262 pages
List Price: $26.16
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Calculated Bets
by Steven Skiena, Ronald Graham (Series Editor), John Barrow (Series Editor), Fan Chung (Series Editor), Ingrid Daubechies (Series Editor), Persi Diaconis (Series Editor), Don Zagier (Series Editor)
Customer Reviews
Mathematical modeling done right, December 29, 2002
Reviewer: A reader
To knowledge seekers, the ability to understand and beat a system is the entire game. In this book, Skiena describes how he and some of his students wrote a computer program to win money betting on professional jai alai matches. Along the way, he explains the origins of the game and some of the basic rules, the fundamental bets that can be made as well as the meaning of statements such as pari-mutuel betting. His program does work well, in that he quadruples his money in a short time. Once that is done, he gives the money to a university charity, hoping to make his money from writing this book.
The fact that such a program could be created is not surprising. Jai-alai is a sport where individuals compete one-on-one or in teams of two, and the betting patterns determine the payoffs. It is much easier to simulate these types of matchups and predict the outcome than it is for team games. Baseball managers have been doing such modeling for years. If my memory serves me correctly, the first to do it in major league baseball was Davey Johnson, who kept detailed statistics on all pitcher-batter matchups. All of his decisions concerning who to put up to bat were then based on playing the percentages. That is essentially what Skiena does, although with a different twist. Pari-mutuel betting is where those who wager are betting against each other, so the patterns of wagering determine the payoffs. The patterns of betting are also factored into his predictions. These conditions make it possible for someone to make money creating such a system, but only as long as no one else is doing it. If others begin to use
the same system, then the players are betting against each other, destroying the opportunity to make a profit. Therefore, his very act of publishing this book probably means that his system can no longer be used to win at jai-alai betting.
This is an excellent example of how basic mathematical modeling is done. Use data of previous results to form a model of what has happened in order to predict what will happen. Skiena writes with a wit and rigor that is rarely seen in mathematics. Very little mathematics background is needed in order to understand the explanations of the behavior of the program and why it works.
I found this book so interesting that I stayed up very late finishing it. It reads like a novel, but teaches you a lot about mathematics. Instructors in mathematical modeling and computer programming can find many interesting ideas for classroom exercises in it. As long as no one takes it too seriously, it is all in good, clean fun.
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339 pages
List Price: $12.95
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Guerrilla Gambling
by Frank Scoblete
Spotlight Reviews
You gotta out think juice !!!, April 2, 2005
Reviewer: pokerpro
The ancient Greeks, experts in many branches of mathematics, failed to recognise the connection between gambling and maths. Instead they relied on Hermes - the god of gambling for luck. When a pair of dice was thrown they thought all numbers had an equal chance. Thanks to the calculations of Blaise Pascal in 1654, today's craps players know that a seven in the most likely score. Unfortunately so too do gambling operators. They use computers to calculate odds ensuring they give themselves huge profits. However even with modern technology, the gambling operators can be as clueless as the ancient Greeks
If you are a gambler and would like to start playing online at www.starluck.com
Make sure you use the bonus code " 200BUCKS " to get a 20% Signup Bonus up to $200 on all games except Roulette, Craps, Baccarat
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240 pages
List Price: $19.95
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How To Gamble At The Casinos Without Getting Plucked Like A Chicken
by James Harrison Ford
Spotlight Reviews
An excellent book: accurate, honest and funny!!!!!, November 5, 2004
Reviewer: Richard York
How to Gamble at the Casinos Without Getting Plucked like a Chicken is really a great book. It is so frank and honest that at times it is startling. In several places, like in the section about Gambler's Ruin, it is like someone just turned on the light. It becomes absolutely clear why some people win and most people don't. Although the book provides some really basic information, it doesn't talk down to the reader. It reads like a letter from a friend.
The book is worth the price just for the video poker cheat sheets. These tables give you the best play combinations for twelve different video poker games. These would cost more than the book if you bought them separately. For each game, they answer questions like: Should I hold the pair or go for the flush?
