Compact casino guides cover a multitude of games

28 January 2010

By Howard Schwartz

For the occasional gambler who's not sure which games to play, one book can often do the job. This is especially good for the family with diverse interests. After all, why buy three different books when one will suffice? Here are several titles worth considering which offer the basics, with ideas and alternatives.

Beat the House by Frederick Lembeck (183 pages, paperbound, $6.50): a one-volume package of ideas and stories primarily on craps and roulette, with theories, systems, explanations of the various bets, including ways of "hedging." Each game gets equal treatment with basic term definitions and table etiquette.

109 Ways to Beat the Casinos by Walter Thomason (147 pages, paperbound, $7): packed with tips and shortcuts to playing the casino games, Thomason focuses on some intangibles such as table etiquette, money management, tipping, game strategy, getting and using comps. He offers advice on Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, Three Card Poker and keno.

Gaming -- Cruising the Casinos with Syndicated Gambling Columnist John Grochowski (182 pages, paperbound,$6): written by one of the most respected writers in the country, this book provides thought-provoking chapters on everything from blackjack and craps to video poker, money management, keno, using slot club cards, tournament play, betting systems, and progression betting. The author "humanizes" the games from his own perspective -- that is, offering up the games from his own experiences and making you think about the correct decision.

Smart Casino Gambling by Olaf Vancura (334 pages, paperbound, $24.95): the most comprehensive of all general gambling books, with sections on all casino games -- an especially good one on baccarat and on gambler's fallacies. Packed with intelligent, usable mathematical formulas, a nice section on casino inducements (including comps and slot clubs), it has excellent material for the beginning sports bettor as well. The book has a small but important section on shuffle tracking.