I'll admit it: I'm a geek, and the idea of a bunch of math geniuses using homebuilt computers to beat roulette is right up my alley. The plot does not disappoint, as an eccentric band of high-octane misfits create a commune motivated by discovery, innovation and greed.

Unfortunately, the author's style is often ham handed, leaving the reader with the unsettling feeling that the story should have been told differently. For one thing, the plot follows the project's timeline with mind-numbing accuracy. It's okay for journalism, but it leaves many of the juiciest details buried amongst mundane activities. In addition, the pacing does not change, giving the book a feel of bloodless efficiency rather than real passion or excitement.

A few years ago I read Paul Hoffman's "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers," the excellent biography of mathemetician Paul Erdos. The whole way through "Eudamonic Pie" I found myself wishing that Thomas Bass had emulated Hoffman's engaging intertwining of Erdos' life, the history of math and the obscure culture and argot of top mathemeticians. Instead, I found this book to be an interesting plot bogged down by a flat and lifeless style.

Sort of like Leonard Nimoy singing "Proud Mary."

A motley bunch of talented individuals driven by a mixture of altruism and selfishness but above all by a challenge simply because it is there, is a setting as old as humanity itself. This book is about one such enterprise. Mathematics, physics, chemistry, free thinking and sheer guts and the inevitable frustration, despondency and dropping out were the more specific components of this episode strung out over several years. For those interested in ~ the sixties era and its fallout into subsequent years ~ chaos theory ~ electronics ~ casino busting ~ aging hippies ~ mad scientists ~ sociology ~ anthropology ~ starting all over, this book is a must read. It is only the vastness of the human dimension where the author, perhaps understandably due to space and market niche considerations, has compromised. It would, otherwise, have been a five star book. (And considering it is out of print in any case, a lesson might be there for those who give disproportionate weight to market niches; When there is a richly textured tale to tell, go ahead and weave the rich tapestry. At the worst one's work might still go prematurely out of print but would leave at least one less unsatisfied reader and at the best....)

What this team tried to do was only possible during a very narrow window in history. Sharp analytical and electronic skills at the dawn the microelectronic age made it possible, and at a time when casinos weren't paying attention to the threat posed by emerging technology. Those days are gone forever.

Bass has done a great job of telling the story of how a couple of physics postgraduate students and their friends develop tiny computers controlled by toe switches enable them to achieve an edge over the casino at roulette.

This was particularly poignant for me, because I independently developed similar wheel-clocking methods and verified a 26% advantage over the house on a rented casino quality roulette wheel in 1976. The 'device law', which Nevada passed in the early 80s in response to people attempting to use technology to sack their coffers, largely put an end to concealed computers in casinos. Those to whom a felony rap is no deterrent are presumably still at it, using extremely advanced and difficult-to-detect hardware.

Bass' story is a fascinating read and highly reccommended.

"All about Roulette" by John Gollehon is a good introduction to the game of Roulette. It describes how the game was originated, and goes on to explain various aspects of the game. The author tells about the equipments which consists of wheel, table, ball, bet and the chips. The game begins with the rotation of wheel by dealer and the cycle is complete when the next game begins. This cycle consists of various small steps. This description is helpful to understand the process. The chapter 'How to play' explains various types of bets including inside/outside, odd/even, red/black, straight up etc and tells what is wager and how the pay-off is made by dealer. The chapter 'Improving the Odds' gives various ways by which a player may like to increase the chances of winning. The author has suggested the reader to play on "European Style" wheel which has a single zero so more chances of winning money. Playing the single 0 wheel, Clocking the wheel, Clocking the dealer, reading a dealer's mind are some of the aspects which author has touched. It gives a good idea to the general reader. The language is humourous and light one which maintains the interest of the reader to complete the book in one sitting. For the beginner all the bets, wheel, chips, layout of table are explained in detail. Author also describes the built in advantage the casino house has. It gives a clear idea of how much a player is likely to lose because of the bias in favour of casino. When a beginner plays the game, he is certain to overlook many small things like placing the bet only after the dealer playes the ball, picking up the wager when the bet is won etc. This book makes him aware of those aspects so that he is well prepared for the same. The book is handy. However, compared to other books the price is steeply on higher side. Other books in the same price range describe many other games. The reader may find in them more value for the money. But overall it a good introductory book for the game of Roulette.

