The Intelligent Gamblertm ©2005, ConJelCo LLC. All Rights Reserved Number 23, Spring/Summer 2005

wad of cash in his pocket. It would have It was pure, classic Stuey bravado. Seidel Publisher’s Corner been a real stretch to call him The Kid at laughed, thinking that even though Chuck Weinstock this point, though from a distance his Stuey had lost some of the spark he’d Beatle haircut and boyish frame still gave once had, there was a hopeful feeling Welcome to the Intelligent Gambler, Con- the impression of youth. Up close, he seeing him there that day. “Like maybe JelCo’s free newsletter which we attempt looked like what he was; a longtime drug he could give up the drugs. Like maybe to send twice a year to our customers and addict whose excesses were now written he really was back and this could be anyone else who would like a copy. The in his face. The ravaged nose was the another chance.” more time aware among you will have most disturbing feature, one side of it In the end, Seidel decided he didn’t want noticed that this edition is nearly a deflated like a bad flat tire. month late. We delayed it so that we to get up from the game he was in just could announce the brand new, third Still Stuey was excited to be making his yet. But as soon as he walked off, Stuey edition of Lee Jones’s Winning Low-Limit first foray into the Las Vegas’ newest and and sexton looked around and saw Mel- Hold’em (see page Page 5 for more infor- most spectacular hotel. It was a different issa Hayden, one of the strongest women mation.) world than the one he had arrived in poker players in the world at that time. Long time readers will recall that Nolan thirty years earlier, when the town was Sexton said, “You want to play a freeze- Dalla gave us a preview of his biography mostly run by the mob. But at the heart out?” and Hayden said, “Sure.” of Stu Unger in the 14th issue of the Intel- of it, no matter how it was dressed up or Sexton laughed and said to Stuey, “See, ligent Gambler published late in 2000. presented, no matter how corporate it you’ve been out of action so long you got We’re pleased to be carrying an excerpt might have become, or how much like a girls that want to play against you.” theme park, the blood that pulsed from the actual book (below), co- The cardroom manager found Stuey and authored by Peter Alson, which will through the veins of Vegas was still gam- bling blood. Hayden an empty table and set them up finally be available this Summer. with a dealer and chips. Melissa wanted One of the “holes” in poker literature has Stuey walked into the poker room, where to start off with a $2000 freezeout, but been books on small buy-in No-Limit he met up with Mike Sexton. The two of Stuey insisted it be $5000, and she finally Hold’em cash games. We’re happy to be them briefly discussed what game Stuey agreed. should play. Sexton knew how badly able to offer you Mastering No-Limit The sat down in the expensive swiveling Hold’em by Russell Fox and Scott T. Stuey needed to hang onto the money that Baxter had given him for a little upholstered seats and watched the dealer Harker. You can read material based fan a deck across the felt face up. Stuey upon the book beginning on page 2. while if he was going to have any chance of getting back on his feet. “Don’t blow it reveled in the moment: the nonstop We also have another installment in our all in one big game,” Sexton cautioned musical chatter of the chips being shuf- occasional series on the mathematics of him. “Start off playing $200-$400 limit.” fled, bet and dragged, was as soothing to poker by William Chen and Jerrod him as the sound of an ocean wave, a bur- Ankenman as well as a piece by gambling Even in the shape he was in, Stuey’s ego bling brook. He was back in action. prevented him from thinking that small. protection expert Steve Forte on marked The game started with $25 and $50 cards. He wanted to play in the biggest game around. blinds. Hayden, a tall, attractive red Finally ConJelCo is happy to announce head, who had been a professional pho- that it is working with Roy Cooke and his “What about no limit?” Sexton offered. tographer back in New York before mov- collaborator, John Bond, to produce the “That’s your strongest game. What if we ing to Las Vegas to concentrate on poker, definitive book of poker rules. Cooke’s got a no-limit game going?” recalled that “Everyone who knew Stuey Rules of Real Poker will be available shortly Stuey agreed that made sense. was concerned about him. There was a after you receive this issue of the Intelli- “This was before no-limit was played feeling of wanting to protect him.” gent Gambler. As a part of this arrange- widely in cash games the way it is today,” ment we’ll be revising and reissuing That noble sentiment didn’t stop Hay- Sexton recalled. “It was still unusual to den from trying to beat Stuey’s brains in. Roy’s book Real Poker II later this Sum- get a no-limit cash game going. Plus, as mer. In fact, forty-five minutes after they Stuey pointed out, who was going to want began, Hayden had won every chip on I hope you enjoy the diversity of this to play no-limit with him?” the table. Someone from the high-limit issue. Erik Seidel, the former stockbroker table next to them, said, “Aw, Stuey, let- turned poker pro and the runner-up to ting a girl beat you.” The Last Game Johnny Chan in the 1998 WSOP, was sit- “When the guy said that,” Hayden Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson ting across the room, playing in what he recalled, “Stuey leaned over and whis- termed a “very good Omaha game.” He Copyright © 2005. Printed by permission. pered to me, ‘Don’t let them get to you. got up and walked over to say hello to Don’t ever let them get to you. That guy’s Excerpted from the forthcoming book, ONE Stuey. In the course of talking, Stuey a piece of shit.’ and he was. He was a guy OF A KIND by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson mentioned that he was interested in play- who was known to have beaten up his to be published by Atria Books, an imprint of ing no-limit, and Seidel said he’d con- girlfriend. I mean, you had to know Stuey Simon & Schuster, Inc. See the catalog to sider playing a $5,000 head’s-up to really appreciate what a gentleman he pre-order this book. freezeout. On November 11, 1998, 45-year-old Stuey “There’s nobody in the world I wouldn’t The Intelligent Gambler is published Ungar, five-foot-five and barely a hun- play head’s-up against,” Stuey said “But occasionally by ConJelCo LLC, 1460 dred pounds, charged across the shining your one of the few that would give me a Bennington Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15217. 800- marble floor of the Bellagio’s grand tough time. I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you 492-9210, 412-621-6040. Fax: 412-621-6214. entrance with a bounce to his step and a a hundred bucks to play me.” www.conjelco.com, [email protected] ♠ Intelligent Gambler 1

was, and how much he loved women. He Having been taught pot odds, you deter- Unless your opponents are all horrible was extremely gallant in his way.” mine your odds. There’s $102 in the pot, players, you’re unlikely to be up against By this time, a couple of other players and it will cost $6. The pot is laying you any premium hands (AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, had wandered over, and a non-freezeout 17 to 1. You reason that even this trash or AQ) because there was no raise. Addi- no-limit game began at the table with the hand (and KJ72 is a trash hand, for those tionally, the chances of all of your oppo- same $25-$50 blinds. Erik Seidel got up who don’t play Omaha) must be worth a nents holding true “random” hands such from his Omaha game and joined in. call. Later, you run a PokerProbe simula- as Q3, K4, 83, etc. is minimal. Except for tion (you specify the raiser’s hand, the big blind, your opponents voluntarily The painful truth was that Stuey was the ♦ ♣ ♦ ♣ “live one” in the game. “Yeah, that game A K 4 2 ) and determine that your put chips into the pot. You’re likely up was pretty much built around him,” odds of winning were 14.55 to 1. Thus, against connectors (possibly suited), Seidel said. your pre-flop call of the raise was correct. “big” card hands (i.e. KJ, QT, KT, etc.), and some small to medium pairs. The members of the poker fraternity Have you spotted the fallacy in this line of reasoning? Let’s rerun the simulation and specify might’ve been rooting for Stuey to get his ♦ ♣ Think about what flops you want to see. your opponents cards as follows: K J , life back on track, but the sympathy 8♥8♠, 7♣6♦, 5♦4♦, Q♥T♥, and one stopped as soon as the cards were dealt. Good flops include: KKJ, KK7, KK2, JJK, ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ random hand (representing the big It was no easy lineup under any circum- JJ7, JJ2, A K Q , T 9 8 , KKK, JJJ, blind). 777, and 222. These aren’t the only stances. Aside from Hayden and Seidel, This PokerProbe simulation gives you odds the other players included Russian poker hands you will win the pot with; however, these are the ones where you are certain of 22 to 1—still good enough (in theory) pro Ralph Perry, the young gun Daniel to call. Note that the decrease is due to Negreanu, and Perry Green, the Alaskan that you will win (or chop), barring bad cards on the turn and river. the one seven that is now out. If the fur trader who’d been runner-up to 7♣6♦ is changed to the 7♣7♦, the Stuey in the 198 World Series final. Of course, a simulation tool (such as chance of the 7♥2♠ winning falls to “It was strange that Perry Green was PokerProbe) runs the hands out through about 38 to 1. there,” observed Melissa Hayden. “He the river to determine the winner. There are times a jack-high flush will take high The second catch relates to the fallacy of didn’t live in Las Vegas, and it was pot odds as described in the first exam- unusual to see him. It was a little eerie, to in Omaha high/low. But are you going to be betting (or calling) when the flop ple. Are you really going to call to the tell you the truth, almost like the comple- ♠ ♠ ♥ river when the flop comes A♠A♥2♥/ tion of some kind of circle.” comes Q 8 4 when you have no real ♣ ♣ chance at low? There are also occasions 3 /9 when your two pair (aces and Stuey was far from the top of his game. where a seven-deuce wins low—but are deuces) turns out to be the winner? This Hayden said he seemed “very edgy. His you going to be calling when the flop is even truer in no-limit when you face focus and attention weren’t good.” Play- comes A♥3♥4♦? large (stack size) bets. If you tell us you’re ing impatiently and aggressively, he going to, please join us at our home That’s the fallacy of pot odds: you may games. bluffed off most of the $25,000 in a few win hands on a theoretical basis but hours. Hayden said she didn’t think that you’ll never be in the pot on a practical The final catch relates to your position, he lost all of it. “I think he probably kept basis. Much of the time when you call or lack thereof. You’re in the small blind some of it to buy dope.” with the correct pot odds, but you will and will have to act first on the flop, turn, The game was still going when Stuey got have a hand where you’ll never know you and river. When in doubt about pre-flop up. As he was leaving the poker room, he flopped the winner. In these cases, you’re situations in hold’em, think about your saw Mike Sexton again, and the two chat- throwing your money away. An addi- position first. Your hand can’t stand a ted briefly. sexton was under the impres- tional factor against calling with these raise (unless you flop really, really big). sion that Stuey had not lost everything, hands is that you are usually out of posi- Given the lack of position, the fallacy of and he interpreted his departure as a tion. pot odds, and the probable non-random positive sign, demonstrating that he had nature of your opponents’ hands, a fold While the above example comes from is probably best. some discipline and patience, and that Omaha high/low, the pot odds fallacy he would try to find a better spot the next Now let’s look at the final example. Hold- also occurs frequently in no-limit ♦ ♦ day. hold’em. ing 3 2 against three limpers (plus the Stuey made his way out of the Bellagio’s big blind), the pot is laying you 14 to 1. Let’s look at a couple no-limit hold’em The average player sees two small cards north side exit. He walked past the decisions from the small blind. In both already famous fountains, the 1,200 (they don’t get smaller than that) and examples, you have $200 in chips in a folds. This appears at first glance to be a multi-colored jets of water that danced in nine-handed $2/$3 blind $100 fixed buy- computer choreographed rhythm high bad decision; a PokerProbe simulation of in game. your hand against four random hands above the quarter-mile-long lake front- (1) You look down at 7♥2♠ in the small ing the hotel along the Strip. Stuey gives your odds as 5.86 to 1. blind. The first two players to act fold; the Of course, the same catch as in the previ- stopped to watch for a minute, standing next five players limp. What action do alongside the large crowd of vacationing ous example holds—your opponents do you make? not hold random cards. Let’s assume that families, tourists, and convention-goers ♦ ♦ who stared up in awe a the majestic gey- (2) You have 3 2 in the small blind. A the three limpers have 8♥8♠, Q♥T♥, sers leaping 240 feet toward the heavens middle-position player, the cutoff, and and A♣6♦ respectively, and that the big while the giant loudspeakers piped out the button limp. What action do you blind holds a random hand. Re-running the sounds of Sarah Brightman and make? the PokerProbe simulation, your chance of Andre Borcelli singing “Time to Say In the first example, the average player winning improves to 5.78 to 1. Goodbye.” figures that a call has to be right. After all, The second catch, the fallacy of pot odds, you’re getting 23 to 1 odds (assuming the still applies. There will be some hands The Fallacy of Pot Odds big blind calls)! A PokerProbe simulation where you will fold a winner. Again, if the of your hand versus six random hands board comes K♥K♠2♣/4♣/2♠, are you Russell Fox and Scott T. Harker shows that your odds of winning the pot really going to be in the pot through the Assume you are playing $6/$12 Omaha are 13.76 to1. Of course, you’re thinking river? high/low and have posted the $6 big that there must be a catch here—and However, there will be many more hands blind in a full, nine-handed game. You you’re right. Only there are three where you will have the winner. Unless look down and see K♥J♠7♠2♦. The “catches!” you’re up against total maniacs, it’s under-the-gun player raises to $12 and First, there is a fault in the simulation. unlikely that any of your opponents everyone calls. What do you do? You’re not up against six random hands. (other than the big blind) is playing such

♠ Intelligent Gambler 2

