Rating: 
Summary: Lives Up to Its Cover
Review: John May's Get the edge at Blackjack lives up to the hype on its cover, unlike most gambling books. This book is not a beginner's book although it does have some "review" sections before getting into the heavy material. I found that many of the techniques were new to me and I have been playing blackjack for many years. The book is very well written and it flows. I would recommend this to anyone who already plays blackjack and is looking to learn unique methods of getting the edge that very few people have heard of. This is a really good book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book!
Review: One of the best current books on the blackjack market today! I also recommend, Gregorian Strategy for multiple deck blackjack.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: One of the best current books on the blackjack market today! I also recommend, Gregorian Strategy for multiple deck blackjack.
Rating:
Summary: Getting The Edge, with John May, on Blackjack
Review: Over the past year John May has become a very good friend of mine. How can that be? Me here is Toronto Ontario, John somewhere in the UK. We got to know each other at the Blackjack Card Counter's Cafe'. You will never find a greater bunch of guys to talk about our game. There are over 1000 members now. Impressive to say the least. I had first heard of John when I read his book Baccarat for the Clueless (The Clueless Guides). It was only a matter of time before someone came up with clueless guides for gamblers. Gamblers with no clue should stay home. John's book is the definitive work on the subject of Baccarat. It didn't take long for someone like Frank Scoblete to tap into John's other main profession, that being an amazing Blackjack player. Way back in September of last year John's book was scheduled to come out. Finally, Get The Edge At Blackjack started pouring out of Amazon.com and became the # 1 best selling Blackjack book in no time! I couldn't find it any where in Canada (piety!) and waited for Frank Scoblete to send me my review copy. I waited until January, and couldn't participate in all the chatter about the book, so I ordered it from Amazon. I got the book in a few days and read it that first night by the light of the silvery lampshade beside my bed. "Merche - aun pienzo en ti durante las horas del crepulsco". Always liking a little linguistic multi-cultural challenge, I had to know what this meant. One of the senoiritas at my workplace helped me out. It means "Merche - I'm thinking about you during the hours of sunset". The last word may have a spelling error from what I am told, but since I am the King of spelling errors, and I am not Spanish, what do I know? After reading through Frank Scoobie's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious introduction, I saw underneath all the foam "a steaming hot cup of cappacino worthy of the lips of the Madonna herself". OPPS! I've caught what ever Frank had when he was doing the intro! Seriously. John's book quickly and furiously gets into the fray of the winning game. I usually skip over the Basic Strategy chapters, but when reviewing a book will read the whole work of art. John sums up Basic Strategy when he explains why a certain play is correct: "The computer says so". Ain't it the truth? John gives Edward Thorpe the recognition he deserves in a nice little piece on his history. Then he goes on to cover the Hi-Lo count, True Count, and play indices. John then compares different counts and the need for cover techniques. On page 47 John gets into the reason this book was published. It's time to tell all about the Advantage Play Techniques! Card Steering. If a player can cut a certain number of cards consistently from the back of the deck, the player will know where the bottom card is. First, you have to see the bottom card. Then you have to be able to have a consistent cut. The example given is one of 23 cards. The player then knows what the 23rd card will be. If it is an Ace the player has a 50% advantage. If it is a 10 card the player has a 13% advantage. John says bet 40% of your bankroll for the Ace and 10% of your bankroll for the 10. Not quite all your eggs in one basket, but getting close. Card Sequencing. Covers how cards stay in a certain order after being shuffled and how to watch for them. Shadow Play is just observing flashed cards. Glims is where you look for the reflection of the dealer's cards on something shinny, like a $1 coin or the chip tray. Card Forcing is where you cut and twist the card to get a look at the bottom card, then play as if Card Steering. This is what the AC casinos accused David Morris of doing to keep him from playing. John also goes into Blackjack on the 'net. He covers Net Matchplay Hustlers briefly, and also covers affiliate programs to a certain degree. Things change so fast on the 'net that anything written is outdated before it goes to press. I'm sure John would have covered this more deeply now than he did last year. Blackjack and Sex. "A card-counting female player has many advantages over her male counterpart". Indeed! John takes a look at Lawrence Revere's challenge to women players and finds they are not taking advantage of their mystique they way they should be. They can often take advantage of male dealers and make plenty of hundreds doing so, but not quite the way the picture shows us! John finishes the book on page 152 and tells of the better places to learn Blackjack from on the 'net. Rolling Good Times Online, Henry Tamburin, John Grochowski, Andy Glazer, Fred Renzey, and Scoobie Doo himself at .... Also mentioned are Arnold Snyder's, Michael Dalton's, and Stanford Wong's sites. Best of all, he mentions the Card Counters Cafe which has gone into the top 50 clubs at .... I love this book. I can't stop reading it. I remember when Bruce Lee said "Before I started Kung Fu training, a kick was just a kick, a punch was just a punch. Then I learn a kick was not just a kick, and a punch was not just a punch. After many years of training, a kick is just a kick again, and a punch is just a punch". You get tired of reading about counting, betting, play indices, comps, and cover. John gives the newbee enough to get them started, and shows his skill as a Master of Blackjack to those of us who know the game enough to see his enlightening view shining clearly across the "Green Baize".
Rating: 
Summary: Touches on interesting topics, but errors, no depth
Review: The author John May gives an interesting intro to advanced techniques in beating casino games. For those who think counting is the only way to go, the book will be an eyeopener. However, the book is riddled with errors in the math as as well as a shallow, unsatisfying treatment of the materials. Re-read Uston and surf the blackjack websites for more interesting tidbits.
