Levy’s been gambling for 40 years. He’s made mistakes at the tables and he tells you how to avoid them. His advice is down to earth and logical. 'Arrogance and smug self-assurance are the quicksand that’ll gobble up a gambler’s bankroll,' he warns. He approaches gambling tables as one would a bear trap.This book is more than just about playing blackjack. It’s a clear journey around all the existing bear traps waiting for players, who either can’t manage their money or who go off on a 'tilt' anytime something goes wrong, or allow a casino to distract them from their goal--to win. The book is packed with short stories, incidents, and examples of people getting lucky, coincidences, oddball happenings and never ceases to be interesting. Levy talks about bosomy women, cheating, illegal casinos, phony casino promotions, the false promises pitched to lotto players, premonitions, video poker, keno and roulette. It’s his skill at capturing the true color and language of the gambler, in all his glory and often in the disaster mode, which makes this book click. His language isn’t fancy--it’s right on target--you can almost feel the excitement and hear the result of his adventures at whatever game he plays or comments on. This could be the best $14.95 you ever plunked down for a book about what to do, what to avoid and how it all works, for the player or the House. Appendix 166 Pgs. 2000
