5 comments about Winning Blackjack Without Counting.

1. After listening to my friend explain his card counting methods -- I was impressed (actually amazed at his winnings) but discouraged to think I'd have to spend that much time and energy to beat the dealer at a game of Blackjack.

   So I found a book for the non-counter by Donald Dahl titled Progression Blackjack. A worthwhile read, but while using his strategies playing online, I quickly saw that the systems were "missing something."

   Then I read "Winning Blackjack Without Counting Cards" by David S. Popik! It's a real eye opener! He simply and powerfully shows that BJ is not a game of chance when certain rules are adhered to.... But MORE than that, he teaches a truly brilliant system for consistently beating the house! It's so simple a 12 year old couldn't lose with this strategy. The book's about an hour's reading time (or a little more to carefully go over all the numbers -- the author carefully documents all his findings)

   In my first game online after reading this book, I won over $500 in less than 2 hours. Don't miss this one!




2. This book is fantastic. It is an easy read and a logical system based purely on mathematics. It does require some discipline, but when followed the system has proven to be profitable and substantially easier than learning to count cards. Will be useful to the occasional player as well as the consistent player.



3. I play blackjack for a living, and that means before I decided to do so you need to seperate the good from the bad books. I'm not the person to tell you what to do relating towards your goal playing blackjack, but one year after me trying to get it done the easy way, I,m glad that I switched to cardcounting. Remember do no think that blackjack is a easy money program. Many system sellers are making only money from selling books, or working indirectly for casinos. Any form of progression betting will get your cash in the longrun. I know from the early years of me playing blackjack that playing any form of progression you are able to winn money in the short run, but it will burn you out playing into the longrun, and I played too Popik's theory. But you can't compare a flip of a coin with 2 outcomes with a game of blackjack where you have 13 different outcomes relating to your hands.

   I play about 100 hours a month, 1200 hours a month. It is not about the no. of sessions you winn, but the no. of hours.

   Using Popik's system I won a majority of the sessions playing it in 1991, but the sessions I lost, I lost all what I won related to my winning sessions before. This is happening to all forms of progression play.

   Therefore I would suggest you to start reading work from Stanfort Wong, Lance Humble, Arnold Snyder or Peter Griffin.

   Again, I want you to winn but If you will ever decide to choose the profession I choosed you will realise that playing fulltime any progression system will hurt you playing about 1200 hours a year.




4. I red the first edition of this book. First of all the basic stratedgy slightly differs from what other books say (like doubling 9 against dealer's 7).
   The main idea of the book is to bet on a series of wins/losses. If you win first bet you should increase you bet K times, if you lost your unit bet (and after that other 2) you increase you bet K times again. If it doesn't help, you keep loosing a unit bet at a time.
   The simplest way to proove the authour is WRONG is the following: he claims that every unit you add to K increases you chances to win by 0.5% (you probable win). Take K = 1000. Do you get 500% edge? No it can not exceed 100%.
   The author makes the fallowing mistake: if you average probability to wit is p=0.47 then the probability to loose is 1-p. Our edge (in bets) is -(1-2*p)=-6.0%. We are loosing. The probability to win 2 times is p*p, to loose the second time is p*(1-p). So he says the edge is -p*(1-2*p) is less than -(1-2*p) in absolute value and theirfore (due to blackjack and doubling) he says you can win money. What'a wrong here? It's not an edge. An edge in this situation would be -p*(1-2*p)/p. Because out of 100 bets we only will apply this stratergy p*100 times. And our edge is once again exactly the same -(1-2*p) = -6.0% in bets or (-0.3% in money under playing conditions he describes). You could just increase your everage bet once again with the same result.
   A word of causion. If you want to try geometric progression system (doubling you bet every time you loose), it would work, provided you could place an unlimited bets. But as long as maximum bet is restrected, in everage, you will loose onse again. If your chances to win were 50% (much better then 47), your mathematical expectation would be exactly 0.0 dollars to win. The problem is that every time you win the doubling chain you only regain 1 unit bet, when you loose your maximum bet you loose double your maximum bet minus unit (taking into account account what you lost already from the start). You can triple, the result would be the same (when the maximum bet is fixed).
   If there is a lawer who belives he could make this guy to pay for deceiving people, I'd be more then happy to help (tol60@hotmail.com).
   It doesn't mean you can not win with this strategy. I could give you another one. If it works, you might get reach, if it doesn't, you won't loose much time in a casino: take all your money you have for betting and bet it all (no more then you are redy to loose). If you win, drink free coke and go home, if you loose, do the same. And you save those 10$ for the book.



5. Yes...forget the math. As we know, you cannot make a progressive betting strategy pay off "in the long run". Playing blackjack can, and should be a series of short runs. With David's approach to progression, you can make money. I say "can", not "will". The key is money management and quitting when you're up.
   
