Customer Reviews

The Winner's Guide to Casino Gambling (Plume)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
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I purchased this book while attending a wedding in Las Vegas. I saw it in the hotel gift shop and did the touristy thing-- I bought a book about gambling in Las Vegas. I'm glad I did.

Silberstang has written an easy to follow primer on the most common gambling games that you will find in a casino. His book covers the classic table games-blackjack, craps, roulette (both American and European versions), baccarat, and keno. He also explores recent casino additions-Caribbean Poker, Let It Ride, and video poker. Slot machines, casino operation, and credit are even discussed.

Unlike some of the drivel I have read about gambling, Silberstang dispels some of the myths associated with gambling "systems." He clearly explains the games with examples, and gives the odds and demonstrates which bets favor the house (and by how much).

This was an interesting and enlightening read.

As a casino dealer in Atlantic City I see people play stupid all the time. For the most part it is not because they are not intelligent, but they do not know how to play the games so the house has the lowest advantage over them. Siblerstang does an excellent job explaining how to play with the lowest house edge, but at the same time the book is a little outdated. It was only written in 1997, but in the craps section he talks about Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas as the only place to offer 10X odds in craps. Last time I checked 100X odds is not too hard to find in Vegas, and 5X odds is not to hard to find in Atlantic City. Even with that said the book is more than worth the money. The next time you gamble and stick with what the author says to do and you find yourself ahead more often than behind you will be happy you bought the book. (And remember that gambling is a negative expectation game: You will lose in the long run! Do not gamble with money that you cannot afford to lose!)

I read Edwin Silberstang's book a long time ago and I am pleased that his analyses and ideas are still around. This man knows the math of the games and he also recommends usually good ways to play. He understands the gamblers too and knows that most of them are looking for "action" which is really just "more losses."

Any gambling library should have this book.

Author of Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution!

I live in New Mexico where you can't find a table with less than 5x odds on craps at the Indian Casinos. After years of marginal returns, my play is now much cleaner and profitable using Silberstang's techniques (play the line & Come, w/max odds). The dealers love when we arrive at the table. I play on the line for the dealers with 5x odds, along with my bets. (The energy is unmatched when there are at least 4 others at the table hoping you hit your point!). I've run into craps dealers and they confirm off the record that the propositional bets are pure profit "CHUMP" bets for the house.
My husband is a PhD mathematician and agrees with the statitics and odds stated in this well written book.

Having read a number of books on casino gambling, I find that Silberstang's is the best. I always recommend to friends who are about to embark on their first trip to Vegas that it is essential to read a book first...and to UNDERSTAND it! I have given copies of Silberstang's book to several of my friends, and recommend it to everyone.

Steve "JUNIOR" Sample

I bought this book because I wanted to learn how to play table games in casinos for recreation. After buying, reading and returning many other books on gambling, I realized that this is the only gambling book one needs. Silberstang covers game rules in detail, plus he clearly makes his point: all casino games have a house edge, which can't be overcome. Therefore to win, you can only choose games and bets with the smallest house advantage: blackjack, craps and baccarat. He provides solid strategies on how to play these games to minimize the impact of the house edge and take advantage of winning situations. Finally he explores the topic of money management in great detail and provides the most important advise: leave a winner.

My only complaint is that the book is a little outdated: it's nearly impossible to find single-deck blackjack in casinos. Additionally I learned that some variations of Video Poker can give a player an edge with perfect play, however the author doesn't cover these variations of the game.

I think that this book will help you find a game and a strategy, which best suits your playing style. I personally like his aggressive craps strategy for wrong bettors, although I think the strategy can be made more concervative by placing hedge pass bets without odds each time.

This book is explained in a way that even a trained monkey can undestand it. The secret to winning on any gambling game is "money managment". Silbertstang goes into much detail on how to accomplish this as well as other critical factors that could make you a winner. Don't go to Vegas without taking this book with you.

Although I'm a little troubled by the title--I don't like to encourage dreams of making it rich through gambling--Silberstang delivers solid information that any intermediate gambler with dreams of moving on up the ladder shouldn't be without. A different approach from my "Casino Gambling the Smart Way," but well worth its modest investment!

As an enthusiast of every form of gambling, some of the biggest gambles are these types of books. Silberstang's guide is well done, however, written both informatively and sprinkled with anectodes that distinguish it from just another "how-to."

Easily my favorite book on gambling. Its clear structure and easy to remember advice usually gives me the winning edge, and helps me keep my bankroll intact through any bad streaks. I highly recommend this book.