No comments about Beat the Sports Books.

5 comments about The Biggest Game in Town.

1. This book is a time capsule of a very different Las Vegas. The Vegas of the late 70's and early 80's was centered around the downtown area, with none of the all-encompassing resorts on the Strip. This is the heyday of Binion's Horseshoe, when Benny Binion was holding court at the most over-the-top gambling paradise. Unlike other casinos, the Horseshoe had to limits on the bets it would accepts and played host to the most outrageous gamblers and bets of the time.
   
   All the greats of poker legend appear here--Johnny Moss and Nick the Greek Dandalos in their 1949 many-weeks-long marathon multi-million dollar game, Doyle Brunson, wacky cowboy gambler Amarillo Slim Preston, and formidable strategist Jack Strauss, among others.
   
   This is a must-read for any poker player. For a modern look inside the World Series of Poker, try James McManus's Positively Fifth Street.



2. "The Biggest Game in Town" is a book exploring the lead up to, the characters behind, and the culmination of, the 1981 World Series Of Poker. My main criticism of the book has little to do with the text itself. With poker becoming more mainstream, it was inevitable that the stakes would become higher, the stories would become crazier and this title and others like it would be left behind. As an example, the main prize in this book is several hundred thousand dollars. Compare this to the million dollar prize pools that are now being generated on an almost weekly basis and the reader can be forgiven for being dismissive about a first prize of "only" $375,000. The book recounts tales of businessmen being "stuck" for $50,000 but again compare that to the recent colossal struggle between Andy Beal and the Vegas professionals, where Beal initially gained the upper hand but eventually lost $10 million. Perhaps the one reason I would recommend the book is for its fleeting glance into the life of Stu Ungar, perhaps one of the greatest players to ever grace the felt. However, other than that I would say that there are many other poker titles I would recommend reading first, for example Nolan Dalla's "One of a Kind", a book that I suspect will stand the test of time.



3. This book is a must have for the serious poker library. While many of the poker players that Alvarez writes about in the book have now become household names, they were virtual unknowns (outside of their peers) when he wrote this book. This book really was groundbreaking in many ways.
   
   Reading this book will enable you to appreciate the mentality of the hi-limit players before poker became mainstream and commercialized. If you want to appreciate a little more about the history of the World Series of Poker, this is a good place to start. The event was not always the "circus" that it has become today.
   
   Alvarez has a nice writing style that is entertaining and easy to read. This is a quick read that you can get through in a few hours. I recommend it.



4. This is the first modern poker yarn by a legendary poker player and yes, literary critic. It seems half the UK poker players get their bonafides by how closely connected they are to Mr. Alvarez and his weekly game.
   
   This book is not to be missed. The previous reviewer holds against that it was written before the current poker boom (or is it poker bubble). It chronicles such minor figures as Stuey Ungar and the WSOP. What poker player cares about that?
   
   The latest poker memoir writers all pay tribute to this influential book. See what all the fuss is about.
   
   Far better than some of the current narratives written by really weak players. I want to name them, but I won't.



5. This book definitely sheds a light on poker as it was in the early 80s. The backgrounds given on the players of the time are extremely informative and enlightening.
   
   One thing I found interesting was the author talking about Doyle Brunson writing his book, the classic, Super System and how it began to change the poker scene. Similarly with Sklansky. How the once hard learned craft was becoming easily accessible in book form, making players harder to win against. Now 25 years plus later, the vast amounts of literature out there is just mind boggling. It has made the competition that much stiffer, yet I sometimes wonder if it has also put that much more meat in the meat market for the true pros of the game.
   
   In closing, I loved the book. A truly amazing read. You get a good feel for how poker was and get a glimpse of how the landscape was beginning to change. I highly recommend this book.

No comments about The Basics of Winning Bingo, 3rd Edition.

5 comments about Las Vegas Blackjack Diary.

