Blackjack Blueprint: How to Play Like a Pro... Part-Time (Gambling Theories Methods) [Paperback]

Rick Blaine (Author)

Book Description

Series: Gambling Theories Methods | Publication Date: January 2006

From the first turn of the card to getting out of a foreign country with a suitcase full of cash, BLACKJACK BLUEPRINT is the most comprehensive book ever written on learning to play blackjack for profit. This book covers everything from basic strategy to counting cards, from maximizing potential going solo to playing on a blackjack team. Casino comps, tournaments, location play, shuffle tracking, playing in disguise, outwitting the eye in the sky, and other advantage-play techniques--it's all here. Best of all, the techniques you learn in BLACKJACK BLUEPRINT can be used part-time as a money-making hobby, just as author Rick Blaine has used them for years while pursuing a career in finance.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rick "Night Train" Blaine is a career executive with a Fortune 500 company whose "hobby" for the past 25 years has been beating the casinos at blackjack. Well-versed in all aspects of winning blackjack play, Blaine has excelled both as a solo player and a blackjack team leader. Blaine has earned a significant (read mid-seven figures) second income and traveled the world playing blackjack. He is particularly well-known in blackjack circles for his ability to teach new players how to beat the game.

Product Details

• Paperback: 357 pages
• Publisher: Huntington Press (January 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929712161
• ISBN-13: 978-0929712161
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Blackjack

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Factual and complete - great for all levels, February 4, 2006

By 

MikeL (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blackjack Blueprint: How to Play Like a Pro... Part-Time (Gambling Theories Methods) (Paperback)

Although Rick Blaine has had a "square" job most of his life, he writes with the full knowledge of someone who has spent his life "in the trenches" of playing advantage blackjack around the world.

His step-by-step course in learning basic strategy and card-counting blackjack is excellent and utilizes drills and quizzes to solidify the material in the readers' mind before proceeding to the next level. Basic strategy and counting are concepts that are taught in other books, but are very well-presented here.

Blaine pays attention to concepts such as bankroll sizing, dealing with all the different people in the casino chain of command, and how and when the casino is observing you that you might not be aware of. The thing that sets this book apart is that Blaine leaves no stone unturned, whether it is discussing casino cheating, tournament play, comp-garnering strategies, shuffle-tracking, ace-location play or the several chapters on team play.

In my mind, his most useful sections are on casino comportment and camouflage, and his discussions of the patience and discipline required to become a long-term winner.

This book has a wealth of information for beginners, intermediate players, and even those who have been playing with an advantage for many years.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From a former casino supervisor, February 4, 2006

By 

D. Jabier (tri-state area) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blackjack Blueprint: How to Play Like a Pro... Part-Time (Gambling Theories Methods) (Paperback)

Not only is this book full of valuable information, it is presented in a way that is easy to learn the right way to make money playing Blackjack. Blaine is meticulous. His insight and those of his contributors are what casinos fear most. Great reference for those serious about making money playing Blackjack.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, February 1, 2006

By 

Michael Kaplan "author of Aces and Kings" (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blackjack Blueprint: How to Play Like a Pro... Part-Time (Gambling Theories Methods) (Paperback)

Rick "Night Train" Blaine is a top-notch blackjack player and an excellent writer. He's combined the two skills to create a book that is user friendly, extremely informative, and totally beneficial for seasoned players as well as beginners. Besides serving as a terrific primer for anyone who wants to learn how to count cards, Blaine's book is loaded with illuminating tips and anecdotes from inside the world that inspired Bringing Down The House. Prior to reading Blackjack Blueprint, I was pretty much of a blackjack sucker. After reading it and implementing Blaine's strategies -- as I recently explained in the pages of Cigar Aficionado magazine -- I became good enough to get backed-off in a Vegas casino. And, as every blackjack pro knows, when they don't want you to play, you're doing something right. This book is the real deal. Read it and make a pit-boss weep.