Blackjack Bluebook II - the simplest winning strategies ever published (2006 edition)

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Gem says it all!
It took 30 years, but somebody has finally taken all the hi-tech blackjack strategy that you need to actually beat the game and reduced it into clear layman's terms. This book turns basic strategy into an artform with 7 hands that should be played "against the book" if the right cards are on the board. It also touches on a provocative angle that I've never seen dealt with before, "Hand Interaction" (completing other players' doubles for less, taking part of their advantageous splits, pawning off one of your own disadvantaged split cards, etc.)
The author, an obviously accomplished card counter presents some laughingly simple ways for a basic strategy player to identify a shoe that has become heavy in Tens and Aces, then shows exactly how to bet and play that shoe through to the end.
The book is littered throughout with graphic card hand illustrations which really drive home its salient points. It also contains the new unbalanced KISS Count which makes basic card counting about as easy as it can get. Later in the book, the reader is shown how to refine the basic Kiss Count into a full scale performer.
The chapter on advanced skills and techniques contains useful gems, particularly a list of 15 "camouflage" plays that a journeyman counter can use to hide his proficiency. I wish this book was around 15 years ago when I was struggling with all the more tedious handbooks on advantage play. This one's a real smooth read, and provides some new insights besides.

This may be perhaps the best blackjack book ever written. "Blackjack Bluebook II" has things that I have never seen in any other blackjack book. Did you know that you can get an advantage in a six-deck game by counting the number of ten cards? After two decks have been dealt, you may have an advantage--and you will not have to count anything for the rest of the shoe! Did you know that if there is a hand with an inordinate number of "babies" (low cards) compared to ten cards, you also have an advantage for the remainder of the shoe? Read it and reap.

Renzey also has tidbits like the "Rule of 45": if you have a total of sixteen versus the dealer's ten, and one of the cards is a four or a five, then the proper play is to stand, not hit! Renzey will help the serious player who does not want to count cards narrow the casino's edge to a sliver. If you do want to count cards, there are three counting systems in here of increasing complexity. This book is excellent in every possible way; if you plan on playing blackjack seriously in a casino, you should not be without this book.

Although I've been playing "advantage" blackjack for many years, I still found this book to be helpful and educational. It was a reading delight with a comprehensive sequential arrangement, smoothly moving from basic strategy - to basic refinement techniques - to amateur card counting - to advanced card counts.
Its chapter on the "art" of skillful play offered some advanced, yet easy tactics regarding camouflage, truing up an unbalanced count, etc. Even the pure recreationalists will find practical ways to improve their game beyond correct basic strategy by using information from the cards showing on board. There is also quite an interesting analytical perspective on betting progressions.
One thing I liked in particular was that nearly every strategy or technique presented was given a percentage value, backed by millions of computer generated hands. That gives us all a better feel for what our various efforts are worth; something I haven't always had.
Another big plus was all the card hand graphics that were used throughout to illustrate its strategic points. For hard to grasp concepts, the pictures were a big help.
After reading 20 blackjack books, if I can get just one or two new helpful things from the next one I consider it time well spent. This one provided lots of them.

Not many blackjack books worth their salt are written in such an easy to comprehend style as this. It provides an extensive basic strategy section which goes on to explain the reasons why many questionable plays are correct. It also does a convincing job of debunking prevailing blackjack myths, such as the Sacred Order of the Cards, the Bad Player at Third Base, etc. There's an enlightening section on the value of getting involved with other players' doubles and splits. The author also introduces some innovatively simple ways to identify an advantageous shoe without card counting in the conventional sense. The book's KISS Count takes unbalanced card counting to a more developed level with all positive starting counts, individual index numbers for about 20 basic strategy revisions and clear tips on how to fudge its indices for true count accuracy. The technical section offers some interesting camouflage plays for card counters including calculations of their costs. In all, I found it to be an ideal training manual for developing the skills to win.

