Rating: 
Summary: Informative book!
Review: I love the game, and i enjoyed this book. I would also recommend, Gregorian Strategy for multiple deck blackjack.
Rating:
Summary: Informative book!
Review: I love the game, and i enjoyed this book. I would also recommend, Gregorian Strategy for multiple deck blackjack.
Rating: 
Summary: A real Mind Opener to the Game
Review: I thought I knew what blackjack was all about and that everybody else was the dummy. I played with that attitude for years, but still didn't win. I had skimmed thru other blackjack books before, but none caught my attention with such clear and sensible facts like this one did. It opened up my mind to thinking and playing in a way I didn't do before, and made a positive difference in my results since then.
Will I still be a winner next year and the year after? Time will tell, but I play with much more confidence now, realizing that I'm thinking and doing the right things. After a while you can actually see how that helps.
Rating:
Summary: Ideal All Around Player's Manual
Review: Right from the introduction called, "This Book in a Nutshell", I liked the factual writing style and implied content of this book. It was realistic, highly instructive and logical.
I don't think there was a weak chapter in it, covering ground all the way from disproving popular myths to tutoring advanced card counts. The basic strategy chapter is a standout, followed by an insightful chapter on strategy refinements that go just beyond basic strategy. It also illustrates some simplified, general ways to keep track of the most important cards.
The book's hallmark may be its introduction of the unbalanced KISS Count, which looks more thoughtfully produced and user friendly than any system to come along in a couple of decades. The section for card counters on skillful tactics sets the known important stuff in perspective, and introduces a few new plays of its own. Well worth the money and time to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent coverage of winning blackjack
Review: This is definitely one of the best blackjack books I have read. Before covering basic strategy the author dismisses some common blackjack myths and gets the newbie in the correct frame of mind to play winning blackjack. The coverage of basic strategy is as good as you'll find anywhere, with explanations of why certain plays are correct. There is some nice coverage of non-count based advantage strategies such as hand interaction, which I have never seen in any other book. The book really shines I think in the the final chapters, as the author does a very complete job off covering various card counting systems, starting from the recreational ACE/10 count upto the highly advanced (level 2) mentor count. I use the author's KISS III count in 6-8 deck games, and I am learning the mentor count for single/two deck play when I visit las vegas. KISS III is upto par with Hi-Lo and KO systems, and I find the unbalanced count is much easier for betting purposes in multi-deck games. The only negative point about the book I found was the lack of coverage on bankroll requirements, and concepts such as risk of ruin. But otherwise, I highly recommend this book for the beginner/intermediate blackjack player.
Rating:
Summary: A very Well Written Book. A Must Read
Review: Trust me, people, I have read a lot of books on blackjack, and Fred Renzey's Blackjack Bluebook is a gem that presents a clear refreshing look at blackjack. I think that most authors are looking at the game as they know it now, from their expert, advanced ivory towers and have forgotten the problems they had when first learning the game. Fred Renzey looks at the game from a fresh perspective and gives the beginner and even the intermediate player a fresh outlook to learning blackjack. Blackjack Bluebook first came to my attention in the pages of Gulf Coast Entertainment & Casino News. Several months ago, in one of his regular columns, AThe Blackjack Mentor, Mr. Renzey wrote of one special circumstance when a player should not hit his 16 against a dealer's 10. And his explanation made clear, mathematical, logical sense. I was impressed and promised myself that I would read his book. I finally did and I am still impressed. Fred Renzey's approach to why blackjack is the best game in the house is a unique approach. His facts are not unique; they are tried and true. But the manner in which he presents them is one that I don't think I have encountered before. He makes a pretty convincing argument to the doubting thomas still afraid to give the game a shot.' Chapter 4, Blackjack Myths, is one of my favorites. It gives hilarious explanations of some of the most common fallacies and carries them to such an extreme that any reader should be able to see that Athe essence of profitable gambling, as Mr. Renzey puts it, depends on the player and his decisions, not some blind adherence to silly superstitions. The author's chapter on Basic Strategy presents one of the best methods for learning Basic Strategy that I have ever seen. I wish I had used it in my gambling advice