   I've tried David's system in a combination of simulated play (using a reliable simulator...you know, the one counters train with) and actual table play. I've logged 240 sessions, with almost 11,000 hands played. I'm up 500 units. While that's not the "long run", I feel I can make the system work with David's 3 to 1 approach and good money management (loss limits, pull plateaus, discipline and reasonable win expectations). Heck, I wish I were bankrolled enough to use $100 units. If I can make 2.4 units per hour as an average over, say, 100 hours...well, I'd sure be doing it.
   
   Why does it work? Probably because it's the real world, and the player controls when he leaves or stays. There is some real world reality to streaks and clumping.
   
   Why do I give it a 4 and not a 5? I think the math contains some fuzzy logic (as a previous reviewer points out). It could be about a twenty page book...but then, would it have any credibility?
   
   I liked it and would recommend it to casually serious non-counting players.

5 comments about Armada Strategies for Spanish 21.

1. While on a casino trip, I became interested in the new "off-shoot" of Blackjack--Spanish 21. Since it's not my style to play casino games I know little about, I turned to a gaming writer I have come to trust and enjoy reading--Frank Skoblete. I was not disappointed. Skoblete's book on Armada Strategies is fun, instructional on the game, and has given me one more weapon with which to protect my bankroll during squirmishes in casino-land. If you are a beginner--buy and study this book--it will help you play this fun new game. If you are a seasoned Blackjack player--BUY AND STUDY this book--there's a different basic strategy to Spanish 21 than regular BJ that can make a difference between winning the battle and waving the white flag!



2. Spanish 21 is a lot more fun than regular 21 once you learn the Armada Strategies. I have been getting a monetary edge (Scoblete's term) ever since I read this book! It's wonderful to win and get no heat from the pits bosses. Thank you kindly Mr. Scoblete for writing this book.



3. This book contains the basic strategy for this new game and a method for counting cards. It is a very good book and I recommend it to anyone who wants to play this new casino game. The writer is very good.



4. Then Amazon is offering you the best bargain you can get. I just finished reading both of Scoblete's books, BOLD CARD PLAY and THE ARMADA STRATEGIES and they were incredible. They give the best strategies for these often casino-friendly games. Scoblete shows you how to reduce the house edge and to take advantage of the casino comping system. This is a great tandem of books for gamblers interested in reading about the "other" casino games.



5. It has been discovered that the basic strategy for Spanish 21 provided in this book is INCORRECT. You can find the correct strategy on the internet. My favourite site is www.wizardofodds.com (look for Spanish 21).
   
   While the book provides some interesting strategies for getting more comps, it really doesn't provide a way of coming out ahead monetarially. In other words, you are losing money playing (in the long run), but getting comps to offset your loses (like free buffets).

1 comments about Pay the Line!.

1. This book covers craps, blackjack, discipline, casinos, and money management offering tips and tricks to winning. The craps section is excellent although it covers only three bets extensively and the blackjack section is good for the beginner but, not great. Also covered is the Gollehon Imperial Method for playing. This method appears to work with single deck games, but may have too much rounding for the serious player looking for an accurate card count. A recommended read for beginners. Advanced players can probably skip this one.

1 comments about The Ultimate Blackjack Book: Basic Strategies, Money Management, and More.

1. Blackjack is a game that is easy to understand and nearly impossible to master. It is also a game that is largely influenced by how people play. The odds will vary depending on compliance with basic strategy. For a new player, the basic strategy chart will be useful, as may the description of gameplay. But the suggested betting strategies and card counting techniques are nothing but snake-oil! I'd recommend Andy Glazier's works over this book to experienced as well as inexperiened players.

3 comments about Ken Uston on Blackjack.

1. Ken Uston once again demonstrates why he was the world's foremost authority on the game of blackjack. His playing experiences were both varied and extreme. In this book, he tells stories (some told before) of his playing experiences, and details his ultimately fruitless attempts to get the Nevada Gaming Commission to stop the casino practice of barring card counters. Of note: in this book he disavows his previously touted Uston APC count, stating that it's just too difficult to use effectively, and that simpler systems are probably more effective in the long run. That piece of information alone makes the book worth having, and in this book he suggests which other systems should be used instead.



2. A GREAT BOOK FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN THOSE EARLY DAYS. IT HAS A FEW GOOD TIPS ON COVER THRU STORIES HOWEVER THIS A REALLY DATED FOR ANY PRACTICAL USE IN CASIOS TODAY.



3. This book does NOT contain tips on playing blackjack. Instead it is filled with stories and anecdotes of how the infamous Ken Uston used Team Play to beat the casinos out of millions of dollars. Millions. At times laugh-out-loud, occasionally boring when the courts become involved, but is quite accessible even for those with little familiarity with 21.