small cards. While you’d love to flop like For the purposes of this discussion we log2 C = -1 A45, K32, 456, A33, or A22, there are will ignore the value of your time and C = .5 many other flops that hit your hand. A assume that the goal is simply to increase flop with a straight draw and a pair would your equity in the tournament. Of course, this is what we would expect be huge. Even a flush draw wouldn’t be We begin, as all models do, with a few for a tournament where all players are horrible: in hold’em against four oppo- assumptions. equally skilled; that each player would have a 50% chance of doubling before nents there’s a good chance you would Assumption 1: have the only flush draw. busting from any stack size. It is easily ver- The chance of doubling a certain player’s chip Of course, the final objection, position, ified by plugging in other values of N stack before that player busts is relatively con- (representing different stack sizes) that still applies with this hand. However, stant throughout the tournament. you’re not going to continue with this chip values are exactly linear for players hand unless you flop big. If you check This assumption obviously breaks down of equal skill. and then a face a huge bet (or raise) you at extremes, such as when you are all-in However, this methodology now general- can fold (unless you’ve flopped the on the blind and the like. But these situ- izes to situations where the players are of nuts); after all, the hand has cost you ations are not the ones that this model is unequal skill. For example, consider a only a dollar. designed to cover. Obviously, if the blinds hypothetical player A playing in a 100 are smaller, there is less variance, and so player tournament where he has EV of 1 If you haven’t figured it out, we would the skilled player might have a higher much prefer to hold 3d2d against four buyin net (2 buyins per tournament ♥ ♠ chance of doubling up once, but it is gross). We can calculate his C by plug- opponents than 7 2 against six oppo- unclear that this chance shrinks quickly nents. Actually, even if the 32 were offsuit ging in his initial values: as the blinds get higher and we believe N we would rather hold it than 72—we’re this effect to be small, if it exists at all. E = C more likely to know where we stand. In log2 100 no-limit hold’em if you know where you Assumption 2: 2/100 = C stand, you can act with confidence. We are still far enough away from the money 6.643856 that “chance of winning the tournament” is .02 = C Making a pre-flop call based on pot odds C = .5550 alone is a fallacy. Will you be able to rec- still a reasonable proxy for your equity in the ognize all of the times when you hold the tournament. So A has a chance of doubling his cur- winning hand? Most tournaments concentrate a fairly rent stack before busting of 55.5%. high percentage of money in the top few Now we can calculate his chance of win- Will you be able to play those hands or spots, so as long as we are fairly far from will you face bets (or raises) that make it ning the tournament from any stack size the money (more than twice the number S (where S is the number of starting impossible to continue with the hands? of players who are paid are remaining), Remember, your result for a session stacks he has) by plugging into the equity using the chance of winning the tourna- formula E = CN. N, of course, is the num- includes both the pots you win and the ment outright is a fair estimate of one’s bets you save. ber of doubles it will take to reach 100. share of the prize pool, particularly for log2 (100/S) good players who will attempt to maxi- E = C The Theory of Doubling Up mize their equity appropriately at money So for a stack size of 2 (double the initial William Chen and Jerrod Ankenman steps. stack), A has equity of E = Clog2 50, or Many authors have written about the Using these two assumptions, we can con- .0360. Note that this value is more than value of not going bust in a tournament, struct a model. the a priori value of the chips (which but make no effort to quantify this effect. Consider a tournament with X players of would of course be .02), but less than As a result, many players will pass up even equal skill who begin with equal stacks. double A’s chance of winning the tourna- large edges, believing (almost certainly We will consider a single player. Let E be ment from the start. wrongly) that even better edges will his chance of winning the tournament What this model does, in effect, is pro- present themselves. But if this were actu- outright, C be his chance of doubling his vide us a means for evaluating marginal ally true, then these players would have stack before busting, and N be the num- tournament equity decisions including the gigantic edges over the field in terms of ber of times he must double his stack in skill of the player making the decisions. equity. Observation does not bear this order to win. The qualitative judgment of “I have an out. Nonetheless there is an effect—as Then we have the simple relationship E = edge over the field, so I should protect usual, we seek to measure and quantify CN. my chips” is quantified into an adjusted the effect, and use it as a guide in making Now if we have any two of these quanti- equity for any stack size that utilizes the accurate decisions at the table. ties we can calculate the third. Let’s con- assumptions that underlie the model. To To attempt to assess the value of different sider the situation at the beginning of see how this model might work in prac- tournament stacks, we can use a variety the tournament. Since all the players are tice, consider the following marginal sit- of different models. Some of these mod- equally skilled, we know that our player uation from a no-limit holdem els are useful in different stages of the has an equity E = 1/X. tournament. tournament; for example, Landrum- Now we also know that in order to win The blinds are 75-150. Player B, with a Burns is primarily useful when the play- the tournament, our player must stack of 3000 (250 players played with ers are near or in the money and the increase his stack from its starting value starting stacks of 1500), raises to 450 on question is how to allocate the prizes for to X times that amount. The number of the button with QsTs. The small blind places other than first. But this model is doubles that this requires can be folds and the big blind calls. The flop not intended to be applied in the open- expressed as: now comes Ks 8c 2s. The blind checks ing and middle stages of the tournament. N and player B bets 500. The blind now Yet perhaps the most misunderstood and X = 2 check-raises all-in (and has B covered). B misapplied tournament strategy con- So for a 2 player tournament, N would estimates his equity at 36% and is faced cepts belong to the early and middle obviously be 1, as one double would be with the decision of calling 2050 to win stages of the tournament. required to win, while for a 128 player 4025. tournament, N is 7. More generally: The question that is perhaps the most Now an analysis based purely on tourna- asked and argued about with regard to N = log2 X ment chip values would indicate that call- no-limit tournaments boils down to the Substituting: ing is clear—.36 * (6075)—2050 = 137 following: log2 X chips, for nearly a tenth of a buyin worth How much of an edge should you pass up in 1/X = C of profit. But let’s assume that Player B the early or middle going because of your skill? log2 1/X = (log2 X) log2 C had an edge of

♠ Intelligent Gambler 3 Ω of a buyin over the field at the begin- ing player will be. Hence they should be value. Another early technique was to ning of the tournament. Calculating C willing to commit all their chips in zero- take a rag stained with black lead and for Player B: EV situations or even slightly bad ones. polish the entire back, making it slightly 1.75/250 = Clog2 250 Summarizing: darker in shade to the unpolished cards. At the beginning of the tournament, Later, when manufacturers put on a fin- C = .5364 ish, lines of wax were used, or the card Now we can calculate the equity of the each player has a chance of doubling up C, which is related to his a priori overall was polished with a smooth object or three scenarios: thumbnail. Reading these types of marks equity E0 in the tournament by the fol- If B calls and wins, he will have 6075 lowing equation: was facilitated by letting the light shine chips, or 4.05 starting stacks. off the back of the card and looking for E = Clog2 P d the reflection. E = .5364log2(250/4.05) 0 When embossing became a standard = .024603 buyins. where P is the number of players in the tournament. manufacturing procedure, some unscru- If B calls and loses, he will have 0 chips pulous makers would emboss at different and have 0 equity. Then from any stack size S, C needs to double his stack a certain number of angles, enabling the cheaters to read the If B folds, he will have 2050 chips, or times in order to have all the chips. grain. The fad soon disappeared due to 1.36667 starting stacks. the economics, and besides, there were N = log2 (P/S) E = .5364log2(250/1.36667) better methods for marking the most And finally, for any stack size, popular brands. = .009269 buyins. N Not all marked decks are intentional. So B’s equity from calling is .024603 * E = C . These equations can be utilized to esti- Occasionally, the manufacturer errs and .36, or .008857 buyins. Comparing this to produces a factory defect. One early B’s equity from folding, we find that the mate tournament equity on a skill- adjusted basis. source, in the late 1800s, suggested that call is actually incorrect given B’s skill edge with new decks, by feel alone, the court over the field. cards were identifiable under certain Another result that can be easily derived Marked Cards conditions. When the humidity was high, from the Theory of Doubling Up include Steve Forte an element in the color of the court the “coinflip” problem—what chance of Very little quality information has been cards became adhesive. If one applied winning do you need to accept a coinflip written about the science of marked constant pressure during the dealing for all your chips on the first hand? Since N cards as they relate to casino scams. action, the discrepancy could be felt. An E0 = C at the start of the tournament, if Marked card scams are some of the most interesting early reference to a contem- you call and double up, your equity successful scams ever perpetrated. porary marking system where the marks becomes E = CN-1. 1 The history of marked cards is fascinat- are not read by eye, but by touch, that will If you take a coinflip with chance of win- ing, colorful, and surprisingly relevant. be discussed later. ning W, then your equity becomes WE1. Almost every system ever invented could Steamboats If you decline then your equity is E0. Set- still surface today. That goes for any play- With a plain, white overall back, it was ting these things equal, we get: ing card, in any casino, anywhere in the argued that any smudge, dirt, or grease CN = WCN-1, or W = C. world. While the quality of playing cards was easy to spot, so standardized back So you are indifferent to accepting a has improved, the application and goals designs started to take form. Overall coinflip if your chance of winning the of these scams have changed little. Cheat- back designs were obvious improvement, coinflip is equal to C. Yet consider that ers are still trying to get information consisting of grids of daisies, diamonds, many players have a stated preference about when to hit, stand, or bet more in and other small shapes. Others believed that they would decline a QQ vs AK (57- blackjack, which side to bet in baccarat, that a design made of repeating, inter- 43) confrontation in the early tourna- and their opponent's holecards in poker. secting thick and thin lines would better ment. By applying the Theory of Dou- Short History protect the backs of the cards. This bling Up, we can find out something Early playing card were inherently imper- design was known as the plaid back, and about what these players believe their fect, being handmade, handpainted, and became the most popular back during equity in, for example, a 250 player tour- later, printed by engraved wooden the steamboat era. As one would expect, nament to be. blocks. When playing cards were first methods of marking these backs were E = CN = (.57)8 = .01114, or about 2.85 used for gambling purposes, inconsisten- quickly developed and the Steamboat buyins per tournament. In order for it to cies in paper, color, and back design must back became enormously popular with be to correct to decline a 57-43 confron- have been a way to ascertain the card's the sharper. tation with no dead money in the pot, value from the back. Maybe early playing Even with overall back designs, other one has to have nearly three times the cards were just as distinguishable from issues surfaced. The card had to be cut average equity in the tournament. Our the backs as they were their faces. No perfectly to ensure that the design’s posi- observations lead us to believe that hav- doubt, many shrewd gamblers exploited tioning was consistent. But this was rarely ing such a win rate in a typical tourna- the opportunity. the case. The cutting process was less ment is extremely unlikely. The first marked card scam almost surely than perfect and, invariably, design vari- Another interesting effect of the Theory occurred shortly after playing cards ance enabled the cheaters to take the of Doubling Up is what it indicates about evolved from an object used for divina- high cards from unevenly cut decks, and players with negative expectation. Of tion to the primary tool, core, and sort them with the low cards from evenly course our readers are all winning play- essence of all card games. Early marked cut decks. This marking system is known ers, but nevertheless, the mean result of cards were referred to as “readers” or as “sorts”, and the method hasn’t all players in a tournament is to lose the “paper”, and the latter term is still used changed a lick in over two hundred entry fee, so someone must be losing. today. Cheaters who specialize in playing years. The very same variance still exists The Theory of Doubling Up, then, indi- marked cards are said to be “paper play- today, even with our technologically cates that losing players should be willing ers”. advanced manufacturers. to commit their chips even in marginally The earliest back designs were plain or To address these issues, borders were bad situations. This is a result of the idea overall white, and they were not glossed introduced, first, by simply avoiding the that losing players should encourage or varnished. Some of the earliest sys- edge with the printed design, then sec- variance, as it is their best chance to win. tems involved marking these unfinished ond, adding a printed border. It elimi- The more that other players get a chance cards with lines of varnish, each line in a nated a few of the hustler’s tricks, but not to apply their skill, the worse off the los- different direction to denote the card’s nearly enough.

