Customer Reviews

Blackjack Autumn: A True Tale of Life, Death, and Splitting Tens in Winnemucca

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After reading dozens of gambling books I have become jaded. This book, however, was riveting. I loved the true stories, insights and felt the life of an itinerant card counter. Finally, I love his dry sense of humor.

I loved this book. It isn't the one to read if you want to learn to count cards at blackjack, but really gives a wonderful description of what casinos are like. Barry Meadows isn't Paul Theroux, but he is a lot funnier and sounds like a much nicer guy. Anyone who loves visiting Nevada will love this one. If you haven't visited Nevada, you will want to after you read this book.

There are certain books that are fun to read and instructive too. This is one of them. Mr. Meadow recounts his experiences in an intelligent and funny way. You won't be bored. I think Barry Meadow now joins Frank Scoblete and Michael Konik as one of the three best writers in the gambling field for color and entertainment value.

This book works well as in-flight entertainment on the way to a gambling vacation, although Meadow's writing is about as predictable as a cocktail waitress with a 25-cent tip. I'm not sure what that means, but that's a good illustration of Barry Meadow's prose style.

Over and over and over and over he employs that technique, which for lack of a better name I'll call sarcastic simile. Card counters are about as popular with casino personnel as Jerry Falwell at a gay-pride parade. Over the long haul, counters are as likely to lose as Mister Rogers is to be caught in a Watts cocaine bust. Mesquite, Nevada, is growing faster than Warren Buffett's bank account. There are probably 200 more examples. If you can put up with that, it's a decent book. If not, imagine being stuck in an elevator with an unfunny version of Dennis Miller. (There -- are you happy, Barry? Now you've got me doing it!)

I have read MANY book on Vegas and blackjack. From the dry, strictly strategy themed blackjack books, to humorous stories of Vegas adventures.

This is by far the best. I could not put it down. I came to Amazon searching for Vegas books, and bought many. This one was recommended by a good friend or I would have never read it.

Take my advice, get this book... A more enjoyable read I can not recall.

This guy is pretty funny. As other's have mentioned, he really overdoes the metaphors, and it gets tiresome. "As (blank) as" is written probably a hundred times in this book. Or, in the writer's parlance, "the author uses this same joke form about as often as guppies ovulate." Or, "the author pulls out this joke form faster than than Pee Wee Herman would go down boxing Mike Tyson." When he's not using those lines though, he can be LOL funny. And of course, for any blackjack player, stories like his are pretty much irresistable. If you have ever fantasized about making money as a card counter, buy it.

With casinos sprouting up everywhere, this funny and smart "road-trip" book with blackjack-playing stops at every casino in Nevada is a great read. Even as a non-gambler, I was fascinated by Meadow's take on the subject, as well as the compelling narrative: Will the author, an accomplished blackjack "counter" who plays at a high enough level that he might OCCASIONALLY have a slight advantage over the house (but don't bet on it, he concedes) lose his $8,000 stake after nine weeks of play at a mind-bending succession of casinos, from dusty roadside joints to the glitzy emporiums of Las Vegas? The guy knows his subject, but more importantly, he knows its culture and thinks it's a riot. Time and again, I laughed out loud while reading this book.

Barry takes the reader through what every gamblers dreams of - two months on the road playing at every casino in Nevada. It is not just a day by day, deck by deck summary, but an imaginative tale of his travels across the state of Nevada. It is well worth your time.

i very much like his writing style. fun to read. you will enjoy thid book-especially if you're an advantage blackjack player.

I truly enjoyed this book. Since I was born and raised in Nevada.., I could really relate to Barry's book, places (towns), casinos and stories. I could only find one mistake in the book concerning the the large white polar bear in Elko, Nevada. The enclosed polar bear is really in the Commercial Hotel and Casino in Elko.., not the Stockmen's Hotel and Casino. No big deal.., their only a block apart. The train tracks between the two is now a parking lot. Since I was born and raised in Nevada (Virginia City, Nevada).., I could really relate since I have travelled to all the places that Barry has. For one thing.., I couldn't put down the book. Was up all night.., reading and laughing all the way through the book. Good book, Barry.