5 comments about How to Cheat Your Friends at Poker: The Wisdom of Dickie Richard.

1. Unless you are thrilled by crude language don't bother,as this book really doesn't offer anything else. i read it as i am a penn + Teller fan but it was very disappointing.



2. You really have to wonder how a person like "Dickie Richards" could exist, or why, if he's fictional, anyone would think that a book by such a character would be funny.
   
   The title is a lie - the book doesn't teach you how to cheat, and the author repeatedly says he has no friends. I have no idea where they got the "157 classic and crafty tricks" line from.
   
   That Penn would put his name on this book is just more evidence that, as a thinker and a writer, he's a pretty good magician.



3. It may well be that the real Penn Jillette is an admirable human being, a thoughtful, kind, generous and honorable man--honorable like Brutus and Cassius and all the rest, all, all honorable men. But I have never encountered the real Penn Jillette. I know only his odious public persona.
   
   This is a book by Jillette (and some collaborator or other.) It is an odious book by an odious man about an odious man--odiousness cubed, in short. As I write this, the averaged rating assigned by the previous twelve Amazon reviewers is two-and-a-half stars. I am astonished that the book is so very highly regarded.
   
   In his introduction, Jillette spins a little tale to the effect that the core of this book is a set of polished up anecdotes about the life and thoughts of a rootless, no-good, no-account, card-cheating grifter to whom Jillette (and his collaborator) have assigned the name "Dickie Richard," from material supplied in much rougher form by the said rootless, no-good, no-account, card-cheating grifter.
   
   Now, because Jillette is a stage magician, a profession not notoriously devoted to telling the whole truth and nothing but, some readers may feel a disinclination to take him at his word. Among the twelve reviewers already posting on this site, five seem to have accepted the actual existence of Dickie Richard, four expressed varying degrees of dubiousness about his reality and three did not touch on the point. (Presumably, no ten-foot poles were conveniently available.)
   
   Here is what Jillette says in his introduction to the book: "Dickie is as colorful as you can get. He is a totally fictitious character, talking large and cutting up jackpots (that's slang for `telling stories')." You have to give Jillette full credit here: those are weasel words worthy of a famous stage illusionist. By calling Dickie Richard "fictitious," does Jillette mean that he has no objective existence? Or does he mean that Dickie has completely wrapped himself in a covering of fictions and lies? Which, if either, is the truth? I don't know. On general principals, though, I don't trust Jillette. On anything. Ever.
   
   Let's assume that Dickie is an out-and-out lie. If so, than for what reason has the odious Jillette inflicted his odious creation on us? Whatever the reason, I think it is safe to say that art had little or nothing to do with it. As for the financial reward, considering that I found my copy in the cut-rate, get-this-junk-outta-here section of a steroidal chain bookstore outlet, it must have been small to laughably minuscule.
   
   Let's assume that Dickie is real. If so, then Dickie is the out-and-out liar. His lie doesn't involve his techniques for cheating with the cards. He gives precious little specific information there. In fact, about the only useful thing he says for budding card-sharps is look up another man's book, study it and (like the man trying to get to Carnegie Hall) practice, practice, practice. If Dickie Richard actually exists, his lie isn't about him being a rootless, no-good, no-account, card-cheating grifter. That's self-evidently true enough. No, the lie is that he is a SUCCESSFUL, rootless, no-good, no-account, card-cheating grifter.
   
   Dickie tells us that he constantly and successfully trolls for home poker games, that he casually assumes whatever character traits will make him appear to be an acceptably like-minded, comfortable, trustworthy, likeable card-playing buddy--until, of course, he seduces whatever women are in the immediate vicinity, scoops up whatever portable valuables are left unprotected in the home of his host, cheats, lies and steals whatever money is to be had, and then permanently departs over the hills and far away.
   
   I say nonsense. No way. Not a chance!
   
   Just consider his anecdotes. The man hasn't an ounce of wit or charm or grace. He says he can talk the talk of the pool hall and the country club with equal facility. No he can't. This crude little man is as far from being a silver-tongued devil as is possible to get. W. C. Fields, even when completely sozzled, had a more winning and believable line of patter. His every word, his every story, his every thought shouts out that he is a low-life.
   
   The Big Anecdote in the book is Dickie's drawn out tale of his Big Game, the one into which he introduced himself, then gradually raised the stakes of the regular Big Money Game of some well-heeled Big Shots up in New Hampshire. He returns to the tale of this game again and again, until he comes to the day he brought in his five million dollar stake in anticipation of the Big Killing. He tells us how he won Big, and then through sheer hubris, how he lost even Bigger. Finally he laments the permanent ruin of the Big Game, from which he emerged a poorer but definitely not wiser man.
   
   Nuts! Dickie with five million bucks? The same Dickie who recommends that you poke a sticky-coated paddle into the cash box at a home game in order to extract loose bills and chips? THAT Dickie? Don't make me laugh! Nah, this is a guy who far more likely drives (and probably sleeps in, often as not) a third-hand car and makes hamburger money from the good old boys at the Elks Hall.
   