For anyone new to blackjack or thinking about taking the next step up to card counting, I don't think you can do better than Fred Renzey's book. For the newcomer, his chapter on basic strategy is the best I've ever seen. For someone that wants some added skill plays without counting cards, his info on deviating from basic strategy based on which cards are face up on the board at the moment is something I haven't seen elsewhere. And, he offers something a lot of authors don't in regards to card counting....making it as easy or as complex as you want. You could probably learn the Ace/10 count on the plane as your flying to Vegas. The unbalanced KISS counts (I,II, or II) progress in complexity...and in your expected return. (For the more savy out there, the Stage III Kiss is
similar to the KO system, but is perhaps a shade easier to use and has a net edge of .70% over the house vs KO's .68%.) And then if you're hard core, the Mentor Count is as good of a Level II system you'll find. This book will take you from an introduction to the game to advanced counting as you pick your own level of comfort, so to speak. And anyone considering Knockout Blackjack should start here.

Right from the introduction called, "This Book in a Nutshell", I liked the factual writing style and implied content of this book. It was realistic, highly instructive and logical.

I don't think there was a weak chapter in it, covering ground all the way from disproving popular myths to tutoring advanced card counts. The basic strategy chapter is a standout, followed by an insightful chapter on strategy refinements that go just beyond basic strategy. It also illustrates some simplified, general ways to keep track of the most important cards.

The book's hallmark may be its introduction of the unbalanced KISS Count, which looks more thoughtfully produced and user friendly than any system to come along in a couple of decades. The section for card counters on skillful tactics sets the known important stuff in perspective, and introduces a few new plays of its own. Well worth the money and time to read it.

This is exactly what Joe and Jane Average need. It has been known for many years that blackjack can be beaten by very good players. Becoming that "very good" player is what has always been the obstacle. Bluebook II cut through the gobbleygook and presented the most straightaway methods to bonafide winning play that I have seen. IMHO, it brings legitimate advantage play within the reach of the common player. The Ace/10 Front Count is poetic in its sheer simplicity and the "expandable" KISS Count (which stands for "Keep It Simple Stupid") makes older plus/minus count systems appear superfluous and archaic by comparison. I don't think gaining the edge at blackjack can be made much simpler. My two cents worth.

This is definitely one of the best blackjack books I have read. Before covering basic strategy the author dismisses some common blackjack myths and gets the newbie in the correct frame of mind to play winning blackjack. The coverage of basic strategy is as good as you'll find anywhere, with explanations of why certain plays are correct. There is some nice coverage of non-count based advantage strategies such as hand interaction, which I have never seen in any other book. The book really shines I think in the the final chapters, as the author does a very complete job off covering various card counting systems, starting from the recreational ACE/10 count upto the highly advanced (level 2) mentor count. I use the author's KISS III count in 6-8 deck games, and I am learning the mentor count for single/two deck play when I visit las vegas. KISS III is upto par with Hi-Lo and KO systems, and I find the unbalanced count is much easier for betting purposes in multi-deck games. The only negative point about the book I found was the lack of coverage on bankroll requirements, and concepts such as risk of ruin. But otherwise, I highly recommend this book for the beginner/intermediate blackjack player.

We had planned to go to Pensacola Beach and pass by the casino in Biloxi, MS this Labor Day weekend (9/1/03). I didn't know the game much so I decided to buy it on Amazon after reading the 3 earlier reviewers. We did pass by the casino as planned but our original plan didn't work out right; so we arrived very late. I played the game and I won $162 (after $8 tips) after 50 minutes on a $10 bet. It was about 2 am and my whole family was waiting for me so I have to leave. But I'm planning to go to Las Vegas this December. Of course, not just gamble but to also have fun since I have never been there before.

With the knowledge from the book, I felt very confident while playing the game. The book is easy to understand and very well written. Plus I was very good in math in high school and in college, so I understood the probability concept easily. It's a must have if you are going to play blackjack at the casino.

WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ IS THE TRUTH. TAKE ANY SYSTEM AND PLAY AT HOME, BY CASINO RULES. BASIC STRATEGY, KEEP THE COUNT, BETING, WHATEVER, YOU WILL NOT WIN. SUPRISE THERE IS MORE MONEY IN WRITING BOOKS ON BJ THAN PLAYING BLACKJACK. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT CASINOS ARE FRONTING THESE PUBLICATIONS, AFTER ALL THEY SELL SOME OF THEM IN THE GIFT SHOP. ANYWAY DON'T BELEIVE ME, JUST TRY YOUR FAVORITE BOOK OR SYSTEM AT HOME, IF YOU CAN'T WIN THERE YOU CAN'T WIN IN A CASIO. REMEMBER THEY WANT YOU TO STUDY FOR MONTHS BEFORE TRYING. AND IF YOU READ THORPS' BOOK, PLEASE READ THE PART WHERE HE LOST, AND NEVER PLAYED WITH HIS OWN MONEY.
I JUST SAVED YOU A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY! I WISH SOMEONE HAD DONE THE SAME FOR ME.

