Get into the minds of the greatest gamblers of all time. Read in-depth interviews with eight masters of the games. Learn how they think, how they play, and what made them successful. The interview subjects include: Billy Walters (sports betting), Chip Reese (poker), Doyle Brunson (poker), Mike Svobodny (backgammon), Stan Tomchin (backgammon and sports betting), Cathy Hulbert (blackjack and poker), Alan Woods (blackjack and horse racing), and Tommy Hyland (blackjack).

"An elegant and amusing account" of how gambling has been reshaped by the application of science and revealed the truth behind a lucky bet (Wall Street Journal). For the past 500 years, gamblers-led by mathematicians and scientists-have been trying to figure out how to pull the rug out from under Lady Luck. In The Perfect Bet, mathematician and award-winning writer Adam Kucharski tells the astonishing story of how the experts have succeeded, revolutionizing mathematics and science in the process. The house can seem unbeatable. Kucharski shows us just why it isn't. Even better, he demonstrates how the search for the perfect bet has been crucial for the scientific pursuit of a better world.

In 1956, two Bell Labs scientists discovered the scientific formula for getting rich. One was mathematician Claude Shannon, neurotic father of our digital age, whose genius is ranked with Einstein's. The other was John L. Kelly Jr., a Texas-born, gun-toting physicist. Together they applied the science of information theory—the basis of computers and the Internet—to the problem of making as much money as possible, as fast as possible. Shannon and MIT mathematician Edward O. Thorp took the "Kelly formula" to Las Vegas. It worked. They realized that there was even more money to be made in the stock market. Thorp used the Kelly system with his phenomenally successful hedge fund, Princeton-Newport Partners. Shannon became a successful investor, too, topping even Warren Buffett's rate of return. Fortune's Formula traces how the Kelly formula sparked controversy even as it made fortunes at racetracks, casinos, and trading desks. It reveals the dark side of this alluring scheme, which is founded on exploiting an insider's edge. Shannon believed it was possible for a smart investor to beat the market—and William Poundstone's Fortune's Formula will convince you that he was right.

The author of more than ten books on gambling now examines the psychological, discipline, and money-management aspects of a gaming session and teaches the gambler how to hold on to his winnings while minimizing his losses.

Hello there, my fellow adventurers! Please allow me to introduce myself...I am the one they call "The Wizard of Boone"! Now, this here town of mine is a timeless infinity of religious and spiritual experiences which allow all life who walk among its borders to grow beyond themselves before their very eyes. It's a loving community of peace-loving friendly folks who have, for certain, ultimately mastered the art of having a good time! And they welcomed me in with open arms and taught me their ways. Now, I return the favor not only to them, but to the rest of the world as well...to include you. So, before we take our magical mystery trip into what lies above the space between spaces, let's get to know each other. My name is Liam The Brown. I am a proud psychonaut, psychedelic scientist, and chaos magician. With the aid of my mighty magical wizard staff (Beef is his name), and this book, which is now finally in your hands, I travel the universe in search of knowledge beyond belief. I seek to use this higher wisdom in order to help others live their best life. I have found my destined place in this universe, at least for the time being...and I am here to help.

In The Wizard of Odds, renowned and best-selling basketball writer Charley Rosen brings us for the first time the full life story of Jack Molinas, one of the greatest basketball players of his era, a man whose gambling addiction and hubris caused his ultimate demise. Drawing on numerous, previously unavailable first-person accounts, including Jack Molinas’s own journal and trial transcripts, Rosen presents the true saga of a man who perhaps better than anyone around him understood the weaknesses of the system in which he lived—so much so that he convinced himself that he could manipulate that system to his advantage with total impunity, in a life’s journey that took him from NBA play to the Mafia and the pornographic film industry, and to an ultimate tragic destiny.

Advice on betting sports for beginners to experts.

Frugal Video Poker is the most comprehensive book ever written on practicing, playing, and winning at this popular casino game. Video poker is beatable when you know what pay schedules to look for and how to play when you find them. Whether you want to play for profit or merely make your money last longer in a casino, Frugal Video Poker will take you where you want to go. Beginners are walked through the basics, first learning to distinguish between good and bad paytables, then playing the strategies that maximize the machine's potential. Players who already have some experience will discover crucial bridge concepts that lead to improved results. For experts, Frugal Video Poker covers special opportunities, such as tournaments, promotions, progressives, and the cutting-edge new games--an extensive resource section paves the way to advanced study. And everyone can benefit from the detailed lessons on how to use readily available video poker computer software to take the game to its highest level.

Ken Uston on Blackjack is an intimate look into the most successful blackjack player of the 20th century. Considered the world's foremost blackjack player by experts, Ken Uston played in teams that won over $5 million at the tables of Atlantic City, Nevada, Europe, and around the world! How did he do it? And why? This book is filled with hilarious anecdotes and shocking stories that chronicle a tumultuous period of Ken Uston's life. From enduring arduous lawsuits to developing quirky disguises, Uston was determined to keep playing the game. Discover the real Ken Uston, whose masterful blend of theoretical knowledge and playing experience built a champion blackjack career that had an indelible influence on the game. Ken Uston (1935-1987) was a master blackjack player and game strategist. He graduated from Yale with a BA in Economics and received his MBA in Finance from Harvard. After a stint as the Senior Vice President of the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange, Uston traded his three-piece suit for the unpredictable life of the professional gambler. During his blackjack career, he mastered card counting, which led him to be barred from a number of casinos. Uston won a lawsuit against casinos in New Jersey, which protested the banishment of card-counting players, and its ruling still holds today. Uston has authored a number of bestselling books including Million Dollar Blackjack and Mastering Pac-Man. Readers interested in related titles from Ken Uston will also want to see: Mastering Pac-man (ISBN: 9781626548978), Million Dollar Blackjack (ISBN: 9781626548954), Mastering Pac-man (ISBN: 9781626548978), Million Dollar Blackjack (ISBN: 9781626548954).

Pinball's history is America's history, from gambling and war-themed machines to the arcade revolution and, ultimately, the decline of the need to leave your house. The strangest thing about pinball is that it persists, and not just as nostalgia. Pinball didn't just stick around—it grew and continues to evolve with the times. Somehow, in today's iPhone world, a three-hundred-pound monstrosity of wood and cables has survived to enjoy yet another renaissance. Pinball is more to humor writer Adam Ruben than a fascinating book topic—it's a lifelong obsession. Ruben played competitive pinball for years, rising as high as the 80th-ranked player in the world. Then he had children. Now, mired in 9,938th place—darn kids—Ruben tries to stage a comeback, visiting pinball museums, gaming conventions, pinball machine designers, and even pinball factories in his attempt to discover what makes the world's best players, the real wizards, so good. Along the way, Ruben examines the bigger story of pinball's invention, ascent, near defeat, resurgence, near defeat again, and struggle to find its niche in modern society.