No comments about Blackjack - Made Simple.

No comments about Apertura En El Ajedrez Para Todos (Aperturas).

No comments about Your First 20 Deals (How to Play Bridge Series).

2 comments about Marty Sez (Points schmoints series).

1. In Marty Sez...: Bergen's Bevy of Bridge Secrets, Marty Bergen once again leads his readers on a jovial romp through the expert bridge player's approach to the game. This small volume continues purposfully along the path established in Points Schmoints! Read it with joy. Discuss what you read earnestly with your partner. Improve your bidding. Improve your card play. Improve your partnership relationship. Have more fun. Maybe even win more often (or at least make more opponents work for a good round against you).



2. "Marty Sez" again proves that mad scientist Marty Bergen knows his Standard American as well as anyone. Novice to intermediate players will find a wealth of tips here. The only problem is that the format that Marty uses (readers of "Points Schmoints" will realize this was inspired by Harvey Penick's "Little Red Book" of golf) often forces important lessons into too little space, leaving the reader with the feeling that there should be more discussion. Nevertheless, a book well worth reading for the I/N crowd.

2 comments about Blackjack Your Way To Riches.

1. The book "Blackjack Your Way to Riches" is a highly informative Blackjack book with much more than just BJ techniques. Much, much, more. It offers advice on tipping, gestures, and comps during in which that time the author and his four "associates" are keeping you in constant laughs. It is fine for a general reference if you just want to level out with the house but many of their techniques are outdated and do not work in most of today's conditions. The author brags about his counting system not getting you barred, but that is a lie. All users working counting systems are almost always found out and barred, no matter who they are. All in all a good book though for the newcomer to BJ or someone just going on a vacation playing a few hands. If you would like some better strategies that are more up to date please order a copy of either Ken Uston's "Million Dollar Blackjack" and/or Jerry L. Patterson's "Blackjack A Winner's Handbook", both 5 star books. And, if anyone wants to try it, no one I know has used the system in the back of the book. If you do please feel free to e-mail me with your results and comments.



2. A bit of advise from somone who has spent the last 6 years mastering and playing various BJ systems in Reno and Vegas. There is no single book in print that will give more playing power to a beginner than does Canfields. My father played with a "associate," for many years using the modified master system, which has astounding results, but is as complicated as "BJ for Blood" The expert running count as found in this book produces excelent results over many hours of play. Atleast one quarter of my year is dedicated to play and I still use most of the technique described. As far as getting caught and barred, I'm still rolling... Not everyone who counts gets caught, but they are watching, unfortunatly bank rolls are about double now to avoid detection and this system although powerfull is now more time consuming than before. It will make you money, My returns playing are usually under those shown per hour in the book, but not by much. As for those seeking the Master system, good luck hunting!

1 comments about The One World Tarot: Deck & Book Set.

1. The set of Tarot cards accompanying this book is best used by focusing on the 21 cards of the Major Arcana. These cards are colorful. The symbols are unique, having been generated by a computer graphic artist, Michael Hobbs. He uses symbols from various traditions (eg. Egypt, China, India, Judaism, Astronomy) to focus concisely on basic archetypes. Meditation on the Major Arcana brings to the surface new memories and insights. Astrological symbols are assigned to each card. The accompanying book gives the author's explanation for the astrological symbols. Each explanation includes a brief thought on the symbol, an extensive astrological interpretation, and quotes from other Trarot interpreters. The book is a good supplement for an astrologer or tarot reader who wants to combine the work of Tarot and Astrology. The interpretation of the cards of the four suits give brief, but to the point, information. They are best used in astrological readings. The author's understanding of astrology is soundly based. While she does not avoid the down side of life, her overall approach is positive to personal and life situations. I personally found this Tarot book/card set useful for helping me move away from being too analytical. I was able to improve my ability to focus more on the intuitive side of the information. I highly recommend this deck and accompanying book for someone who is in the beginning stages of combining tarot and astrology.

No comments about 5-Card Majors Bidding Flipper (Master Bridge Series).

1 comments about Victorian Board Games.

