Q. I understand that you wrote a book on gambling several years ago. We have been unable to find it in the books stores. Where can we get a copy? (address confidential)

A. Several of the major booksellers are reluctant to keep Beat The House in stock. I don't know why. Has the casino lobby been leaning on them behind the scenes? How could one find out? Nobody is ever willing to talk about this kind of stuff.

You should nonetheless be able to order a copy through your local mom-and-pop bookstore. If not, try Kensington Publishing, 850 Third Avenue, NY, NY 10022.

In the meantime you're welcome to copy Half Peak, the best system in Beat The House, free of charge from this website. (Click on Half Peak, on the left.)

It will make you wonder if the casinos are crooked. You actually don't have to spend money on a copy of Beat The House at all.

Q. It seems that you believe that gaming houses are not playing by the rules. Is it possible that the odds are not a factor in home games? The larger the number of plays, the better the odds for the house, right? Isn't that why most legal casinos "comp" everything when you are playing, including booze? The drunker you are, the more apt you are to make mistakes in betting and play bad hands, right? (address confidential)

A. If the game is being played honestly, the odds are the same at home as they are in a casino. But if a casino is using crooked gaming equipment then the player loses no matter what because he's being cheated.

It's NOT true that the larger the number of plays, the better the odds for the house. At an honest table the odds on any given kind of bet are always the same whether you bet one time or ten thousand.

As for booze, it certainly dissolves good judgement, but it doesn't change the Law of Probability. Only crooked gaming equipment can change the Law of Probability.

Q. If you suspect that the system doesn't work in the casino, then a way to check it, might be to buy the casino equipment, and try it out at home with the casino equipment, and if it works, to see if any modifications have been done on it.

Also, is this true for all casinos, even the ones on Indian land? (vedaal_nistar@yahoo.com)

A. When the crooked casino operators are finally exposed it'll be the equipment manufacturers' customer lists that hang them all.

Where do the casinos buy their equipment? Assuming you can find out, do you think the manufacturer will sell you evidence that implicates him in a swindle? He surely won't, although he may sell you a squeaky-clean "twin" of what he sells the casinos.

It'll take someone with subpoena power, a prosecutor, Congressman, etc.

Is it true for all casinos? We didn't survey every casino on the planet, but neither I, nor my agent, nor my editor, nor my publisher were ever able to locate a casino where the results at home could be duplicated, Native American casinos included. (Have gangsters been using Native Americans tribes for a front?)

Q. This is slightly off the topic, but since we're talking about systems designed to "beat the game," have you ever heard about a set of eyeglasses developed by some-or-other technician which apparently enable the wearer to see through the back of the card and read the suit and number before the card is turned over? If such a device actually exists, it would probably result in a guaranteed winner at blackjack -- or, more pointedly, at the World Series of Poker! I'm merely curious to know whether you know anything about the technology, or could point me towards an

appropriate website. Thanks. (address confidential)

A. Sounds unreal. I don't think such glasses exist. In any case I never heard of such a thing and have no idea where to point you. Sorry.

Q. Why don't you have your photo on your web site? What do you look like? (address confidential)

A. If it's true the casinos are run by gangsters then I have to wonder if triggermen might be dispatched someday to silence me. To give them as little advantage as possible I make it a point to keep my face off TV screens, magazine covers, and my web site.

What do I look like? You'll know after the Congressional investigation gets under way and the publicity has created too much heat for them to send triggermen anymore.

That's also when the world will see the other thought-provoking names on my hard drive besides the New York Times, when the Congressional investigation subpoenas them.

Q. Hi Frederick,

I have never done anything like this before but I figured I might as well tell the story. This happened back in 1989 but I assume it is still going on, particularly at downtown casinos. I used to be a pretty decent BJ player, had basic strategy down cold on either single, double, multiple deck games. I employed the Uston basic count system with a bet spread of maybe 1-3 units. I always did consistently well, not winning big but not losing either and could last all weekend with a about a $200 bankroll.
I was in town for a golf tournament and after it was over I proceeded to play a 24 hour BJ marathon at Fitzgeralds ( I forgot what it was called back then, I think the Pioneer?) Anyways, I played consistent, made all the correct decisions, splits etc......and just when I would get ahead I would go on "mini losing streaks" , it was the weirdest thing I ever encountered. Downtown had always offered the best games back then, bar none, but this time it was different.
I switched tables again ( for the umpteenth time ) and started chatting with a friendly dealer I will call "Herb". Herb knew I was a competitive player and I tipped him when the opportunity came to do so. He liked me and when the boss wasn't looking one time calmly said "start hitting your stiffs, particularly at the beginning of the deck(s).no matter what my upcard is. I said what?..... He said "just do as I say" so I obliged and did just that. I would hit all my 12's thru 16's especially at the beginning of a new shuffle and I could not believe how consistently I would get 4's, 5's and 6's....everytime !!
I went from being plus or minus $50 after about 18 hours of play to being up about $600 in the next 2 hours. Herb confessed to me that a lot of the dealers are taught to intentionally "stack" most of the small cards on top of the deck(s). I started getting so much heat it was mind boggling and Herb was getting a lot of tips as well.
Is this cheating ? Well........if they were pulling off something like this back in 1989, no telling what they are doing now. Thanks for an informative site, it is much appreciated for someone to stand up to those greedy bastards. (address confidential)

A. A good story, well worth knowing about. Thanks. What was Herb's last name please, do you recall?

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