283 pages
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Best Blackjack
by Frank Scoblete
Spotlight Reviews
I agree with the title, April 1, 2002
Reviewer: Keith Watt (Phoenix, AZ USA)
I agree with most of the other reviewers, this is the best blackjack book I've read, and I've read quite a few of them.
Most BJ books are either useless to the serious or semi-serious BJ player, or are about count strategies that are useful but the book itself is so theoretical and tedious it will bore you to tears. Not so with Mr. Scoblete's tome. In a breezy and easily understandable style, he covers the basics of single and multiple deck strategy for various gambling venues, then moves on to advanced counting strategies. Where this book excels, he then gives practical suggestions on how these strategies can be applied in real life, without being preachy about only doing it "his way", as some authors do. He also flavors the book with his own experience and self recognized bias (the section on "ploppies" is a hoot!)
This book has information that will be useful for a novice's first session at a table, or a more serious player looking to improve their skills. If you are planning to purchace one BJ book, make it this one.
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256 pages
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Basic Blackjack
by Stanford Wong
Customer Reviews
Contains a truly dizzying amount of information!, June 24, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
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 blackjack 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.
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Blackjack Basic (Playing) Strategy, 2 Decks
by Hal Marcus
Customer Reviews
Blackjack Strategy Cards - Don't Leave Home Without Them, October 14, 2003
Reviewer: A reader
These four basic blackjack 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.
Math not luck, October 3, 2003
Reviewer: A reader
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.
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List Price: $4.95
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Blackjack Basic (Playing) Strategy, 4-8 Decks
by Hal Marcus
Customer Reviews
Blackjack Strategy Cards - Don't Leave Home Without Them, October 12, 2003
Reviewer: A reader
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.
(Note to Amazon - Please post this review for all four strategy cards. Thanks.
One red chip, September 26, 2003
Reviewer: "proghappy" (Georgia)
Ever wonder how to get the house edge at blackjack to around half a percent (or less)? If you're new to blackjack and/or need a quick set of game dependent strategy variations, then these are the cards to get.
You actually recieve 3 double-sided, laminated strategy cards (4 strategy, 1 explanation, 1 cover) connected together that easily fold out and refold so the game variation you need is right on top. The 4-8 deck cards are very handy for review or learning the strategy variations between Hit 17/Stand 17 and Doubling After Split Allowed/Not Allowed. Should you surrender 15 vs. 10 when the dealer stands on Soft 17? The surrender variations are provided.
I found the cards very easy to read because of their larger size and good color use. It's easy to find the intersection of your hand vs. the dealer up card, especially since the dealer up card is located at the top and the bottom of each card. They are handly to have for quick review on a plane, hotel room or between casinos. They fit neatly in a shirt or pants pocket and are very flexible. Since they're laminated, so don't worry too much about those swim up blackjack games.
For one red chip, these cards will pay for themselves quickly, especially when you forget those pesky soft double-downs. Kudos to Mr. Marcus for this indespensible tool.
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217 pages
List Price: $16.00
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Blackjack Bluebook II: the simplest winning strategies ever published
by Fred Renzey
Customer Reviews
Explained Technical Points Very Well, April 4, 2005
Reviewer: Barto (Memphis, TN USA)
This is the first technical book on blackjack I was able to understand. Other books were either too basic to be helpful, or too complex to grasp. I feel I got a lot of new understanding from this book. It was very sensible and convincing in its effective writing style and examples. The author has a way with words. It got me to change the way I play.
Valuable Manual for the Experienced Player, March 15, 2005
Reviewer: Ben
For someone who is looking to progress beyond plain basic strategy, I thought the book was very helpful. Lots of "murky" so-called blackjack axioms that were just mental "sticky points" got clearly explained. The Ace/10 Front Count is just the kind of casual thing I was looking for to take my game up a level, without getting too serious. It is truly easy to use at the table, unlike the technical counting systems I have seen. Great book for polishing up one's game.
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156 pages
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Blackjack for the Clueless: A Beginner's Guide to Playing and Winning
by Walter Thomason
Customer Reviews
I was clueless, January 9, 2004
Reviewer: J. D. Minium "The bookster" (Hawaii)
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)!
Even an experienced player will learn from this book!, April 11, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
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.
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List Price: $19.95
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Blackjack For Blood: The Card-Counters' Bible, and Complete Winning Guide
by Bryce Carlson
Spotlight Reviews
Have no doubt - this is the best BJ book ever written!!, January 10, 2001
Reviewer: moshe davidovich (tel aviv, Israel)
Do you imagine yourself going from a complete beginner to world class expert in one book plus knowing almost all there is about the game? well, you came to the right place. carlson's book is not only the best blackjack book i've read (and i've read a lot!) but it is also the most enjoyable one (along with ken houston's "million dollar blackjack"). no matter what are your goals - being a world class expert or just enjoying while improving in social games - this is the best book to do it.
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200 pages
List Price: $17.95
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Knock-Out Blackjack: The Easiest Card-Counting System Ever Devised
by Olaf Vancura, Ken Fuchs
Spotlight Reviews
From a beginner?s prospective, February 19, 2001
Reviewer: David G. Phillips (New York, NY USA)
This is the first book I have ever read about blackjack and gambling. I know, as many of you already do, that Blackjack does afford the player the best advantage out of any game in the casino. I have never sat down at a Blackjack table because I knew that without knowing the proper counting and basic strategy techniques, the house would always win in the long run. I had read on the Internet of various card-counting methodologies, however they all seemed to complicated and discouraging to ever consider seriously proceeding with (unless of course I had a degree from MIT, which I don't.)
