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Reason #3 why the Wizard likes Bodog:
Excellent Odds
In my opinion many online casinos are too stingy when setting the odds on their games. They think they will make more money that way but I believe they are misguided, because when players lose too quickly it's not fun, and those players might not come back.
Bodog is one of the few casinos that understands this. They offer generous odds to let you play longer and get you a better chance of winning. Among their generous offerings are Full-Pay Jacks or Better returning 99.54%, six other video poker games paying over 99%, single-zero roulette, two blackjack variants with a house edge under 0.2%, and my favorite, Pick 'em Poker, returning 99.95%!
Kudos to Bodog for not being afraid to give their players a good gamble. (Visit Bodog)
Try blackjack at Bodog.
One click and you're in:
 No popups, no download, no registration, no B.S., just the game.
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| Last update: Nov. 1, 2007
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Here are my personal reviews of a whole host of gambling books. I hope they motivate you to learn more about how to
prepare yourself to face the casinos. If you do wish to buy
any of these books just click the link and you'll go straight to the Amazon order page.
Books I recommend are indicated with a star. I am including links even to the
books I don't like, just to be consistent and fair, not to
encourage you to buy them.
Categories
Books about Craps
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Craps: Take the Money and Run (Henry J. Tamburin):
The only thing I don't like about this book is the title.
I do like the author's "just the facts" approach,
explaining all the rules, the etiquette, and the house |
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John Patrick's Craps (John Patrick): While I only skimmed the book in the book store I can't recommend it because the author advocates the any craps bet as a hedge. The any craps bet has a house edge of 11.11% and should not be made for any reason. However following his advice will result in less short term bankroll volatility. |
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Winning Craps for the Serious Player (J. Edward
Allen): This book will tell you everything you need
to know about craps. The author takes the reader though
all the various bets, explaining the odds and house edge,
while mixing in stories and examples to make the reading
more colorful. My only complaint is the overdoing it with
the promises of beating the casinos on the cover.
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Wong on Dice (Stanford Wong): Although I'm still skeptical of the entire topic of dice setting this is an honest presentation on the topic. Topics include evidence and history thus far that it works, various dice settings, the throw of the dice, what to bet on and how much. The book is no substitute for actual lessons and a lot of practice.
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Books about other games
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How to Win Millions Playing Slot Machines...or Lose Trying (Frank Legato):
Great title. This could just as easily be classified as a humor book as a gambling book. Among other topics the book explains how slots work and debunks the numerous myths that abound with slot players. Looking for a way to beat slots? You won't find it in this book, or anywhere. However I found the information accurate and enjoyable to read. On the other hand there was a lot of fluff and filler. The essential information could have been boiled down to something 10% the size.
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Get the Edge at Low-Limit Texas Hold'em (Bill Burton): This book covers the basics of hold'em. Targeted to beginners, it is easy to read and has lots of stories and examples from the author's own experience. Unlike another poker book I read it isn't heavy on memorizing hands and how to play them but rather understanding the reasons behind the plays. |
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The Lottery Book (Don Catlin): I'm not big on playing the lottery but if you do have an interest this book covers the topic quite thoroughly. The author is a former math professor and gives the topic a professional treatment. The book features a chapter on how to calculate lottery odds, stories about past winners, explanation of the various kinds of lotteries, and a state by state breakdown of the house advantage of each game. There isn't too much more to say about lotteries in my opinion.
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Million Dollar Video Poker (Bob Dancer): Dancer milked video poker for all it was worth and this is the story of how he did it, from a bankroll of a few thousand to over a million. Video poker today is not as lucrative as it was in the nineties but it is still informative and an enjoyable read.