At first, the section on Blackjack seems incomplete. It doesn't go into the deep intricacies of card counting, like varying your play as a function of the card count. However, when you think about it, the book gives you enough information for you to be successful without making you work harder than it is worth. Since varying your bet is worth twice as much as varying your play, you really only have to learn one set of best play rules. The book provides you a realistic sense of perspective. It's like that for all the casino games. It tells you what is really important and what isn't.
Even the humor is instructive. On your first reading, it catches you off-guard and always makes or emphasizes a point that is worth remembering. Beyond that, the entire tone of the book makes it clear that gambling is supposed to be fun. You don't have to be a robot to be an expert gambler. It is ok to enjoy yourself and be yourself in a casino. After reading this book, you will know enough to be able to relax and have a good time while trying to do to the casinos what they are trying to do to you.
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362 pages
List Price: $6.99
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Hoyle's Rules of Games, Third Revised and Updated Edition
by Albert H. Morehead (Editor), Geoffrey Mott-Smith (Editor), Philip D. Morehead (Editor)
Customer Reviews
Sine qua non, December 12, 2000
Reviewer: T. Holland McKinnie (Franklin Tennessee)
Unless you have been part of a weekly poker game, you may not understand why I like this book, particularly the section on "ethics and etiquette," so much. There really is some honor among thieves. Life really is more fun (and chaos more enjoyable) when we adhere to the letter and spirit of the rules.
a must have!, June 7, 2000
Reviewer: [email protected] (Logan,Utah)
I first bought this book over a dispute in poker I had with a friend. You can imagine my shock when I found out he was right. Since then, the cover has been worn off my copy from repeated use. This book is great for settling disputes and learning new games. A must have for anyone who plays cards.
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174 pages
List Price: $14.95
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Stepping Up: The Recreational Player's Guide to Beating Casino and Internet Poker
by Randy Burgess
Customer Reviews
Great beginner to intermediate guide for online play!, December 3, 2004
Reviewer: Real Poker Advice
This book takes a different approach then your typical beginner to intermediate level guide that teaches you how to play (memorizing starting hand requirements, basic and intermediate strategies like raising for a free card, raising for value, isolating loose raisers, blind stealing, etc.). What this book does do is focus on the factors that you need to master, especially for online play where you are isolated from other players physically. The psychological aspects... the game within-the-game, etc. are factors that are magnified for online play. You are your own worst enemy (and since the same applies to your opponents), understanding theae nuances are key to a successful transition from live to online play. Good read and recommended.
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82 pages
List Price: $3.95
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The Ten Best Casino Bets
by Henry Tamburin
Customer Reviews
Read this book!, August 19, 2004
Reviewer: A reader
This book helped me incredibly understand the odds and help beat the casino at their games. I recommend it.
Very good simple summary book, December 20, 1996
Reviewer: A reader
Having read a lot of gambling books, it is good to see one that is statistically significant as to various issues. A handy little reference that would help increase your odds in the casino
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400 pages
List Price: $16.99
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Unofficial Guide to Casino Gambling
by Basil Nestor
Spotlight Reviews
Insider Information, June 22, 2002
Reviewer: James M. Sheffield (Henderson, NV USA)
As a layman, that is non-professional and occasional gambler, (after all, I live a stone's throw from Las Vegas!)my curiosity was piqued by the fact that some people seem to have some sort of psychic insight into gaming. How did they do it? Could I do it myself?
I asked a woman, a "high-roller," how she always seemed to cash in on the jackpots. "Oh," she said, " you just go to the new machines." Wow! But how do you know which ones are new? "You just know." I'm sorry, I'm too pragmatic for such an airy answer.
However, I did find what I was looking for in the "Unofficial Guide to Casino Gambling."
I'm still not a millionaire, but I'll tell you I have a lot more fun knowing some of the insider information than I ever did just playing blindly and not knowing what I was really doing wrong.
Read it. You'll love it.