♠ Intelligent Gambler 4 Stamped Decks our catalog and is certain to become a (lim- City. He worked his way up from the $2-4 For a short time, factory marked decks, ited distribution) classic. games at Garden City and is now a fear- known as “stamped decks” or “mechani- some pro, making a good living playing cal decks”, were the cheater’s best friend. A Sea Change in one of the toughest hold’em games in Now, some of the problems associated Lee H. Jones the world – the $30-60 at the Bellagio in with hand marked decks, such as the dif- Las Vegas. The unusual thing about ficulty of matching the ink and restoring Five years ago, when I wrote the second Barry is not only does he play well, but he the finish, were eliminated. The ink edition of Winning Low Limit Hold’em, I can describe what he does and why – an matched perfectly, there was absolutely was fairly sure it was going to be the last ability that’s rare among the best practi- nothing abnormal in the finish, yet they edition of the book. tioners in any field. were still easy to detect. There were some changes and improve- I asked Barry to grab a copy of WLLH Some firms specialized in reproducing ments I wanted to make, but once those and a pen and start marking. And mark another maker’s brand with their own were put in, I thought I’d said pretty he did, leaving red ink on most of the factory marked backs. When it came to much everything I had to say on the sub- pages. An improved tactic here, a better the ace of spades, they would reproduce ject. explanation there. Move this section. all of the ace except for one small How wrong I was. And in some cases: “I hate this – it pro- detail—the manufacturer’s name was First, online poker took off at an unimag- duces leaks!” I listened, contemplated, removed. Sometimes it was replaced with inable pace. Starting as an experimental argued, and (usually) eventually agreed another part of the design, or it simply laboratory for a few hardcore players, it with his recommendations. There are said “American Manufacture”, or some rapidly grew into a worldwide phenome- still some things in the book that he other generic label. Duplicating the non. It was embraced not only by existing would prefer I didn’t have in there, but maker’s name was apparently too far to poker players, but it actually began to Barry has left an indelible mark on the go. Just think, in many card games across bring in people who had never played new text. And it is much improved by his the country at any one time, the key to poker in casinos before (yes, this is fore- effort. detecting marked cards may have been shadowing). I now believe that, with Barry’s assis- staring the players right in the face, the It was fascinating to watch this growth tance, I’ve produced the best primer for omission of the genuine maker’s name from the perspective of an author, low and low-medium limit hold’em. on the ace of spade. because the center of mass of sales actu- But what about this fascination with no- Theo DeLand was an unsuspecting con- ally moved. Traditionally, my book had limit hold’em? A thorough treatment of tributor to this development. An been sold mostly through gambling book deep stack cash no-limit tactics would fill engraver by trade, Mr. DeLand loved outlets – Gambler’s Book Club, the Gam- an entire book (and such books exist). magic and used his talent to create some bler’s General Store, and of course my And it’s not even my area of expertise. very sophisticated marked decks. He fine publisher, Conjelco. However, a wildly popular version of the only wanted to fool his friends and mar- As mainstream America logged on and game is the “Sit and Go,” a no-limit ket his deck to other magicians. It was got dealt in, the big retailers such as Bar- hold’em blitzspiel involving one to three just a question of time before his passion nes & Noble and Amazon.com began to (and now four or five) tables. Everybody fell into the wrong hands. The DeLand move more copies. I remember seeing sits down, the cards go into the air, and decks were being used by cheaters every- the book in a small independent book- within an hour or two it’s all over. Next! where, and when it was brought to his store in North Carolina and thinking, This format has taken the Internet by attention, he destroyed all the plates in “Wow, I’ve hit the big time.” storm and is even now appearing in the disgust. “side game” areas of major tournaments. Then came the WPT and Chris Money- Crooked Supply Houses maker, and everything we knew about I had been playing quite a few of these Back in 1860, there were just a few poker was wrong. Suddenly we were sell- and found them to be extremely profit- crooked gambling suppliers selling ing as many books in a quarter as we used able. And in discussions with friends, I marked cards, as well as every other con- to sell in a year. Then there was the discovered that I knew people making ceivable cheating device. Fast forward to month in 2004 when we sold as many their living playing online sit-and-go the 1950s, and hundreds of crooked copies of WLLH as we’d sold in 2000. tournaments. gambling supply houses in every big city And of course, online poker exploded, I had my new topic for Winning Low Limit were selling hundreds of thousands of and it became clear that the core of my Hold’em. marked decks annually. Either every readership was not playing $3-6 at Bay I don’t want to give away the details here magician in the world was using a 101, the Mirage, or the Commerce. No, (I want you to go buy the new edition), marked deck to perform miracles, or they were playing $.50-$1 or $1-2 in but I consider the sit-and-go section to be card players everywhere were up against Boise, Baltimore, or Berlin. groundbreaking. To my knowledge, more than they suspected. The most pop- The other major change was the huge there’s nothing else like it in print. I am ular systems were “blockout”, “trims”, resurgence of no-limit hold’em. I’d actu- persuaded that playing sit-and-gos can be “strippers”, and “sorts”. ally played a fair amount of no-limit in as profitable as cash games, if not more New legislation in 1961 (the Johnson cash games in the smaller San Francisco so, and the new edition of WLLH tells Act) regarding the interstate transporta- Bay Area clubs – I still have fond memo- you how to extract those profits. tion of gambling equipment, closed most ries of the Cameo and Wagon Wheel. But To tie it all together, Chuck hired a bril- of these businesses. An owner of one of it was a game limited to such small ven- liant editor named Sarah Jennings, who these stores once told me, “I had more ues and the large tournaments. Now untwisted sentences, and demanded FBI agents in my shop than customers.” everybody watching the WPT and the prose that she, a newbie to poker, could Today there are only a few companies WSOP on TV wanted to play; after all, understand. Melissa Hayden, a noted selling marked cards “on the sneak”, and Mike Sexton told us that no-limit poker player and a wonderful graphic always accompanied with the disclaimer, hold’em was the Cadillac of poker designer, gave us a whole new cover. “For entertainment purposes only.” games! After ten years of our staid (my wife uses Some very sophisticated work is still avail- It became clear that I needed to write a the word “boring”) cover, I was initially able from underground sources. third edition of Winning Low Limit overwhelmed by Melissa’s vibrant design. Steve Forte is the foremost authority on Hold’em. But it got immediate raves from all who casino game protection. This article was an In one of my smarter moves ever, I saw it, and it grew quickly on me. excerpt from his Casino Game Protec- enlisted Barry Tanenbaum’s help. Barry I have been gratified over the years by the tion, a Comprehensive Guide, and used has been a friend of mine since we got to number of people who have praised my with his permission. The book is available in know each other at BARGE and Garden little book, and especially tickled when

♠ Intelligent Gambler 5 that praise came from folks who, it must He created the field of quantum The metaphor isn’t perfect, because be said, can play rings around me. The mechanics, beginning with the postulate quantum mechanics presumes complete new edition has back cover quotes from that light was not a wave as was previously information, and postulates that even Chris Ferguson (whose quote I carry with thought, but rather a stream of photons, with complete information you can’t pride from the previous edition) and tiny bundles or packets of energy. Inher- know results. Ours is a game of incom- Greg Raymer and Antonio Esfandiari, ent in this was the idea that the course of plete information, and so the implica- both of whom have been very generous light traveling was not an unbroken line, tions of quantum physics are with their praise. Unfortunately, there but rather a series of intermittent com- magnified…as uncertain as the path of was not room for the nice words that ponents traveling one after the other. an electron might be, the play of any came from David Williams and Roy From this came the idea that you cannot hand must be even more uncertain. Cooke, but I hope to find space for those predict from exact information any exact somehow – perhaps in a future printing. consequence in space-time, but only a It is an underlying principle of my poker probabilistic result. Even though many if philosophy and theory that there are no Finally, I am delighted that Wil Wheaton, absolutes, no right answers. All efforts to noted author, blogger, and actor, con- not most physical processes could be pre- dicted with 99.999999999999 percent make decisions resulting in favorable sented to write a foreword to the third outcomes are dependent on a number of edition. Wil got bitten by the poker bug a accuracy, those predictions were founded not in any absolute, but only in variables large enough to be effectively few years ago, and used WLLH is his first infinite, and not all of which can be guide to the game. He claims that the a probabilistic set of parameters. And every so often, .000000000001 percent of known. And just as the path of the elec- book turned him from “a guy who plays tron cannot be predicted, neither can poker to a poker player.” High praise the time or even less frequently, you’d the consequences of any individual deci- indeed, and I’m proud to have his fore- get a result which would be different, sion at the green felt. word introduce the new edition. even radically different, than the laws of physics as previously understood would But just as the path of the electron can be So, is this it? Is number three the last edi- predict. The essence of quantum tion of Winning Low Limit Hold’em? Who defined in terms of probabilities, so can mechanics is that physics cannot make the results of our poker decisions. My knows – I kinda think so, but I’ve been definite predictions. wrong before. However, I do think this is poker decisions are driven by the con- cepts developed by Blaise Pascal back in the best edition yet (by quite a bit) and According to quantum mechanics, when the 1600s, and modified into a formula hope you’ll add it to your poker library. dealing with large objects whether a bas- with particular application to our game: ketball or a planet the probabilities are the product of edge times volume added ConJelCo is pleased to announce the publi- heavily skewed in favor of results as into a recurring field equals expectation. cation of the totally updated third edition of would be predicted by traditional phys- Over a sufficient number of trials, proba- it’s bestselling book, Winning Low-Limit ics. Hold’em by Lee Jones. The book is expected to bility will define that expectation as be available by about June 15. From now But as you deal with ever smaller and actual earn. While the quantum mechan- until July 1, 2005 we’re offering this title at smaller particles, the probabilities ics metaphor indicates that some tiny the special pre-publication price of $17.50. implied by quantum mechanics tend not percentage of the time this will not occur, Starting July 1 the price will revert to the to be skewed, and the probabilistic trials of poker hands are more akin to the cover price of $24.95. potential for different results increases. motions of planets than the motions of The path of a particular electron, for electrons, and results are heavily skewed example can only be defined in terms of in favor of the predicted outcome. It’s All Relative, Probably! probabilities, but not predicted. So while Einstein’s theories indicate we Roy Cooke with John Bond Einstein hated this idea, and spent the as poker players can never really know rest of his life trying to prove himself what our results can be, applying It’s been just about one hundred years since a young Albert Einstein published wrong. Pascal’s principles as expressed in the four papers which changed the way His philosophical view of the universe edge formula (manipulating edge and humans see their world, and almost and its creator (whom he referred to as volume to create the highest possible exactly fifty years since his death. These The Old One) rebelled against the impli- expectation and earn) is how you weight are anniversaries worth marking. cations of quantum mechanics. In defi- probabilities in your favor. David Sklan- ance of his own theories he would often sky has expressed this as “Make the most Einstein’s most famous paper defined his of it when you have the best of it.” And Theory of Relativity – the idea that dis- say: “God does not play dice with the uni- verse.” In fact he often used a metaphor even if on a quantum level you can’t tances and durations are not absolute know what your results will be, probablis- but vary with one’s motion, that they are relating to the roll of two different dice in two different casinos to challenge him- tically you will be defining your poker in fact relative. In a three page adden- universe in a way to achieve the best dum later that year he added the famous self. results. E=MC2… observing and proving that But extensive experimentation in mil- matter could be converted to energy. Probably. The third paper established conclusively lions (perhaps billions) of trials over the the existence of atoms. With these three past hundred years indicates that Ein- Roy Cooke is the senior columnist for Card papers Einstein changed the way space, stein was probably (pun intended) quite Player Magazine. ConJelCo is pleased to time and matter were understood, and in correct. announce that it will shortly be publishing so doing he provided the theoretical Cooke’s Rules of Real Poker, the defini- underpinnings for many if not most of So what the hell does this have to do with poker? It seems to me that our game can tive rulebook for both Internet and Casino the devices which define our modern poker. We’ll also be working with Roy and world. metaphorically be equated to quantum mechanics. No matter how many vari- his collaborator, John Bond, to reissue their But it was his fourth paper in 1905 that ables you factor in, no matter how high book Real Poker II: the Play of Hands garnered him the 1921 Nobel Prize and the quality of your information, some- under the ConJelCo Imprint. See the catalog completely upset the world of physics. times you just can’t know. for a very special offer on both of these titles.