This books explains a lot progressions and money management in roulette, but none of the strategies in this book will give you and edge over the house. It's for recreational players only, who want to have fun only.

This book is based on "martingale" ? There no wayyou can win with this systeme.

This is one of the most poorlywritten books I have ever read.The system is quite simple and could beexplained clearly in a few pages of charts, but the authors have no idea how to make a clear explanation. It would take a conscious effort to make a simple idea any more confusing than has been done in this book. Unfortunately, the authors make it as difficult to learn as possible.There is a fair amount of information for me, but, again, this information is better-presented in other volumes.

I would strongly recommend that players at all levels go to another book.

This book is not simple to read!

Patrick's book has helped me in a major way to quit throwing money around the layout, and play in a controlled manner that's still fun -- because I've won 7 of 9 casino visits since! I don't break the bank -- but I don't lose my usual $300-$400 anymore either. This book is far superior to Scoblete's, offering actual inside numbers to play in order to spread numbers around the wheel, excellent suggestions on outside bets, pros and cons of betting systems, regression bets, money management, discipline -- highly recommended for those who see that Scoblete's riff -- "biased" wheels -- is something only those looking for a ridiculous "angle" will believe.

This book is simply a description of the Reverse Labouchere staking system.One of those very common strategies that,as every experienced player knows,will lead one down the road to ruin.It is very clear throughout that the author has had little or no experience of playing roulette in a real casino.Even if one does have the endless patience required to wait for that brilliant winning streak that recoups your massive losses,the table limit is going to stop you a the vast majority of casinos anyhow. Buying this book is a waste of money.Following the instructions however, would be wasting an awful lot more.Stay away!

very enlighting to gamblers and non-gamblers,suggest that any new casino goer should read. a must!

A pretty pathetic mix of front line monotony and homeland poetry. The author either smoked way too much dope while in Afganistan or he just lacks any idea of what it was he was trying to get across to the audience. I kicked back and was all set to read what I thought would be a real down to earth description of war in one of the few armpits left in this world. But after about 15 minutes I realised this was another in a long string of Soviet/Afghan let downs. It seems very few, if any, of the soldiers who fought in this war have anything but the most rudimentary idea of how to put it down on paper. Bottom line, if your on a deserted island and this book washes up on shore, go ahead and enjoy it. Just don't part with any cash for it.

Perhaps I loved the book more because I read it on my recent visit to Afghanistan. Beginning with the first episode in Kabul Hotel, everything seemed so vivid and painful. I was really sorry for those who had to be on both sides in the period of the Soviet occupation, which turned out to be after all the beginning of a much more grave tragedy.

The transformation of Times Square from a den of porn, drugs, and prostitution into an urban Disneyland is the greatest success story of urban renewal. (I am astonished that anyone could be nostalgic about the old Times Square - I find it hard to be nostalgic about drug dealers loitering in front of porn shops and boarded-up theaters.)

Lynne Sagalyn devotes her 600-page tome to documenting the politics behind the redevelopment process. The end result is not exactly rivetting reading. Perhaps it's asking too much for any author to transform this epic of backroom politics, urban planners, and real estate developers into a "good read." In any event, the author has carefully documented the entire process, focussing on the backroom politics and urban planning strategies, rather than on the architecture of the buildings themselves. The book is profusely illustrated with well over a hundred b&w photos and detailed maps. In addition, a central color section of the book has about 35 photographs and drawings.

