Rating: 
Summary: Answer to direct question.
Review: I am sorry you do not understand the game well enough to realize that you must do anything and everything you can in a gambling endeavor such as blackjack to maximize your chances at winning.
You must realize that even playing with an advantage does not mean that you will always win, playing with an advantage means that you will "probably" win.
Let me further explain: By seeking out games with a positive bias as I describe at length in the book, you are trying to take into account everything you can possibly do in order to pull a winning session. Remember, even the house does not win all the time, even with slot games with horrible house advantages.
Playing with any kind of advantage not only requires a sufficient bankroll, but also the time required to present itself. Playing blackjack the way I describe in my book has allowed me to live a nice lifestyle, I wish you the best of luck.
Rating: 
Summary: Direct Question:
Review: Direct Question to the author: If I have a 1% advantage (irreguardless of how: card counter, shuffle tracker, dealer collusion/cheating, Gregorian Strategy(ha,ha,ha)) at a casino game, why ferret around the tables? Why look for table biases, hot/cold dealers, or when to get out? If I am bankrolled properly (if not, I should not be playing, or playing at a much smaller bet unit) why wouldn't I just dive into the first table at any casino along the way? You give yourself away with talk of these tactics Mr. Manarrino (rhymes with The Casino). I created an imaginary blackjack game that gives THE PLAYER a 1% advantage using just Basic Strategy (for these rules): 4 Decks, H17, DA2, noDAS, no Surrender, cut card at 78 remaining, no burn card, one "6" and one "5" removed from each deck and replaced with a "10"(for each of those prior cards)--run it thru your simulators folks. Why would I do anything but plop right down and start betting $100/hand at any casino in the world that would offer this game to me? (Assumming an adequate bankroll of 500 units...(although my studies indicate about 65 units(on average) would be enough) I wouldn't care about hot/cold dealers, table biases, or that I just lost a certain amount in the last three hours! I would know I was going to win overall! Better reasons to leave a table would be to pee, eat, sleep, sex, etc...otherwise stay there and keep playing! Are you with me? Are you paying attention? I worry about you, you know. Put another way: Does a good card counter (about a 1% advantage) ask a dealer if she's hot? search for table biases? leave a table because he's "getting his butt kicked?" No! They enter a table when they're fresh and leave when they are tired (or getting heat/barred)! Period! Still paying attention, Greg? Hope so. Last and not least, let people lose their money in a dignified way (BS) If they play long enough (with BS) their losses WILL BE MINIMIZED and they can go home not broke and maybe someday come again. Personally, my opinion is that the greed of the casinos is GROWING for one reason or another and this "work" is nothing more than a prime example of it. Or are the MITeams costing you more than you'll admit?
Rating:
Summary: Finally a book with real winning system!
Review: Hello everyone! You like blackjack get this book.
I play almost on fulltime basis here in Atlantic city NJ. Yeah Jersey!
Easy to learn with strong counting system.
Much MUCH better strategy to use for blackjack.
Old strategy lousy, only lose money. New strategy perform much better. Two thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: Don't Throw Your Money Away
Review: This book is barely worth the paper that it is printed on. Basic Strategy has been mathematically determined to be the optimum playing strategy involving only knowledge of your cards and the dealer's upcard. Yes, Basic Strategy will still lose you money in the long run. But, you will lose the least amount of money that way. To make money you must either vary your playing strategy or betting level when you have the advantage which can only be determined by counting cards.The "Gregorian Strategy" consists entirely of an incorrect Basic Strategy table. According to my rough calculations you will lose approximately twice as much over the long run if you follow the author's strategy instead of basic strategy. The author is most definitely not a professional blackjack player. He displays a limited understanding of the concept of probability. He gives tons of bogus advice such as seek out dealers who are on a "cold" streak. Furthermore, the book is littered with many statements by the author that he loves going to certain casinos and of all the luxuries offered by specific casinos. This fact along with the bogus advice of the author make me believe that he is affliated with the casino industry. The author and the casinos both want to take your money. Don't let them! Buy a real book on blackjack instead. Knockout-Blackjack is one of the best for beginners.
Rating:
Summary: Very interesting blackjack book.
Review: Gregory Mannarino's book has a different strategy for the game and a new counting strategy which is very simple to learn.
For several weeks I have been using his new strategy and counting system with good results. The strategy seems to perform better on 6 deck games than on 2 deck games here in Las Vegas with strip rules. Interestingly using the counting system in this book, you never raise your bet as you must (as you other counters know) using the high-low or the hi-opt. With the counting system in this book, the authors system has you lower your bet in poor counts and keep a "standard" bet at other times using the Gregorian Strategy.
Rating:
Summary: Gregorian Strategy for Multiple Deck Blackjack
Review: I am a fulltime blackjack player, and I can assure you is one of the worst book ever written about playing blackjack with an advantage. I think the author wrote most of the positive reviews. Please don't even read this book, even if it is given to you for free, The author knows very little about playing blackjack with an advantage. Please stick with proven authors such as Stanford Wong, Arnold Snyder, Bryce Carlson...
Rating:
Summary: Cutting edge strategy!
Review: Gregory Mannarino's blackjack strategy is a decesive blackjack attack system, that will greatly improve your game. New strategy and new approach to the game that in my opinion after using this new system, will be tough to beat.
The Gregorian Count Stratetgy, (GCS) is simple and effective.
I highly recommend this book for any serious player.
Rating:
Summary: Ingenious new blackjack strategy!
Review: Read what you like, but if you want to beat this game get this book.
I have read every book on this game I could get my hands on and this is the first book with not only a new strategy for the game, but a strategy that works.
When I first read this book I thought it was crazy, but in the casinos this new strategy combined with the GCS (Gregorian Count Strategy) is very effective.
I urge anyone who wants to beat the casinos at there own game to forget what those who are putting down this book have to say, (as from reading the revievs not one of them has tried this in a casino), and get one for yourself.
This book has greatly improved my game, to the point using the GCS, that I may not have to "work" again!
Good luck to you!
Rating: 
Summary: Strategy in Need of Testing
Review: The supposed optimal basic strategy for multiple decks was derived with computers many years ago. Computers assume a random distribution of cards. This author states that in the real world, randomness doesn't prevail. He therefore recommends a new, revised basic strategy which conflicts with the old.
I've already tested one of the Gregorian revisions (hitting 13 against a 5 one thousand times) with six decks of hand shuffled cards and it performed worse than the original basic strategy (standing 1000 times).
I think others who are interested should do the same with other revised Gregorian recommendations -- also with real live hand shuffled cards.
Hitting 14 against a 3 should be an interesting one. Hitting 15 against a 2 would be another. One thousand hits vs. 1000 stands with six shuffled decks should be fairly conclusive, since the standard error of this sample size would be 15 wins. The computer printout charts say these plays are not close. My own experiment with 13 vs. 5 took two total hours. I'd be very interested to read the results of similar manual experiments on this review page. Until then, the controversy will rage on.
Rating:
Summary: It's a shame
Review: I strongly believe in freedom of the press. Unfortunately, the price we pay for this freedom is books like this. Books that contain bogus systems that will harm the people that follow them. Of course you will see reveiws written by people that have won. Some percentage of people will win no matter how idiotic a system. And those are the people that tend to write reviews. BJ can be beaten. But, taking short cuts won't work. It takes a great deal of practice and a legitimate counting strategy. And using an incorrect basic strategy is just plain foolish.
|