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Concept, how chips change value, adjusting game, Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie. The Professional Poker Dealer's Handbook, strategy because the stakes rise, all-in strategy, Shows you how to play in the later phases of a Dan Paymar, Donna Harris, and Mason Mal- the last table, making deals, The “System,” and tournament, when the field has been cut down, muth. Dealing looks easy, but is quite difficult. more. 236p (paper), #P82, $29.95, $23.95. the blinds and antes are growing, and the big This is the ultimate book for anyone interested Winning Concepts in Draw and Lowball, prize money is within sight. Harrington shows in a career as a professional poker dealer. Mason Malmuth. For both the typical and pro- you how to make moves, handle tricky inflec- (paper). #P44, $19.95. fessional player. Covers poker reasoning, basic tion point plays, and maneuver when the tour- The Psychology of Poker, Alan N. Schoon- mistakes, basic strategy, technical plays, nament is down to its last few players and the maker Ph. D.; Strategy Consultant: David advanced strategy, psychology, bluffing errors, end is in sight. He's also included a whole Sklansky. Have you wondered why some play- and much more. 353p. #P11, $24.95, $19.95. How to Win at Omaha High-Low Poker, Mike King of a Small World, Rick Bennet. Set in only took up cards after college. Three years Cappelletti. Omaha is becoming so popular for Prince George’s County this novel follows the later he was playing a $40 game of online Texas a simple reason—if you know what you are exploits of Joey Moore, a great poker player: Hold'Em and won a coveted seat at the 2003 doing you can win more money playing Omaha ruthless, sharp, and hugely aware, alert to his World Series of Poker. Borrowing money to get High-Low than any other poker game! Cappel- adversaries’ every twitch and wiggle. He’s been to Las Vegas, he entered his first real-time tour- letti provides strategies and techniques unique drifting from one game to another for years, nament and spent the next four days battling for to Omaha/8 that will help you beat the game. when a gig as a poker-boss lands in his lap. a top spot at the final table. Filled with every- 229p (paper), #P106, $19.95, $17.95. Joey starts to pull in some real money. But thing from his early gambling ventures to a I'm Running Bad, Tommy Angelo. Original twenty-five years of self-reliance have taught play-by-play of his major hands at the World songs about poker, CD, #A1, $11.99. him that there’s no such thing as good luck; Series of Poker, Moneymaker is a gripping, Improve Your Poker, Bob Ciaffone. This is a good luck is a momentary fluke, a get-out-of- fast-paced story for anyone who has ever general work on poker aimed at the player who jail-free card that lasts only until your luck dreamed of winning it big. 240p (hard), #P125, already knows the game and is looking to starts to change. And when it does, you’d better $23.95, $19.25. improve. Loaded with information about how be able to fold and walk away. 275p (paper), More Hold’em Excellence, Lou Krieger. Subti- the top players think when they are playing, and #P110, $13.95, $12.50. tled “A Winner for Life”. Goes beyond the the techniques they use. (paper) 220p, #P39, The Little Book of Poker, David Spanier. A col- basics; it takes you into the mind and decision- $20.00, $18.50. lection of weekly poker columns Spanier wrote making processes of professional poker players for The Independent in London which traverse by providing solid information and advice on a Internet Poker Package. The world of online the poker universe. It’s packed with information poker opens up to you with this package con- broad spectrum of sophisticated topics. 188p + about Hold’em, stud, and Omaha. 170p (paper), Index (paper), #P38, $19.95. sisting of Internet Poker: How to Play and Beat #P68, $8.95. Online Poker Games by Lou Krieger and Kath- No-Limit Texas Hold'em (The New Players leen Watterson, Stepping Up: The Recreational The Making Of A Poker Player: How An Ivy Guide to Winning at Poker's Biggest Game), Player’s Guide to Beating Casino and Internet League Math Geek Learned To Play Champion- Brad Daugherty and Tom McEvoy. Teaches you Poker by Randy Burgess, and How to Conquer ship Poker, Matt Matros. A strategy book drawn the skills you need to join the elite ranks of no- Online Poker (DVD) featuring World Cham- from Matt’s gripping journey into the poker limit hold’em tournament winners. By using the pion of Poker Chris Moneymaker, #P116, world—from those high school games to his advice in this book, you can join the game with $49.85, $39.95. first casino card rooms and on to major tourna- confidence ó knowing that with knowledge, ments where he played against, and defeated, Internet Poker: How to Play and Beat Online skill, practice and a bit of luck, you can conquer the greatest poker champions around.Matt it. 208p (paper), #P107, $24.95, $19.95. Poker Games, Lou Krieger and Kathleen Keller Matros’s vivid storytelling, nail-biting play-by- Watterson. Internet poker is a world where you play recaps, and insider anecdotes capture all The Official Dictionary of Poker, Michael Wie- can find a game day or night. But it’s poker with the excitement of the game and its subculture. senberg. Updated and revised. Covers the entire a difference. The game is the same but technol- By the end of this book, you’ll understand what spectrum of poker terminology, from the com- ogy does kick in ó sometimes in strange and it means to be a real poker player. #P132, mon to the obscure, illustrated by thousands of unexpected ways. A reference as well as a tuto- $14.95, $11.95. colorful examples. This is a valuable reference. rial, the book includes a CD with free poker Mastering No-Limit Hold'em, Russell Fox and 277p (paper), #P62, $14.95, $13.45. software, and a special bonus chapter with 125 Omaha Hi-Lo Poker, Shane Smith. For experi- interactive hands to help you prepare to play the Scott T. Harker. Because of television, the game of choice for most new poker players is no-limit enced low-limit players. Outlines winning strat- Internet games for fun or for profit. 202p egies covering: starting hands, playing the flop, (paper) plus CD, #P94, $14.95. Hold'em. This has led to changes in the game. With so many players trying to emulate their turn and river, general strategy and tournament Internet Texas Hold’em: Winning Strategies TV heroes, they tend to play too many weak tips. 84p (spiral), #P19, $17.95, $16.50. from an Internet Pro, Matthew Hilger. An hands, call too many bets with marginal to poor Omaha High-Low: Play to Win with the Odds, excellent tool for players at all levels to be suc- holdings, and try to make too many big bluffs. cessful at limit Texas Hold’em with specific Bill Boston. This book gives you the vital infor- Today's skilled player must learn to adapt to mation you need to make critical pre-flop deci- topics focused on Internet play. A comprehen- these changes in this complex game. This book sive overview of Texas Hold’em is presented. sions in Omaha high-low. Includes data on the covers all aspects of the smaller, fixed buy-in, 49 best hands, the 49 worst hands, 30 ace-less You’ll learn the correct strategies for starting no-limit hold'em games from understanding hand play as well as playing on the flop, turn, hands that are profitable, and trap hands to your opponents to learning about pot odds. avoid. 163p (spiral), #P85, $19.95, $17.95. and river. You'll learn the intricacies of playing Included are topics seldom written about such on the Internet and the differences in strategies as finding the proper amount to bet, how to One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey “The between Internet and live play. Finally, you'll be manage your mental game, bankroll consider- Kid” Ungar, the World's Greatest Poker Player, able to practice all of these strategies on over ations, and how to beat the rake. Also intro- Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson. On November 22, 200 actual Internet hands. 302p (paper), #P99, duced is “The Matrix Theory:” a unique tool for 1998, coroners entered a seedy motel room on $29.95, $26.95. understanding just what hands you should play Las Vegas Blvd. and found the cold, lifeless Killer Poker, John Vorhaus. Everything you and how they should be played depending on a body of Stuey Ungar. Just eighteen months ear- always wanted to know about dominating the matrix of considerations few think about. If you lier Stuey had won the World Series of Poker game, crushing the competition, and building a are looking for the most comprehensive guide championship event for the third time in 20 bad-ass reputation. Vorhaus shows you how to to fixed buy-in cash games, you need this book! years. This is the long-awaited riveting story of leave your inhibitions at the door, analyze and 212p (paper), #P127, $24.95. struggle, greatness, addiction, greed, and failure fix your own flaws honestly and fearlessly, gain wrapped in a single individual—how a kid from Middle Limit Hold’em Poker, Bob Ciaffone and New York's Lower East Side became the best confidence, and play some of the best poker of Jim Brier. Primarily aimed at the $10-$20 to your life. 261p (paper), #P89, $14.95, $13.45. gin player and arguably the best poker player in $40-$80 player, many of the ideas can be the world. And how he threw it all away. 320p Killer Poker Hold’em Handbook, John Vorhaus. applied to lower and higher stakes games as Texas hold’em, the most popular form of poker (hard). This item is expected to ship on 7/1/05, well. Ciaffone and Brier are both well-known #P128, $25.00, $20.00. in casinos and tournaments today, has been said pros, and their book stresses the practical appli- to take five minutes to learn and a lifetime to cation of hold’em ideas. Includes 500 problems Play Poker Like the Pros, Phil Hellmuth Jr. The master. Not anymore. This revolutionary work- and answers with the reasoning behind them. perfect introduction to the world of Texas book shows you how to play smart, fearless Also includes explanations of the most impor- Hold’em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and Razz hold’em, read other players’ tells, exploit their tant poker ideas that apply to limit hold’em. A no matter what level of player you are. Includes flaws, and turn every hold’em session into a fine blend of the theoretical and concrete exam- basic and advanced strategies, when to play, winning one. (paper), #P111, $14.95, $13.45. ples. 332p (paper), #P80, $25.00, $23.00. when to bluff, when to raise, and when to fold. Killer Poker Online: Crushing the Internet Moneymaker: How an Amateur Poker Player Also includes techniques for reading other Game, John Vorhaus. This revolutionary guide Turned $40 into $2.5 Million at the World players and avoiding going on tilt. Covers brick to winning on the Web shows you everything Series of Poker, Chris Moneymaker. In 2004 the and mortar and online games and tournament you need to know about crushing the online number of entrants — and the winning pool — play. 416 (paper), #P91, $15.95, $14.35. game. Discover how to scrap your live game at the World Series of Poker tripled, thanks in Poker Aces, Ron Rose. With the explosion of strategy and develop a killer internet game; large part to Chris Moneymaker, an amateur poker as a televised sport, fans of the game are thwart online cheaters; avoid common pitfalls player who came out of nowhere to win the clamoring for more information about their and bankroll cripplers; pick up online tells; 2003 Series, and prove to newcomers and poker favorite players. Poker Aces presents the fasci- decrease the margins for error; prepare for the pros alike that anything is possible with a chip nating stories of today’s poker pros, along with intensity of online poker’s accelerated pace. and a chair. Moneymaker was a young accoun- an abundance of color photographs in one con- 278p (paper), #P96, $14.95, $13.45. tant from Tennessee who loved to gamble but cise book. 180p (paper), #P113, $29.95, $26.95. ♠ Intelligent Gambler 9 Poker at the Millennium, Mike Caro and Mike This book skillfully intertwines the two stories through each of the “streets” of a 7-card stud Cappelletti. An easy-to-follow textbook teach- into a terrific book that is both informative and game in detail. Includes a section on tourna- ing professional secrets to mastering the two fun to read. 448p (paper), #P90, $15.00, $12.00. ments written by Tom McEvoy. 156p (paper), most popular games of big-money poker. Clear Pot-Limit and No-Limit Poker, Bob Ciaffone #P24, $19.95, $17.95. advice and play-by-play examples to help you and Stewart Reuben. Geared to experienced Stepping Up: The Recreational Player’s Guide quickly master the tactics and techniques for players this book is devoted to pot-limit and no- to Beating Casino and Internet Poker, Randy both Hold’em and Omaha. 