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Product Description
A few years ago John Patrick published a well-received book for beginning blackjack players. Now, he offers the next step up for seasoned players who know the game but somehow still manage to lose. This book will instruct players that with astute money management (& a little luck) they will leave the table winners. Watch for trends, Patrick urges players. When a player wins 3 out of 4 hands, it can be considered a positive sign that the shoe is with him. The reverse… More >>
I’ve read this book, and posts from the author on Usenet. His strategies are unsound, and WILL cost the player money. They may have some lucky sessions, but overall, they will lose money.
To make matters worse, Mr. Patrick doesn’t understand some basic principals of BJ. For eample: I asked Mr. Patrick, “I’m playing heads-up in a two deck game. On the first hand, I get 10-10 and the dealer is showing an ace. I’m about to decide whether to stand/hit/split/double. What is the probability the dealer has one of the other tens?” To which, he replied, “Off the top of my head………. there are 100 cards left and 30 ten value cards remaining (assuming nothing was buried). What’s that……..30% chance it is a ten?”
The chance of the dealer having a ten is ZERO, because if the dealer had a ten, they would have a blackjack and I would have lost the had before I had the chance to decide to stand, hit, split or double. Think about it folks, do you really trust the writings of an author that doesn’t even know that?
Rating: 1 / 5
Although I found some of his strategies and advice concerning splits (dont split two aces??? You have a 2 or 12!) to be questionable, there is NO QUESTION concerning the value of his money management and discipline theories. I LIKE the idea of wrapping up a profit after the first hand of a series, and playing with the casinos money after executing his “Up and Pull” method. After reading his book(s) (Craps for the Clueless also) my wife and I are both more disciplined and confident players at the BJ tables. This book has equaled winning much more often for me. Four Stars just for the Money Management and Discipline chaptors alone.
Rating: 4 / 5
If you believe in magic ways to beat a casino, this book is for you. If you believe that blackjack can be beaten using sound mathematical principles, the author has claimed repeatedly that he doesn’t understand them. A fool and his money are lucky enough to get together in the first place, and only a fool would play blackjack with the methods recommended in this book. Try “Knockout Blackjack” by Vancura and Fuchs for a simple winning system. Patrick is pure hogwash.
Rating: 1 / 5
I have never read such a terrible book in my life. This is THE most condescending book I have ever read. It has such a tone of superiority that you just can’t get through it with its self congratulatory tone. UGH! Move on… The books by Stanford Wong are FARE superior…
Rating: 1 / 5
Boy, is this Patrick guy bad. In fact, he is quite well-known now for his bad blackjack advice. The problem is, he writes in a style that sounds convincing and “common sense”.
People, you cannot use “common sense” in blackjack. Some of Patrick’s plays are just plain wrong. These plays cannot be judged right or wrong because you happen to win some hands by playing that way. There are HUGE variances in blackjack, and any play or money management system can win in the short term. The only way to know if a play is correct, in terms of probability and long term winning percentage, is by mathematical proof or large computer simulations. Otherwise, you’re just wishing it to be true. There’s a very good reason casinos make billions of dollars every year. Patrick’s book does 2 things
1) makes him money
2) ensures that the casinos stay in business so he can make more money selling more blackjack books.
Is everything in this book wrong? No, most of it is right. But why buy a book like this when there are many more that get it ALL right? Read Wong, or Schlesinger, or Griffin, or Uston, or other proven authors. It really doesn’t matter how easy this book is to read if it gives bad plays. And it doesn’t matter that you went into the casino and won using Patrick’s methods, because in this game your experience is too short to count as valid and meaningful in terms of probability. If you don’t understand that, there’s no hope for you anyway.
Can you explain why you are more likely to get a blackjack with 1 deck than 6? Do you understand why preferential shuffling can hurt you? Do you understand why you should hit your 16 against the dealer’s 7, even though you will probably lose the hand? If you understand all that, then you sure don’t need this book. If you don’t, then go find another book that explains the REAL fundamentals of blackjack. Anyone can win at blackjack – even total idiots – in the short term. Only a few actually play the game with a mathematical advantage though.
Rating: 2 / 5