I have learned more about blackjack from the Bluebook than any other single source. Its basic strategy section is the most complete I have seen, and the follow up chapter brings many relevant fine points to light that I am sure most people never thought about. I think the book's various counting systems are instructive and easy to digest, particularly the Ace/10 Count and the KISS Count. I often refer to the Bluebook after playing a blackjack session, as it has become my personal reference source for building game knowledge.

I played plain basic strategy blackjack since forever. I had dabbled in card counting just enough to realize that it was too technical for me. Glancing at the KISS Count in Fred Renzey's book, it appeared much simpler to learn, and was. After using it once or twice a week for a full year, I had my first winning year ever. There's a big boost in confidence when you can usually anticipate what kind of cards to expect on the next hand. I've turned a huge corner in my game.

This is the first technical book on blackjack I was able to understand. Other books were either too basic to be helpful, or too complex to grasp. I feel I got a lot of new understanding from this book. It was very sensible and convincing in its effective writing style and examples. The author has a way with words. It got me to change the way I play.

For someone who is looking to progress beyond plain basic strategy, I thought the book was very helpful. Lots of "murky" so-called blackjack axioms that were just mental "sticky points" got clearly explained. The Ace/10 Front Count is just the kind of casual thing I was looking for to take my game up a level, without getting too serious. It is truly easy to use at the table, unlike the technical counting systems I have seen. Great book for polishing up one's game.

I purchased this and another book called Knock-out Blackjack in preparation for a Vegas trip. My main goal is to play socially and try to make my money last as long as possible. The first part of this book gave me a bunch of history of the game which is really not necessary. The section on strategy started about a third of the way into the book. Compare to K-O, the techniques were much more complex and why does it matter if a card is red or black?? The only that matters in blackjack is numbers, not the colors of the cards. I'd recommend K-O over this book for the average player.

For the player who is ready to venture into card counting, Bluebook II does a superb job of presenting and teaching how to do it. It has three grades of count systems, all illustrated in very clear detail; particularly the unbalanced KISS Count. That's so thoroughly done, I wouldn't be surprised if the KISS becomes a commonly used count system in the next couple of years.
The book also has a comprehensive basic strategy section with separate chart adjustments for various deck and rule variations, plus individual explanations of eight or nine hands that are typically misplayed, like 12 vs. 3, Ace/7 vs. 9, etc.
For blackjack players who ask me what book to read to move up from basic strategy to card counting, this has become my textbook of choice.

I liked the opening blackjack IQ test which grades your current level of knowledge. The book has a very complete basic strategy section including a multi-color hand playing chart, plus many typical problem hand explanations. It also has a unique chapter on fine points of the game that go beyond basic strategy without counting cards.
The card counting section begins with some downright casual methods, then progresses to mainstream and advanced type systems. The upgradable KISS Count looks similar to the KO count and is very clearly laid out, along with supporting performance data. In fact the whole book is presented in an easy to follow and thorough writing style.
In my humble opinion, it is an excellent modern textbook and reference guide for serious players.

I have purchased and read five BJ books. When I first bought this book I was still learning basic strategy and only after 3 yrs of basic strategy and understanding the game better was I able to truely appreciate this book. This book should be on every BJ players bookself. If you are just starting out then start here. Learn everything Renzy teach on basic strategy, then move on to KISS I. Once you have succeed these 2 steps, then and only then continue your education. Buy this before any other BJ book. This book has more meat in it than any other. Only half the book is worth many times its value. Its for the casual player and for the professional. Casual players and professionals do NOT need to buy anything else. If you suceed at learning KISS I, and I mean really learn it and apply it in casinos, then you can decide if you want to advance to KISS II/III or try KnockOut BJ or a different system. Start here and you won't regret it!

