Customer Reviews

Betting On Blackjack: A Non-Counter's Breakthrough Guide to Making Profits at the Tables

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This book presents readers with the ridiculous idea that they can win money with what is basically little more than progression betting. The author starts by complaining about the Martingale system, but then just offers a few more conservative methods of losing money, his main being the CLB betting system. Dunki-Jacobs doesn't seem to understand that unless you are building knowledge of the past cards into your betting strategy, there is no way to overcome a negative expectation. There may be a loose correlation between your losing streak and the probability of winning the next hand, but it is not enough to overcome the odds that are already stacked against you by the house. His simulations are ridiculous and his understanding of math is very limited.

If you are going to take the time to read up on blackjack, and especially if you plan on playing the game often, I recommend learning to count cards...

As do most Blackjack players I have purchased numerous books on the subject; most do cover card counting, therefore I found this particular book to be unique in nature. The author does present a "fresh" approach at playing the game. I had to read the book not once, not twice, but three times to really gain all the knowledge that he places on those pages. It is clear that he has really been a seasoned gambler and knows what the heck he is talking about; I saw myself in many of the cited examples he outlines with regards to behavior patterns that affect our play. I have read some of the reviews of this book posted on this site and it makes me wonder if the reviewers who posted the semi-negative ones really "read" the book! I would classify myself as a semi-pro in the game and have been playing for years and even "I" took so much knowledge from this book that I can't imagine that anyone who has really studied the game didn't appreciate all the "gaming" philosophy the author packs in there besides his hallmark "CLB" betting methods. He stresses over and over again on those pages that this game is a ll about "patience and discipline" and if you don't have it, don't even make the attempt to play! This alone can concretely be demonstrated by watching folks play at ANY table almost every minute of every day. Some of the reveiwers remarked that his methods were like "Martingale", well, that's an obvious indicator that they really didn't read what the author wrote in there! If anything, his main point and strategy is to play so that you "Don't" get into a "Martingale" situation. I've done what the author suggested, read the book more then once, practiced his methods on low limit tables, tried to attain the goals setforth in his methodologies; all I can say is that they work for me! Playing low limit $3 and $5 dollar games, I have made thousands at the tables playing only once or twice a month for 3 - 4 hour sessions. That having been said, I modified his strategy to fit my needs (as he suggested to do in the book, some were a little too aggressive from my point of view and other readers should take note of that!), and I have become seriously comfortable going to play the game anytime I want while really knowing that I have better then a 90% chance of coming out a winner with my personal financial goals met. I also enjoyed his chapter on "Tournament" play and although I don't win all the time, I have won a few of them and am now more conscious of what the odds are of really winning while adapting his "CLB" methods in a limited fashion for the amount of limited hands being played in these types of events. I highly recommend this book to not only newcomers to the game, but also some of the so-called "Pro's" who think they know it all, the author puts in some serious "Nuggets" in there ... even for them! Finally, something NEW on an age-old game, cudos to "Frits" and 4 Stars!

I've known that basic strategy alone was not the key to success at Blackjack.

For the past couple of years, I began to look at the underlying patterns of wins and losses. I came up with a betting scheme that was similar to what's described in this book.

This book combines sound play (basic strategy), intelligent money management, and the concept of loss recovery better than I was able to do on my own.

In reference to the reviewer who talked about losing 20 some hands in a row...get a new hobby, bro.

I HAVE STUDIED EVERY BLACKJACK TECHNIQUE AVAILABLE TO EXAUSTION,
AND IN TODAYS CASINO,COUNTING IS NO LONGER EFFECTIVE. I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT A NEGATIVE PROGRESSION OR SIMILAR TECHNIQUE IS THE ONLY WAY TO CONSISTANT WINNING. THIS BOOK HAS HELPED ME TIE TOGETHER ALL THE LOOSE INS AND IN MY FIRST 8 TRIPS USING THIS METHOD I HAVE WON 8 TIMES.
MATHMATICIANS MAY TELL YOU WHY THIS WOULD NOT WORK, TAKE IT FROM A GAMBLER , YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IF YOU PRACTICE THIS SYSTEM WITH AN AGRESSIVE CLB PAYBACK, I RECOMMEND 50 PERCENT AND IF A LOSS GO BACK TO W7 OR 8 UNTIL YOU GET HEALTHY.
YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT I SAID AFTER YOU READ THIS,
IF YOU HAVE THE BANKROLL AND THE ABILITY TO READ YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. THANKS FOR A GREAT BOOK

Most of the people reviewing this book are in fact correct. Even if they are on differing sides. NO BETTING SYSTEM WILL BEAT THE HOUSE. EVER. STOP TRYING. If you really want to win that badly learn to count. There is absolutely no way around this.