1. The positives:
   -Very original idea
   -I like the set-up of the book, especially how it read just like a diary - as the name implies
   -While someone mentioned that it read like a financial report, I feel that this was a very important aspect of the book. Kudos to Perry for including and tracking every cent
   -This is a quick, light read - a perfect choice, especially for this subject
   -He knows the book's subject - and he knows it well
   -It's not like other gambling-related books - he doesn't try to sugarcoat anything or brag about wins. He's very honest and sincere
   -Simply, it's interesting

   The negatives:
   -Perry's writing just isn't that compelling
   -His random opinions on the NBA and sports betting read like "filler" and, to me, served no real purpose
   -I noticed quite a few grammatical errors and printing errors
   -Even though it's nonfiction, I expected a more dramatic ending. The books seems to just suddenly end.

   All in all, it's a pretty good read. If you're into blackjack (or just Vegas in general), you'll really take a liking to it.




2. You've read Stanford Wong, Arnold Snyder, Don Schlesinger, and all the other great stuff about how to beat the game and you have learnt how to count cards, maybe you can count down a deck to less than 30 seconds. You have gone to the casinos and put your knowledge to work, to practice and at the same time hope to make a few bucks at the end of you trips. And you know what, you got burnt many times, especially during the positive counts.
   That is what happened to me. At first, I wonder if I did something wrong until I read Stuart's diary. This book is must have addition to your BJ library, Stuart's real life experience, and especially his honesty put our BJ theory to practice. A 4 stars for his writings and 5 stars for practical side of BJ.



3. This is a great book. You really are at the table with the author, and wonder what he has been doing since. The anticipation and preperation for the trip even made me feel a little nervous when he went to the Golden Nugget for his first session.
   I personally liked the asides. He does a good job of conveying the isolation he feels at times. It makes me want to try the Golden Nugget buffet next time I'm in Vegas...and stay away from the Barbary Coast or Plaza casinos. You would have to be interested in blackjack to like all the book, but someone who has never gambled in thier life would enjoy most of it.



4. I really enjoyed this book and Perry's story-telling, but the formatting for the Kindle was so terrible. There is random super and subscripting and the charts are unreadable. Whoever converted this title performed a rushed job. What a shame.



5. Book arrived prompt and in good condition. Excellent reading. Puts you right in Las Vegas.

5 comments about The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Texas Hold'em, 2nd Edition (The Pocket Idiot's Guide).

1. The Idiot's Guide to Texas Hold 'Em, while thoughtfully written and chock full of very useful information is certainly NOT for the novice player. While I've been a fan of the "Idiot" series and their chief competitor, this particular pocket guide is, unfortunately, written well over the Idiot's head. Although it covers a weath of topics, it is unfortunately brief on far too many of them and tried to cover too much territory in too short a span. As a result the passages are often overly complicated, tangential and confusing. If this was the first book I had read on Texas Hold 'Em, I'd be more confused than before I started it!
   
   I would recommend this short work for anyone who is a fairly experienced amature player with a few hundred online hands under their belt and another book or two prior to this one. In that event, Randy Burgess' thoughts and strategies - although as with any single author's opinion are to be taken with a grain of salt and not gospal - are useful and insightful.



2. Before I read this I just tried to wait for good cards and hope for the best. The strategies in this book have finally made me a winning player -- and helped me understand exactly what it takes to make money in this game and move up from the low limits I currently play. As long as you aren't at my table, I recommend it!



3. After watching hold'em on TV and holding my own in games with friends, I decided to give playing online a try. I found the games alot harder and was frustrated that I not only couldn't win, but I was actually losing. I picked up this book, thinking I wouldn't learn much and found out that I knew almost nothing about how to win -- and some of what I did know was wrong.
   
   From starting hands to odds, counting pots to understanding other players this book got me to break even within a week of finishing it. Since then (in about 4 months), I've won over $750 playing .50 - $1 and have just moved up to playing $1-2 online.
   
   Strongly recommended.



4. scrivo in italiano cosi' mi capite ITALIANI.
   Onestamente posso dire che e' un OTTIMO libro,tutte le tattiche del gioco PRE FLOP,FLOP,TURN,RIVER e molto altro.
   Molto facile da capire(linguaggio semplice).
   CONSIGLIATO per i principianti e NON



5. This book showed me how to play serious hold'em -- I've still got a long way to go, but at least now I know what I don't know. Like most Idiot's guides, it's great at giving you the nuts and bolts basics on the topic. I'm sure more experienced players have the odds nailed and know what "outs" are, but I didn't before I read this book. It's also useful for learning where to play, whether on the Internet and even for types of players to look out for. I've already reread it twice, and I'm sure I'll refer back lots more times.

