For the years since off-course betting was legalized, the bookmaking industry has enjoyed a fruitful existence mainly on the goodwill of its hard-pressed workforce. There was an abundance of people willing to part with their pre-decimal and post decimal currency as they packed the shops! It is only in recent years that patronage has declined and it is the purpose of this work to examine the reasons for this decline. It must be stressed that this is a personal work!

The relationship between the bookmaker and his (her) workforce can be described as Tolerant at best, antagonistic at worst! Too often, little or no consideration has been shown by the bookmaker toward his (her) staff, when deciding on changes in working conditions. Indeed there has been scant representation for the welfare of the workforce.

This is an attempt to redress this obvious imbalance or at least point it out!

The author has gone to great pains to add a touch of humour to what is essentially a serious subject and has avoided succumbing to the scourge of political correctness- possibly to the delight of the many and the chagrin of the few!

So all-in-all it is hoped that the reader will thoroughly enjoy the essay in the spirit in which it is written and not put it down as it is mercifully short!

The Global Pie Method offers a universal language and lingoes. Terms like the ÒNukingÓ, ÒBow Tie-ingÓ, and ÒDoing a HemiÓ all describe specific ball movements. Other terms define multiple Global Pie strategies: Phoenix, Pendulum, Arrowhead, Hugs and Kisses, Boomerang, Four-Leaf Clover, Clover XXX, and Numbered Partners.

These Global Pie strategies rely on innovative section characteristics to enhance betting strategies and limit the amount wagered to maximize optimum return.

The Global Star System is an independent system designed to track numbers evenly throughout the roulette wheel head. Several Global Star strategies emerge as a result of combining individual stars together: Helicopter, Numbered Partners, Sum Connectors, and Pinwheel.

When combined, the Global Pie Method and the Global Star System, produces a strategy called the Eclipse. The Eclipse is designed to track specific numbers that are due to come in. More importantly, when a Global Pie merges with a Global Star the exact number is revealed.

Enjoying Video Poker...

Stan Hendricks, who has never played a serious game of table poker, has nevertheless been able to parlay his engineering background, analytical mind and years of experience with computer spreadsheets into the development of a really simple method that enables anyone...expert or novice...to "play the odds" and maximize the likelihood of success in playing video poker.

This book will show you, among other things, why...

• A casino can afford to offer nearly 100% payoff.
• It's usually better to hold a Jack than an Ace.
• Four cards of a flush is a better bet than an outside straight.
• Betting the maximum coins doesn't always give you better odds.
• A low pair is better to hold than a whole bunch of other options that might seem at first glance to be more desirable.
• Sometimes it may be worthwhile to "take a flyer" at a big winner even though the odds say otherwise.
• Your chances of getting an honest deal are pretty good.
• The cards you discard can affect the value of the cards you hold.
• You may have a better chance at a royal flush or high pair on the draw than you did on the deal.
• "Playing the odds" doesn't reduce your chance at a royal flush by very much.
• An inexpensive pocket game may be one of your best investments.
• Played expertly, video poker can offer a better rate of return than many other casino games; this book could pay for itself and then some in your first session!

This book is not just theory; results have been carefully documented in 25,000 hands and further supported by several hundred thousand hands played for fun on one of the pocket games. Graphs compare dramatically the results of cautious or reckless play. Tables are provided that help you decide which game is best for you and how to play it for best results. Even if you are not interested in video poker, this book is entertaining reading, and the information it contains can really help you enjoy the game...

(...without losing your shirt!)

Expressly written for gambling entertainment on either horseracing or roulette playing at a casino. "Method play."