FLASH1296
Well-Known Member
Copyright 1957, 2008 This is the NEW (Cardoza Edition) By Baldwin, Cantey, Maisel, and McDermott
The authors were recently inducted into the BJ Hall of Fame. For the last half century they have been referred to as "The Four Horseman of Aberdeen"
It is the complete original book with three added photos of the authors and a few pages by Arnold Snyder and Edwin Thorpe doing no more than lauding the authors.
Footnote: The original text had no photos of the authors because the publisher wouldn't print it that way as one of the author's was of Afro-American extraction.
This was the first book ever published with a fairly good Basic Strategy and was the precursor to Dr. Thorpe's "Beat the Dealer"
There were just 5,000 copies of the original book published. Why it was never re-printed is not given.
About 125 pages of text in a small softcover book; the list price of $15 USA and $17.50 CAN is hard to justify.
I had pre-ordered a copy long ago, as I own virtually every BJ book extant.
This book does a terrible disservice to the gambling public for several reasons.
Naturally, it contains NO references to any game other than the Single Deck S17 DAS game that is long extinct.
It incorrectly computes the Basic Strategist's e.v. as -.62, although against their flawed B.S. it may be correct or nearly so.
The Basic Strategy that comprises the bulk of this book is WRONG in spots, especially with bizarre advice e.g. DOUBLE DOWN on Hard 12 vs dealer's 5, and Soft 18 vs. 4, Hit A4 vs. dealer's 4, NO splitting of 4's (all of the foregoing with DAS) To make matters worse this book presents a "Simplified Basic Strategy" that is VERY poor, to understate the case, as it instructs one to Double Down on all Elevens and Tens and with no other total or soft hand; and to Split Aces and Eights ONLY and to stand on 12 vs. dealer's deuce and trey !
Note: pp. 59 says do NOT double down on a 12, but on pp. 60 it clearly directs that play via a chart and accompanying text.
it gives EXTREMELY POOR advice on card counting by instructing you to adjust your basic strategy plays in accordance with the last three cards that were exposed just prior to one's play. This is standard ploppy play (that Asian players are particulary prone to), as they stand on their 14 vs. a dealer's Face Card after scanning the table and finding an 'apparent' deficit of Face Cards. We have all seen this thousands of times. Ditto with Insurance decisions.
Some of us here would have willingly dashed off a chapter to update the Basic Strategy and discuss multi-deck shoes, rule variations, and an introduction to basic Card Counting.
The authors were recently inducted into the BJ Hall of Fame. For the last half century they have been referred to as "The Four Horseman of Aberdeen"
It is the complete original book with three added photos of the authors and a few pages by Arnold Snyder and Edwin Thorpe doing no more than lauding the authors.
Footnote: The original text had no photos of the authors because the publisher wouldn't print it that way as one of the author's was of Afro-American extraction.
This was the first book ever published with a fairly good Basic Strategy and was the precursor to Dr. Thorpe's "Beat the Dealer"
There were just 5,000 copies of the original book published. Why it was never re-printed is not given.
About 125 pages of text in a small softcover book; the list price of $15 USA and $17.50 CAN is hard to justify.
I had pre-ordered a copy long ago, as I own virtually every BJ book extant.
This book does a terrible disservice to the gambling public for several reasons.
Naturally, it contains NO references to any game other than the Single Deck S17 DAS game that is long extinct.
It incorrectly computes the Basic Strategist's e.v. as -.62, although against their flawed B.S. it may be correct or nearly so.
The Basic Strategy that comprises the bulk of this book is WRONG in spots, especially with bizarre advice e.g. DOUBLE DOWN on Hard 12 vs dealer's 5, and Soft 18 vs. 4, Hit A4 vs. dealer's 4, NO splitting of 4's (all of the foregoing with DAS) To make matters worse this book presents a "Simplified Basic Strategy" that is VERY poor, to understate the case, as it instructs one to Double Down on all Elevens and Tens and with no other total or soft hand; and to Split Aces and Eights ONLY and to stand on 12 vs. dealer's deuce and trey !
Note: pp. 59 says do NOT double down on a 12, but on pp. 60 it clearly directs that play via a chart and accompanying text.
it gives EXTREMELY POOR advice on card counting by instructing you to adjust your basic strategy plays in accordance with the last three cards that were exposed just prior to one's play. This is standard ploppy play (that Asian players are particulary prone to), as they stand on their 14 vs. a dealer's Face Card after scanning the table and finding an 'apparent' deficit of Face Cards. We have all seen this thousands of times. Ditto with Insurance decisions.
Some of us here would have willingly dashed off a chapter to update the Basic Strategy and discuss multi-deck shoes, rule variations, and an introduction to basic Card Counting.
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