2 comments about Blackjack Strategy: Tips and Techniques for Beating the Odds.

1. Blackjack Strategy is a good overview of the game. The book starts with a brief history of the game and then quickly moves on to the "Basic Strategy" of Blackjack, i.e. minimizing your disadvantage.

   The chapter on the basic strategy is enough to make you confident enough to tackle any Blackjack table without looking foolish. It will teach you when to hit, stand, double down, etc...

   The next few chapters go on to describe a basic card counting strategy. It is easy enough to understand but if you are looking for some serious information on card counting this book will probabaly not be good enough by itself.

   Overall the book was a quick read and easy to comprehend. If you are about to hit the Blackjack tables and want an understanding of the game and its strategies I would recommend reading this book before hand. This book is also a good reference with many tables in the appendix. You can easily read it in one sitting. If you are looking for a meaty book with ton's of detailed information you may want to look elsewhere.




2. This is a good book that can give beginners a good introduction to black jack and some of the casino rules. For non-beginners (people with some "know how") there is plenty of material to.

   It gives you an overview of gambling/black jack history (very brief but interesting) and it tells you some of the "unwritten" rules that only people that visit casinos know. It provides you with fundamental rules, reference tables for different scenarios and advance techniques.

   To the bottom line... I follow the book direction and it helped me to make enough money that my trip to Vegas was pretty much free. For my first attempt at black jack obviously I am happy, and I plan to read it again and check the advanced material for my next trip.

   Finally, Black Jack is a lot more fun and intense than the roulette or the coin machines.

2 comments about Big Book of Slots.

1. The Big Book of Slots and Video Poker is a no-nonsense approach to setting a gambling budget and managing expectations. Explanations of the price of fun make it easy to make choices before you go to the casino.



2. I really don't think the book was helpful at all. The information was very repetitious and outdated. Would not recommend at all!

1 comments about Go for the Gold!: Becoming an ACBL Life Master.

1. This should have been a great book -- I know of none other that attempts to cover this territory. Sadly, its coverage of bridge literature is amateurish. It's also ten years old, so cannot cover recent developments, such as software and the internet. If you're looking for a book that gives you specifics of which aspects of bridge to study and how best to do so, given your busy life, to help you progress from novice to intermediate, that book has not been written yet.

4 comments about Lightning in a Jar.

1. "Lightning in a Jar" is a wonderful mixture of passion and infomation. It captures all the excitement, tension, magic and mystery of thoroughbred horse racing along with giving you a basic course in horse management. Cot Campbell, a former advertising executive, shares his personal journey and he is a real horseman, good trainer and peppery writer.I got involved with the thrills and disappointments of racing and wondered if I had the temperament (never mind the money) that Campbell says is essential for the "stretch run." Its a riveting book and the fine photos give an extra bonus.



2. EXCELLENT! I loved it so much I am reading it again. Lots of information that is plesently put together. Great read for anyone interested in horse racing.



3. Of the 20+ horse racing books I have read in the last five years, Lightning in a Jar was a stand-out. The book provides an excellent overview of the horse breeding process leading to a racing career. The book gives some insight to the horse syndication process. If you are looking to purchase a horse or understand the horse breeding process, I highly recommend this book.

   Unlike so many other horse racing books, there is not a lot of fill. There are a lot of high quality color pictures which were meaningful to the flow of the book. The quality of the paper the book is printed on was high as well. The book is an easy-to-read factual account of the history of Dogwood Stables. Several of the horses syndicated by Dogwood are discussed along with the trials and tribulations of the owner, Cot Campbell. Strong Buy!




4. I read this book because it was in my college daughter's library of books as required reading for a class on Thoroughbred racing, and I am considering the purchase of a couple of foals for resale. But even with my pointed interest and high recommendation from her school, I found the book to be far less than the useful guide it touts itself to be. (The top title of the book is "A thoroughbred owner's guide").
   
   The book is a fairly quick read, but that might be because I skipped portions of a number of chapters that seemed designed to promote the business of the author (which apparently syndicates or sets up partnerships for multiple owners of horses). I found the lengthy descriptions of his (typically not famous) horses, employees, and even his wife a bit tedious.
   