   If you want to read about other casino shenanigans, like how some physics students put computers in their shoes and beat the roulette wheel (and still to this day receive royalty checks), grab a copy of the Eudemonic Pie. For the book that started it all: Beat the Dealer.

   If you're looking to become a card counter after reading this, check out the de facto standard for any serious counter: Million Dollar Blackjack, also by Uston. Do not waste time with the others, particularly Jerry Patterson's shuffle tracking scheme.

No comments about Playing BlackJack As a Business: A Textbook on BlackJack.

2 comments about The Blackjack Zone: Lessons in Winning at Blackjack and Life.

1. Poker and Blackjack have gained enormous popularity in the last few years thanks to televised tournaments from Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and various Indian Gaming Casinos from around the country. This has also spawned a small publishing phenomenon of "how to" books in the field. The Blackjack Zone is one of those and has mathematician Eliot Jacobson [...] writing in a casual, humorous, and thoroughly "reader friendly" an introductory book on the game of Blackjack. Jacobson explains what Basic strategy is and how to use it; how to become an advantage player; how to choose the right game, dealer and casino; how to separate myths about Blackjack from the realities of the game; and how to think and act like a winner. An easy and informative read, The Blackjack Zone is especially recommended for anyone wanting to have the very best chance of coming out ahead in a game where the casino would otherwise have the edge.



2. This is a good book overall, lots of good info., discussions on BJ myths, stresses basic strategy. Fun to read, well written and recommended reading. It refers the reader to other books on counting. My only objection is that counting is almost worthless in todays shoe games and use of auto shufflers. For every counter that gets lucky and wins consistently with a razor thin edge (coinflip), many others go broke. The author states he is a full time counter, but also mentions his wife makes an above average income, while the back of the book lists the other things he does for income. So I doubt he makes a living playingblackjack. Even so, I liked the book.

2 comments about Blackjack Wisdom.

1. I love this book! Its an excellent book to read on the trip down to the casino. Filled with great text instead of dozens of tables. Definately worth it.



2. Well this isn't a "how to" book it's more a collection of a decade or so of writing by Arnold Snyder. As such you won't learn any particular counting system or style. Snyder writes in a clear, witty style with piercing insights into the nature of gambling.

   Some gems from the book include Social Irrelevance class where you will come to grips with the "existential essence of being a replaceable cog in a machine that produces nothing" and how card counters are essentially parasites "siphoning money from a meaningless cash flow system". Humour abounds, for example in reviewing one of the blackjack systems, Snyder remarks "My heart goes out to the tree that died for this".

   All in all a very worthwhile text covering a whole range of different blackjack topics. Occasionally digresses from the main theme but this is more an observation than a complaint it does not detract from the book whatsoever.

   The book's final conclusion? You won't win. Why? Statistical fluctuations mean that on a bell curve some will end up all the way on the right and some will end up all the way on the left. Sure with card counting you have an expectation that is slightly positive, however there's still a big margin for statistical variation that could plonk you pretty much anywhere in terms of winnings. In which case you may as well take your bankroll and plonk the thing on the damn roulette wheel.

2 comments about Blackjack Dealing and Supervision.

1. Excellent book for experienced and novice dealers. Explains all of the procedures for dealing and supervising blackjack in a casino.



2. It explains the concept of black jack in a simpler form rather than manuals given by a specific casino. Although some of the procedures are different, the book helps you to become a better dealer and player. He makes learning the process easy. If you're attempting to enter a black jack class in the near future, you can get a heads up on the options that most casinos provide to the players. He also provides you with practice tests and an evaluation sheet that could be helpful with your auditions. It's worth buying for a reasonable price.

2 comments about Power Blackjack.

1. I have bought several publishings from this company. Each publishing is a endless circle of telling you to buy another one of there publishings. They offer a 100% garuntee and dont honor it. If you email them they might respond once and tell you that your refund was submitted to your credit card and it is your credit card companies fault you have not got your refund. Dont be scammed like me and many others. Never purchase any publishings by Martin J. Silverthorne.



2. I bought this book because I was satisfied with another book from Silverthorne Publishing, "Super Craps" by Sam Goldsmith.
   
   This book is easy to read (even thought is gets kind of long in some places), I read it in about 4 nights, 1 hour a night, and started working the system on my PS2 and with a four deck shoe at the kitchen table on the 5th day. When we (wife and I) followed the Power Blackjack System at a $200 buy in we consistantly won $100 plus together. I did lose $25 one day but she made $145. When I tried $4000 buy in I won $1000 in 15 minutes.
   
   The book is real good, no card counting, covers other interesting items about casinos, pit bosses, record keeping, great betting rules and helps explain how to safe bet when closing out the session. It's an easy system to pick up even for people just looking to play casually. (There's a section on that too.)