5 comments about John Patrick's Blackjack: So You Wanna Be a Gambler'.

1. No one said this book is for the expert. "Blackjack" is for the guys and dolls that go to a casino 2-3 times a year, 2-5 days a trip. For us, the short term is the only thing that matters. The "expert play" in the other books absolutely does cover the long term, but I'll never reach those stats in my life and therefore need to do what I can to help myself in the short term.

   John Patrick uses a distinctive style of humor to teach the basics of Blackjack (and craps, pai-gow, sports betting, etc) in a manner that will stay with you. He'll let you know why you should always hit your hard 16 against a dealer 7.

   Yes, if you go to a casino daily or weekly or even monthly, maybe you should consider a more mathematical book to cover your long term play but for most of us Patrick's book will cover us very nicely.




2. I am a fan of John Patrick's thoughts on gambling. However this book has me scratching my head more than any other he has written.
   
   On the one hand, I would definitely suggest reading a follow up book containing basic strategy. On the other hand, JP gives a somewhat compelling argument against putting more money on the table when the dealer has a strong up card. He also wants us to pile it on when the dealer is weak. Even if you can't remember basic strategy (buy a strategy card) just remembering these two ideas will help you out a lot.
   
   John's books cover how to play, and then the normal ideas about discipline, bankroll, money management, etc. All of this is good information. But his knowledge of the game in this book is the only book he has written where I deviate quite a bit from how he suggests I play the game.



3. That should be the title of this book. John Patrick writes from his experience and seeing and playing millions of hands of blackjack, not sitting behind a computer. His Big 4 approach is right on and can be applied to anything you gamble on. This book is fun to read, simple, and easy to apply. Anyone who has played blackjack and sat at a real table with real money will quickly appreciate his methods. I have played, watched and tested many of his theories advising against the "book" and he is right on. For 95% of blackjack players, following the advice of this book religiously will save you from losing a ton of money and will actually give you a chance to win. His Basic Craps book is excellent as well.



4. As always another great read from John. Whether you are a complete newbie, novice, or advanced, there is plenty to learn in this book. Nice systems to mull over, and of course great money management and discipline advice. Pick this one up and study it at length.



5. Clearly this book is ridiculously flawed when it comes to basic strategy. BS reduces the house edge to around 0.5%, but JP admits his method reduces it to 1.5%. Hmmm...
   
   But his (repeated) messages about discipline and walking away a winner are very good. And the betting schemes he outlines, though not original, are good for a beginner to follow. Certainly they've helped me stay more organized at the table, with less "hunch" betting. Obviously nothing short of counting will eliminate the house edge, but I utilize his money management to this day to help limit my losses and keep my win goals realistic. Worth a read, if you skip the basic strategy section.

2 comments about Blackjack Basic (Playing) Strategy, 2 Decks.

1. Las Vegas has a saying, "players depend on luck, casinos depend on math". Well, here's your chance to almost even those odds to within 1/2%. These blackjack strategy cards (all 4 for 1, 2, or 4-8(2) decks) do the math for you and stretch your money a long, long way. You will get your money back in the first hour of play and wish you had had them a long time ago. If you play blackjack, this is the one item you should take with you. And you don't even have to think, pretty nice ugh.



2. These four basic strategy cards fit in your shirt pocket yet contain everything you need to optimize your odds under virtually all table conditions. Cards work for 1, 2, and 4-8 deck games covering most variations of house rules. Give yourself the best chance to beat the casino. Use these cards and experience how much fun blackjack can be when you play like the pros.

No comments about Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack-The Russian Answer to the B-1 -Red Star Volume 9 (Red Star).

No comments about Essential Blackjack Wisdom.

4 comments about Blackjack For The Clueless: A Beginner's Guide to Playing and Winning (The Clueless Guides).

1. I'm a novice blackjack player and have read 2 other books about the game, but found this book to be much easier to understand and much more fun to read. The author seems to really know his stuff!



2. I've been a blackjack player for many years and have read quite a few books on the subject...this is one of the most helpful books I've read! The author not only knows a lot about the game, he is also a very entertaining writer. I've tried the betting system he recommends, and so far it's working great! I now win a lot more than I lose!!! Every blackjack player will enjoy reading this fine book.



