Customer Reviews

Scarne's New Complete Guide to Gambling

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
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A marvelous reference guide to anyone who has pulled the handle of a "one-armed bandit" (aptly named, by the way) or turned the cards once or twice. This book covers all of the "games of chance" and some where you don't stand ANY chance at all. I've owned this book for years and it never ceases to entertain and educate. If you enjoy gambling as an entertainment this is a must-read. If you must gamble and cannot stop, this book just may save your life. Please remember, the house ALWAYS has an edge.

Potential readers who want to quit the gambling habit, or just want to know more about the mathematics behind what they are doing, can do no better than to invest in this gem. Scarne will painstakingly show you why you cannot win in the long run, and provide insight into the gambling industry rarely available elsewhere. Helped me sort myself out..

Scarne (pronounced Scarney) was, and still is, simply the best. You need to read this book before entering any casino, and you will love every minute of reading this book. The section on Craps, by itself, is worth the entire purchase price. But Scarne will make you an expert on slots, blackjack, poker, and the ever-present Roulette wheel. Did you know that every bet on the Roulette table carries the same house advantage, except one? One bet is different. Only Scarne. Buy this book, please, from one gambler to another. You can thank me later, and leave me a fortune in your will. Or, just drop me a note.

This book is the best. It is that rare gem, a reference book that can be picked up, opened at random, and read like a novel. Anyone who has bought even a raffle ticket should read this book.

I bet you will like this book! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

You won't find a more comprehensive introductory text nor one more encyclopedic in scope than this fun, anecdote-filled, and richly illustrated tome from the immortal John Scarne. I am not convinced he is the brilliant mathematician they make him out to be, for two particular reasons: technical sophisticates write in a certain manner--a manner that bleeds from between the lines, to be sure--and I don't detect it here; also, Scarne doesn't make any standout statements that lead one to conclude that he's the mathematician: nay, not even a calculation of the probability of something oddball (needed, to be sure, as Scarne mentions more than once that such-and-such is erroneously believed to be true, or such-and-such doesn't turn out to offer the odds you might intuitively expect). Negatory, baby, not to be found. Make sure you also buy "Scarne on Cards": it's loads of fun, and just the photographs of the cheating techniques and obsolete cheating technologies are worth the price of the book!

Long, long ago and far, far away, I thought you could actually beat the house when it came to gambling. I thought all you really needed was a stake, the discipline and the mathematical knowledge to overcome unyielding statistics. So I read my copy of Scarne about, oh let's say, 18 times. And after the loss of a couple of small fortunes, I remembered some of Scarne's most sanguine advice. But you can't have it here for free. Read the book. Better yet, buy my copy of the book and you'll see all of my highlighting.

Not only does this book wise you up on gambling, it would have saved you from Bernie Madhoff.

This is the book Casino floor people read. Good information on gaming. Is not a how to beat the casino type book.