   If you're looking for ONE book to tell you about the industry there are better books available. However, if you are looking for a number of books, each giving a single business-view of the industry, this book is fine. In the parlance of the industry for win/place/show - this is a show.

5 comments about My Racing Heart: The Passionate World of Thoroughbreds and the Track.

1. simply because the author's name is 'nan'. so sorry, but when i see the name 'nan mooney' it makes me want to vomit, or at least pass on reading this. anyone who walks around and authors books and attaches the name 'nan' screams overweight housewife to me. please pass on this because it really is wrong to read a book by an author with sch a name. if i wrote a book, and signed 'little danny o'malley' would you read it? hell no. or heck, which i'm sure amazon will put in the previous sentence.



2. This book is so full of useless, flowery writing that I just couldn't take it anymore. Her method of description is simply annoying. Not only that... every chapter begins with lame stories of May May, Nan's grandmother, that just about drove me crazy.



3. I bought this book hoping for some real insight into the world of Thoroughbred racing from the history and allure of the breed to the off limits world of the backstretch. Given the authors credentials, one might think that that's what you'd get. This book, however, is the most self indulgent, cloying piece of pap ever put to paper. This book reads more like a teenage drama queen's diary than a satisfying chronicle of The Sport of Kings. The only reason to buy this book would be the picture on the cover; it's phenomenal. Unfortunately, the photographer wasn't involved with writing the book.



4. Nan Mooney, My Racing Heart (Harper, 2002)

   Nan Mooney loves horses. Specifically, Thoroughbreds, the ones who hit the track, dust it up with six to twelve of their closest friends, and make humans gape in awe at the process. This odd amalgam of personal-memoir-cum-treatise-on-track-life is not an unfamiliar breed to the horse fan; the measuring stick against which all such books are brought is Bill Barich's stunning Laughing in the Hills. I'm sure one day, another book that good in that genre will arrive. While My Racing Heart has its good points, to be simple about it, this ain't it.

   Where Barich succeeds as so many others (Michael Klein, Mooney, Liz Mitchell, and many others) fail is in his ability to take two different things that have inherently different paces and make them merge together into one book whose readability is consistent across chapters on differing subjects (in Barich's case, handicapping the races at Golden Gate while dealing with his mother's cancer). He meshes the two in such a way that, despite being parallel narratives happening a country apart from one another, the whole thing flows. Seamless, like an egg, as Stephen King once said. In Mooney's case the two main threads are a basic nuts-and-bolts look at the Thoroughbred industry from someone with enough clout to get inside the lines but not enough cynicism to keep pumping out the same old platitudes and a memoir about her grandmother, who introduced her to horse racing at an age tender enough that I suspect her parents weren't very happy. Either of these two things on their own would have stood as a book in itself; the slow, meandering passages about her grandmother and how the two of them interacted and the snappy, sometimes sarcastic looks at track life. It is when the two are entwined with one another that things break down to the extent they do, with the reader finding himself transported with no warning from the high of making friends with a Kentucky Derby contender to a lazy meditation on what life must have been like in the early twenties in Alaska.

   Not to say it isn't worth reading; that's not it at all. There is some fine stuff here. It just could have used a little tuning. ** ½




5. This book is driving me crazy. What's wrong with it? I keep thinking I ought to love it. It's well written. Mooney loves horses and the track. She hates what's happening to both, but with a good sense of history she understands nothing's new under the sun. So why is it such a slog to read? Because it's all over the place? Because I can't get a grip on who her grandmother was and Mooney wants me to? Because there's nothing compelling, nothing happening that drives the book or the reader forward? I can't get a handle on what this book is about. Her racing heart. Okay. Her interest in Captain Steve's Derby which the reader forgets is the spine on which she hangs her musings? And she certainly knows a thing or two about her subject. In the end two vital things are missing. The two things a book MUST have to succeed as a book and is why Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit: An American Legend crossed all boundaries. Narrative drive and passion. It's a lukewarm forgettable but horse loving book. An odd experience that I can't quite capture in this review. Just like Mooney can't quite capture the beauty and excitement of the horse or the track...but not for lack of trying.