3. I picked up this book in anticipation of heading off to Nevada for vacation, and wow it really does lay it all out and explains everything in simple to understand jargon. I'm glad I started with it. I've been practicing playing over and over, and I'm pleased to report that (on paper) I am thousands of dollars ahead. The dealer I'm playing with (my hubby) is threatening to bar me from the casino (the breakfast room)!



4. it's the first blackjack book i ever read and i really enoyed it!

5 comments about Sklansky Talks Blackjack.

1. conceptually the book is well thought out.playing blackjack is an exact science unlike poker where one has to judge the quality of opponents. describing deck situations as "slightly" "moderatly" "highly" is not appropriate when we know exactly when to deviate from basic strategy.
   a much better book is "knock-out" blackjack if card counting is your aim or "blackjack bluebook" if recreational blackjack is your game



2. I admire David Sklansky very much and think that his attitude towards living the gambling life is b-lls out, but I do not think this book was worth the money I paid for it. Contingent to winning, with Sklansky, is that you, as reader, have the ability to count cards. Without it, you won't get any advantage over the house by reading Sklansky Talks Blackjack. The book's organization and use of pictured cards is useful but the author's offering nothing new here that can't be obtained by knowing basic strategy. Sadly, he provides no original or intellectual take on dealing with the 5 and 6 deck shoes that all of us-- outside of the gambling Meccas-- must deal with. I wish that he had.



3. Much like the title says, this is the best money I've ever spent with regards to gambling. I'm so pissed I've been playing all these years without reading a book on Blackjack.
   
   Sklansky knows his stuff as well as anyone, and he breaks it down into a real easy method that works. Yes - it works! Since I got this book just 2 weeks ago - I've played 3 online sessions - 3 hands at a time, 1 dollar bets each. The sessions - +30, +100, and +28!
   
   All you need to do is look at the cards, look up their totals in the book (the second part is broken down into 1-2 page "chapters" by hands - 21, 20, 19, etc.), look at the dealers face card, and do what he tells you! No need to count cards or anything (cant really count onlne anyway). I guess its just basic blackjack strategy - but its supposed to give you a slight (.3%-.5%) edge, assuming a 6 deck shoe, which most online BJ sites use.
   
   He recommends memorizing basic strategy, but I've found that by playing online (you could even play practice games) and looking up each hand (takes about 10 seconds a hand), you start to remember what to do in certain situations. He also has a part about counting cards for live play, and I plan on boning up on that just a bit before I play any casino action.
   
   But for now - I recommend this book unconditionally - it's already paid for itself 15X over! If you're looking to make money online - this book is essential! Good luck!



4. When Sklansky came out with this book the Two Plus Two titles were really gaining momentum. This is an expanded version of the blackjack material he wrote about in "Getting the Best of It" and does not need to be a stand alone book. It only covers the basic strategy and simple count systems available in most blackjack books. and no illuminating angles or approaches. After the successes of "Theory of Poker" and "Holdem Poker for Advanced Players"- both considered must reading for poker players he elected to write this book because "players were interested in having him weigh in on the subject". His blackjack book is just so so in my opinion; it is accurate and to the point but you won't find new or better material here. If you are just starting and have no other blackjack books it is an acceptable primer but that's it.



5. I bought this book for my mother and she is finding it an interesting and helpful read.

3 comments about Basic Blackjack.

1. OK Mr. Counting Pro, you're on vacation where you know there are casinos. You figure you'll stop in and mabey make some money. But when you sit down at a table, you discover that the rules are not what you're used to. BJ pays 2:1, dealer wins ties, and 21 after splitting tens pays 3:2!? What to do now? Well, you could lose your shirt, or you could get Basic Blackjack.

   Wong's impressive text contains proper basic strategy for just about every rule variation and "bonus" (side bet, coupon, etc) that has ever been offered. It also tells you how to estimate the value of each of these variations. As a bonus, there is a good discussion of non-counting strategies such as warps, tells, and the like. At 256 pages, the amount of material covered is amazing.

   If you only play Las Vegas or Atlantic City, and already know the stategy for the rules there, you probably don't need this book. But if you like to travel (Europe?) or take advantage of coupon books and other special offers and side bets, it is a must-have.