The story of how Times Square, and, in particular, 42nd Street, was finally rescued is fascinating, but it's blurred in this treatment. Sagalyn is an academic, and unfortunately, it shows. It reads like a long series of New York Times Arts & Leisure section essays by a critic. All the info is in there, but it's somewhat exhausting to wade through. One suspects the same info could have been delivered more elegantly in half the number of words.

Given the rather expensive price, wait to see whether there's a paperback version. But anyone who's interested in the history and development of NYC will find it worthwhile.

A gritty cold war thriller, with Callen working as a hitman for an unrecognised British agency. Callen tries to survive as he is used in a cat and mouse game by the agency as they ruthlessly trade undercover blows with the KGB where he is just as expendable as the enemy.

"Playing Roulette As A Business", basically outlines a negative betting progression, similar to martingale type systems. The Author Claims, that his specific wheel number's, when bet in his recommended manner, will outperform actual probability, due to thier positon's on the wheel. If indeed, these numbers did hit as often as the author suggest's, you would not need a betting progression to gain an edge. "If" this were the case, these magic numbers could be printed and sold on an index card, and there would be no need to waste an entire book on the subject. That is what this book is an "Entire Waste"!

I was very excited at the prospect of this innovative system and
did very well at first. I had around a dozen winning sessions that averaged a $50-100 profit. The only downside was it took
FOREVER to make $$$. At least one hour to make $50 and 2+ to make
$100. A few times the wheel wasn't going my way and I got out
after breaking even. No losing sessions! I thought I had struck
gold and had crazy ideas about quitting my job, moving to Vegas,
and becoming a professional. A dream come true.

A few months later I went back to Vegas with a substantial bankroll to see if playing roulette full time would actually work. Total disaster. I should have known it was too good to be
true. No winning sessions, my numbers and the 0/00 were far and
in between. Either I was getting hammered or it took a few hours
just to break even. Many times I would check the electronic counter before playing, the numbers were hitting fairly often but as soon as I sit down- 8 losses in a row. It seemed like there was something funny going on but the luck I had
early on just disappeared. It could also be that every dealer has
a unique method of spinning the ball and it tends to land in certain areas more than others. Some dealers claim the ability to
have the ball land in an area of their choosing. Perhaps a good reason to be courteous and tip them.

And this system is NOT a relaxing way to gamble. Losing 7 in a row, pressing it up to $300, hoping the dreaded 8th loss doesn't
happen is very stressfull indeed. Fortunately, there was never 9
losses in a row but I'm never going through that hell again. Not
to mention the pitboss eyeballing you and the cocktail waitresses
ignoring you because you're spending ALOT more time at the table
than your average player who gets knocked out in no time.

I love the system in this book, and use it whenever I'm in Vegas or Reno. You can remember the system easily, and the simplicity of it turns a dangerous losing game into a relaxing and fun game. Half the fun of the system is watching other people come and go, dropping hundreds of dollars, while you stay for hours and enjoy free drinks. The system delivers on at least one of its goals, which is to avoid losing money. You cover slightly less than half the wheel, your bet wins slightly more than even money, you win when zero or double-zero come up (an important part of enjoying the game), and the argument about the consecutive nature of the numbers has validity if you consider that the wheel and the ball are not perfect, so the numbers that come up over time are not perfectly random.

I browsed through this book at the local bookstore. All I can say is don't take any pointers from this guy. He says before placing bets on "any craps", you should wait until the die hasn't produced craps for atleast 18 rolls???? He says after this the probability of any craps showing is 88 %. What is this all about? The truth is the odds of rolling craps is the same (11 %) regardless of how many times it's been rolled in the past. If you already own this book, I suggest you take your loss and throw it away.

This is the first review I have written on Amazon. I felt compelled to write this to keep unsuspecting people from purchasing this book. I do not know the author, I am not an author, and I have no interests in whether this book does well or not. I am simply giving my opinion.

