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When
Rick (Night Train) Blaine’s Blackjack in the Zone
(103 pages, paperbound, $24.95) went out of print about six months
ago, serious players who had not yet read this incisive classic
went into a semi-panic mode. They had heard so much about the book
and now it was “unavailable”?
Well,
the panic is over and the book’s available again. Plus, it’s
revised and expanded, with some sharp fine-tuning by Don Schlesinger,
who always adds a touch of class to any book he gets involved with
editorially.
Blaine’s
goal in this edition is to introduce what he calls the Progressive
Learning System (PLS)—a learning which allows the reader to
take any existing card-counting system now on the market and use
it more efficiently.
The book is written to separate the serious player from the individual
who doesn’t want to count but who wishes to play recreationally;
to help the reader select a card-counting system which works well;
to improve a player’s “tactical approach” and
to help the player learn through the author’s personal experiences.
Blaine
discusses different counting systems such the X-Level; Balanced
Count; Unbalanced Count; Running Count; True Count, with a look
at the Side Count of Aces and multiple play variations. He explains
how to develop a “game plan” after you’ve learned
a valid counting system; bankroll considerations; how long you should
play; keeping records of your playing sessions; avoiding “heat”
and diverting attention ploys; self-evaluation techniques; proper
interaction with casino personnel; when to toke; casino countermeasures;
surveillance system.
Another section examines “team play” then moves to house
cheating as well as player cheating (which he does not advocate
and warns players against even attempting); advantage play (which
includes front-loading; first-basing; playing the warps; knowledge
of the first card before and after the cut; and use of a concealed
computer. Blaine also explores the concept of back-counting; then
moves on to playing the game on the Internet; getting comps; and
cautionary measures for playing outside the United States.
This
is good preparatory material for any individual who believe he might
wish to play blackjack on a serious, professional level—the
price is right and material is as fresh as it’s ever been.
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