363p (paper), #P97, limit betting. It starts with a discussion of gen- Burgess. This book is perfect for either the $19.95, $17.95. eral theory, and how to apply the theory to the home game player moving up, or the intermedi- Poker Essays: Complete Set, Mason Malmuth. main forms of poker. Covers pot-limit and no- ate player who’s struggling: it’s packed with the Includes all three volumes. Counts as three limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, no-limit low- stuff beginning poker books don’t talk about items for shipping calculations, #P75, $74.85, ball draw, pot-limit seven-card stud, and pot- enough (or at all), and that advanced books dis- $58.95. limit London lowball. High-low split betting cuss only in terms of the higher limits ó reading Poker Nation: A High-Stakes, Low-Life, Adven- and tournament strategy is also thoroughly hands and opponents, calculating odds and ture into the Heart of a Gambling Country, studied. Includes quizzes to grade the reader's outs, adjusting to game type, and more. Also Andy Bellin. On any given Friday night, hun- progress, and a number of odds tables. (paper) covers practicing and playing online. As Roy dreds of thousands of Americans—men and 220p, #P33, $25.00, $23.00. West says in his introduction, “This is a ‘think- women alike—pile into kitchens, garages, and Professional 7-Stud Report, Mike Caro. ing about poker’ book you’ll hope your oppo- backrooms to play their weekly poker game. Advanced bankroll building strategies for seri- nents won’t read.” Whether your game is From basement games in the suburbs to illegal ous players. 32p (paper), #P50, $19.95. hold’em or stud this is the book to set you on a gambling clubs in New York City to the high- Professional Hold'em Report, Mike Caro. This winning track. 165p (paper), #P103, $14.95. stakes World Series of Poker, Bellin has anted brief report discusses ways to improve your Super Duper Super System Package, Brunson, up with some of the world’s greatest players limit, pot-limit, and no-limit hold'em game. et. al. This is the ultimate Super System pack- and takes us on a raucous journey into the shut- When to fold, when to raise, when to call. Lots age consisting of the original Super System, up-and-deal world of professional poker. 288p of information in 40p (paper), #P51, $19.95, Mike Caro's guide to the original Super System, (paper), #P84, $12.95, $10.75. $17.95. and the new Super System II, #P123, $84.85, $69.95. (s/h: +4.00) Poker Night: Winning at Home, at the Casino, Real Poker II: The Play of Hands, Roy Cooke and Beyond, John Vorhaus. A smart, funny, and with John Bond. A second edition of this title is Super System, Doyle Brunson. The classic on practical guide to mastering the fine art of the about to be issued by ConJelCo. Roy Cooke’s every major no-limit game played today. Chap- home poker game (in other words, entertaining second collection of poker essays focuses ters written by experts such as Sklansky, Caro, your friends while deftly picking them clean). exclusively on the play of hands. Never before Reese, Baldwin, and Brunson himself. Consid- Covering everything from the absolute basics to has the decision-making process at the table ered to be one of the best books on poker ever. advanced points of strategy and smarts, Poker been so thoroughly analyzed. A must for every 624p (paper). Due to its weight counts as 2 Night is an essential and entertaining manual poker library. Note: some of the essays in this items for shipping. Important: Super System II for everyone who wants to excel at the most edition appeared in Roy’s previous book. does not replace this book, Paperback, #P9b, popular poker game in the world— the home (paper), #P81, $19.95, through the date of pub- $29.95, $26.95. (s/h: +2.00) game, where the pots aren't cut and the winning lication, $15.00 (expected to be available in Super System II, Doyle Brunson. The original gets personal. Filled with hilarious observations August 2005.) Super System, written and edited by Doyle and hard-nosed strategies for beating the rules, The Science of Poker, Mahmood N. Mahmood. Brunson, the acknowledged “Babe Ruth of this smart, sassy, and readable handbook holds The Science of Poker deals with limit as well as Poker,” is hailed by all players as the single the key to your poker success— whether you're pot-limit Omaha, Texas Hold'em and Seven- most influential book ever written about the just learning or you already know the difference Card Stud. It is divided into four parts. The first game of poker. Now, Super System II, pushes between a fishhook and a dead man's hand. part consists of a general discussion of the three the envelope further, expanding on the original Share it with friends at your own risk. 288p primary skills of Poker: people, probabilities with new games, new strategies, and new (paper), #P112, $13.95, $11.20. and money. The remaining three parts give a experts. This is a brand new book-not an Poker Tournament Strategies, See 2+2 section. detailed account of starting hands selection and update. The who's who all-star studded lineup for SSII includes Chip Reese, who Doyle rec- Poker Tournament Tips from the Pros, Shane simple methods for working out the probabili- ties relevant to Omaha, Texas Hold'em and ognizes as one of the top three players in the Smith. Gives you the winning advice of poker world, if not the best; Johnny Chan, two-time theorists, authors and tournament winners on Stud. In addition, the book analyses in detail over one hundred examples of the most com- WSOP champion and tied with Doyle for the the best strategies for winning low limit poker most world series bracelets with 9, Doyle Brun- tournaments. Expanded and revised millennium mon situations of “after the flop play” for Omaha and Hold'em and “beyond the fourth son himself, two-time WSOP champion and the edition, #P16, $19.95, $17.95. greatest poker player of all time, Lyle Berman, Poker Wisdom of a Champion, Doyle Brunson. street” play for Seven-Card Stud, #P105, $29.99, $26.95. founder of the World Poker Tour, the world's Originally published as According to Doyle, best Omaha player, and owner of three WSOP this is a collection of his most memorable poker The Secret to Winning Big in Tournament Poker, gold bracelets; Bobby Baldwin, former WSOP tales. Doyle shares what he has learned over the Ken Buntjer. Advice on tournament play from champion and CEO of the Bellagio; Mike Caro, years of traveling the Texas circuit and in pri- the only player ever to win three major tourna- the greatest poker theorist and best-selling vate games. Full of real-life characters and too- ments in a row. Teaches the eight stages of tour- author; Jennifer Harmon, the best woman crazy-to-be-fiction situations, this book high- nament action, and how to use your knowledge player in the history of poker and one of the top lights the psychology and humanity of poker. of your opponents to beat them. Discusses 10 overall; Todd Brunson, winner of more than These anecdotes contain not only humor, but when to play tight, when to play aggressively, 20 tournaments and the future successor to also advice and insight, #P104, $14.95, $13.45. when to zero in on a single opponent, when to Doyle's throne; as well as Daniel Negreanu, and Poker: The Real Deal, Phil “tiltboy” Gordon. sit back and wait, and when to pounce. 192p Barry Greenstein,. Super System II covers the Like a secret society, poker has its own lan- (paper), #P18, $49.95, $46.95. essential strategies and advanced play on the guage and customs — its own governing logic Serious Poker, Dan Kimberg. A complete intro- most popular games played today-No limit and rules of etiquette that the uninitiated may duction to casino and cardroom poker, for Hold’em, Limit Hold’em, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card find intimidating. It's a game of skill, and play- everyone from complete poker novices to expe- Stud 8 or Better, 7 Card Stud High-Low Split, ing well depends on more than just a good hand rienced players who want to take the game No Limit Omaha, Omaha 8 or Better, Limit or the ability to hide emotion. The first step more seriously. It covers everything from the Lowball Draw, High Draw Poker, Chinese toward developing a style of play worthy of the basics of strategy and cardroom rules and cus- Poker, Triple Draw Lowball-as well as impor- greats is learning to think like a poker player. In toms to more esoteric topics like tournament tant sections on professional poker play and a game where there are no absolutes, mastering play, poker math, cheating, record keeping, and poker psychology. 624p (paper), #P118, the basics is only the beginning — being able to much more. 276p (paper), #P69, $19.95. $34.95, $27.95. (s/h: +3.00) pull off the strategy and theatrics is the differ- Seven Card Stud Poker, Konstantin Othmer. Super System Package, Brunson and Caro. ence between legendary wins and epic failure. Descriptions of the fundamentals of seven card Package includes Super System and the Guide 304p (hard), #P119, $19.95, $17.95. stud poker, playing specific hands, reading to Super System. Counts as three items for ship- Positively Fifth Street, James McManus. In opponents, and understanding images and bet- ping and handling, #P77b, $49.90, $42.95. (s/h: 2000, Jim McManus, a novelist reporting for ting patterns. 257p (paper), #P58, $25.00, +2.00) Harpers went to Las Vegas to cover the Ted Bin- $23.00. Texas Hold'em Package. Learn to play winning ion murder trial and to write a story about the Seven-Card Stud, Roy West. Subtitled “The Texas Hold'em with this package which WSOP. McManus used his advance to enter the Complete Course in Winning at Medium and includes Winning Low-Limit Hold'em by Lee WSOP and surprisingly made the final table! Lower limits.” 42 lessons which take you Jones, Hold'em Excellence by Lou Krieger, and ♠ Intelligent Gambler 10 Turbo Texas Hold'em for Windows by Wilson World Poker Players Conference (2004). The strategy to advanced card-counting concepts. Software, #P115, $134.85, $105.95. Fourth World Poker Player's Conference was Includes the Advanced Omega II System, plus Tournament Poker and the Art of War: How the the most successful to date. 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Contains the High- letes have used its wisdom to gain the upper had Jennifer Harmon, Roy Cooke, and George Low system with index numbers from -1 to +6, over competitors. Winning poker tournaments Epstein. Over 4 hours of material on 2 DVDs., plus a wealth of material on what it is like to requires far more than mastery of basic poker #D24, $39.95. make a living counting cards in a casino. 256p strategy. Players must balance two goals—chip Blackjack (paper), #BJ6, $14.95, $13.45. accumulation and survival. The rewards can be The Blackjack Shuffle Tracker's Cookbook huge, but one mistake may elimination. Apos- Basic Blackjack, Stanford Wong. Both an intro- , tolico shows you how to hone your skills and duction and a reference book. It also contains Arnold Snyder. In this 110-page Blackjack apply the other key principles that lie at the the best of Winning Without Counting. 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This is blackjack Perfect for beginners at blackjack. Set includes the value of position, determining when to as a martial art, 21 power-packed chapters. the book Blackbelt in Blackjack and Blackjack raise, call, or fold, bluffing, semi-bluffing, slow- 328p (paper), #BJ2, $16.95, $15.45. Trainer software for either Windows or the playing, check-raising, regular games, short- Blackjack Ace Prediction, David McDowell. Macintosh. Counts as two items for shipping handed games, and playing poker on the Also known as ace tracking, sequence tracking, and handling, with Macintosh software, Internet. 350p (paper), #P130, $24.95, $19.95. or key carding, this powerful technique has #BJ49a, $91.95, $85.95., with Windows soft- ware, #BJ49b, $91.95, $85.95. Win Your Way Into Big Money Hold'em Tourna- remained the closely guarded secret of a hand- ments, Tom McEvoy and Brad Daugherty. (For- ful of high-stakes professional blackjack play- Blackjack Wisdom, Arnold Snyder. The first col- merly Championship Satellite Strategy.) Noel ers. Ace prediction can be extremely profitable lection of the best rantings by the game’s most Furlong did it in 1999 for $1 million. Robert in the right circumstances. This book contains prolific writer and its only religious leader. Varkonyi did it in 2002 for $2 million. Chris the complete scoop on this mathematically Most of these articles have appeared in Card Moneymaker did it in 2003 for $2.5 million. valid and proven technique for winning black- Player, Casino Player, The Intelligent Gambler Each of these World Champions of Poker won jack. 160p (paper), #BJ53, $34.95, $29.95. and other publications. More honest, and valu- his way into the championship tournament at Blackjack and the Law, I. Nelson Rose and able information about playing profitably than the World Series of Poker by winning a satel- Robert A. Loeb. Card counting has become a any other “holy book” on the market! (paper) lite. So can you! 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Blackjack Attack: Playing the Pros' Way, Don The Card Counters Guide to Casino Surveil- Whether you’re a sometime player looking for Schlesinger. The most important book available lance, D. V. Cellini. Learning to play blackjack an edge at a Friday night get-together or you to blackjack aficionados since Ed Thorp's Beat professionally without being detected by the seriously want to win at poker in a casino, the the Dealer, and has been praised by every prom- casino, with its eye in the sky, biometric-identi- insider information in this step-by-step guide inent blackjack expert. In it, Schlesinger fying software, and skilled surveillance agents can help you learn what you need to know to answers virtually all of the thorny mathematical is extremely difficult. This report exposes the beat your opponents and make money. approx questions that have puzzled serious players for secrets of surveillance. It is packed with advice 256p (paper), #P101, $14.95, $13.45. years: optimal betting, camouflage, risk analy- on how to fly below the radar screen and con- Winning Low-Limit Hold’em, Lee Jones. For sis, team play, systems comparison, and much fuse the agents and software. 