Rating:
Summary: Touches on interesting topics, but errors, no depth
Review: The author John May gives an interesting intro to advanced techniques in beating casino games. For those who think counting is the only way to go, the book will be an eyeopener. However, the book is riddled with errors in the math as as well as a shallow, unsatisfying treatment of the materials. Re-read Uston and surf the blackjack websites for more interesting tidbits.
Rating:
Summary: Not for everyone
Review: The biggest problem with John May's "Get the Edge at Blackjack," is the introduction by Frank Scoblete. "The book you are holding is a blackjack nuclear bomb," is how it starts, and the hype increases from there. One is left with the impression that by merely applying a few of the techniques in the book, the casinos will become veritable ATM machines. Naturally this is not the case, and the reader is left feeling vaguely let down. Which is a shame, because there is much to like here. There are indeed techniques that have heretofore received little or no publicity, and much that is of use to the serious blackjack player. Another nitpick: Scoblete's intro further states, "There is information in [the book] that has never appeared in print in a mainstream book and there is some information that has never appeared anywhere except in the secret world inhabited by a handful of elite professional blackjack players." Well, I'm flattered. While none of the material may have ever appeared in a paper and ink book before, blackjack aficionados who have visited the Green Baize Vampire (May's alter ego) website and/or May's Card Counter Cafe may find that much of it has a familiar ring. This is not inherently a bad thing - after all, much of Don Schlesinger's "Blackjack Attack" was previously published in issues of Arnold Snyder's "Blackjack Forum" magazine. Still, I certainly have never considered myself an "elite professional blackjack player." Oddly, (considering that this is supposed to be a collection of advanced techniques) the book starts with a brief summary of the rules of blackjack, followed by a recap of basic strategy. Next is an introduction to card counting, including a brief description of the Hi-Lo count. Then we have a system comparison chart that is sure to spark some controversy. It shows both the Knockout count and Arnold Snyder's Red 7 count as being marginally superior to the time-honored Hi-Lo in all three areas: betting correlation, playing efficiency, and insurance correlation. To further complicate things, May provides no information as to how he arrived at these figures (what game, rules, etc.). The first section of the book is concluded with a brief discussion of multi-parameter counts, and May's thoughts on cover and camouflage. I like this quote: "While the expert card counter plays blackjack against the dealer, he plays poker against the pit; that is, his play is geared toward the intelligence of the pit personnel." Indeed. By this point the veteran player is likely chomping at the bit: "When do we get to the good stuff?" Part II carries the enticing title: "Advantage-Play Techniques - How to Become a Casino's Worst Nightmare!" What follows is indeed "good stuff." Card Steering, Card Sequencing, and Shadow Play are described in detail. How much to bet when your first card is known (as a result of these techniques) is discussed. This has already caused some controversy on blackjack websites, as May recommends betting 40% of one's entire bankroll if it is known that one's first card will be an ace. Oddly, we get get a couple of anecdotes regarding blackjack legend Lawrence Revere, author of "Playing Blackjack as a Business." While Revere was a colorful character, and these are most interesting, they seem a bit out of place. Other advanced techniques covered include Hole Card Play, Glim Play, and Stacker Play. The much-hyped section on beating continuous shuffle machines is more a series of suggestions than a tried and proven method. The problem is that more needs to be known about the inner workings of these infernal contraptions. However, it is reassuring to know that someone is working on ways to beat these things. There is a description of a betting progression, of sorts, that sims indicate is effective. It's not what you think. Many of these techniques may be of little use to the casual player. Some require extensive practice, and several require team play in order to really be effective. Others require situations (sloppy dealer, etc) that rarely occur. However, any military expert will agree that merely because a particular weapon is not used very often does not mean that it should not be carried. The blackjack pro or serious part-timer needs to have a variety of "weapons" at his/her disposal. You may not know that you're going to be dealt an ace very often, but when it happens, you'd better be ready. The book concludes with a chapter on Internet casinos. At first I questioned the inclusion of this, but found it to be an interesting summary. I have no interest in exploiting this form of blackjack, but if I ever change my mind, the basics are here. Bottom line: Definitely not for the beginner, and of limited usefulness to the recreational player, Get the Edge at Blackjack is nonetheless a worthy addition to my blackjack library. I would recommend it to anyone serious about making money at blackjack.
Rating:
Summary: Ode to John May
Review: There is John May
A Man the casinos say
They don't like one bit
But he doesn't care a wit
He knows the ways to get the money
And he shows you in this book, honey. Okay that was bad poetry but this book is poetry of a different kind. You learn what May teaches and it's "green" poetry, honey.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: This book blew my mind. John May is one hell of a blackjack expert. I don't think I've read anything quite like this. His approach to the game is that just about anything the casinos come up with, we players can counter, be it the shuffling procedure, the dealing of the cards, even those shuffling machines. This book is about advantage play with a vengeance! I think if you already know how to count cards and are looking for the icing on the cake, this is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: The only blackjack book you'll ever need!
Review: This book has it all! If you are looking for one book that sums up how to actually beat blackjack, this is it. It deals with counting cards as well as shuffle tracking and other advantage play methods. The information is coming from someone who knows first hand what they are talking about. The author is an actual player who has been involved with many facets of the game for many years. Buy this one, you won't be sorry!!!
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