In every pub in every town unspoken stories lie beneath the surface.

Each week, six women meet at The Bluebell Inn. They form an unlikely and occasionally triumphant ladies darts team. They banter and jibe, they laugh. But their hidden stories of love and loss are what, in the end, will bind them.

There is Mary, full of it but cradling her dark secret; Lena - young and bold, she has made her choice; the cat woman who must return to the place of her birth before it's too late. There's Maggie, still laying out the place for her husband; and Pegs, the dark-eyed girl from the travellers' site bringing her strangeness and first love. And Katy: unappreciated. Open to an offer.

They know little of each other's lives. But here they gather and weave a delicate and sustaining connection that maybe they can rely on as the crossroads on their individual paths threaten to overwhelm.

With humanity and insight, Kit Fielding reveals the great love that lies at the heart of female friendship.

Raw, funny and devastating, all of life can be found at the Bluebell.

LEARN THE SECRETS OF THE TILES

Pai Gow Tiles is "the thinking person's casino game." It's played in casinos throughout the United States, including places like Las Vegas, New Jersey, and California. Exotic and engaging, it combines skill and luck and-for the knowledgeable player, Pai Gow is also one of the fairest games offered in casinos and cardrooms. It may seem mysterious at first, but you'll soon see that the game is actually pretty "simple to learn, challenging to master, fun and sociable, and a great table game for preserving your bankroll." In 1981, Michael Musante was Supervisor of Oriental Games at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas when he self-published a little book entitled Pai Gow - Chinese Dominoes. It was the first English-language book to comprehensively explain the game. In fact "the Musante House Way"-based on the first edition-is the foundation for the house way in many casinos. After 30 years, that book is acknowledged as a gaming classic with some online sellers asking hundreds of dollars for a used copy. This book revisits the original edition and contains extensive updates, all-new graphics, and additional insights into this ancient game. You'll get an outstanding introduction to the lore, rules, and strategy of Pai Gow and a variety of tips and techniques for mastering the tiles. Also included are several suggestions to improve your play, as well as "a first-of-its-kind chapter on how to memorize the order of the tiles." With this book and a bit of practice, you'll be able to play intelligently and with confidence

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael J. Musante is considered one of the foremost authorities on the game of Pai Gow in the United States. He was instrumental in establishing the first "legal" game of Pai Gow in California at the Huntington Park Casino. He trained the dealers, supervisors and surveillance personnel for Pai Gow at the Casino de Quebec in Hull. He also was an expert witness for the County of Los Angeles in a case involving the legality of Pai Gow in California. Mr. Musante has been in and around the gaming industry for the last forty years. He has worked in three major resort areas of Nevada: Lake Tahoe, Reno, and Las Vegas. He has dealt and supervised every game offered in a casino including "21," Craps, Roulette and Baccarat and was also one of the first Occidentals to have ever dealt the game of Pai Gow in a North American gaming establishment.

Take control of your habit and your life! Struggling with a gambling habit? If you feel that a 'flutter' has evolved into something out of your control, this indispensable book is for you. This self-help manual uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques, aspects of which were pioneered by clinical psychologist Professor Alex Blaszczynski, and now used all over the world, to help with gambling addiction. It will help you to understand how your own gambling problem has developed and what is keeping it going; also, crucially, how to develop the motivation to stop and control any future urges to gamble again. This fully revised and updated new edition takes into account the growth of sport betting and the increased ease of online gambling, as well improvements in clinical interventions. Specifically, you will learn: * Who is put at risk by gambling, with support given to friends and families * Step-by-step recovery techniques OVERCOMING self-help guides use clinically proven techniques to treat long-standing and disabling conditions, both psychological and physical. Many guides in the Overcoming series are recommended under the Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme. Series Editor: Professor Peter Cooper

Calculated Bets describes a gambling system that works. Steven Skiena, a jai-alai enthusiast and computer scientist, documents how he used computer simulations and modeling techniques to predict the outcome of jai-alai matches and increased his initial stake by 544% in one year. Skiena demonstrates how his jai-alai system functions like a stock trading system, and includes examples of how gambling and mathematics interact in program trading systems, how mathematical models are used in political polling, and what the future holds for Internet gambling. With humor and enthusiasm, Skiena explains computer predictions used in business, sports, and politics, and the difference between correlation and causation. An unusual presentation of how mathematical models are designed, built, and validated, Calculated Bets also includes a list of modeling projects with online data sources. Steven Skiena, Associate Professor of Computer Science at SUNY Stony Brook, is the author of The Algorithm Design Manual (Springer-Verlag, 1997) and the EDUCOM award-winning Computational Discrete Mathematics. He is the recipient of the ONR Young Investigator's Award and the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching at Stony Brook. His research interests include discrete mathematics and its applications, particularly the design of graph, string, and geometric algorithms.