Great book, I found it very informative for the player who wants to play without serious counting. Renzey gives soild infromation on not only how to get to the next level, but gives super examples. His strategies are very convincing, and will give the intermediate players ways to think out of the box. The ace/10 count is so easy I can't wait to try it in June. Great reading Mr. Renzey. A must read even for the counters, several differant KISS methods covered. He is very funny as well, it is a great book.

I am a BJ player, and would consider that I know a great deal about strategy, counting etc. but I have not read this book. Why then am I reviewing it, as I obviously cannot comment on the content? Well, I've read the reviews! and what reviews! How can a book about BJ generate such amazing reviews, mainly from people who have not reviewed any other books. This book may or may not be good, but I'd recommend that you don't buy it based on these reviews. Furthermore I'd recommend that you don't buy it purely on the principle that this spam marketing stinks. There are plenty of 'proven' good BJ books out there, buy one of them.

I enjoy playing Blackjack for entertainment value as well as the chance to make a little cash. After mastering basic strategy, most experts leave you with card counting as the only way to further your game. I'm not a professional gambler, and have no inclination to become one. I've tried counting, and for me, it detracts from the enjoyment of playing the game.

Renzey offers solid, statistically valid options to improve a player's chances at the tables, and he does so at different levels of "committment" by the player. You can choose how much time you want to invest in study and practice, but even the simplest level helps to turn the odds toward your favor. Renzey's more advanced options begin to delve into the card counting realm, but are significantly easier and faster to learn. I find I can still enjoy the "play" as well as the "results."

Hands down, the best Blackjack book I've ever read.

I found this book very easy to read and understand. Great book for the beginning to intermediate counter. The KISS method is comprised of 3 levels, the first of which is very easy to use. As a beginning counter, I first tried to use the High-Low (H-L) method in Professional Blackjack, by Stanford Wong.

I found - as a beginner - that counting is not an easy chore, especially when in a casino. So, I tried a crash course in the basic version of the KISS method before heading to a casino and found it quite easy to use. It's a great tool for learning to count cards. Since then I have progressed into stage II of the KISS method and am finding it very easy to move forward (although this has only been on a simulator).

The KISS strategy has a couple of things going for it. For one, at the Stage I level you don't need to track nearly as many cards as the H-L, or other methods. Therefore, it's easier to stay on top of the count. And two, you begin your count on a fairly large, positive number. In H-L you're constantly bouncing back and forth across zero, going from negative to positive numbers. Tracking card counts is daunting enough without having to go from negative to postive numbers and back.

Last, it's still a big improvement over playing a basic strategy, as is any card counting methodology. Plus, you can improve your odds even more by progressing to Stages II and III, the latter of which has odds that are as favorable as the H-L.

I recommend this book if you're new to card counting or if you're an intermediate. It's much easier to read than Wong's book, although it's not as thorough. However, there's something to be said about simplicity.

There's not a week goes by where I pick up Blackjack Bluebook II and still reread pages of it even though I bought it over 2 years a go, it is for me my blackjack bible, its a rare book that covers the other stuff that there is in between basic strategy and card counting that a lot of books just don't bother to cover that can make a difference to your play, it simply tunes the readers head in to easy to follow steps, slowly increasing the difficulty in stages, in way I could get my head around it, that other books just did't do for me, I recomend it if your starting out on blackjack and only going to buy one blackjack book make it this one! take care and be lucky

Cheers

Colin

Renzey explains why you count only the red two's in the book. Either you didn't read this part or didn't bother to pay attention. This is one of the simplest books to read, just as easy as KO blackjack. To all other readers, this book will turn you from novice to advanced in weeks.

I thought I knew what blackjack was all about and that everybody else was the dummy. I played with that attitude for years, but still didn't win. I had skimmed thru other blackjack books before, but none caught my attention with such clear and sensible facts like this one did. It opened up my mind to thinking and playing in a way I didn't do before, and made a positive difference in my results since then.

Will I still be a winner next year and the year after? Time will tell, but I play with much more confidence now, realizing that I'm thinking and doing the right things. After a while you can actually see how that helps.