110p (comb bind- the last ten year this has been the reference more. With twice as much material as its prede- ing), #BJ51, $99.99, $89.95. cessor, this edition contains new studies bound standard introduction to Texas Hold’em. Expe- Card Counting for the Casino Executive, Bill rienced hold’em players give this book to their to intrigue even the most knowledgeable pro, including a complete reexamination of the late Zender. Written to teach casino personnel about friends who want to learn the game. This third card counters, this is an invaluable book for the edition has been recently updated and expanded Peter Griffin's work on expected values, and the publication of the most accurate basic strategy counter who wants to get inside the casino men- to include coverage of online poker and no- tality. 138p (spiral), #BJ13, $20.00, $18.00. limit hold’em single-table tournaments, this is charts ever devised. Each book also comes with the one book that you need to start your a coupon good for a two-month free online sub- The Counter, Kevin Blackwood. An authentic hold’em career. #P14, $24.95, $17.50 until July scription to Don's Internet home, “Don's gambling novel written by someone who spent 1, 2005. Available about June 15, 2005. Domain” at AdvantagePlayer.com! 533p years in the trenches. A rare glimpse in the life Winning Omaha/8 Poker, Mark Tenner and Lou (paper), #BJ28, $24.99, $20.00. (s/h: +2.00) of a professional card counter. Raven is smart Krieger. A form of poker that continues to grow Blackjack Autumn, Barry Meadow. A True Tale but from a poor New England family. He stum- in popularity is Omaha eight-or-better high-low of Life, Death, and Splitting Tens in Winne- bles into the world of blackjack almost acciden- split. You’ll find an Omaha/8 game in virtually mucca. Join Barry Meadow as he takes two tally and becomes driven to win a million every cardroom. Yet, Omaha/8 is widely misun- months off to play blackjack in every casino in dollars at the tables. Will he succeed in spite of derstood. As a result, better players stand to Nevada. 351p (paper), #BJ45, $14.95, $13.45. the obstacles put in his way? 312p (paper), make a significant profit in the game. This book Blackjack Essays, See 2+2 section. #BJ50, $14.00, $13.00. provides a much needed and useful tool for Blackjack for Blood, Bryce Carlson. Described Extra Stuff--Gambling Ramblings, Peter Griffin. poker players interested in improving their by reviewers as a “masterpiece” and “must Griffin explores the mathematics of gambling game. 260p (paper), #P102, $24.95. buy,” this book covers the game from basic and gaming theory. Useful information for all ♠ Intelligent Gambler 11 classes of player, casual to professional. 192p Single issue by e-mail, #N3b, $12.00, free maximum value from them, and how to get (paper), #BJ7, $11.95, $10.75. ground shipping in the US in lieu of discount. away with it. Protecting your investment, addic- How to Detect Casino Cheating at Blackjack, Las Vegas Advisor. A monthly insider’s guide to tion issues, and more. 198p (paper), #G61, Bill Zender. Cheating is rare in highly-regulated Las Vegas. Includes up-to-date information on $14.95, $13.45. casinos. But their proliferation has created new dining, entertainment, casino news, promotions, Casino Accounting and Financial Management, opportunities for crooked dealers and new dan- and top ten values. Includes the Las Vegas E. Malcom Greenlees. The definitive presenta- gers for honest players. Zender, former VIce Advisor Reference Guide and the Pocket Book tion. Discusses operations, accounting and con- President of the Aladdin, reveals the hidden of Values with offers worth over $800, One trol, and systematically examines casino tricks of scam artists. He covers the short deck, Year. First Class, #N4a, $50.00., One Year. Can- practices. 379p (hard), #G56, $49.95. the cooler deck, the selective up-card, switching ada, #N4b, $60.00. Casino Craps for the Winner, Avery Cardoza. the hole card, and dozens of other techniques. Video Poker Times. For serious video players Craps is an incredibly fun game even though 229p (paper), #BJ43, $19.95, $17.95. this bimonthly six or more page newsletter is a the house always has an advantage. Through Knock-Out Blackjack, Olaf Vancura and Ken must. Each issue includes an in depth analysis careful bet selection the advantage can be less- Fuchs. Presents the K-O system—an easy yet of a video poker game, news about new offer- ened though not eliminated. This is an easy-to- highly effective winning blackjack system that ings, and a comparison of what the various casi- read and complete guide to casino craps. From virtually anyone can learn. Clearly and enter- nos are offering, One Year, #N6, $45.00. the basics of play, to money management, and tainingly presented in a step-by-step format. VP the basic and advanced strategies—with and 179p (paper), #BJ27, $17.95, $16.15. against the dice, it's all here. 120p (paper), Las Vegas Blackjack Diary, Stuart Perry. For Bob Dancer’s Video Poker Strategy Cards, Bob #G80, $12.95, $11.65. eight weeks the author played in Las Vegas for Dancer and Liam W. Daily. Now NINE lami- nated cards give four strategy levels for 9/6 Casino Game Protection: A Comprehensive stakes of up to two hands of $200. This book Guide, Steve Forte. The most important, defini- describes what happens at every one of the 269 Jacks or Better, 8/5 Jacks or Better, 8/5 Bonus, 10/7 and 9/7 Double Bonus, Joker Poker, and tive treatise ever presented on the methods, sessions played. Perry describes the “cover” he detection and prevention of Casino Scams, used, the heat he received, dealer and player Deuces Wild video poker. New cards include Double Double Bonus, Pick’Em, and Joker Theft, Card Counters and all Advantage Strate- interactions, and his mental and financial ups gies! A complete, one-volume course in the sci- and downs. 214p (paper). Note these are book Wild 2-pair (Atlantic City-style), #G60, $50.00, $45.00. ence of casino game protection, an invaluable store returns, in excellent condition. #BJ19, training tool for management, pit personnel, $19.95, $9.95. Fundamentals of Video Poker, See 2+2 section. surveillance, security, and related law enforce- Professional Blackjack, Stanford Wong. A com- Million Dollar Video Poker, Bob Dancer. Bob ment agencies, and a must read for all gamers plete presentation of the High-Low counting Dancer came to Las Vegas with a $6,000 bank- hungry for knowledge! Topics include Cheat- system, one used by more card counters than roll and in six years won more than $1 million ers, Advantage Players, Gaming Law, Elec- any other because of its combination of simplic- playing video poker. This book recounts the tronic Player Assistance, Procedures, ity and power. Also contains the Halves count, events of those six years, with stories about his Surveillance, Myths, Game Protection Mathe- used by Wong personally. Covers double expo- meteoric ups and downs, and lessons for play- matics, Training, The Future of Game Protec- sure. 352p (paper), #BJ10, $19.95, $17.95. ers of all skill levels. 400p (paper), #G76, tion, and much, much more. Limited Edition. Sklansky Talks Blackjack, See 2+2 section. $16.95, $14.95. 627p (hard), #G83, $200.00, $195.00. The Theory of Blackjack, Peter Griffin. For seri- Professional Video Poker, Stanford Wong. How Casino Tournament Strategy, Stanford Wong. ous, mathematically inclined, blackjack play- to get an edge at video poker in Nevada and Strategies required for success in a tournament ers. Includes the complete basic strategy with Atlantic City. Casino-tested by pros. Simple are completely different from those that you use analysis. 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This book explains the prehensive analyses of the other popular count- ware for Windows), and a set of Bob Dancer’s rules, strategy, tactics, and other things you ing systems. More than 50 billion hands of Video Poker Strategy Cards. Counts as three need to know to win this game. 32 pages. Note: simulation per system were used to produce the items for shipping and handling. Some items this book is only available via e-mail. Please charts. (paper) 51+p each, All four, #BJ31, will be shipped separately, with Frugal Video provide a valid e-mail address, #G13, $24.95, $49.95, $46.95., Red 7, #BJ31a, $14.95, Poker, #G74a, $104.90, $94.00., with Win- $22.95., Bundled with CPOKER software, $13.45., Knock-Out, #BJ31b, $14.95, $13.45., Poker, #G74b, $94.90, $85.00. #S17a, $64.95, $59.95. Zen, #BJ31c, $14.95, $13.45., Omega II, Video Poker--Optimum Play, Dan Paymar. New, Comp City, Max Rubin. Most casinos dangle #BJ31d, $14.95, $13.45. second edition. A major expansion of Dan’s comps in front of players to get a shot at their You've Got Heat: The Vegas Card Counting Video Poker—Precision Play. A guide to video bankrolls. Comp City suggests that players dan- Adventures of LV Pro, Barfarkel. What's it like poker machines and the strategies necessary to gle there bankrolls to lure the casino’s comps. to play with a real edge over the casinos? beat them. Concentrates on Jacks-or-Better, This is a completely updated version of Rubin’s What's it like to be a David to the casinos' Goli- Deuces Wild, Jokers Wild, and variations. landmark 1994 hardcover book. 340p (Paper), ath? Want to know what it feels like to kill the Aimed at the recreational player who wants to #G11, $19.95, $16.95. big, bad casino monster? Beginning with a become a serious or semi-pro player. Strategies $2,000 bankroll, Barfarkel's goal was to are concise and easy to learn. Second edition Crushing the Internet Casinos, Barry Meadow. increase it five times while taking advantage of introduces Dan's Attractiveness Index and cov- Everything online gamblers need to know about all the freebies that Vegas offers its valued play- ers several newer games. 204p (paper), #G42, advantage play at the Web-based casinos. It ers. This book will show you how skilled black- $19.95. provides a detailed step-by-step how to: get started, choose among the thousands of casinos, jack players beat the casinos; how they avoid Other detection; how they operate in teams, etc. 233p set up accounts, play the games, analyze the (paper), #BJ54, $21.95, $17.95. American Casino Guide, Steve Bourie. Pub- bonuses, avoid pitfalls, solve problems, with- lished yearly. A compendium of every casino in draw money, keep records, identify the scam Newsletter the United States, including phone numbers, sites, even earn comp points and become an BJ21 Green Chip Service, Pi Yee Press. Stan- facilities, fun book availability, maps and more. affiliate. 66p (paper report), #G79, $49.95, ford Wong’s Pi Yee Press offers a premium Includes over $1000 in casino coupons. 464p $46.95. online message board covering all things black- (paper), #G15, $16.95, $15.25. Finding the Edge: Mathematical Analysis of jack. Although there are also free forums, it’s Backgammon for Serious Players, Bill Rober- Casino Games, Olaf Vancura, Judy Cornelius, the Green Chip pages where the action is. tie. Learn the advanced strategies and winning William R. Eadington. A compilation of the Requires Internet access, 3-month subscrip- secrets of play from the world's foremost technical papers from the 1994 and 1997 Inter- tion, #N13a, $12.25., 1-year subscription, authority on backgammon and two-time world national Conferences on Gambling and Risk #N13b, $49.00. champion. 250p (paper), #G81, $19.95, $17.95. Taking. Serious analysis of gambling. Not for Current Blackjack News, Stanford Wong. BeatWebCasinos.Com, Bill Haywood. Hay- the casual reader. 441p (paper), #G63, $39.95, Monthly. The fastest way to get reports of rule wood takes a simple idea and shows how to $36.95. changes and conditions at virtually every US reliably beat the new Internet casinos. He dis- The Frugal Gambler, Jean Scott. Dubbed by casino, One year by e-mail, #N3a, $79.00, free cusses why it is (probably) safe to trust the on- CBS’s Dan Rather The Queen of Comps, Scott ground shipping in the US in lieu of discount., line casinos with your money, how to extract is one of the country's most renowned and suc- ♠ Intelligent Gambler 12 cessful low rollers. She stays at casino-hotels in hour, day after day.The private jets. The stretch- The material in this video series is not magic Nevada, New Jersey, Mississippi, and Illinois SUV limos. The penthouse villas. The show-up but a serious effort to educate the public about up to 120 nights a year and rarely pays for a money and rebates on losses. The shopping one of the country’s most tolerated crimes, room, meal, or show. She discloses her valuable sprees and trips abroad and — yes — the girls. Complete set of four videos, #V6, $200.00, secrets. (paper), #G40, $12.95, $11.65. The huge swings. The dirty tricks. The wild sto- $190.00., Volume 1: false shuffles, stacking, The Gambler’s Guide to Taxes, Walter L. ries — till now shrouded in secrecy and mys- hops and shifts, false cuts, the “interlace”, Lewis. Lewis translates complicated IRS regu- tery — are revealed in here as seen through the crimps, and more, #V6a, $50.00, $48.00., Vol- lations into easy-to-read and understand ques- eyes of the only casino superhost ever to tell ume 2: marked cards, peeking, second dealing, tions and answers about what is reportable, all!, #G82, $24.95, $19.95. bottom dealing, shiners, belly strippers, and what documentation is needed, and other tax Wong on Dice, Stanford Wong. Wong on Dice is more, #V6b, $50.00, $48.00., Volume 3: hold- issues., #G78, $12.95, $10.50. mostly material that does not appear in any ing out, specialized moves for poker, blackjack, Gambling Wizards: Conversations with the other book on craps. Sample topics discussed in gin, and bridge, mucking, switching decks, and World’s Greatest Gamblers, Richard W. the book: how skillful shooters get an edge, more, #V6c, $50.00, $48.00., Volume 4: Munchkin. Can you imagine betting a million how to practice efficiently, how to test yourself crooked dice and how to detect them, dice dollars on a football game or winning seven to know when you are ready to take on a casino, switches, controlled dice shots, cheating with million on a single horse race? To win the the four-item checklist I use on every toss of the the dice cup, specialized moves for craps and World Series of Poker—twice? How would you dice, a logical way to choose which dice set to backgammon, Liar’s dice and other games, and react if a gun-wielding casino owner demanded use, which bets to make, expected win rates, more, #V6d, $50.00, $48.00. back the money that you won playing black- and the math of craps. 