This is the story of a man who went from Yorkshire mill worker to Monte Carlo millionaire. Amongst the men 'who broke the bank at Monte Carlo', Joseph Hobson Jagger is unique. He is the only one known to have devised an infallible and completely legal system to defeat the odds at roulette and win a fortune. But he was not what might be expected. He wasn't a gentleman or an aristocrat, he wasn't a professional gambler, he was a Yorkshire textile worker who had laboured in the Victorian mills of Bradford since childhood. What led a man like this to travel nearly a thousand miles to the exclusive world of the Riviera when most people lived and died within a few miles of where they were born? The trains that took him there were still new and dangerous, he did not speak French and had never left the north of England. His motivation was strong. Joseph, his wife and four children, the youngest of whom was only two, faced a situation so grave that their only escape seemed to be his desperate gamble on the roulette tables of Monte Carlo. Today Jagger's legacy is felt in casinos worldwide and yet he is virtually unknown. Anne Fletcher is his great-great-great niece and in this true-life detective story she uncovers how he was able to win a fortune, what happened to his millions and why Jagger should now be regarded as the real 'man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo'.

In 1956 two Bell Labs scientists discovered the scientific formula for getting rich. One was mathematician Claude Shannon, neurotic father of our digital age, whose genius is ranked with Einstein's. The other was John L. Kelly Jr., a Texas-born, gun-toting physicist. Together they applied the science of information theory--the basis of computers and the Internet--to the problem of making as much money as possible, as fast as possible.
Shannon and MIT mathematician Edward O. Thorp took the "Kelly formula" to Las Vegas. It worked. They realized that there was even more money to be made in the stock market. Thorp used the Kelly system with his phenomenonally successful hedge fund, Princeton-Newport Partners. Shannon became a successful investor, too, topping even Warren Buffett's rate of return. "Fortune's Formula "traces how the Kelly formula sparked controversy" "even as it made fortunes at racetracks, casinos, and trading" "desks. It reveals the dark side of this alluring scheme, which is" "founded on exploiting an insider's edge.
""
Shannon believed it was possible for a smart investor to beat" "the market--and "Fortune's Formula "will convince you that he was right.

Is this the right book for me? Do you want to make smart choices and win at the track? Whether you are a novice better or an experienced punter, it has all the tips and advice to help you spot a winner and enjoy this popular national pastime. This new edition has been been brought right up-to-date with interactive features. It explains not only such basics as the form and the nature of the races, but will also explain in full where to bet, how to bet, and how to do so successfully. It offers full and unique coverage of the latest phenomena, such as internet betting, online betting exchanges and spread betting. It also gives you vital tips in addition to providing practical information on how to avoid credit card fraud and how to make a successful selection. Back a Winning Horse includes: Chapter 1: Horse racing Origins of horse racing Thoroughbred horses Types of racing Grading of racing Handicaps Conditional races Gambling on horse racing A day at the races Owning a racehorse Racing around the world Chapter 2: Racecourse betting On-course bookmakers Tote betting Pari-mutuel Bookmaking Understanding the odds Factors affecting prices Placing a tote bet Chapter 3: Betting shops Types of price Disadvantages of using a betting shop Writing a bet Bookmakers' rules Types of bet Chapter 4: Remote betting Internet betting Types of internet betting Types of bet How bets are matched Ordering odds How to bet Spread betting Playing safe Telephone betting Chapter 5: Making your selection Factors you can assess Factors you cannot assess Gathering information Systems Effect of the draw at British and Irish racecourses Chapter 6: Betting tips Be aware of rules Appreciate your chances of winnin How bookmakers make a profit Keep records of your gambling Set a budget Staying in control Take account of all costs Be selective Take your time Maximize returns Be realistic How bookmakers try to make you spend more money Ground Type of race Betting on handicap races Number of runners Backing favourites Take the best price Making the best bet Betting each way Bets to avoid Placing large bets Big winners Steamers Collecting winnings Betting exchanges Hedging Dutching Syndicate betting Chapter 7: Checking results and calculating winnings Checking results Disputes with bookmakers Calculating winnings Using a ready reckoner Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and interactive features: Not got much time? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. Author insights Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience. Test yourself Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. Extend your knowledge Extra online articles to give you a richer understanding of the subject. Five things to remember Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. Try this Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