I have purchased a lot of blackjack books and played with a lot of systems. I totally enjoy getting different perspectives on strategies and trying them out at the casinos. The accumulation of tips in each book really helps. This book was great and explained some interesting strategies. Although I have played for a few years and have done a lot of counting, I basically gave it up when I found a progession strategy that actually worked at the real tables - none of this online stuff(can you trust them ?). For my money, this books ranks right up there with the dozens I have read. For an actual strategy that I found to work, and the only system I now use consistently, as in always, is the PRO-1 positive progression strategy in a book called High Stakes 21. It has been a while since I have read it, because I know the system already, but if you are gonna check out progresisons and are serious about winning and finding an easy to use - non counting method - then the highstakes21.com book is an amazing addition to your collection. I would only recommend it to those who take blackjack seriously though - because the author stresses blackjack as a business and not a game. Kind of the only way to look at blackjack. It's a short 88 pages with quizes and a bonus book for beginners, so you can learn the whole thing really fast - like in a few hours. The more we know, the more we can take from the casinos...right ?

For building a well rounded understanding of what blackjack is all about, I think this book does it about as good as any book can. The basic strategy part leaves no stone unturned in clarifying the reason for each play. Old standard myths are put to rest in a good clear way. A novel section on getting in on other player's hands makes you think about some new ways to get an advantage. Enough different ways to keep track of the cards are offered that any player should be able to find one to suit his tastes and ability. A pretty complete and informative package in my opinion.

When I bought this book several months ago, I read it
and didn't like it much. It seemed to be too bombastic,
with large, bold fonts and other unorthodox styles.
Serious blackjack books should be more scholarly.

After reading a handful of other BJ books, I returned
to Blackjack Bluebook to find some information, and
ended up reading it again. Gee, this isn't a bad book.
Some of this information is pretty good, and up-to-date.

Then while on vacation a couple weeks ago, I took along
a half-dozen BJ books to review, so I could pick a counting
strategy to learn. And Blackjack Bluebook again came in
very handy. Actually, Mr. Renzey's Mentor count is one of
the few counts on my short list to learn.

The best part of this book is that it starts off with the
very basic strategy(don't all BJ books?) and progresses
through easy, moderate, skilled and on to a professional
count. So you can choose how much you want to learn about
BJ, and pick the best method for you to challenge the casinos.
Let's face it, the casinos don't give money away. You have
to earn it. And, Blackjack Bluebook shows you the path to
profitable BJ play.

I love the way that this book breaks down strategy for the casual player all the way up to professional play and it explains it in a progressive manner so that one can see what level they are playing at in a clearly defined manner. I also found the book to be a quick read making it accessible to quickly finding what information you were looking for on a need to know basis.

I've read several books on blackjack and this is by far the best. I'm not one to take the time to write a review, but I am so overwhelmed with this book that I had to take a few moments to share my thoughts. Most of us already know the basics, but Renzy takes the reader into a deck of cards in an easy to understand view from the inside out. I learned more in one reading of his book than I have in five years of playing blackjack. Myths were exposed and wrong plays were corrected. I've had to unlearn several bad habits after reading this book. Thanks Fred Renzey!!!

Blackjack Bluebook 2 is one book that every blakcjack player should read. the simple language that mr Renzey uses ,makes it easy for the average person that doesn't want to spent time, to read the book. it has many strategies starting from the basic and going until advanced card counting. all of which are well explained. A must read book for everyone!

I've written very few reviews on Amazon but I thought it was worth my time to give back to Fred Renzey for his great book, Blackjack Bluebook II.

The fact is, the book reads like a high school textbook and that's a really good thing for people that really want to learn. It progressively starts with the basics, as well as simplest ways to tune your play and gradually evolves to more complex methods, going through more advanced strategy and intermediate modifications of play, all the way to a beginner's count. This evolves to an intermediate count and eventually an advanced count that rivals the capabilities of Hi Opt-II and Zen, all on the same foundation that Renzey started with.

What makes the book different from other books I've read is that:
1) It's readable. The book is almost conversational in nature. It's got just enough proof points in it without going all 'Grosjean' on you. (No offense to the mastermind that James Grosjean - another of my heros - is but I'm not the PhD Mathematician that he is, and I suspect, neither are you if you're reading this)
2) It explains why things are important, what the benefit is in terms of the 'percentage edge' you get with every concept you learn, and it gives you concrete visual examples/scenarios with pictures of hands, and a discussion of each.
3) It's evolutionary. Very rarely have I read a book that allows you to stop in the middle of the book and test your skills downstairs in the casino, then later read some more by the pool and learn additional tactics to evolve your game as you master the book's concepts.