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319 pages
List Price: $24.95
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Whale Hunt In The Desert: The Secret Las Vegas Of Superhost Steve Cyr
by Deke Castleman
Customer Reviews
spellbinding , December 24, 2004
Reviewer: Richard A. Armstrong (Washington, DC USA)
An utterly spellbinding behind-the-scenes look at the world's highest rollers and the professional sycophants/enablers, called casino hosts, who cater to their every whim while encouraging their every base instinct. I couldn't put it down. And Castleman's brief essay on gambling and religion at the end is worth the price of the whole book.
Compulsively Readable, October 27, 2004
Reviewer: Brian Rouff (Las Vegas, NV USA)
If a non-fiction book can be classified as a page-turner, this is the one. Casino superhost Steve Cyr and the international cast of whales spring from the pages as larger-than-life, almost mythical, characters. Cyr takes center stage as the free-wheeling, fast-talking whale hunter, always pushing the envelope (and changing the entire industry in the process).
I especially enjoyed the cat-and-mouse interplay between Cyr and his "clients." On the one hand, he represents his casino bosses; his earnings are directly tied in to the big money losses of the whales. On the other hand, he must seem like the whales' best buddy, taking their side and making himself available 24/7 to satisfy their every whim. It's a fascinating balancing act, especially when a whale goes on "tilt" and runs the risk of permanently tapping out, thereby damaging Cyr's long-term revenue. I found myself going back and forth, sometimes rooting for Cyr, other times identifying with a particular whale, all the time knowing I could never be either. The later sections on whale psychology (and pathology) are equally fascinating. For anyone who's ever been to Vegas and peeked with amazement into a high-roller salon, marveling at the vast sums of money exchanging hands, this book is a must read.
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496 pages
List Price: $16.95
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American Casino Guide, 2005
by Steve Bourie (Editor), Anthony Curtis (Contributor), Bob Dancer (Contributor), John Grochowski (Contributor), Lee Jones (Contributor), H. Scot Krause (Contributor), John Robison (Contributor), Jean Scott (Contributor), Henry Tamburin (Contributor), Matthew Bourie (Editor)
Spotlight Reviews
***** The Best Places to Gamble *****, January 9, 2005
Reviewer: Richard York
The "American Casino Guide" is a valuable resource for quickly locating the best places to gamble. Why waste your time checking out places that don't offer you the best games and are merely looking to rip you off? This book can save you a lot of leg work, aggravation and money.
For this book to be of any real use to you, you need to read it carefully, make notes as you go and read between the lines. The group who assembled this guide apparently wanted to be very careful to avoid offending any of the casino owners or operators. The information you need is all there, but it needs some interpretation, and you will have to use some judgement about the games you play.
Although their information on how to play the various games is essentially sound, they don't really distinguish between games that are worth playing and those that will eat your lunch. For that kind of information, you should read some of the books that have a more critical point of view, such as: "How to Gamble at the Casinos Without Getting Plucked Like a Chicken" by James Harrison Ford or "Getting the Best of It" by David Sklansky.
Although you can develop the information that this book offers on your own, buying and reading this book will be money and time well spent. Just one visit to a casino that doesn't give you the best odds can cost a lot more than the price of this book.
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345 pages
List Price: $27.95
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Burning the Tables in Las Vegas: Keys to Success in Blackjack and in Life
by Ian Andersen
Spotlight Reviews
Should You Buy the Second Edition?, December 20, 2003
Reviewer: H. Cota "takingadayoff" (Las Vegas, NV USA)
What's new in this second edition of Burning the Tables in Las Vegas? Mostly Chapter 9 on Green Chip Play. If you have a copy already, it's probably not worth it to buy the new edition, but you might want to borrow a copy to read this short new chapter on low-roller betting. In a nutshell, Andersen tells you how to win with $25-$50 bets, but don't expect to make a living at it.
Andersen spends about half the book talking about the mechanics of blackjack, and only the first few pages cover the basics. The rest is strategy and tactics, and he brings Stanford Wong along to add his expertise. The other half of the book covers topics that are not specific to blackjack, but are just as important: history, psychology, money management, risk management, health, demeanor. It is difficult to say exactly how much of a professional gambler's success is due to playing well and how much is due to people skills, being alert, reading a room, and staying healthy.