180+p (paper) This item How to Beat Winning Hold’em Players at Their jack? It’s all in a days work for the gamblers in will ship approximately July 1, 2005, #G84, Own Game, Ben Tracy. This video covers win- this book. 400p (paper), #G75, $14.95, $13.45. $29.95, $24.95. ning strategy for low-limit Hold’em. Not for The Mastering Series, Stanley Ko. In-depth beginners or first-time players. Contains brief Video interviews with regular players giving their analyses of Let it Ride, Caribbean Stud, and The Big Blind--The MOVIE Three Card Poker. Each booklet includes an , David L. James. view of what it takes to play successfully. Dis- optimal strategy for cutting the house advantage This full length dramatic comedy is about the cusses the 7 deadly traps, and the ten command- to the minimum, Mastering the Game of Let it twisted lives of real poker players in a run down ments for winning. The focus is on beating Ride, #G26, $7.95, $7.25., Mastering the Game poker room in southern California. Staring players who already know how to win, DVD, of Caribbean Stud, #G27, $7.95, $7.25., Mas- World Series of Poker champions Scotty #D22, $29.95, $26.95. tering the Game of Three Card Poker, #G58, Nguyen and Jennifer Harman Traniello. With a How to Conquer Online Poker. featuring Chris $6.95, $6.50. colorful cast of characters, The Big Blind Moneymaker, Lee Jones, and Tom McEvoy. As depicts accurate poker action while several The Money and the Power: The Making of Las seen on TV! Includes a Texas Hold’em tutorial, vignettes follow characters as they try to make a guide to online play, the difference between Vegas and it’s Hold on America, 1947-2000, sense of their lives. This remarkable film will Sally Denton and Roger Morris. This history of online and live game play, how to read “tells” keep you guessing. DVD 99 minutes, #D15, from an online player, and a guide to playing in Las Vegas is a real eye-opener. It shows the $24.95. interactions between organized crime and poli- online tournaments. Includes a CD containing Caro’s Major Poker Seminar, Mike Caro. This poker-related software. DvD, #D14, $19.95. tics and corporate america and how it led to a 1998 seminar celebrated the founding of Mike Las Vegas that the authors claim has a tremen- Howard Lederer Secrets of No-Limit Hold'em Caro University of Poker, Gaming, and Life Package, Howard Lederer. Learn from the Pro- dous hold over the US. While many will remain Strategy at Hollywood Park. Caro explains skeptical, this is an important book and a worth- fessor in this two DVD set consisting of the easy-to-understand tactics that will help you Secrets of No-Limit Hold'em and More Secrets while read. 479p (hard). Limited to stocks on win right away!, #V10, $24.95, $22.95. hand, #G69, $26.95, $16.00. of No-Limit Hold'em at a special package price, Caro’s Power Poker Seminar, Mike Caro. Dis- #P117, $39.90, $35.95. More Frugal Gambling, Jean Scott. Now ship- cusses topics valuable to all players including ping! The author of the Frugal Gambler has seat selection, table control, tells, and much Million Dollar Online Poker Secrets, Phil Hell- written a sequel. Scott reveals a further five more, #V4, $39.95, $37.95. muth. This video will show you everything you years of casino experience and exploits. need in order to become a winning poker player Includes extensive coverage of slots, video Caro’s Pro Poker Tells, Mike Caro. A powerful, on the internet. Secrets include: what sites to poker, slot clubs, promotions, etc. 300p (paper), full-color, scientific course on how you can use play, online pot odds, online bluffs and tells, #G77, $14.95, $12.50. your opponents’ gestures, words, and body lan- how to gain special “inside” info on your oppo- guage to target every chip on the table. Goes far Optimal Strategy for Pai Gow Poker, Stanford nents, how to play multiple games at once, how beyond Mike’s Book of Tells, DVD version, to win online tournaments, how to win online Wong. Primarily of use to California players, #D16, $49.95, $46.95. shows how to make a profit at pai gow poker. cash games, secret tips and never before seen The rake of 5% reduces the profit potential in Cheating at Blackjack: The Real Work, Dustin strategies, and more, DVD, #D20, $19.99. Nevada. 160p (paper), #P5, $14.95, $13.45. Marks. This is not a magic video. But if you Million Dollar Poker Set, Phil Hellmuth. Con- want to see some of the most amazing cheating sists of all four of Phil's DVDs: Million Dollar The Players: The Men Who Made Las Vegas, moves ever captured on tape, this video will not Jack Sheehan (Editor). A series of essays on the Poker Secrets, Bluffing and Tells, Tournaments, disappoint. Unlike previous gambling exposes, and Internet. DVD, #D21, $79.96, $74.99. men who shaped Las Vegas including Moe Dal- this video will show you precisely how each itz, Benny Binion, Sam Boyd, and Steve Wynn. move is done. Dustin D. Marks, author of Million Dollar Poker System, Phil Hellmuth. 224p (paper), #G54, $18.95, $17.05. Cheating at Blackjack and Cheating at Black- This video features Phil's never-before-seen Resort City in the Sunbelt: Las Vegas, 1930- jack Squared, is the only person who cheated MILLION DOLLAR SECRETS. Learn Phil's 1970, Eugene P. Moehring. A scholarly history the Las Vegas casinos while employed as a ideas on: Strategy, Pot Odds, When To of the development of Las Vegas from its days blackjack dealer, got away clean, and now Hold’em, When To Fold 'em, Phil's Top Ten as a railroad division point to the construction exposes the very methods he used to swindle Hands, Phil's Majority Play Hands, Poker Psy- of the original MGM Grand Hotel. 329p the casinos. Shot with four cameras in a studio chology, and Much, Much More! DVD, #D17, (paper), #G53, $17.95. and edited by professionals, this video reveals $19.99. Sharp Sports Betting, Stanford Wong. Millions cheating moves like no other tape on the market Million Dollar Secrets to Bluffing and Tells, of dollars are wagered on sports events each today. Moves from the outside and inside are Phil Hellmuth. Phil Once you have the basics year. Most people give up a part of their bet to shown in detail. Shot from surveillance and down, learn to read your opponent like a book the house, while some ‘sharp’ bettors actually floorman’s views, this video gives the perspec- and how not to give away your strength or turn a profit for themselves. This is a revolu- tive of action happening in the pit. Watch the weakness. Phil says he can “look into people's tionary text on getting the edge over bookmak- video and see if you can catch the moves before souls” and now you can learn from him. Learn ers. If you want explanations of how to analyze the video exposes them. All moves are clearly How To: - Bluff Your Way Info Huge Pots, the various betting options available in sports- exposed and explained. Many of the moves Read Your Opponents Like A Book, Trap Your books, this book has much essential but never- have never appeared on video before. These are Opponent When You Have A Strong Hand, Win before-published information. 380p (paper), not the same moves and scams seen on other Even If Your Hand Is Weak, Know When And #G70, $19.95, $17.95. videos by so-called, experts. DVD. Approx 1 hr, How To Bluff, Sense Your Opponent's Weak- Whale Hunt in the Desert: The Secret Las Vegas #S52, $49.95, $46.95. nesses and Strengths, and more. DVD, #D18, of Superhost Steve Cyr, Deke Castleman. Life- Gambler’s Protection Series, Steve Forte. In $19.99. styles of the Rich in Vegas! But not just any four videos, Steve Forte, the expert’s expert in Million Dollar Tournament Strategies, Phil run-of-the-mill rich. We're talking super-rich the field of detection and prevention of cheating Hellmuth. Playing in a cash game is very differ- gamblers — who can bet from $50,000 to at gambling, teaches players how to protect ent then playing in a tournament! Learn strate- $200,000 a pop, hand after hand, hour after themselves from today’s card and dice cheaters. gies including: How To Build A Chip Lead ♠ Intelligent Gambler 13 Early, How To Make It To The Final Table, Bob Dancer presents WinPoker, Zamzow Soft- calculation methodology, uncommon rules, How To Defend Yourself Against The World ware Solutions. 15 video game variations - etc.) Hit GO and thousands of sims will be run, Champ Players, How To Maintain Your Chip Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Deuces Deluxe, the results compressed into a single file and Lead, How To Build Your Stack By “Stealing Bonus Poker, Aces and Eights Bonus, Jokers placed in the archives. Once the sims have com- Blinds”, How To Win If You Are Low On Wild - Two Pair or Better, Jokers Wild - Kings pleted, you can display the results with the Chips, and Final Table Strategies, DVD, #D19, or Better, Deuces and Jokers Wild, Double Viewer one BJA-like table at a time. As you $19.99. Bonus, Double Jackpot, Double Double Jack- change the parameters, the desired table is More Secrets of No-Limit Hold'em, Howard pot, Double Double Bonus, All American dynamically displayed. Over one million tables Lederer. This DVD will take your game to the Poker, Double Joker Poker and Bonus Poker can be displayed per file.1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 deck next level. It’s loaded with Howard’s patented Deluxe. Customize any or all of the payout support is included. A typical set of sims (1, 2 No Limit Hold’em knowledge, including his tables. Five teaching modes and four analysis & 6 decks, eight rule combinations, all penetra- personal secrets for: slow play, informational screens. Windows, #S40, $29.95. tions and bet spreads, 400 million rounds each raises, value of the suited connector, spotting CAB 2000, Dustin Marks. A CD-ROM by the sim) requires about seven hours on a 500Mhz “tells”, and sizing up your opponents. DVD, author of Cheating at Blackjack which explores Pentium III or about 2.5 hours on an Athlon #D12, $19.99. the secret world of blackjack cheating using 1.3Mhz PC. Windows 95 and higher. Note: the Poker Secrets from Poker Champs. The video witty text, color photos and video clips. pricing is introductory and subject to change at features 15 World Series of Poker champions Explains 59 cheating moves, contains inter- any time, #S48a, $75.00, $70.00., combined including Johnny Chan, Phil Ivey, Scotty views with some of the biggest names in black- with CVData, #S48b, $215.00, $185.00. Nguyen, TJ Cloutier, Daniel Negrenau, Ted jack. Numerous articles divulge the dark side of CVData, Casino Verite. Now Version 2! Forrest, and Jennifer Harman, giving their gambling. Windows and Mac, #S47, $49.95, CVData is the replacement product for CVSim. advice on how to win big at poker! $46.95. CVSim users will recognize the output section. The DVD is over 2 hours with a bonus 30 min- Caribbean Stud Knowledge Pro, Masque. Play CVData’s structure, goals and technology are utes on money management. Never before and Caribbean Stud on your computer. Very realistic very different. Some new features include: never again will so many poker champs with graphics. No simulation capabilities, but floating advantage data, different betting strate- this many years of knowledge and this many includes an interactive tutorial. Windows 3.1 or gies by deck depth, different playing strategies millions in winnings be presented on ONE JAM higher, CD, #S12, $19.99, $19.00. by deck depth, multi-parameter strategies, PACKED DVD! #D25, $19.95. counting by Inference simulation, counting by Casino Games for Palm OS, Masque. Now for Inference strategy creation, multi-sim (this fea- Secrets of No-Limit Hold'em, Howard Lederer. Palm OS. 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Over and the “street”, how not to be dominated, how separate product that requires CVBJ Version 3. 500 rule variations. Supports balanced and A demo is included with CVBJ. Shuffle track- to figure “outs”, and more. Includes easy to unbalanced counts, Wonging, Spooking, and read charts to make decision making easy, DVD ing is an extension to card counting. But, with more. Requires Windows 95 or higher. CD, ST not only do you count cards as they go by, Version, #D11, $19.99., VHS version, #V11, #S15, $90.00, $85.00. $29.95. but you also take note of the location of large Sklansky, the Video. A 90 minute video focusing CPOKER, Don Smolen. A program for the numbers of large or small cards in the discard on general poker concepts and strategies, along game of Chinese poker. An excellent learning tray to determine or control their location in the with specific sections on Hold’em, 7 Card Stud, and research tool. Play against three computer next shoe. 