What I also found very useful was the section rehearsing certain key hands versus dealer up-cards. Frankly, I think Fred Renzey should create a card deck of 'difficult hands' and sell them has 'flash cards' to people to learn and practice with. It's frankly better than dealing cards yourself on that Southwest flight into LAS. [grin]

I won't blow too much smoke up anyone's butts though: The section on Hand Interaction is a little much. I understand why he put it in there - after all, it appears to be the most opportunistic way to poach good hands at the table. But it takes a fair amount of balls to 'buy people's hands at the table' and 'fill up someone else's double down'. He advertises it as a differentiator for the book being that I'm sure he's correct that no one else has published much on this topic, but still, I don't consider this to be a real value: There's just too much superstition and too many barriers between players at the table to pull off some of the moves he recommends.

That being said, I think his KISS count is pretty damn cool and although I haven't mastered it and still play with another count, his numerical evidence for the strength of the Advanced version of KISS count relative to Uston or more conventional counts is impressive.

If you doubt the "student's text book" nature of Blackjack Bluebook II, consider that he dedicates a page or two to a list of bulletted 1-2 sentence summaries of every key point he's made at the end of each chapter. The only thing he's missing from making this ia true high school textbook is a "Test Your Knowledge" section where he quizzes you on important concepts after each section. [grin]

Renzey's chapter on "15 hands to play incorrectly to camouflage your intellect" has been invaluable. I've been trespassed from two casinos and drawn heat from the eye more times than I can imagine, and I've recently seen pit bosses "drop me as a concern" when I pulled a couple of these hands like a drunk conventioneer. I was just at the New York New York and I think they even thought I had a computer based on the shake I naturally have in my leg but the moment I doubled down on what looked to be a reckless hand and started to play some of these gems, they started to waive off the black suits.

I carry 3 Blackjack books with me whenever I go on a vacation or to Vegas and this is one of them. I consider Fred Renzey one of the people I would someday like to meet and shake hands with. Thank you for improving my play, Fred. Your book is worth much more than $16.50 on the basis of your authoring skills alone.

I've known Fred for many years and I can testify that this is a man who understands blackjack inside and out. He is a top notch player and his book is a must read for players interested in becoming more advanced in their knowledge. Whether you use his various count systems is not as important as understanding the proper approach to becoming an advantage player at this game - and Fred is an astute, intelligent advantage player. You cannot have too much knowledge at this game and a wealth of good reading experiences is good for you and bad for the casinos. Enjoy!

Frank Scoblete: Author of Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution!

Play basic strategy and count tens and aces. Thats about it but there is a lot more info on betting strategy. OK book at a good price. For the serious only. If your playing to have fun the basic strategy will do you fine with a lot less stress.

Interesting, readable book on the basics of advantage play. Few surprises but quality information. Renzey is a real no-nonsense author, though he could take some pointers from Scoblete's light-hearted writing styles.

It's not like I have never read a book on Blackjack. In fact, while not any kind of pro, I've been student of Blackjack for 35 years. I found this book to be disorganized and conflicting. The book said it was very simple, but in fact was not. Much of the material was unnecessary. The author made some mathematical asumptions that according to a mathematicain friend, is incorrect. In one part of the book, the author expresses one idea then contradicts it later. Difinately NOT recommended.

Be careful- the author's implication is that you can win money playing Blackjack. This is not true. None of the techniques described will cause you to win money. In any casino game (including Blackjack), you are mathematically guaranteed to lose money. Even if you temporarily have a short-term win for a day, that will be dwarfed by the law of averages, which guarantees you will lose that money (and then some) over time.

Been awhile? First timers? Refresher? Want to have fun like "Nick Pappagorgio"? This is your book.

What an amazing book. Very clear and to the point. Explains how to best play the game. Extremly easy to read and understand. A must read for everybody playng the game.