This is an up-to-date book that takes into account the way casinos operate today, not twenty years ago. Andersen adds a lot of what should be common sense to the nuts and bolts of playing winning blackjack. You probably don't need someone to tell you not to piss off the dealer (or even shoot them a disgusted look when you're losing), but it doesn't hurt to be reminded. Especially by a proven winner.
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298 pages
List Price: $29.95
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Internet Texas Hold'em: Winning Strategies from an Internet Pro
by Matthew Hilger
Customer Reviews
Good book for begining internet Hold'em players, December 22, 2004
Reviewer: M. Ross "poker player" (Tacoma, WA)
This is the first poker book I purchased. It made me a winning online player. This is a basic starting book.
Explains the importance of pre-flop hand selection and recommended starting hands.
Explains why some cards work well with more players in the pot. Explains what hands work well with one or two players in the pot.
Go over post flop play. How to play draws, slow playing, check raising, ect
Explains importance of position. Why you need to play more tightly in early position. Why you can be looser in late position.
These are all important in getting a basic understanding of how to play Hold'em.
I am no longer using just Hilgars strategy to play poker. I can say this gave me a good starting point on becoming a good poker player.
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408 pages
List Price: $19.95
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The Complete Idiot's Guide To Gambling Like a Pro (3rd Edition)
by Stanford Wong, Susan Spector, Susan Complete Idiot's Guide to Gambling Like a Pro Spector
Customer Reviews
Novice - better after this book, November 12, 2004
Reviewer: David Chojnacki (Redwood Shores, CA)
I am a neighborhood gambler only, but some of the guys I play have been playing for years. I'm not exactly an expert yet, but thanks to this book I am not embarassing myself anymore (not with cards anyway). I used to rely on getting the other players drunk, but now I only need to get them partially drunk to win.
Excellent book for a beginner., August 14, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
This is the best book on gambling I have read. It is written in simple and easy to understand language. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more on gambling.
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128 pages
List Price: $4.99
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Winning Tips for Casino Games: John Grochowski
by John Grochowski
Customer Reviews
Helpful information condensed in a short space, July 29, 2001
Reviewer: Al (Claremont, CA United States)
When I moved, I found this book in my library. I go frequently to southern Nevada, but I no longer have the money to sustain the losses one can incur even if one is a good player at "21." I do enjoy gambling, and had decided to try video poker. I was presently surprised to find that with the information on pp. 43-48, I could turn a machine with a decent payout schedule into a positive expectation. I left Nevada with a net amount higher than I had seen from "21" in quite a while. The information in this book has made me a great fan of video poker played statistically properly.
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416 pages
List Price: $75.00
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Casino Operations Management (Advanced Methods in the Biological Sciences)
by Jim Kilby, Jim Fox, Anthony F. Lucas
Customer Reviews
Great reference for anyone in gaming....., April 18, 2002
Reviewer: A reader
Jim Kilby was one of my professors when I attended UNLV. His extensive knowledge and experience in the gaming industry makes him one of the best resources for anyone in the gaming business. This book will provide you with a solid foundation in gaming. A must have for anyone in the business.
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240 pages
List Price: $12.95
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The Frugal Gambler
by Jean Scott
Spotlight Reviews
Good intro for the unintiated, March 26, 2002
Reviewer: Keith Watt (Phoenix, AZ USA)
This book gives a fairly good introduction on how to leverage comps if you are a neophyte to the casino world. Instead of insisting you play only her games of preference, she gives advice on how to have a good time while minimizing losses, and advice on how to move to "the next level" if you become more interested in optimizing your play.
While giving expected payoffs for the better paying games (i.e., video poker), no strategies are presented, so if that's what you want look elsewhere. It does serve as a starting point for further research into game strategy, if you wish further information the appendix lists some good sources.
Some of her suggestions are just bizarre, such as asking hotel maids for discarded coupon books, taking doggie bags for leftover food, etc. If you need to go to these extremes to save a buck or two on vacation you are probably better off staying home.
Nothing here is particularly new or groundbreaking, but it will give the clueless a good place to start when they walk into a casino for the first time. Overall it's an enjoyable and easy read, with lots of anecdotal advice, some good, some just silly.
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