Alas, I read a review of Knock-Out in the Chicago Sun-Times, which alluded to my concerns over difficulty. This book is straightforward and interesting to read, and the card-counting technique is regarded as being simple to use comparatively to other popular techniques. Even though, admittedly, this will take some practice, I am confident I can master Knock-Out with enough patience and I am not discouraged to the point of not bothering to try. I did find it somewhat surprising how much money and time is needed to have an satisfactory amount of return with relatively low risk (the fact that you start to max your betting with only a 2% advantage over the house is a testament to this fact.) Nevertheless, the book only took a couple of days to read, and it was truly hard to set down. Even though this is the first Blackjack book I have ever read, from a beginner's prospective, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Wish me luck!
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352 pages
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Professional Blackjack
by Stanford Wong
Spotlight Reviews
An Excellent Book for the Halves Card Counting Method, March 2, 2005
Reviewer: LotteryMan43 (Watertown,CT USA)
After reading several reviews, I realized that the reviewers actually tell you nothing about the book and methods, and I would go so far as to say that some really didn't read this book. I am a Level 3 Card Counter. I use the method described in this book known as the "halves counting method". It is the BEST and Most Accurate way to determine when to increase your bet. REALISTICALLY, MOST PEOPLE will NOT have the time and patience to learn it, so they will settle for the Hi-Lo method (also in the book), which will place them at a distinct disadvantage from someone using the "Halves Method". Is there a Better method than the "Halves" - yes, but it requires a "side count of Aces, and this is difficult to do while carrying on conversations and trying to survive at a Blackjack table. Remember this, although there are tips in this book about betting and other things, you have to read more books and play a "ton" of Blackjack to learn how to bet properly, how much to raise, how to read when a high True Count is
"running away", and many more savvy bits of information. If you're looking to read ONE book and kill the Casino, it won't happen - if you're thinking you'll win every time out, it won't happen, even with the Halves Count - but this is the BEST of the books for a diligent Card-Counter who would learn the "Halves Method". Remember, I am recommending this Book for the Halves Method and excellent, accurate tables in the book. I'd give it 5 Stars, but there's a few mistakes (some typographical), and an asumption about "greater than the count" that leads to a minor error that is not earth shattering. Good Luck to you!
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270 pages
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Theory of Blackjack, 6th Edition
by Peter Griffin
Spotlight Reviews
This book changed my opinion of gambling books, November 4, 2002
Reviewer: K. Rule (Beaverton, OR USA)
I ran across this book many years ago in a used bookstore (mine was the 2nd edition). I must say this book changed my opinion of books about gambling books. Up to that point, all the gambling books I've come across were laughable. But this book was startlingly different. It thoroughly explains the mathematics behind basic strategy and card counting techniques in a way that really made sense.
This may sound too advanced for many folks, but frankly the math is fairly easy to understand (it mostly uses basic statistics that you probably learned and forgot in high school).
If you are serious about card counting, the information in this book will help you evaluate BJ counting systems (or even systems you invent). It will also help you subtly modify your play for changes in rules at different casinos.
Do you need to be a computer programmer to use this book? No, but it wouldn't hurt. Is this book useful for writing BJ simulators? Yes, but it's also great for really understanding what it takes to be a really good card counter.
Personally, this book convinced me that I don't have the patience (or time) to become a good card counter. But at least now I know why.
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List Price: $24.99
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Blackjack Attack: Playing the Pros' Way
by Don Schlesinger
Customer Reviews
Excellent text book and reference, August 1, 2001
Reviewer: DD' (Southern United States)
All serious blackjack players own this book. It is a good read and a frequent reference. Chapter 9, on risk of ruin, is important reading for serious gamblers. Ch 10 is a very good quick reference to find the relative favorability and win rate approximations for hundreds of the permutations of rules, number of decks, and betting strategies for blackjack games. I'm a professional gambler and I refer to this book often. It easily ranks among the five or six "must own" books in the field of blackjack.
A classic, October 31, 2002
Reviewer: A reader
This will be a classic book in the blackjack world just like Super/System is for poker.
1) Yes the book goes into a lot of details, but this essentially proving his points. You don't want to blindly use the Illustrious 18 without knowing for sure that it is mathematically sound. I admit a lot of times the mathematical derivations get tedious but it's nice to know if you are industrious to use the methods for your own calculations.
2) There is no counting system taught here; Don isn't a counting system producer. He is more of an player-analyst.
3) For beginners, the stuff is probably way over your head. Otherwise chapters 10 and 11 are worth the book itself.
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224 pages
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Gregorian Strategy for Multiple Deck Blackjack
by Gregory Mannarino
Spotlight Reviews
Totally Worth the Investment. , August 30, 2004
Reviewer: Bernard Chapin "Ora Et Labora!" (Blue Island, Illinois United States)
This author has written a slim but valuable work on the most beatable of casino games. His advice is not conventional but I agree with it after many punishing hands when I stood with 12s and 13s. He's right as you should hit and hit them. His strategy requires discipline but I really believe that it is viable, and is particularly necessary if you're like me and have a really tough time counting cards. It's just not something I can pull off so his alterno-tactics are welcome.
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