I read the reviews that gave this book only 1 star. I'm pretty sure those people either flew through the book, didn't know anything about blackjack before reading the book, or thought they were smart and could master blackjack in a day, or all three. For example, one reviewer says that he/she doesn't know which strategy to employ nor in what order to employ the strategies. Well, I have the book right here. The title of Chapter 6 is "What comes after Basic Strategy?" Well, I guess he skimmed the book so fast that he didn't even bother to look at the chapter titles. All in all, a person needs to be serious about learning and playing blackjack, or in my opinion, already know a little something about basic strategy. At the very least, go sit at some $5 tables and just get comfortable with the table environment. Stay away from continuous shufflers!

I own the book. It's a great starter card counting book. Renzey really lays out the core components of the game and the order content is almost flawless. However, you absolutely must take your time! I knew basic strategy to a "T" before I bought the book. Well, actually the book corrected me in some small details because I didn't know basic strategy changed given the rules of the table (e.g. dealer hits or stands on soft 17). Renzey comments on these variations starting on page 55. Even though I had been playing blackjack for years, I set the book aside right then (obviously keeping it close for reference) and spent at least two weeks mastering each variation! Again, take your time.

I then moved on to advanced plays and then to card counting. I've had the book for over a year and I still practice, practice, practice. I also re-read several key sections in the book. As for learning the KISS Count (Stage I), I again set the book aside and practiced for what I know was at least two months. I practiced until I NEVER messed the count up. Anyway, I decided to stop at the stage 3 KISS Count. I'm still trying to master the surrender deviations. The only part of the book I didn't care for was the explanation of "Board Composition." I did read it thoroughly, but I never practiced it. However, if you want to relax after each time your cards are dealt, this may be the way to go. If you have one of the seven hands discussed, all you have to do is scan the table to see what is out there. You may or may not change your action (e.g. hit instead of stand).

Finally, Renzey suggests reading all the books you can about blackjack. I'm taking that advice and that is why I am on Amazon today.

If you really plan to be a card counter, this may help, if you think it's easy to win a loy of money with card counting, this book will tell you it's not, and it's right. It shows the real numbers and real probabilities, real everything, it makes you think twice before you bet on a real blackjack table. It tell's you everything you need to know and if you practice a lot I'm sure you will get the skill level to beat the house. 5 stars because it is very very well explained and proven strategies even when I'm not able to memorize them. You get what they say.

This book is excellent. I am new to gambling, so it helps alot to read something that is clear and helpful. I thought you have to be a genius like the guy in 21 to count cards, but i now have a different opinion. The way the book is written, I think you have to have IQ under 100 to not understand the concepts..

Having read many of the more mathematical books about blackjack, I was surprised to find a few tips I hadn't seen elsewhere. One chapter dispells some of the common myths. Though definitely aimed at the beginning or casual player, the book describes the principles of advantage play in a simple and clear way. It may encourage the casual player to elevate his or her play. Pleasantly written.

I recently discovered online Blackjack and wanted to review/learn some new tips for winning strategies. Thankfully, this book not only provides great basics for getting that winning edge, but without even mentioning online Blackjack, this book clearly laid out why it isn't a good investment to play online Blackjack. Stick to the casinos, read this book, and grab that winning edge.

Good book for beginning BJ player b/c it delves into basic strategy and gives you easy ways to remember stuff. I found the content insightfull and interesting although I didn't get to put his advanced ideas into practice because I'm still working on memorizing the basic strategy chart. I recommend it regardless of your current skill level.

Although I rarely go to the casinos, I went a few times over the past several weeks and was intrigued by the game of blackjack. I'll never be more than a casual player, but even if I play occasionally, I want to know how to decrease the house edge and potentially gain a small edge. Blackjack Bluebook II is a great book for the beginner and intermediate player. Here is why I found it useful:

It dispels myths that many seasoned players believe are true (I have seen this in practice many times at the table, even on my few recent excursions to AC).

If you don't know basic strategy yet, it gives you the proper charts.

For players that know basic strategy, it give you the knowledge to know when to deviate from the strategy to narrow the house edge.

For players that want to try and gain a small edge, it gives you several "counting" techniques... from a very basic one that is easy to implement and give you, I think, about a 0.08% edge--- to full blown systems that could give you around a 0.65-0.70 edge.

What I like about the book is that it move you along from understanding the game, to understanding basic strategy, to improving your game and finally to turning the tables on the house.

