Winning Casino Blackjack for the Non-Counter

Rating:
Summary: Good for those with a mathematical mind.
Review: After reading, playing, and re-reading, I got it. This book spells out the rules which, if applied rigorously, allow you to slow the bleeding tremendously and perhaps win consistently. I have been in black for my last 4 outings.

Rating:
Summary: A rip-off...
Review: Nothing more than an advertisement for his expensive mail-order non-counter strategies. The strategy he claims to present in this book is misrepresented as a non-counting strategy, when in fact it is (he basically says estimate the number of high cards remaining by watching which cards have been played, which is the definition of counting). If you want the actual non-counter strategy, you have to shell out $50 for a mail-order packet. Stay away.

Rating:
Summary: Good for beginners and recreational players.
Review: This book is suitable for beginners and recreational players but those who know basic strategy and count cards will not benefit much from this book...

Rating:
Summary: If you want to win at Blackjack, read this book
Review: This is an awesome book for those who want to win at Blackjack but don't want to learn the math behind card counting. You won't win every hand (if you did, you should write a book). But, this book explains how to win overall at the tables in plain and simple english. It goes into the basics of the game, terminology, the strategies and ideas behind playing against the dealer, has charts on what to do based on different casino rules, and touches on how to and how much to bet. I've seen different charts and strategies but the ones in this book did the best for me. A must read for every Blackjack player who wants to win at the tables.

Rating:
Summary: Great book for beginners
Review: Those who know basic strategy and count cards will not benefit much from this book, except possibly as a refresher, but for those starting out it is invaluable. It is better to become familiar with the rules of blackjack before you step into a casino, rather than learn at the tables, and this book is a great way to start. Basic strategy, something every blackjack player should know, is covered thoroughly. All reputable blackjack writers acknowledge the need to know basic strategy cold, which you can do if you study this book.

Rating:
Summary: The best beginners/intermediate book around!!!
Review: When I made my first trip to Las Vegas over 10 years ago, I was lucky enought to find this book in the bookstore, insightful enough to buy it and terrified enough of losing money to read it and put it into practice. Since that time I've play tens of thousands of hands of blackjack in casinos all over the Western Hemisphere. I've also bought and read lots of other books on Blackjack. This one is without question the best.

It gives good introductory information on how to play winning blackjack. It covers basic strategy, money management and other fundamentals in a clear, concise way. He explains the strategy in such a way that it's easy to understand and REMEMBER. And he leaves out a lot of the non-sense and self promotion garbage you get in a lot of other books.

Even though I have a rather large library of blackjack books now, I still find myself throwing this one into my bag to read as a refresher on the plane trip to Vegas.

It's not meant to be the be-all-end-all book on blackjack and it shouldn't be judged as if it were. There will come a point, if you get serious enough about the game, that you'll want a more advanced book. This is the best book I've found however to give you the "blocking and tackling" fundamentals of blackjack.

Rating:
Summary: Mr. Cardoza offers solid advice for recreational players
Review: Winning Casino Blackjack For The Non-Counter is an introductory book on playing casino blackjack. With its simple easy to understand style, any reader can learn a great deal about the correct way to play each hand and how manage their money wisely. The information about optimal basic strategies will all but eliminate the house advantage for this game. The money management and betting strategy Mr. Cardoza outlines assures that you will be able to stay in the game a long time and capitalize on winning opportunities when they occur.

This title was first printed in 1981 and revised in 1992. The 1992 edition now in its fourth printing, is almost doubled in size from the original edition. For less than three red chips, investing in this book may be the the best bet a player can make in blackjack. After running through how the game is played and the most often found rules variations, Mr. Cardoza explains the general strategic concepts involved in playing hands. It is here that his straightforward writing style is the most helpful to readers.

Without getting hung up in a lot of mathmatics and statistical analysis, Mr. Cardoza presents a clear case for the playing decisions players must make compared to the dealer's up card. Having waded through several of the more "scientific" books, I believe that Mr. Cardoza's conclusions are solidly based on the same statistical analysis as the "scientific" ones but his conclusions are so much easier to understand.

He provides charts showing the hitting, standing, double down and pair splitting plays for each dealer up card. There are charts for single deck and multiple deck games. There are charts tailored to rules variations for games in Northern Nevada, Las Vegas Downtown, Las Vegas Strip, Alantic City, and Europe.

He also includes plays for double down after splitting pairs, late surrender, and early surrender. Pick the place you are going to play, learn the chart for that game, and you have practically eliminated the house edge.

The heart of the book is the betting strategy. It is dependent on your observation of how many low value and/or high value cards have been played. Mr. Cardoza offers five guidelines on how to have an edge over the casino through these observations. You're not counting the cards but you do have to pay attention to the game.

Pay close attention to the money management chapter. Any experienced player will tell you that you need to be able to stay in the game until winning situations (when the player has an advantage) occur. The sections on bankrolling, minimizing losses, and maxinizing gains is especially helpful.

This book is a good starting point for recreational players and tourists. The information is solid and beginning players that don't want to count will be helped many times over the price of the book.