   Dickie Richard with five mill? Hah! One star for this busted flush.



4. It begins as I'd expect from Penn Jillette: a tongue-in-cheek romp with a dash of course language, and it's funny for those not offended. But by page 20 I realized that, yea verily, this is a serious treatise on cheating techniques.
   
   Imagine all the card tricks that a career magician like Penn Jillette must know, and him focusing that expertise on cheating in a poker game. He's done us a favor in this age of unprecendented poker popularity by wising us up. I *agree* that it's disturbing, but one can take heart in something he points out: "You can't buy the practice." In other words, these techniques take a long time to perfect.
   
   This is useful for vigilance. One can acknowledge that, yes Virginia, there ARE such things as "card mechanics" however rare, or one can hide one's head in the sand. When Barry Greenstein (BG) mentioned "a false shuffle and cut" I wondered how anyone could get away with such a thing! Well folks, here's how it's done. BG recommends being aware of losing when you think you should be winning. Penn actually gets into the nuts and bolts of how the cheater does it.
   
   This also got me thinking about other ways cheating could occur in a casino (such as a modified ShuffleMaster). Disturbing, but good to have tucked away somewhere in one's awareness. There is a section on cheat-proofing your own home game, and the thickest (and crudest) glossary of poker slang I've seen to date.



5. This book is SO funny! One of the few books I have laughed out loud while reading.

5 comments about Get the Edge at Blackjack (Scoblete, Frank. Get-the-Edge Guide.).

1. This book was recommended to me by a friend. Before reading the book I had never gambled before. That was soon to change. The book is incredably readable and even funny. The recounting of his stories concerning the "Act" had me in stitches, imagining him tipping chips all over the place. On a serious note the information is powerful stuff arming you with knowledge to earn yourself quite a tidy sum, if you stick to the rules. Marketing guys often have slogans like "This book will make you rich." It has never been more true than with this book. It is a gold mine. Thanks to John May I have earnt myself a tidy sum and shall continue to do so. Well done John May.



2. One of the best current books on the blackjack market today! I also recommend, Gregorian Strategy for multiple deck blackjack.



3. This book has some very basic discussion on card counting and hardly helpful. It discusses some "advanced techniques" such as "Card Steering", "Shadow Play" etc which requires a very weak dealer, a professional blackjack team, lots of bankroll and a casino without surveillance. Most of these "advantage play methods" are not author's own idea and these sounded more like gambling myths than facts. Do yourself a favor - Do not buy this book !



4. This is a entertaining and interesting manual of "how-to" methods to win money in casinos at blackjack. The range of subject material is quite impressive. Many ideas are a revelation-the author seems to have developed a method of winning by observing the pick-up and discard order of card sequences, for example, something I've never read about anywhere. Although I'm not a serious blackjack player-from what I can tell these ideas do seem to check out at the tables. If I was dumped in the middle of Las Vegas and told to make a fortune or die trying, then this is the one book I would take with me.
   
   What this book definitely isn't is another, basic strategy, count-cards and a few filler anecdotes book.



5. I m sorry to buy this book , i expect it has some ways to further cut edge , but it just point out a little all known and say too many rubbish word to make it become a book
   
   useless at all for beginner to expert

No comments about Braddock's Complete Guide to Horse Race Selection and Betting: With Statistical Information by 'Trainers Record'.

No comments about The Needle Match.

4 comments about Racing Numerology: A Standard System of the Science of Numbers Applied to Horse Racing.

1. This book was written by "Mozan" aka C.M.Shah, in the 1930's. If you are a racing fan without a "system" this book may help you in choosing your horses. Be prepared, though, to spend some time in learning this system. The author was from India and wrote this book on the Indian system of betting, so be prepared to convert the Indian "symbols" to the American "symbols" for the races. After you have learn this part of the system, then you will need to learn how to convert the names of each horse in the race to numbers. After you become proficient with the conversion of names into numbers, you may need, most likely, at least 15 to 20 minutes to do each race. The author claims a winning rate of at least 80% per race day. The book has chapters covering the following: Numerical values of the alphabet; how to find the name value; how to work up a race; ruling figure of the day; a race fully worked up; abbreviations; etc. The book is broken down into two parts, part one covering 10 chapters, and part two covering 13 chapters. It has 90 pages. He lists many sample races from India. There are several charts that help with the initial learning steps. This book is definitely for horse racing fans who are willing to go that extra step for a possible big payoff. Be warned, though, it is a time consuming step. If this isn't a problem for you, then you may enjoy learning from this book.



2. I want to type a review but my immediate problem is how do i buy this book.
   Please advice



3. I am very much interested in this book,However
   the problem is to get the book in India,
   Hope my problem can be solved very soon by
   informing me about it's availability in indian
   book market,or any same type of book available
   in indian book market,
   So that I will be soon able to give review on
   this book.