However, this is where the controversy is. This system will not beat the house, as far as I know, I don't think the author claims that it will. What it can do, though is keep you in the game long enough to make your "goal profit." Any betting system that is worth a damn will have ups and downs. Of course, they all will eventually trend down. The key to the strategy that this author puts forward is you use this system until it has reached your "goal." If you set a resonable/realistic goal, like say $40 or $50 profit on a $200 bankroll, there is a good chance you will see your goal before the house's edge takes effect. Just remember, if you stay at the table past your goal you will lose the vast majority of the time. Even if you leave the moment you reach your goal...you will still lose some of the time.

That being said, a lot of the math in this book is, well, flawed would be an understatement. This is not going to give you an edge, this just gives you a strategy that can make you a SMALL profit USUALLY. But no, this, like every other betting system since the begining of the world, will not beat the hosue in the long run.

Hello there,
I don't know if this makes any difference or not, because I see reviewrs that have no understanding in probability theory that rave about the book...I am an Economics student at Columbia University and I got the book today at the Columbia book store simply assuming that they would not have sold junk. I started to have doubts when the author talked about bad players ruining the table, and how important joining the table in the right time was (mind you -- without card counting). And then I got to those pearls of wisdom about probabilities of win/lose sequences. I was outraged, As I felt cheated. I simply see so many of those know-alls that dispense superstitions under the disguise of mathematical thoery. This book was written by a man that does not have the slightest understanding in probability theory (STAT 101), and the mathematical foundations of the game. I simply don't believe that he could even calculate the basic strategy guidelines he gives. I will explain and give an anecdote at the end. The main problem, among the mass of them, is that the author does not get the concept of independent events. Take a coin toss for example: the probability of getting heads is equal to the probability of getting tails -- 1/2=0.5. If you toss the coin a second time the probability still remains the same, as the result of the first toss did not affect the outcome of the second -- still the same 0.5. In theory, the probability of getting one tail and then another is 0.5x0.5=0.25, and so on. That means that the probability of getting 10 tails in a row will be 0.5 to the power 10. This is indeed a tiny probability, but here lies the catch -- Because those are all independent events to each other, they do occur, and there is no way to predict when a tails/heads streak will end!(though over large series, distribution will get close to the 50/50, but regardless of order)
True enough, blackjack hands are not independent of the outcomes of the previous hands played, but those could not be tapped into without card-counting methods. So if we assume they are independent, as the author does, and they are indeed close to that in multi-deck tables, there is no room for speculation regarding the timing of the end of a streak, and worse, putting a probability on it. This is pure superstition -- there is no magic mechanism that decides when the dealer has to win or lose. I once lost 28 hands in a row (playing basic strategy). The author builds his whole "theory" of bid management around a false theory of sequence probability. This is a joke that a high-school student should get.
And to the anecdote --
Have you ever noticed the electronic results board over roulette tables? How many times did you see a streak of over 10 reds/blacks? Assume that the chances of red/black are even at 50% (not counting green) just as the coin example shows. 19 rounds of black are highly unlikely, right? And that is precisely why casinos put those boards up a few years back. They assumed that if people saw a long streak of black, they would believe that the next round "must" be a red. And this is how the Casinos increased revenues of the roulette a few folds. And I have seen 19 blacks. In short, if you are the sort of player that gets angry when the third-base player plays "bad" and takes the bust card from the dealer, then you can go ahead purchase the book, and include in your glossary fictional terms as CLB. However, if you are a rational person please stay away from it. This book is truly a shame to its publisher.