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Teaches both beginners and Frugal Video Poker, Wolf Gaming. The latest advanced players basic rules and strategies, CrapSim, Ken Elliott. Two programs: an inter- and greatest in playing/tutoring/analysis soft- how to play based on position, how to adjust to active craps simulation (available separately as ware for video poker. This program is the first different types of players, how to read the CrapSim Interactive), and a complete systems to bring together the analysis and play-strategy board, how to recognize tells, how to calculate simulator. Teaches the intricacies of casino generation features. Also allows the incorpora- pot odds and how to play with confidence and craps. Depicts a realistic casino craps layout tion of slot-club returns. 54 pre-loaded games. win. Delivered with clear graphics and an enter- and allows all bets allowed in the casino. Use it CD. Windows 95 or higher, #S53, $39.99, taining format. 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XP installations. CD only, Professional version, Blackjack and, Spanish 21. Tutorials to help Requires Windows and a color monitor. 3.5" #S2, $79.95., Interactive version, #S2i, $34.95. you learn to play. CD. Both Windows and Mac, diskette and manual, #S32, $149.00, $140.00. CV Blackjack-Lite, Qfit. A close cousin to the #S45, $19.99, $17.95. BJEdge, Stanford Wong. For Windows 3.0 or full version of Casino Vérité Blackjack. It uses Poker Probe, Mike Caro. Serious software for higher. Acts like a spread sheet to find the the same ultra-realistic graphics and play, but researchers and advanced players. Compare casino’s edge for any set of rules and any num- many of the 500 features in the full version hands you define in seven card stud, lowball, ber of decks. Not a game. It doesn’t run simula- have been removed and the price reduced hold’em, razz, draw poker, high-low split, tions, but summarizes the results of large accordingly. It still remains the best software Omaha, and more. DOS, #S29, $69.95, $66.95. simulations in an easy to use format, #S25, rendition of casino blackjack for the purposes PokerStat 2 Professional, TH Software. Version $19.95, $18.95. of card counting practice available, except of 2. Increase your hourly win rate by analyzing Blackjack Trainer, ConJelCo. Teaches profes- course for the full version. Requires Windows your ParadisePoker or Pokerstars Hold’em and sional blackjack play. You can set rules. The 95 or higher. CD, #S55, $47.00, $45.00. Omaha hand histories and tournament results. A strategy to be used when betting and playing CVCX, Casino Verite. This is a completely new very powerful program that will show you sta- can also be set. Practice playing. Provides application providing the ability to create your tistics on your play and your opponent's play, extensive strategy drills, and a high speed simu- own customized, interactive Blackjack Attack including win rate, flop percentages for each lation capability, Macintosh version, #S1a, Chapter Ten. Set the parameters as you would street, how you do with various starting cards, $75.00., Windows version, #S1b, $75.00. for a normal sim (strategies, index tables, TC settings to view how well you do by position, ♠ Intelligent Gambler 14 standard deviation, bankroll requirements, how Proficiency Tester: This is a flash-card tester. interactively or via high speed simulation. Get much each opponent has won/lost, and much The program will flash two cards and you advice and exact odds as you play. Set blinds, much more! Windows, 128MB+ memory, email respond with the proper play. On request, all bet amounts, rake, toke, etc. Challenge the best delivery only. Please supply your poker user ID, missed answers will be queued for re-play at computer player. Rake analysis, extensive sta- your name, and your e-mail address, for Para- the end. Missed re-played will be re-played tistics, play evaluation, optional bring-in, peek, disePoker.com. Please supply your Paradise until all are answered correctly. You may set the replay, enhanced graphics, sound, printing, and Poker ID, #S50a, $65.00., for PokerStars.com. cutoff threshold to avoid obvious muck cards. statistics. Ability to save and restore games in Please supply your PokerStars ID, #S50b, This is an excellent training tool for preparation progress. Windows 95 through Win XP or Mac $65.00., New! Combopak. Includes both Para- to play live. Windows. Delivery via e-mail only. with Virtual PC. CD, User's Guide, #S7, disePoker.com and PokerStars.com versions. Supply e-mail address, #S57, $19.00. $89.95, free ground shipping in the US in lieu of Please supply the e-mail and ID you use for Tournament Blackjack, Stanford Wong. Practice discount. each site., #S50c, $95.00. blackjack tournaments. Several players can Turbo Texas Hold’em for Windows, Wilson Professional Blackjack Analyzer. A comprehen- compete against one another, or you can prac- Software. Jim McManus, author of ‘Positively sive software tool for the analysis, simulation, tice by yourself. Choose the tournament format, Fifth Street’, says “Turbo Texas Hold’em and practice of blackjack. Includes custom blackjack rules, number of players, skill levels. changed my whole life.” The most powerful and shuffle specification, and pattern/progression Simulation feature to analyze a specific sce- easy to use Hold'em program available. Create betting. Numerous standard and exotic rules. nario. Windows, #S13, $49.95, $46.95. players with individual playing styles. Play Use PBA to calculate optimal strategy and Tournament Texas Hold’em for Windows, Wil- against 2 to 10 players interactively or via high expected profit. Then use it to practice. Win- son Software. Includes limit, no-limit and pot- speed simulation. Get advice and exact odds as dows 95. CD, #S39, $149.95, $140.00. limit! Provides realistic tournament play. Set you play. Set blinds, bet amounts, rake, toke, Shuffle Trak 2000, Mesa Verde Software Sys- tournament size (single table to 100 tables), etc. Challenge the best computer player. Rake tems. Includes a practice module. The only soft- limits and blind structures, number of rebuys, analysis, extensive statistics, play evaluation, ware on the market that allows you to practice etc. Enhanced graphics and sound. Includes peek, replay, enhanced graphics, sound, print- against most casino shuffles in the world. 2002 WSOP big event. Handles all situations in ing, and statistics. Ability to save and restore Define all types of casino shuffles. Zone, riffle a realistic manner. Ability to save and restore a games in progress. Windows 95 through Win & restack, stepladder, multiple pile criss-cross, tournament in progress. Windows 95 through XP or Mac with Virtual PC. CD, User's Guide, multi-pass. Allows multi break cutoff plugs. Win XP. CD, User's Guide or Mac with Virtual #S6, $89.95, free ground shipping in the US in Define, Map and Practice all in one package. If PC, #S14, $59.95. lieu of discount. you have ever wondered where those cards go Turbo 7-Card Stud for Windows, Wilson Soft- Video Poker Strategy Pro, Masque. Practice after they’re shuffled and how they got there, ware. Mike Caro says “an amazing new 7-card complete strategies for over 60 of the most this is the software that gets the job done. stud program.” Create players with individual readily found high-return video poker machines Acclaimed by industry experts nationwide. playing styles. Play against 2 to 8 players, inter- across the country. Multimedia sounds and full Windows, #S24, $79.00, $75.00. actively or with high speed simulations. Get motion video teach strategies of game play. Statistical Blackjack Analyzer, Karel Janecek. A advice and exact odds as you play. Set limits, Includes expert play recommendations, hand powerful and extremely fast simulator that pro- bring in method, bet amounts, rake, toke, etc. evaluations, strategy drills that record your play vides all statistics for each true count. Supports Challenge the best computer player. Rake anal- and review your mistakes, and more. Windows. most reasonable rules, all counting systems, ysis, extensive statistics, play evaluation, CD, #S35, $19.99, $17.95. Wonging and backcounting, and sophisticated optional bring-in, peek, replay, enhanced graph- VP Strategy Master, TomSki. Creates accurate cover betting. Calculate optimal bets for each ics, sound, printing, and statistics. 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A great game Deluxe, Joker-Kings or better, Joker-Two Pair Windows 95 or higher, via E-Mail, #S31a, and a great tool for people who want to improve or better, and Double Jokers Wild. No shipping $159.90., Mailed CD, #S31b, $159.90. their Stud 8/or better game. I highly recom- charged for e-mail delivery (be sure to specify StatKing, ConJelCo. The ultimate poker results mend it.” Create players with individual playing address), Windows. E-mail, #S38a, $29.95, free tracking tool. Easy to use. Provides unmatched, styles. Play against 2 to 8 players, interactively ground shipping in the US in lieu of discount., in-depth, statistical insight. View, select, and or with high speed simulations. Get advice and Windows. Mailed, #S38b, $29.95., Macintosh. sort your results according to game, location, exact odds as you play. Set limits, bring in E-Mail (only), #S38d, $29.95, free ground ship- month, and year. Computes your win-rate, con- method, bet amounts, rake, toke, etc. Challenge ping in the US in lieu of discount. fidence and standard deviation. Determine the best computer player. Rake analysis, exten- World Series of Poker Adventure Deluxe Casino break-even points, chances of going broke. sive statistics, play evaluation, optional bring- Pak, Masque. Travel to Las Vegas with $5,000. Includes graphing, advice, bankroll require- in, peek, replay, enhanced graphics, sound, Turn it into $10,000 and you can have a shot at ments, streak analysis. Much more. Windows. printing, and statistics. Ability to save and the big one, the No Limit Texas Hold’em event. CD. New! Purchase a copy for online delivery restore games in progress. Windows 95 through Simulations of hold’em, 7 stud, and omaha, as here, #S42, $29.95. Win XP or Mac with Virtual PC. CD, User's well as blackjack, video poker, and slots. Texas Tutor, Mesa Verde Software. The major Guide, #S41, $89.95, free ground shipping in Deluxe version adds Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow key to advantage play is playing only those the US in lieu of discount. Poker, Craps, Baccarat, Let It Ride, Big Six, cards that have the highest probability of win- Turbo Omaha High for Windows, Wilson Soft- Roulette, and Keno, Deluxe Windows version ning. This program will teach you what those ware. Mike Caro calls this “an electrifying new (CD), #S26a, $19.99, $17.95., Deluxe Macin- cards are. Texas Tutor was designed to be an aid research tool.” Create players with individual tosh version (CD), #S26b, $19.99, $17.95. and training tool for beginning to advanced playing styles, learn an effective point count Texas Hold'em players to learn the ranking system, play against 2 to 10 players interac- value of your two initial playing cards. Without tively or via high speed simulation. Get advice doubt this is the most important aspect of the and exact odds as you play. Set blinds, bet game. Texas Tutor will train you on when to amounts, rake, toke, etc. Challenge the best fold, when to call and when to raise based on computer player. Rake analysis, extensive sta- the true value ranking of your initial two cards. tistics, play evaluation, optional bring-in, peek, This software does not get into “how to play the replay, enhanced graphics, sound, printing, and game”, there are plenty of books and other statistics. Ability to save and restore games in materials on the market that do a very good job progress. Windows 95 through Win XP or Mac of that. Two ways to use it. 1) While you play with Virtual PC. CD, User's Guide, #S11, online, and 2) as a proficiency tester. While you $89.95, free ground shipping in the US in lieu of play online, start Texas Tutor. When you are discount. dealt your first two cards, click on the cards in Turbo Omaha High-Low Split for Windows, your hand. Texas Tutor will display the exact Wilson Software. Mike Caro calls this “an elec- ranking on a vertical sliding scale, the percent- trifying new research tool.” Create players with age of times that hand wins and a recommenda- individual playing styles, learn an effective tion on what to do (fold, call or raise). point count system, play against 2 to 10 players ♠ Intelligent Gambler 15 Ship to: Bill to: ■ Same as Ship To address

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Payment: Send your check or money order (US funds drawn on a US bank), or credit card number to: ConJelCo LLC, 1460 Bennington Ave., Subtotal Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Phone: 800-492-9210 or 412-621-6040. Fax: 412-621-6214. Include 7% sales tax for orders shipped to Pennsylvania. Shipping: (not for subscriptions) $5.50 for up to two items, $2.00 for each additional item. Canadian and Overseas, foreign subscriptions: e- mail, write, or call for a quote. Because many items are shipped directly from the publisher, your order may arrive in several shipments. We ship Shipping UPS or Federal Express whenever possible. Express shipping available. Contact us. Terms: Prices and availability subject to change without notice. ConJelCo stands behind the products it offers. Either you’re happy with your purchase or return it within 30 days, in resellable condition, for refund, 7% (PA) credit, or exchange (excluding shipping.) Privacy Notice: Except as required by law, or to fulfill your order, ConJelCo does not sell or otherwise Total disclose information about you to any other party. ig23