4. I had forgotten all about this book but when I happened to see it here I thought I'd write a few words about it. My Dad spent the better part of 6 years studying this book in the 1960's because he had a friend that was very successful using it. It is/was written by Mozan in very broken English & difficult to understand. He became very good at picking winners using ONLY this book (he had no other interest in horse racing). Overall he was at about the 75% to 85% win range. Every once in a while you run into a special day when all the numbers line up & on those days he would go car shopping & pay cash with his winnings!

No comments about Insider's Guide to Horseracing.

No comments about Blackjack: A Winners Handbook.

3 comments about My Turf: Horses, Boxers, Blood Money, and the Sporting Life.

1. Bill Nack reports the "back stories" of human and equine athletes better than anyone around and this collection of some of his best work kept me turning the pages for more. From Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston to Secretariat, interesting and important figures from the world of sports are shown as human (or animal) beings, not simply athletic commodities. Nack's writing is elegant without being flowery, and often ironic. This book is a terrific read. The best quote in the collection is attributed to Liston and the meanest person was Rocky Marciano.



2. I thought this book would be for sports enthusiasts only. Instead, it is actually a compilation of beautiful human interest stories that capture and inspire the hearts and minds of its readers. I highly recommend this book for boys and girls, young and old.



3. I've always enjoyed William Nack on ESPN's Sports Century programs, and I'd read some of these selections in Sports Illustrated. It's great to have a collection of such eloquent sportswriting. The characters he writes about come to life. Even non sports fans would enjoy the features on Secretariat, Bobby Fishcher, and Bob Kalzu. In a nutshell, this is a treasure. Next how about a book of Gary Smith's SI stories?

5 comments about Beat the Internet Casinos!.

1. The concept behind this book is to visit as many internet casinos as you can collecting the sign-up promotional cash bonuses along the way. As the online casinos require that you bet some multiple of the bonus or your initial deposit in order to actually withdraw the bonus, the book recommends a conservative roulette or craps strategy. The problem lies in that most online casinos do not allow you to wager on craps or roulette in order to fulfill the terms of the bonus, thus requiring you play higher risk games. In conculsion, this is a pretty good ... book with some useful casino lists and gambling links, but I'm still not sure what makes this a ... book.



2. "Beat the Internet Casinos" is nothing less than a complete manual on how to win at Internet gambling. It is packed with interesting invaluable information for anyone who wants to develop a regular reliable source of income from his home computer. This manual -

   1. Covers all risk issues and shows you exactly how you can safely play and win at online casinos.

   2. Reveals the precise steps you will take to find the best casinos and then beat them!

   3. Describes every aspect of playing against the I-casinos, including setting up your account, how to monitor it and how to get regular "pay checks" from online casinos.

   4. Tells you in no-nonsense language which casinos to avoid and why.

   5. Reveals exactly why you can beat certain casinos while you must avoid playing in others. He even furnishes a list of "beatable" casinos so that you can start playing and winning right away.

   6. Gives you the complete winning strategies for roulette, craps and baccarat. These strategies alone are worth the price of the book and they can be used in land-based as well as online casinos.

   7. Has complete examples you can follow including games the author played. This manual is the closest thing to having a personal tutor to show you exactly how to play and win.

   8. Shows a very powerful "hit and run" strategy you can use to earn $5,000 a week for 10 hours work.

   9. This manual publishes the most complete list of Internet casinos I have ever seen. Once you have this information, you can start playing and winning almost immediately.

   10. The "Play for Blood" chapter is my favorite. The author pulls the complete strategy together and demonstrates with real life examples how he and other players win from $150 to over $700 an hour off the Internet.

   I have been using these techniques for over two months. I have been winning very consistently and I have had little problems getting paid. I am at the $2,500 a week plateau and rapidly closing in on making $5,000 a week.

   If you want a proven way to make money with your computer, this strategy will beat all others hands down. Just try it. When you finish this book you will have complete knowledge to how to win on the Internet and the exact strategies to do it!




3. The basic information which he outlines is good,but somewhat outdated.His "system" for winning flat out doesn't work. I tried it for two weeks. I tried it on different games, different casinos,no,the losses out numbered the wins.It isn't that difficult to learn so its not like I wasn't doing it right.This book is a little dated so maybe the casinos changed their programs since he published. I don't know,but bottom line you can not come out ahead using his system,believe I wish you could.



4. There`s a lot of good information in general about internet gambling. I read the book over several times, hoping to be able to make a living at it. Putting it in practice, playing for fun as Ford recommends, didn`t make me money in numerous practice games. My results were nothing like Ford claims he got, and in fact I was losing money consistently.



5. 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.

1 comments about Spirit Horse of the Rockies.

1. This book is a marvelous read. The author has uncovered a legendary story of tragedy and triumph. In 1889, Spokane, a Montana horse, won the Kentucky Derby and set a record. His saga is a frontier tale of Indians, soldiers, a bone yard, silver mining, and a round barn. I found it to be a well-documented history, and I thank Susan for having the courage to research and preserve a haunting horse story that might otherwise have been forgotten.