This is the first blackjack book I read, and although I've read other books and aritcles throughout the years, I keep coming back to this one. In fact I usually review it before each trip to the casino. I really don't agree with any of the poor reviews here. First of all this book is well written simply from a gramatical standpoint. It is apparent that the author has quite a bit of intelligence and experience. The bottom line as the author points out is to keep your gambling experience sane. If you follow his methods you are sure to do just that. No longer do I have those long drives home from a few hours of the casino wondering why the heck I ever decided to gamble in the first place. So many people I see come to the blackjack table play without any coherent betting strategy. They may know how to play but have no idea how to bet, and without a betting strategy to add to your basic playing strategy I don't see how you can win in the long run. Card counting may be good, but I find it too taxing for me, and I was a math minor in college. Besides with all the concentration you have to do to count cards you tend to lose sight of the other nuances of the game. For example spotting trends. While some readers may scoff at the thought, believe me, I experience it everytime I sit at a blackjack table. What do you think it is when you lose 5, 6, 7, or up to 13 hands in row? Or win the same amount in a row? You ever notice that during a paticular shoe you're losing two hands and winning the next. Believe me it happens. The author has many other peices of wisdom that has proven true in my experience. Joining the table at the right time is important. If you obseve a table and notice that all the players are being consitantly creamed by the dealer then don't join that table. Try to play with as few players as you can, and if possible, go one on one with dealer. I've found that the advice in this book work for me. I'm not getting rich or breaking the casino, but people who have a lot more money than me have spent millions of dollars trying to do that and have failed (John Daley, Charles Barkley, Gladys Knight, etc.). I've found that I win a lot more and enjoy gambling a lot more because I follow the methods and advice in this book. I've modified the method somewhat to fit my style as the author suggest, but the advice I've come to realize, I should never modify. For instance, I try never go to the table without enough money to stay in the game long enough to win. Once I reach my goal I get up and take a break even if I'm winning. I also break my gambling up into scessions as advised by the author. I don't win all the time, but since using the method and advice in this book I'm ahead of the casino. This author stresses that dicipline will be the difference between winning and losing at the casino. I difintely agree.

I bought the book and slightly modified the betting system. I seperated my betting into three groups. The first group was 5 8 16 110clb 60clb 110 clb. Then if I lose that grouping, I go to 10 16 32 40clb 20 clb 40clb. (These bets are done in a row and each time you lose a bet, you move to the next in the sequence.) If I lose that grouping, on to the third, being 20 40 80 20clb 10 clb 20 clb. I have set money limit recovery as to when I can move back to a previous group, the goal being able to move back to the first betting group with a 110 clb. I decided to just create these grouping because while I found the authors gambling system to be excellent, I did run into some trouble about the set chart system of waiting to win two bets in a row (for a trend) and then betting up to a clb because I would frequently get nailed. So I used the authors foundations (which were excellent) and just came up with those three martingale style groupings. It is pretty hard to lose all those hands in a row and also they are a system of duck and fire, coming at the deck and retreating to give you a great opportunity to win. Sure you can lose 18 hands in a row but that is why you dont sit at the table taking it in the kiester for 18 losses in a row. There is a great book by the name of 21st century blackjack by walter something or the other where he did some studies on the computer and in casinos where for a control group he just had people sit and stay at the table no matter what, winning or losing. Even if losing 23 hands in a row. The other group left the table after losing 4 hands in a row and staying otherwise. There was a significant difference in the profit at the end of several days of the group that would leave after losing 4 hands in a row. No, the mathematics dont bear something like that out, but I am talking real life blackjack. Why stay at a table and lean into a punch? We have all seen tables where there are 3 guys sitting there moaning that they havnt won a hand in 10 minutes with a blazing hot dealer removing all thier money. I simply go to other tables and observe trends. If I see a dealer who had an upcard of 6 or under for 3 out of 5 hands I sit down. Otherwise I continue to observe or move on. And of course, if I lose 4 hands in a row, I walk. If you graze around the casino while playing blackjack, you are maximizing trends, and therefore your profits.

Controversy, controversy, wow, what a varied number of reviews on this book! I have read the last two reviews on this book, actually I read them all, and just had to first respond to that last scathing review, and second, say to those last two reviewers ... "Stick to your statistics classes and leave the Gambling to folks who really understand trends and odds!" I've been trying to win consistently at Blackjack for years and finally a person has come along that really understands what happens at a Blackjack table, you can tell that this guy has been around the block when it comes to this game, I mean I saw myself in many of the stories and philosophies he lays out in the book, trust me, it's great stuff! Listen, this game will "Crush" the average player who has no idea that there is a defined playing and betting strategy that should be employed and "married" together, especially a method on how to recover from a bad streak of losses, I've been trying for years to ascertain just how to implement a successful loss recovery method and the author of this book has just answered all my hopes for a solution. The previous reviewer spent a lot of time trying to "debunk" this book based on all the supposed "Serious" statistics and standard deviations, I think he is under the impression that we are trying to hit a 1 square meter area on the moon with a "Precision Designed Slingshot", but what he has really done has shown me his real accumen at playing this game, it's got to be totally NON-EXISTENT! He made a comment that once he lost 23 times in a row; well I'm here to tell you that I lost a series of bets ... 15 to be exact (calculate the odds on that happening!), and I fully recovered all the losses and made a tidy profit in the next five bets following that unbelievable loss sequence, and certainly could have never have done that if I wasn't using the methods outlined in this book! And that is exactly what the author tries to get across in the book, recovering from long loss sequences, implementing a methodology to get you back from the "Red Zone" plus a profit. Besides, if you are playing "Double" or "Single Deck, it's very rare to lose even eight hands in a row; at any rate, the methods outlined in this book will certainly easily wind you out of even that length of a loss sequence with nice profit at the end of it!

