through the explainations easily. The text was well done and very readable = the charts, graphs and diagrams all came at the right time. The tid-bits about Mr Svoboda's experiences were fun to read, But.. most of all I was able to acquire a grounded knowledge of how to approach the games at any casino! Can't wait for the next book to come out from Mt Svoboda!! His knowledge and skills at communicating the nuances and the details of each game were very evident! Fun and easy lessons!!



5. I bought this book before heading to Vegas mainly because I wanted to brush up on the rules of blackjack. I was only going to have 4 hours there so i didn't want to waste any time getting ready to play. I found the second chapter and other sections that describe how things work in casinos (where to get your chips, what hand signals to give the dealer, etc) useful in keeping me from wasting time when i got there. The rest of it was worth reading to learn the rules of the games and to get me thinking about probabilities.

   Unfortunately, the logic's not always there and sometimes the data are wrong.

   Some examples:

   In the roulette section, he recommends that if you are going to bet on a single number, you should pick one that hasn't shown up in the past 20 spins. This, after explaining how a lot of people keep gambling on the faulty premise that if something hasn't happened in a while, it's likely to happen, and after describing bias in roulette tables, which would make a number more likely to re-appear if it HAS appeared multiple times before.

   In the blackjack section, I re-calculated the probabilities for each of the tables that he has in there, and while most of his numbers are right, some of them are off by as much as 5%. True, my numbers could be wrong, but since i wrote a computer program to do it (meaning that it did it consistently for each test), why would it be right for all but one value in the table? More likely, they are hand-copying or editing errors.

   I wrote software (yes, i'm a geek) to play the game, implemented his suggestions one by one, and played 100,000 hands with each to see what kind of improvement each one made. The fact is, if you play your hand just like the dealer (hold at 17+, hit below), you will win 48% of the time, lose 43% of the time, and push 9% of the time. If you implement all of his strategies, you will win 48% of the time, lose 43% of the time, and push 9% of the time (yup! exactly the same!). What's important turns out not to be how you play the game (in most of the strategies, you are trading busts for losing hands and vice versa), but how you BET. Using his doubling and splitting strategies lets you hang on to your money much longer before going broke (sometimes twice as long). In the blackjack section, he doesn't spend much time talking about betting.

   Lastly, and this applies to blackjack again, he claims that the casino's main advantage in blackjack lies in the fact that "the players must choose before the dealer whether or not to draw more cards." While it's true that you could play a lot better if you could see the dealer's cards, that is not what gives the casino the advantage. Remember, the dealer is basically a human machine -- it hits at < 17, holds at 17+. The dealer does not have the benefit of seeing EITHER of your cards, so that can't be the advantage. The casino's real advantage is that the player has one more losing condition than the dealer has. That condition occurs when both the dealer and the player bust. Other than that, if the player played exactly like the dealer, they would both do exactly the same. You cannot overcome this handicap. If you play conservatively such that you do not bust (which is where most of Svoboda's recommendations lead you), the percentage of hands you lose because the dealer has more points than you will go up.

   That's about it for now. Just wait till I read the other chapters, though!

5 comments about John Patrick's Baccarat: How to Play and Win at the Table With the Fastest Action and the Highest Stakes.

1. John explains the game but just goes on & on repeating himself about elements of his philosophy. He tell the same story in all his other tapes and books. Tell me something new.



2. I found this book both informative and easy to understand. I have been very successful with his methods.



3. 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.



4. 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.



5. 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.

3 comments about Secrets of Winning Baccarat.

1. If you want to learn all about Baccarat, this is the book to read. No get rich quick system here. You get betting systems that are based on the mathematics of how the game works, and examples based on real play in casinos. There is also stuff on how to enjoy playing at the tables like a pro.



2. The author recorded the results of each hand for 232 shoes and concocted a system that would work against that set of results. He doesn't recognize that anything can happen in such a small sample. For example, he reports that, in his 232 shoes, the Player hand won 50.8% of the non-tied hands. In the long run, of course, the Player wins less than 50% of the non-tied hands. Otherwise, anyone could win at baccarat just by betting Player all the time. This is why serious analysts use computer simulations to study samples of literally millions of hands.

   The author's basic method is an up-as-you-lose progression. Any such system will indeed tend to win more often than it loses, because it wins large bets that recoup earlier small losses. The catch is that, when the large bets lose, then the system loses big. The few big losses will offset the many smaller wins. The net result, over the long run, will be in keeping with the game's underlying math -- which, in baccarat, means that the bettor will lose about one percent of the total amount bet. Therefore, this author's claim that his system will win two-thirds of all shoes is plausible. Unfortunately, the long-run result will be the same as that of a player who didn't bother to record hand results and just bet the same amount every hand -- i.e., a net loss.