column. He begins with Blackjack's Primary Fundamentals - the 6-rule beginner level and the 10-rule intermediate level. Then he gives one chart and one chart only for an all encompassing generic Basic Strategy. Then if you want to tweak that generic strategy to customize it for specific table rules, he tells you step-by-step what changes to make. By the time you have learned all the proper decisions to make, you have narrowed the house edge from 8% down to 1/2%. Pretty awesome. The section on commonly misplayed hands is a must-read for anyone who thinks he is a good blackjack player. Chapter 6 is entitled Borderline Blackjack Hands. It is an informative chapter for intermediates wanting to fine tune their blackjack game. There are sections on composition-sensitive hands and board-sensitive hands. The latter is an excellent explanation of when you should divert from Basic Strategy to make your playing decisions. Most books jump straight from Basic Strategy to card counting deviations. According to Mr. Renzey, you don't need to be a card counter to know when to override Basic Strategy. But even with flawless Basic Strategy, the casino still has an edge of 1/2%. This half percent enables the house to eventually whittle any player's bankroll down to zero. Bluebook's chapter on the High Card/Low Card Axiom is an introduction to why card counting works in actually gaining an edge over the casino. The next two chapters describe two different card counting methods, a beginner=s count system and an intermediate. They start with the Key Card Count, which is a recreational, entry level card tracking system and which is expandable to the Black Ace Count. Mr. Renzey claims that this latter count improves performance to about 1% over Basic Strategy, providing the player with about 1/2% advantage. Then there's the chapter on AThe Art and Science of Skillful Play. Invaluable. It contains sections on table rules and penetration, number of players, betting spread, table hopping, the right time to quit, bankrolling, table image and poise. A player MUST have a good grip on all these concepts before he can even think of making the leap to advanced play.
The last chapter is on what Mr. Renzey considers his masterpiece, the Mentor Count. The Mentor Count is an advanced Level 2 system which provides a performance of +1.20% for bet sizing and playing decisions at a two-deck game.
I thoroughly recommend the Blackjack Bluebook for all beginning and intermediate players and for advanced players who want to gain a new twist in their insight into the game of blackjack. Wanna Practice your Blackjack skills online? Try www.intertops.com. Use the bonus codes (both) "bootcamp" and "free20" and you will receive a free $20 bet. Want to play poker? Try playing poker online at www.partypoker.com - make sure you use the bonus code: "AMAZON25" and you will receive $25 free on your first purchase at www.PartyPoker.com. If you already play at PartyPoker, you can also play at www.Pokerroom.com. Use the promotion code "100BONUS" and you will receive 20% up to $100.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best book!!!
Review: We had planned to go to Pensacola Beach and pass by the casino in Biloxi, MS this Labor Day weekend (9/1/03). I didn't know the game much so I decided to buy it on Amazon after reading the 3 earlier reviewers. We did pass by the casino as planned but our original plan didn't work out right; so we arrived very late. I played the game and I won $162 (after $8 tips) after 50 minutes on a $10 bet. It was about 2 am and my whole family was waiting for me so I have to leave. But I'm planning to go to Las Vegas this December. Of course, not just gamble but to also have fun since I have never been there before. With the knowledge from the book, I felt very confident while playing the game. The book is easy to understand and very well written. Plus I was very good in math in high school and in college, so I understood the probability concept easily. It's a must have if you are going to play blackjack at the casino.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best book!!!
Review: We had planned to go to Pensacola Beach and pass by the casino in Biloxi, MS this Labor Day weekend (9/1/03). I didn't know the game much so I decided to buy it on Amazon after reading the 3 earlier reviewers. We did pass by the casino as planned but our original plan didn't work out right; so we arrived very late. I played the game and I won $162 (after $8 tips) after 50 minutes on a $10 bet. It was about 2 am and my whole family was waiting for me so I have to leave. But I'm planning to go to Las Vegas this December. Of course, not just gamble but to also have fun since I have never been there before. With the knowledge from the book, I felt very confident while playing the game. The book is easy to understand and very well written. Plus I was very good in math in high school and in college, so I understood the probability concept easily. It's a must have if you are going to play blackjack at the casino.
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