You've Got Heat: The Vegas Card Counting Adventures of LV Pro [Paperback]

Barfarkel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2004

Fascinating true story of a low stakes casino player who used every angle to win enough money to increase his playing bankroll five fold from $2,000 to $10,000 while simultaneously enjoying free vacations in Las Vegas. The techniques he used to gain the advantage over the casinos -card counting, casino coupons, and casino promotions - are explained in detail in the book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An honest and detailed account of just what's in store for you when you decide to become an advantage player." -- Frank Scoblete, America's number one best selling gaming author, Dec. 2004

"Every person contemplating getting into the game of blackjack should first read this book." -- Ralph

"Get a look at what it takes to play and profit in Las Vegas at the low-to-middle bankroll levels." -- Anthony Curtis, publisher Las Vegas Advisor, Dec. 2004

"Required reading for serious part time players, and great entertainement for anyone with an interest in gambling and casinos." -- Parker, host of Parker's Pages, Dec. 2004

"When historians want to know what advantage play was like, they will start with a careful study of Barfarkel's book." -- Stanford Wong, author of Professional Blackjack, Dec. 2004

From the Publisher

This book shows how it's possible for an average low stakes player to gain the upper hand over the casino. You'll follow the adventures of Barfarkel over a 4 year period as he attacks the casinos in Las Vegas. Along the way you'll learn much about the fascinating and sometimes lonely life of a solo card counter, the tricks they use to exploit the tinest of edges over the casinos, the underground community of advantage players and how they sometimes operate in teams, how advantage players handle the often wild fluctuations to their bankroll, and how they avoid detection from the casinos when they play.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 233 pages
• Publisher: Research Services Unlimited (December 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0912177144
• ISBN-13: 978-0912177144
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,086,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read!!!, February 1, 2005

By 

Gail (Renton, WA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: You've Got Heat: The Vegas Card Counting Adventures of LV Pro (Paperback)

I too have been following LVPro's adventures in the Blackjack Insider newsletter. When I heard that he was compiling a book of his trips, I just had to read it and see how it all started!

His approach to grinding out an advantage in BJ play against the casinos was written in a much more realistic style than other books I have read on the subject. I could relate to his goals, problems, highs and lows in his pursuit of the elusive bankroll.

His style of writing is easy to read as well as humorous. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and found many nuggets of knowledge that I can apply to my own pursuits.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brutally honest look at Vegas and at Card Counting, January 5, 2005

By 

A Reader (Somewhere in Cyberspace) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You've Got Heat: The Vegas Card Counting Adventures of LV Pro (Paperback)

I have followed Barfarkel's trip reports as posted on bj21.com for many months now. "You've Got Heat" is a compilation of the reports that blackjack fans have followed for several years on bj21.com and on Henry Tamburin's Blackjack Insider site.

"You've Got Heat" is not a how-to manual on card counting. It is, however, a very entertaining read about the author's journey into both the secretive world of the card counter and the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas.

Books such as "Bringing Down the House" would have one believe that card counters live a lavish existence and routinely throttle casinos for millions of dollars. "You've Got Heat" dispels this myth and shows that the card counter faces an enormous challenge. Barfarkel describes the emotional highs and lows of his grind against the casinos in a very straightforward fashion.

Las Vegas guidebooks and Travel Channel specials generally show only the glitz and the glamour of Sin City. "You've Got Heat" explores the various cultures and subcultures of Las Vegas from many angles, ranging from the ritzy shows at the Bellagio and other high-end Strip properties to the prostitutes, vagrants, and other unsavory characters at the city's numerous run-down casinos.

Anyone with an interest in either Las Vegas or blackjack will like Barfarkel's book. Frequent Vegas travelers can learn a great deal from Barfarkel's experiences. All aspiring card counters should read this book so that they may thoroughly understand the focus and discipline required for long-term success.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You've Got Heat, January 2, 2005

By 

Nick Bernstein "[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

This review is from: You've Got Heat: The Vegas Card Counting Adventures of LV Pro (Paperback)

A wonderfully readable journey into the world of the modern-day advantage player, who won't make a bet in a casino unless he has the mathematical advantage. Barfarkel shows how anyone can follow in his footsteps to be able to get free Las Vegas vacations while winning money from the casinos using tried and true card-counting techniques.

Most books about blackjack or getting the edge in a casino are dry and full of charts and mathematical formulas. Not so with You've Got Heat. It's a compelling, honest and easy-to-read narrative about one man's evolution from a typical ignorant gambler into a feared card counter, who is forced to hide his skills from the casinos so they won't kick him out. The way he persevered and built up his gambling bankroll over many trips to Las Vegas makes it appear like anyone with the will to do so can follow his example. I thoroughly enjoyed this humorous and compellingly honest true story.