   The author states, correctly, that the odds on each hand are the same regardless of the results of the preceding hands. Nevertheless, he advises betting that streaks won't continue. He doesn't explain this inconsistency. (There's actually an extremely slight interdependence among successive hands, so that streaks are very slightly more likely to end than to continue, but the author doesn't discuss this phenomenon and correctly doesn't rely on it. It's far too small to meaningfully reduce the house edge.)

   The author's expertise is said to be in the construction of mathematical models. His error here is to construct a model based on very limited data. As the saying goes, "Garbage in, garbage out."




3. I wouldn't buy this book if you are just starting in the game. This book can help you through bad shoes, but you must be able to recognize what a bad shoe is, and then apply a combination of basic strategy and advanced strategy #3 (Run Vs Singleton).

   However in good shoes. 7 or more ties per shoe(Because I play ties) I have found that if you use the methods in this book. It costs you money on good shoes in mini-baccarat. Now if you have good money management skills. (aka. quit while ahead.) And know what you are doing, but would like some help getting through bad shoes, purchase this book. If you are looking for a book to start learning the game. Look elsewhere.

5 comments about Casino Gambling : A Winner's Guide to Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, and Casino Poker.

1. I found this a delightful book. It's very easy to read, covers all the major games, and contains lots of practical, useful advice.

   And at less than $20, it's excellent value for money.

   My only criticism (a very minor one) is that the Roulette section focuses mainly the "double-zero" wheel, used in the USA. The "single zero" wheel used in Europe and in Australia, doesn't get much coverage.

   However, this is a minor issue. Overall I found this an excellent book, containing a wealth of useful advice.




2. This book helped me incredibly understand the odds and help beat the casino at their games. I recommend it.



3. This book is great, it's very funny and will provide many laughs. Unfortunately, if you are looking to read a book on how to gamble well, this is not it.
   
   This book states how to beat Craps (controlled rolling of the dice to land on certain numbers), Blackjack (taking advantage of non-random shuffling and finding groups of high and low cards), and Roulette (watching for a zone on the wheel where the ball repeatedly falls due to the dealer throwing the ball with the same speed).
   
   These methods of how to beat the casino are all completely irrational, unattainable, and at times just plain ridiculous.
   
   If you could beat craps by controlled throwing of the dice, don't you think the casinos would recognize this and change their dice rolling procedures. To avoid having controlled rolls is the exact reason is why they make you hit the back wall in the first place.
   
   If you could beat roullette by taking advantage of dealer memory, where they always throw the ball with the same speed and therefore produces certain zones on the wheel that are hit consistently, don't you think the casino would recognize that certain numbers hit more frequently and change their procedures. The obvious fact that the Author fails to mention is that in order for this method to work, the dealer would always have to throw the ball with the exact same speed and he/she would always have to release it at the exact same spot on the wheel...which is nearly impossible or at least so low a percentage, that I would not bet on it!
   
   The Blackjack stategy is the only one that even resembles rational thought, but even this method of taking advantage of non-random shuffling and finding pockets of either high or low cards and then increasing or decreasing your bet accordingly fails to mention one obvious fact. Even if you do see pockets of high or low cards, you never know how big the pocket is...you could see two hands of all high cards, change your bet accordingly, then the next hand could change to a pocket of low cards.
   
   In summary, this book tells you how the Author consistently beats the casino using these methods...I think the Author needs to realize that he is just getting lucky using his less than scientific systems. If you want to read a book on how to gamble well you should pick one that explains how to minimize your losses, by decreasing the house edge. At least find one that is non-fiction!



4. I looked at this listing and found that the description was for the "paperback" version. Well this book, "Casino Gambling: Winning Techniques for Craps, Roulette, Baccarat and Blackjack" (C)1982-3 is said to contain chapters with silliness like how to control dice and spot a roulette wheel. That description is NOT for this book! It is for a book called "Casino Gambling : A Winner's Guide to Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, and Casino Poker" (C)2000. The newer book lists several authors. The added sections must be from the new authors and account for the lame "beat the system" advice. The 1983 book is very solid with excellent math and logic only! It tells you up front that you can't get an edge on a casino but shows you exactly what the house edge is on every single bet. This makes you an informed consumer at a casino. Such a book is refreshing in a sea of books about gaming that purport to give you a "secret" to gain riches. HA! The best you can do in a casino is either get up early and stop, (but you could also get down early) or play smart and loose small amounts slowly while enjoying the game and maybe some free drinks. If you want to learn to play casino games and want the straight info about the risks of each play, this book is perfect. If you want to hear a fairytale about how to "beat the house" look any ware else. PS this book IS paperback as well. ISBN: 039950656X



5. This is a great just basic book I wouldnt say it goes into any great detail just give you the basic understanding of the games and where your odds a probably better at making money. But in reality the house always has the advantage your almost better off going the first minute you get to vegas take all your money right to the roulette table and go black or red if you win take the cash and enjoy the rest of your trip not gambling!