It makes me mad when folks like these fellas post reviews when they haven't really tried using what the author outlines, because if he had, clearly he would have seen that these methods do in fact WORK! I'll wager he never really even read the book all the way through. I mean the author's central theme is to back the bets down to table minimum when the cards are going against you when you are in a serious loss series, and when you start winning go into "CLB" mode and start chopping down the losses until you finally are back on top with a profit for that entire series! Geez, what is so hard to believe about that! And, he also cautions his potential readers not to "Double" and "Split" when in "CLB" mode to avoid serious loss potentials. And, he also tells his readers to design their own strategies using his methods, strategies that they will be comfortable with. Look, all I know is that I have been winning consistently for around 6 weeks now playing $5 and $10 tables; been winning around 16-25 units per session ... just as the author says I will! I play $5 to start, if I lose I go to $8 or $10 bucks for a quick recovery and if no win, I simply drop to $5 bucks wait for a win and go into CLB mode, hopefully get two wins in a row and I'm out with profit! It has been so easy for me to use, it's absolutely "Nuts!" So, for all you serious players out there that REALLY WANT TO WIN ... TRY IT! Practice like the author recommends, you'll see for yourself it wins. I highly recommend you purchase this book and read it at least a couple of times then as I said, practice at home with some poker chips or something, I did, hey, it works, you'll see! And all I can say to this supposed "Mathematician" who reviewed this book last, I'm a "Software Engineer" and I'll tell you that Blackjack is a "Finite" game, its NOT Roulette, it's NOT a flip of a coin, it's a "Single", "Double" or "6 Deck" game with a "Fixed" or "Finite" pool of cards and outcomes, and my friends that's NOT an infinite set of sequences, that much I do know! C'mon Mr. "Mathematician" stick to your statistics class and leave the "Gambling" to folks who really understand and know what it is like to play for hours at a Blackjack table, we've seen it, experienced it, and know how the trends really play out at the tables!

Another reviewer remarked that this book should never have been published. My comment is this; as far as I am concerned this book should be on the Best Sellers list for the topic of Blackjack period, just checkout all the positive reviews, they can't all be lying ... right? All I know is that these methods work, and so do the others who gave this book a positive review, end of story!

As an added note, if you like playing "Spanish 21" like me (and I think this game is really gaining popularity), he's got some interesting theories on playing the "Match" bonus; I don't play them because the "House Edge" is way too big (believe it or not), but they are interesting and possibly might work, although I don't play them, I'm focused on the main bet there are plenty of other bonuses in this game to keep me interested. Forget "Card Counting" and start using the "CLB" method, you win more, your head won't feel like "Scrambled Eggs" from trying to count the cards for hours at a time, you'll always recover losses, and leave a winner more often. After all, the book only costs about the amount of one regular bet at the tables and will yield you hundred fold that amount ... GO FOR IT, spend 10 bucks on the book if you want to WIN, it'll be the BEST 10 bucks you've ever spent on anything geared toward this game! Hey, after I post this review I'm buying a few more books for my friends who like playing, because reading about and practicing the authors methods will turn them into consistent winners just like me, it'll be the greatest present I could ever give them ... hey, they're "Gamblers", what can I say!

Finally I am now really enjoying my outings to the Casino because I really do know that I'll be leaving with more CASH than I went in with, it's like having an ATM machine; now I go in whenever I have a couple of hours to kill and need some quick cash!

This book is the best thing that has happened to me since I have read it only a short time ago I have made way over 30,000 in profit and more to come I use the methods to exact and literaly never have a losing session I highly reccomend this book to all blackjack players and the best part about it is you dont have to be a genious to use these methods they are simple betting stradegies...Good luck to all