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Book Review: Beyond Counting by James Grosjean

Subtitled, "Exploiting Casino Games from Blackjack to Video Poker" this book isn't for the beginner, nor is it necessarily easy to use, but it's certainly worth the $40 price tag, at least to most 'serious' casino patrons. If you've been a reader here for a while, you may have the opinion that I'm some sort of 'math geek', but any claim I might have to such a title is far outshadowed by the author of this book. Now here is a Math Geek of the first order! There are formulas and calculations in "Beyond Counting" that will take me months to figure out, but believe me when I tell you that I'm not trying to discourage anyone from reading this book. While the supporting math is somewhat complicated, what the author tells you about winning in the casino from a practical point of view is fairly easy to understand and vividly demonstrates his ability to think "outside the box".

For example, a part of his discussion on counting at Blackjack includes an excellent method of utilizing the Hi/Lo count for betting without making a True Count conversion. (I told you this wasn't for beginners!) If you're a counter, you know what I mean, but even if you're not, my Blackjack School can teach you the Hi/Lo count, and "Beyond Blackjack" can teach you a simple but effective way to use it. The "Running HiLo" outlined in the book isn't as effective as the "traditional" version that uses a True Count conversion, but it's better than the Ace-5 count that I advocate for 'recreational' counters and nearly as easy to use. True, there are counts like the "KO" and "Red7" that don't require a True Count conversion, either and they are more powerful than the Running HiLo, but neither of those converts easily to a "traditional" method. If one were to learn the Running HiLo, the ability to convert to the True Count version of it is always at hand, since the difficult part, i.e., the mechanics of the count, has already been learned.

That is, as I said, just one small part of this book. Other Blackjack-related sections includes an excellent method of correlation betting (you and a partner playing at the same table but betting different amounts for camouflage purposes), a section called, "Near-Optimal Play" for use at games with no 'heat' but poor penetration (Internet casino, anyone?) and one called "The Elusive Eight" that are variations from Basic Strategy to make at little cost when you're being observed by a 'pit critter'. And there's a lot more.

The Blackjack knowledge this book offers assures that my copy will soon be as dog-eared and annotated as my copy of Stanford Wong's "Professional Blackjack". Even an old Missouri Mule like me can learn a few tricks and this book has plenty of them.

However, much more than Blackjack is covered, although there are really few 'big' tricks that will work in the casinos. You might have occasion to know one of the cards you'll be dealt at Three Card Poker before you place your bet and, if that happens, all the information you need to exploit it is in the book. But seriously, who is going to memorize the data needed to do that? But, if you're so inclined to do so, you'll also find tips and tricks for other games like Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride Poker, Baccarat, etc., etc.

What makes this book worth its cost to the 'average' player (all of our readers are definitely above-average, but you may have an average friend) is the chapter on the "Big Six" wheel. This is a casino game that is often incorrectly called the "wheel of fortune" - the one where a dealer spins the wheel and, "Round and round she goes. Where she'll stop, nobody knows". What the author reveals about the Big Six wheel, alone, is worth the price of admission, if the game is available in your local, friendly casino.

"Beyond Blackjack" ($39.95, RGE Publishing [www.rge21.com], 2000) is available from the publisher and at other online retailers. I'm glad I have a copy.

See you here next time.