   Wong's writing stye is clear and easy to read, although this book is valuable mostly as a reference guide. I found it very interesting to read about all of the rule variations, side bets, and bonuses that the casinos have thought up, even though I will never encounter the majority of them.

   The one thing that I would have liked to have seen in a text on basic strategy is the expected cost of making the "wrong" play. i.e. How much does one give up by not splitting 33vs5? Obviously it would be impractical to include this information for all of the strategies presented, but it would have been nice to have it for common sets of rules. (This information can be found in Wong's Professional Blackjack.)

   Overall, a very impressive work.

   Good Luck, and Good Cards,

   - Jacob W.




2. I might repeat some of the points already made in the previous review, but my main goal in this review is to let you know what to expect before you buy this book. I first want to say that it is a wonderful book and it is extremely successful at what it tries to accomplish, but I must qualify that by saying that this is not really a book that you will "learn" from. I bought this book expecting something that I can read from front to back, and I thought I might learn new tips and strategies -- I think "Blackjack Secrets", one of Wong's other books, is better for that, though I haven't read it yet. It definitely seems more "readable". "Basic Blackjack" is more of a reference than a learning manual, and you may not need this book at all. Here is what I mean:

   The book is organized like this:

   Chapter 1 - Introduction (nothing special, just a usual intro)

   Chapter 2 - Basic Strategy (this may be all you need from this book; it discusses and gives the chart for Basic Strategy under the most common rules; this information can also be gotten in other books or online -- try http://www.blackjackinfo.com for their Basic Strategy engine)

   Chapters 3-15 - variations of Basic Strategy (this is the majority of the book; it gives charts for changes that need to be made in B.S. depending on odd rules you may find in casinos, such as doubling down on any number of cards or decks that include jokers)

   Chapters 16-18 - other tricks that you can use (contains some interesting information on tells and warps, but it is really only valuable in certain situations)

   My point in outlining the book is to show you that the bulk of its contents is simply variations of B.S. depending on strange rules you may encounter. Don't get me wrong, it's interesting just to read about all the weird rules and side bets you might find in some casinos, but for most people I doubt they will need to learn any of this strategy. Even the information on tells and warps, though fascinating, isn't always applicable; it requires that the dealer check the hole card under a 10. The casino where I play uses an electronic device to check the card, so the dealer never sees it -- pretty much voiding the use of tells and warps.

   I'm not trying to discourage anyone from buying this book, because it is very interesting, if not always relevant for your particular situation. I just want you to know what to expect before you purchase it.




3. This has to be the worst book ever. It is dry, boring and very difficult to read. Some of the stories tell you how to cheat and a lot of them are just meaningless. I threw this book in the trash, I didn't want anyone else to have to endure this GARBAGE!!

2 comments about Beat Multiple Deck Blackjack.

1. Having read dozens of books on the subject of blackjack, I found this one to be exactly what it is intended to be... a guide for anyone who wants to beat the multiple blackjack game. While it is a great primer on the game for anyone who has never been inside of a casino, it can also serve the more experienced player as well. It does not offer any anecdotal accounts of the author's experiences at blackjack. It does not offer card counting strategies at all. If you're an experienced player who's looking to hone your card counting skills, this book is not what you're looking for. But even an experienced player can benefit from all but the book's first chapter which details rules, equipment and blackjack terminology. It is probably the best book I've come across covering basic strategy. It not only shows you the correct basic strategy to use based on the number of decks and house rules, the author explains the "why", making it easier for players of all levels to recall what their correct play should be. It also offers a formula for determining the house advantage on the games that you may face by adding %'s of house advantage rules and deducting player advantage rules. Based on the various house rules, it gives you the variations of basic strategy that the player should employ. Whether you're an experienced player who wants to brush up on your game, a novice that wants to learn what variations of basic strategy to use, or you're simply a beginner who wants to get ready to hit the tables for the first time, this is the book to get.



2. This book is primarily for non-counting beginners who want to improve their basic strategy. Although there is no counting, the strategies provided are pretty good. There are some statistics for the different approaches, but not an abundance of support. It is basically a simple intro guide with some good hands-on information like how the dealing takes place, how to handle the IRS, how to play some other variants (which I do not care about), etc.