THE DEFINITIVE BOOK ON DICE GAMES

World-renowned game designer Reiner Knizia has written the absolute classic on dice games and strategies. Straightforward and easy-to-read, this little gem gives detailed instructions, comprehensive odds, and insightful strategies on nearly 150 dice games and variations-several of which appear only within these pages

Topics covered include: Betting games - Including casino favorites where a little knowledge can give you a distinct advantage...or at least minimize your disadvantages
Bluffing games - Your ability to use psychology and persuade other players is often more important than your actual throw
Category Games - Use strategy to achieve specific results and be the first complete and win the game.
Lucky Scoring Games - In these games chance and fate have the upper hand...but knowing your odds never hurts.
Progression and Jeopardy Games - Play wisely and successively improve your score while minimizing your risk of losing everything
."..and much, much more "

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Reiner Knizia is one of the world's most successful and prolific game designers of all times. He has had more than 500 games and books published in many countries and languages with sales totaling over 15 million games. He has won numerous international awards including five German Game Prizes, two German Game of the Year Awards, the German Education Game Award, four Austrian Game Awards, the Swiss Game Award, three French Grand Prix du Jouet, the Spanish Game of the Year Award, the Dutch Game of the Year Award, three Finnish Game of the Year Awards, the Swedish Game of the Year Award, the Danish Game of the Year Award and the Japan Board Game Prize.

Almost everyone is familiar with Monte Carlo's association with gambling, and its famous Casino. Many may also have come across the Monte Carlo fallacy, so-called after the Casino's roulette wheel ball fell on black 26th times in a row, costing players, who believed that the law of averages made such streaks impossible, millions of dollars. However, the Casino also lends its name to a tool of statistical forecasting, the Monte Carlo simulation, used to model the probability of uncertain outcomes that cannot be easily predicted from mathematical equations. This book provides a detailed account for how aspiring sports bettors can use a Monte Carlo simulation to improve the quality, and hopefully profitability, of their betting, and in doing so unravels the mystery of probability and variance that lies at the heart of all gambling.

Betting on Horse Racing For Dummies is packed with information that teaches you the ins and outs of the racetrack. You'll learn how to improve your odds, avoid common betting mistakes, and just plain have fun at the races. This is a spectator's easy-to-understand guide, so you'll have no trouble identifying the racing breeds with their strengths and weaknesses, sizing up the jockey, understanding the importance and role of a trainer, placing bets, managing money, and beyond. Can't make it to the track? No worries! You'll get the scoop on online betting with off track betting sites and apps. This update covers the latest changes in the betting world and in the racing world, so you'll know just what you're wagering. Learn about the different types of horse racing Discover and identify the best racing breeds Know your jockeys and trainers Make smart wagers and manage your funds For beginning betters, Betting on Horse Racing For Dummies is your ticket to well informed wagers and a winning edge. Already know the ropes? You'll love the market trends and insider tips you'll find inside.

What are the odds against winning the Lottery, making money in a casino, or backing the right horse? Every day, people make judgements on these matters and face other decisions that rest on their understanding of probability: buying insurance, following medical advice, carrying an umbrella. Yet many of us have a frightening ignorance of how probability works. Taking Chances presents an entertaining and fascinating exploration of probability, revealing traps and fallacies in the field. It describes and analyses a remarkable variety of situations where chance plays a role, including football pools, the Lottery, TV games, sport, cards, roulette, coins, and dice. This new edition has been fully updated, and includes information on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and "The Weakest Link", plus a new chapter on Probability for Lawyers.