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Mastering the Game of Caribbean Stud Poker (Stanley Ko): Just about everything there is to say about Caribbean Stud Poker. |
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Mastering the Game of Let it Ride (Stanley Ko): Just about everything there is to say about Let it Ride. Includes a strategy on how to adjust your strategy based on other player's cards you can see. |
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Mastering the Game of Three Card Poker (Stanley Ko): Just about everything there is to say about Three Card Poker. Includes information on how to play if you can see one of the dealer's cards. |
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Optimal Strategy for Pai Gow Poker (Stanford Wong):
As usual anything by Stanford Wong is about as good as it
gets. The book explains why the rules in southern
California are the best for playing pai gow poker and his
strategies are designed for playing against other good
players, as opposed to the casino house way. The 160
pages also contain a complete optimal strategy, an
abbreviated one that will cover the vast majority of
hands correctly, and 29 pages of practice hands.
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Sharp Sports Betting (Stanford Wong): Wong discusses how to improve your odds on everything from straight bet to exploiting many unusual bets such as parlays and teasers. It is rather math heavy so Wong provides sample problems and solutions. This one is certainly one of the most worn out of the many gambling books on my shelves.
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Video Poker Optimum Play (Dan Paymar): This 198 page
book contains a close to perfect strategy for jacks or
better, deuces wild, and joker poker. There are also
chapters briefly covering other games as well as a host
of video poker related topics. The writing is a bit dry
but the math seems very solid. This is the best overall
book on video poker I have seen.
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Weighing the Odds in Sports Betting (King Yao): This books goes through various topics in sports betting. He starts with the basics and touches on a host of different topics from there, including horse racing. Not surprisingly, he doesn't seem to give up any huge secrets. The book is well written, and I think he thinks about sports in the right way. However, I don't think it will affect my own bets much. Between this and
Sharp Sports Betting, I think the latter gives more specific tips and angles the reader can immediately use. |
Fiction
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God Doesn't Shoot Craps (Richard Armstrong): Normally it takes me months to finish a novel but I this page turner only took me three days. The story begins as a con man puts out a mass mailing for a worthless betting system based on Parrando's Paradox, which I address myself in the December 13, 2005 Ask the Wizard column. To prepare for the inevitable questions by disgruntled buyers he gives it a test run in Atlantic City, and it appears to actually work! From there he cancels the mailing and attempts to milk it for all it is worth. I found the book a very enjoyable read and mathematically honest.
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The Counter (Kevin Blackwood): The story follows the
character of Raven as he falls from his Baptist faith and
deep into the life as a professional gambler. He starts
out as a card counter but once he wears out is welcome in
Las Vegas he takes up with some dubious characters in
other more dangerous and illegal gambling schemes. The
author is a former card counter and his depiction of the
technical elements of counting and other advantageous
strategies is honest and accurate, based on my own
limited experience and knowledge. The book was a good
page turner but I didn't care for the ending.
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Dice Angel (Brian Rouff): This 222 page novel follows
the story of Jimmy, a cynical Las Vegas bar owner, and
his efforts to save his bar. After a robbery and
embezzlement by his accountant Jimmy must come up with a
lot of money on short notice or lose the bar to the IRS.
As a last resort he turns to the "dice angel" who
promises to turn his luck around at craps. The way the
story is told is the best part. Every scene is rich in
humor as Jimmy encounters everything ridiculous about Las
Vegas at every turn. I found myself laughing from
beginning to end.
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Sex, Lies, and Video Poker (Bob Dancer): This book is told from the point of view of Chris, who follows in the footsteps of his new Girlfriend as a professional video poker player. If you are new to video poker you'll learn a lot along the way too. Meanwhile a sex scene from time to time keeps things interesting. Nothing too graphic, the wording is somewhat veiled, like a trashy romance novel. This isn't Hemmingway but rather an enjoyable easy read. |
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More Sex, Lies, and Video Poker (Bob Dancer): Between this sequel and the original I thought the original was a little better. In this book Chris is living in Las Vegas where new characters enter his life. The video poker scenes revolve mostly around the Palms.
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I also have reviews of:
I also recommend Nick Christenson's reviews of gambling books.
Didn't see the book you wanted? You can find what you're looking for at  .
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