5 comments about Hollywood Blackjack: An Uncensored Guide to Doing It Like a Pro.

1. This book is Great! Of all of the blackjack books over the years (and you know the names...Uston, Revere, Wong, etc.) this is the first to present detailed information and strategy that's both fun and easy to read. Not just basic strategy, mind you (although it's there, too), but "camouflage" techniques and other details so important to ... how shall I say this ... advanced play. I was pleasantly surprised and this book is now #1 on my stack of well-read and highly earmarked blackjack books.



2. I purchased this book for information on playing blackjack tournaments. There is a brief 14 page chapter on blackjack tournaments. The chapter starts off saying that this book is not going to teach you anything about how to win a blackjack tournament, and to go "suck on it." Unfortunately, this information was not available in the advertisement for this book.
   
   Much of the rest of the book rehashes old strategies including Basic Strategy and card counting using the High - Low system that are covered in Stanford Wong's "Professional Blackjack" book and elsewhere.



3. Granted...The Secret is a pile of poo....but this book has great advice. If you are not big on reading books that are full of stats and want to be entertained while getting some good advice at what to do at a blackjack table, then this book does the trick. It is young and hip.....not boring. for me that is always key.



4. Sure there are numerous books teaching one how to play blackjack. Hollywood Blackjack is fresh and provides the reader with time-tested winning strategies, but in a clear, easy-to-follow manner tailored for today's casino environment. In his entertaining style, Hollywood Dave shares his recent experiences in beating the casinos. While we are treated to a primer on tournament play, Dave tells us about some of his tournament experiences. A thoroughly enjoyable read.



5. anyone who has read other blackjack theory books should agree that "Hollywood Blackjack" is a refreshing change. i can think of other books that give similar information, but staring at charts is just not how i learn. dave also gives a glimpse in to a world of gambling that is what every aspiring gambler hopes to experience. it is great to know that the dream is still alive. and somewhere in another weird world, hunter thompson is surely proud.

5 comments about Blackjack's Hidden Secrets, Win Without Counting (New & Expanded Edition).

1. I have played blackjack many times before reading this book. I mostly lost before. Now if I follow the authors 5 rules, I leave with winnings. Last 3 times, I was at the casiono, i left with winnings. This book, it will teach you how to win every hand, but it heled me win and leave with as a winner. Also, it is much easier than trying to count cards. I also had a much easier time understanding this book than another book on blackjack the did involve counting cards. I recomend this book for anyone that want to win, it worked for me (as long as i follow the 5 rules).



2. Blackjack's Hidden Secrets is all about basic strategy, something everyone should learn before they hit a blackjack table. I read this book, and Avery Cardoza's "Quick Guide to Winning Blackjack" simultaneously, I found Cardoza's to be the far superior book. "Hidden Secrets" is simplistic to the extreme, with no new information not already found in "Quick Guide". The strategy charts in "Hidden Secrets" are all based on Atlantic City, whereas "Quick Guide" contains separate charts for Vegas and Northern NV as well, since rules differ slightly in all three places. Also, despite Pappadopoulos' claim to be based on mathematical formulas, he still relies on alot of old gambler superstitions, like spotting a "hot" table, and placing bets according to whether or not you are on a "winning streak". I find his advice on how much to place risky as well. I've been practicing using this method, but limiting my bets to no more than four times the minimum (Cardoza's advice), and in 100 games I am up 104%.
   
   Pass on "Blackjack's Hidden Secrets" (both I and II), invest in a few Cardoza books instead.



3. The money-management system described in this book is bogus. You are guaranteed to lose using these techniques. To call this a "winning system" is fraudulent. You can't win, in the long run, at blackjack unless you count cards or use other similarly complicated techniques. If you play without counting, you're a sucker; if you buy this book, you're a sucker twice over. Good luck.



4. My dad told me about this book and he swears by it! I too can say I swear by the strategy discussed in this book. It really does help you will...more often than any other strategy. You really need to follow it though, and be disciplined.



5. This book contains enough erroneous information and crappy progression advice that the casinos will make TONS of $$$ off of its readers, allowing them to still offer beatable BJ. Thank you George P and John Patrick!