Rating: 
Summary: percentages speak the loudest!
Review: After having played on Case's Ladder in World Play Gin for the past year against some of the finest players I have compiled the highest winning percentage (over 68%), the longest winning streak (37 games) and the 2nd highest Skills Rating ever posted (a few points behind my Las Vegas gin partner, Flairman, who is the person most responsible for my writing this book). If you read my book and follow my principles you will understand how easy it is to win consistantly.
Rating:
Summary: Five stars are simply not enough for this one.
Review: An excellent "how to", with a crafty look at the underlying personality of the game. It isn't just the play of the cards that makes this book exceptional, although Killebrew is clearly a master player, its playing the people that provides the real insight into the game of gin and why people play it. A most enjoyable book but I must say I have no wish to play the author---He cheats you know!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!! It has improved my game !00%
Review: Before I read "Play Gin To Win" I was an OK player. Winning some games but not what I really should have.This book changed my game totally and now I'm winning Online Tourneys and even the Gin Genius games .Can't Thank You enough Charley Killebrew!!!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful information that is also fun to read
Review: Charley had written a book that shares good effective information on not only how to win, but how to enjoy the game of Gin. No wonder he is so good. Perhaps equally important is the comfortable way the book reads, filled with anecdotes and storys that add to the meat, and pleasure of reading the book. BTW< I won the next game I played after reading the book, it was against my wife, so I am not sure it is a good thing! Flip Berry
Rating:
Summary: Straight talk about playing and winning Gin
Review: Charley's book, "Play Gin To Win", is a down-to-earth, street smart, book that will help you play better gin whether you are a beginner or think you are an "expert". He teaches the fundamentals as well as the deeper strategy of playing Gin and knowing your opponent. Playing for fun or money, he shows not only how to play better Gin but to protect yourself from those who would part you from your cash. This book will make you a winner.
Rating: 
Summary: Exercising the brain through challenges
Review: Crossword puzzles, cryptograms, mathematicl problems, trivial pursuit and various type of card games enable a person to keep their brains functioning, which helps them to remain alert just as physical evercise helps to maintain a youthful body. With the advent of the computer we are able to go online and play card games with people all over the world and make new friends. It is possible to make up a card game almost any time of the day or night, any day of the week. Because it only involves one other person, you can have a gin rummy game within minutes of gaining access to the internet. I decided to write this manual on the intracacies of gin rummy after having played on line for a couple of months and realizing that the majority of players on line did not know how to play very well. Not that I am unbeatable (no one is), but I have played long enough, 65 years, and seriously enough to qualify as somewhat of an expert. I have read all of the other books written about gin rummy and whole-heartedly agree with 95% of what was said. I am delighted to have my book accepted by amazon.com as a source of information for anyone who is interested in perfecting their game. I am also very gratified at having written this book and hope that every one finds it interesting, amusing and helpful.
Rating:
Summary: powerful game playing information
Review: Few "HOW TO" books have so succintly provided so much powerful information with clever humor. Clarilfies your game plan before you take on the pros.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely informative with a touch of humor!
Review: Having only played gin on a few occasions just for the fun of it, I have acquired greater appreciation for and knowledge of the game after reading this book. The book is very well written and was a real pleasure to read beacuse of the author's unique sense of humor. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has never played and wants to learn the game of gin and to those who have played but would like to improve their stategy at winning.
Rating: 
Summary: A little good material, but price not justified
Review: I found this book to be frustrating, mostly because it becomes apparent that while the author enjoys the challenge of pulling one over on a live opponent, this book is really the author doing the same thing to the consumer. I agree with the other reviewer who was put off by the overly large type. I also note the consumer clip art on the cover. I should have known better.
The book is edited and published by the author's friend. I am sure Mr. Killebrew is an interesting person and a pleasure to be around. Why else would so many people enjoy playing him and getting beaten by him? But the impression I get is one of a sleazy braggart of a con-artist. A small publishing house is fine, but usually there is a reason a regular publishing company does not pick up one's manuscript: it just isn't quite good enough. Looking at the other items Swan Pub. and his editor Pete Billac has come out with, they almost all involve the same things about which we get spammed. Having read the Bicycle books on hearts and spades by Joseph Andrews, one sees how a book on a card game should be written.
I was also lured in by the positive reviews. I should have listened to the negatives this time. I should have noted that several of the glowing reviews are written by the author (ckill2015). I also note that the anonymous reviews were written soon after the book's publication, many of which were posted on the same day.
As to the quality, there just isn't much here, certainly not enough to justify a $9.95 price tag. Gin Rummy is not THAT complicated a game to warrant an extensive treatise, but Gin Rummy How to Play and Win, in fewer pages and with a much lower price, covers FAR more information on the game, variations and strategy. This book covers a lot of the author reminiscing about himself and his life and how wonderful a player he is.
To echo the problem with the chapter on "Percentages," it is true the book doesn't deal with it. It is also the second shortest chapter in the book at nearly a page and a half. However, on the back of the book the first item in the list of "Learn How To" features is "Play Percentages." That's just false advertising, also known as lying. My apologies for being too personal here, but since he brings it up in the "about the author" section, I expect better of a Marine.
There are good points to the book: his chapter on cheating is interesting; he does offer good advice on playing a live opponent, and after all the smack-talk similar to the play of bid-whist, he does offer excellent advice on courtesy.
Nor am I one for political correctness, but something about this line just rubs me the wrong way and is indicative of the whole book: "Against the very good players (the ones who play the game as I play it) you have to maintain discipline and never give in to hunches or impulses. I know this is useless information to give to female players because their intuition is so much more acute than mine is..."
At $9.95, this book is far too expensive for what one gets. The practical advice could fit nicely into a well-thought-out brochure. Please leave out the extensive writing on the "card gods" and use of telepathy and telekinesis. I would rather have learned from and lost to the author in person than been cheated by this book.
Rating:
Summary: it shows me what the differences in playing gin on the net
Review: i have been playing gin foe a number of years but plAYING GIN RUMMY ON THE NET IS ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT, I FOUND OUT THAT IN HIS BOOK IT SHOWS YOU THE DIFFERENCE AND HOW YOU CAN OVERCOME YOUR LOSING STREAK ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CANT SEE THE DEALER , HIS BOOK IS GREAT FOR ALL TO READ AND LEARN THE UPS & DOWNS ON GIN RUMMY IN THE NET solhac
|