Simply put, my problem with this book is that it is full of incorrect statements and poor advice which completely ignores probability theory. For example, on roulette, Mr. Svoboda actually says, "The house will always have a 5.26% edge, but you can increase your winning probabilities by playing it smart." What?!? When I read that, I knew he had a very weak grasp of probability theory. It is impossible to change the odds in roulette; they are fixed. You are always at a 5.26% disadvantage, no matter what your betting strategy is. Period. I suggest you run away from any book that asserts otherwise.

The surprising thing is that in several parts of the book, Mr. Svoboda agrees that the casino has an advantage over the player in the long run. However, to overcome this, he recommends that players play in the short run! I couldn't believe that an engineer, and someone who supposedly understands mathematics and probability, would actually write such completely incorrect information. True, in the short run you may win, but odds are that you will lose. The percentage disadvantage you face does not change.

Over and over, Mr. Svoboda asserts that his strategies increase your chances of winning. How can you increase your chances of winning if the odds against you are fixed? For example, after several pages of detailed and complex tables and charts, Mr. Svoboda admits that his craps betting strategy gives the house a 2% advantage. Yet he still advocates following his strategy, saying that you just need to know when to walk away when ahead. What he fails to mention is that you will be behind more often than you will be ahead.

In games of chance and independent trials (such as craps, roulette and keno, to name a few), the house has a fixed percentage advantage over the player. This is a proven mathematical fact. There are no betting systems or strategies whish can change this percentage advantage. The only thing a player may do is bet slowly and bet the minimums in order to decrease the rate at which he loses. Gambling at these types of games should be viewed as paying for entertainment, not investing, as Mr. Svoboda suggests.

Casinos love people with systems. Why do you think companies choose to spend $1 billion to build a new casino? Because they know that system betters will come in and lose more than that. Casinos exist because they make money for their owners. I had thought that with the advanced level of gaming theory available today, that books which advocated incorrect probability theory would become a thing of the past. Then I read Mr. Svoboda's book and realized I was wrong.

On the plus side, the book does clearly state the rules of the games and the odds of winning. It has very pretty and colorful charts and tables. As a rule book, it is very good. However, as a strategy guide, you are much better off ignoring this book. Mr. Svoboda's assertion that "this book will help you learn how to level the playing field...and gain a return on your investment" is false. This book does not tell you how to even the odds against the house. The only return on investment you will get by following the advice in this book is negative.

Beating The Casinos At Their Own Game is a book you should consider if you'd like some help playing at the casinos. It's a well, written and nicely illustrated 278-page gambling guide with instructions for most of the games you'll find at any casino. The author, Peter Svoboda, knows his math because he has the credentials: a degree in both mechanical and civil engineering.

You'll find casino basics in chapters 1 and 2 including some history, odds of winning and losing, what the casinos do to get you there, the house advantage, advice on managing your money and when to quit. And if you have a gambling problem, Peter will direct you to the right place. Chapters 3 through 13 list rules of the ten most popular casino games, with playing strategies and some betting systems you can try. The illustrations will help you learn the games and the math listed will explain the odds and probabilities of winning.

Peter includes some known strategies for Craps, Roulette and Baccarat. So, if you're inexperienced at any of these games, you can take an expert with you to the casino. Peter also presents some of his own winning systems.

If you've never been to a casino, but think you might want to try some of the games offered, I'd recommend studying this book before you enter. It has all the basic playing information you'll need to improve your chances of winning...

if you can spell "casino" you are much too advanced to waste time reading this. the author is apparently targeting the most uninitiated of casino visitors; however, it is difficult to imagine, with the proliferation of legalized gaming in this country, that any reader could be this wanting. all information in this book is readily accessible in any legalized gambling establishment free of charge and this author must certainly be aware of this fact. spend the $10 on a buffet when you get to Vegas!

The previous reviewer is correct when he says this a basic book for the first-time gambler. However, this is what the "Everything" series tries to do. These books will not make you an expert in any particular field. If you know someone who gambles occasionally, for them, this book is perfect. It covers many games and while not getting too in depth, tries to bring up the areas of each game in which to be concerned. Show me any other beginner's gambling book that covers every game any better than this one.