1 comments about PROBABILITY GUIDE TO GAMBLING: The Mathematics of Dice, Slots, Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack, Poker, Lottery and Sport Bets.

1. Lots of annoying liitle typos in the math chapters. I can live with those, the math is correct. HOWEVER, the chapter on roulette is completely incorrect. The author assumes a 40 to 1 payoff on a single number wager but the actual payoff is 35 to 1. This is an eggregious error. Virtually every computation and scheme in that chapter is bogus and totally misleading. The author goes so far as to providing winning schemes. The rest of the book is now suspect. I don't have the patience to verify the other chapters so BEWARE!

5 comments about The Baccarat Battle Book.

1. This book was great. What more can I say? It's definately worth every penny. Go out and buy it.

   -Melanie-Sue J.




2. after reading the many positive reviews from others, I decided to give this book a try. Being an intermediate baccarat player, this book had nothing insightful to offer someone like myself, I kept anticipating that the author would offer more in the ways of different money management systems that I could implement, along with different angles and strategies. This book did no such thing, it only included novice MM systems, 4/5 of the book seemed like fillers. Scoblete talked about the 'feeling' and 'enjoyment' you should get from playing baccarat and how to get the most of these feelings. Learning how to get comped and the seven deadly sins of gambling. This is a instruction manual for rookies and should be considered as such.



3. A complete discussion of all aspects of baccarat from card counting to systems play. Scoblete masterfully takes the reader into the ins and outs of this fascinating game and shows how to really lower the house take on your money and how to get what he calls the "monetary edge." The book is fascinating and fun. Scoblete is an excellent writer. As I said in the title of this review, the book is loaded with valuable information.



4. If you know ANYHING about Baccarat, DO NOT waste your monies.. This is a piece of crap.

   Warned you!




5. Do not buy this book looking for how to walk out of Bellagio with more than you walked in with. Scoblete is straight forward about the odds in Baccarat and more interested in teaching you how to get the most out of playing the game with the lowest house edge.
   
   Brief descriptions of well known betting strategies are included. Greater detail is given however to the rituals of the game and how to use them to slow down play; thus gaining more comps for longer playing time at high dollar tables while risking no more money than you would playing mini-bac.
   
   An interesting easy read, but certainly not the final word.

5 comments about Baccarat For The Clueless (The Clueless Guides).

1. I just want to say that John has a counting system in this book that is hard for the casino to beat. I have only been playing his system for about a week now and I am up about $1500 and I only started with about $200, I think with his system you can bet the casino over time, that is just my view, but I can tell you I have not been this lucky in all my life, I have been out to the casino 6 times and only lost once.

   Thanks John :)

   Jeff




2. This is by far the best of 3 books I've read on Baccarat. I find it hard to believe that another book would have any more to add. The counting system is difficult (to perform, not to understand) but mathematically viable.

   Avoid John Patrick's book at all costs.




3. This is probably the best book on Baccarat, and I preciously keep my copy for reference. John May's mastery of all historical, social and quantitative aspects of the game is remarkable. My only complaint is that the author tends to get carried away when he suggests "winning" strategies. Don't expect to find a practical way of making money in this book: unfortunately, a baccarat deck is much more stable than a blackjack deck. Still, if someone ever finds a winning strategy for baccarat, he will probably have read this book.

   Finally, a very minor point: there is a small mistake in the description of the rules of Baccarat Banque... although since Baccarat Banque is hardly ever played today it does not really matter.




4. The suggestions in this book could be used effectively at mini baccarat,if the casino does not burn a card after the end of every deal like they do at some asian casinos. Also, there is the shuffling machine barrier to deal with which is difficult to figure out.
   You may have the best strategies but if the casinos do their very best to minimise card counters and people who shuffle spook then a totally different approach to the game is neccessary if you want to get a better fighting chance at the tables.



5. This was not at all worth buying. Worthless information. very very basic. Thought it would help my game but is full of nonsense. dont buy, save money.bad, bad, bad!!