One of the things that impressed me was that the book was not full of hype. It didn't lead you to believe that you would make a killing by following these techniques. In fact, it consistantly reminded you that this was a long term strategy to gain a slight edge and was still, in the end, gambling.

I was hoping for some clear guidance on how to approach black jack. Do you learn basic strategy first and then move to hand composition or card counting and how many moves do you have to relearn if you switch strategies?

The book is not well organized and I agree that the information is confusing. I have a strong mathematical background and I only suspect that some assumptions in the book are not sound. One confusing example is that the author has different rules for different suits. But I'm 100% sure that the suits don't play any role in the outcome of the game, because all suits have the same values.

This book is highly not recommended.

Renzy does provide some material that was new to me, but the counting system that he discusses is somewhat weak. Still a good book for a beginner to intermediate player.

Fred Renzy is not only an avid Blackjack player, but a math and computer whizkid! I am not! However, he didn't lose me in this book. He kept it easy to understand. I also appreciated the fact that he was honest in explaining that Blackjack is a difficult game to get the edge at. It's not as easy as the movie makes it out to be. Nevertheless, he inspried me to play on, after reading his book.

For a player who has learned basic strategy and is looking to take their game to the next level this book can't be beat. The presentation of the counting strategies is well laid out and reading this book will help the player understand the game and wisely choose a strategy based on his/her strengths.

I would recomend reading this book and getting the "Real Deal Blackjack: Learn to Count" software. http://www.realdealblackjack.com and you will be on your way to becoming a winning player.

I love the game, and i enjoyed this book. I would also recommend, Gregorian Strategy for multiple deck blackjack.

I've been using Renzey's KISS III count for several years because it is the simplest, most accurate card counting system that I have come across. While this system cannot guarantee that you will be a winner it can guarantee to tell you when you actually have the advantage against the dealer and when to start placing your blood pressure-rising monster bets. Lady luck may not always be on your side but the KISS count will.

The last reviewer of this book missed the reason why the unbalanced KISS counting system has different values for different suits. I keep a count of the black 2s, but not the red 2s as the system suggests. I could even count the red 2s and not the black 2s if I wanted to to accomplish the same thing. At first this seemed strange to me as well but it is much easier than counting each 2 as 1/2 point. (I have tried) It is this counting of only half of the 2s which gauges the advantage or disadvantage to the player at all points in the shoe. It is an old simplification trick that Mr. Renzey has adapted to his KISS count, and it works.

I highly recommend this book for providing a simplified yet very accurate counting system that is very user-friendly. Now if I could only get lady luck on my side.

Its a great book for beginners too read it before i left for vegas and it gave me a great understanding of the game

Thomas Meier "thegerman" writes "One confusing example is that the author has different rules for different suits." Not so-the author does NOT have different rules for different suits. The black deuces are counted as a +1 while the red deuces are ignored. This does not constitute different rules for different suits. The KISS count is an unbalanced count. You keep a running count and there is no need to divide your running count by the number of decks left in play. The KISS system unbalances its count with the black deuce. This is the "automatic feature" mentioned in the book. I have personally used the KISS count for several years now in real casino play and it surely is a winner! I highly recommend this book if you like the idea of winning money at the casinos!

WELL EXPLAINED FOR ME WHO IS A NOVICE, AND I HAVE USED THE IDEAS IN PRACTICE WITH GOOD RESULTS.

I've read a ton of blackjack books and learned something from each of them. Fred Renzeys' Blackjack Bluebook II takes you from novice to Advantage Player! What other book can make that claim? I wholeheartedly believe that if I had paid $500.00 for my copy of Blackjack Bluebook II it would have been the best bargain I ever got! I used to play using a Progressive betting system,sometimes I'd win,usually I'd lose. Now I use Kiss III from Freds' book and I win and win!!! It's so cool to count and KNOW when the shoe has lots of big cards in it! WAY COOL! Best of luck to all!

Renzy clearly knows and loves the game of Blackjack. Even if you are not interested in counting his explanation of Basic strategy and "advanced" basic Strategy is priceless.
The writing style is smooth. It is as if a friend is writing to you. I recommend it highly.
I would have given another star if the author had an accompanying web site, where questions could be asked and answered.