1. This is a very unique item. A 9"x13" book, the pages of which reproduce Victorian-era board games. The pages are very thick cardboard stock, like the cover of a "Little Golden Book". There is one board game on each 2-page spread. The pages lie flat, so it's just like a real board game! Six games in all: The Prince's Quest, A Day at the Zoo With Daddy, Cycling, The Wonders of the Deep, A Trip to Mars, and The Tailless Donkey. All the games are handily bound in a single book that fits on your shelf! Some of these are pre-1900!! The production values are excellent, and the games have a beautiful, hand drawn look. Game Pieces and dice are included! There are also instructions on how to play and a short passage giving a bit of history on each game. This has value as a fun item, as nostalgia, as sociological history, and as art!

1 comments about Goren Settles the Bridge Arguments.

1. Goren really improved my bridge with this book. Aimed at people with some playing experience, this book treats every aspect of bridge bidding, including opening bids, responses, pre-empts, strong and weak 2s, and slam bidding in an easy-to-follow manner. Complete with sample deals and organized in a convenient, natural order.

   Buy this book. It inspired my bridge playing, and will do the same for yours.

4 comments about World's Greatest Card Tricks.

1. This book is a collection of silly, obvious tricks requiring nothing but the most primitive sleight-of hand. I bought this book when I was first starting out in magic, but even with little experience I understood the worthlesness of these effects. If someone wants to demonstrate puzzles, that are cumbersome and may amuse but do not at all mystify this is the book for him. In addition I found the writing style obnoxious and condescending.



2. This book is a great one for some sleights and the illustrations aren't very descriptive, but just enough so that you can understand the basic concept. The order of the tricks was put together well. If you want a book that will start you on the intermediate scale for magic with cards, get this book.



3. I liked this little book. I like to play around with cards a bit and picked this up looking for some easy tricks that even a dolt like me could do. The book fills the bill admirably. I can't comment on what a more professional magician would think - maybe these are useful for eighth graders only - I don't know. The tricks are well explained and should be easy to figure out for anyone with more than a passing interest. Good book.



4. The average beginner thinks that the kind of magic Longe teaches is "a good place to start", and nothing else. When the reader lacks performing experience, he is impressed by "advanced methods" because the lack of performing experience leads him to misjudge the value of the final product an entertainer delivers to his audience. Therefore, every dabbler focus on technique alone, and blames lack of technical skill for his failures when he performs for a real audience. Some years latter, after buying and studying the more expensive books in card magic, such as the professional books sold by Hermetic Press, and maybe even working as a semi-professional magician for some time, the reader rediscovers Bob Longe and Karl Fulves. Then he realizes how good these authors are. Even Peter Duffie has worked on ideas by Karl Fulves. The merit of Bob Longe is that he worked very hard at creating effective ways to perform the same effects that were extremely complicated when other authors conceived them. However, the dabbler lacks the acting and timing skills to use subtlety effectively, and cannot perform so called "automatic tricks" correctly. Sleight of hand techniques that afford coverage are more effective for the dabbler, as he does not need to worry about misdirecting an audience with his acting. Additionally, the difficult manipulations force the student of card magic to practice seriously and dedicatedly before being able to perform for an audience. The reason why you read so many negative comments about the books by Longe and Fulves is simply because someone performed the tricks without careful study and practice, failed in front of the spectators because of his lack of dedication and discipline, and then blames the books! Experience teaches you how to control your spectator's attention and you can then simply leave something on a table, as Tommy Wonder used to do, while your audience watches something else, and then, surprise them with the startling production of the item you put on the table without coverage of any kind (check the "Visions of Wonder" videos and the Books of Wonder).
   My advice is: Buy this book to discover effective card magic you can perform if you lack previous experience, without a lot of practice (you don't need a lot of practice, but be sure you know the trick well before performing for an audience, learn one trick at a time, and practice it enough, remember you want to amaze and mystify your friends) If you really like card magic after trying these tricks, buy the Royal Road to Card Magic. If card magic becomes your new passion, buy Card College, by Roberto Giobbi. Then, read Bob Longe again and understand that the reason why you failed with some of these tricks is because you lacked practice (you were simply beginning, you had not rehearsed your performance enough, you were not able to remember what to do next, did not understand how to cover a move with misdirection, etc.). Then, you will discover that you can do the same things you achieve with complex sleight of hand in very clever and effective ways, practically under the nose of the spectators and you like it!