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Sellers of phony gambling systems often require customers to sign non-disclosure contracts promising never to show the gambling system to anyone else. Does this apply to getting an opinion of the gambling system from a gambling authority?

Gambling Systems: Big Secrets



SCAMS, CONS, AND PHONY SYSTEMS : CONTENTS
One Million Roulette Experts: A Swami Pastrami Parable on Winners' Testimonials By Arnold Snyder
Comic Book Blackjack Systems By Arnold Snyder
Non-Random Shuffle Systems By Arnold Snyder
Gambling Systems' 'Big Secrets' By Arnold Snyder
Psychic Gambling Systems By Arnold Snyder
Articles about David McDowell's Blackjack Ace Prediction:
McDowell's Folly: Serious Mistakes in Blackjack Math and Methodology in David McDowell's Blackjack Ace Prediction By Arnold Snyder
Convexing Calculations for McDowell's Blackjack Ace Prediction Book, or--I'm Sorry By ETFan
Errata in McDowell's Errata: Problems with Fundamental Blackjack Math in Blackjack Ace Prediction By Arnold Snyder
Post Regarding Snyder's Comments on Blackjack Ace Prediction By ETFan
David McDowell's Blackjack Ace Prediction: A False Key to Ace Sequencing By Radar O'Reilly
Mistakes in False Key Probability in David McDowell's Blackjack Ace Prediction and Corrections of McDowell's Win Rate Estimate By Radar O'Reilly
Further Corrections of Ace Prediction Math By S. Yama
Player Alert: More Problems with the False Key Probability in McDowell’s Blackjack Ace Prediction By Arnold Snyder
Letter from Steve Forte about Blackjack Ace Prediction
Letter from Bill Zender about Blackjack Ace Prediction
Other Gambling Cons and Scams
Reach Out and Fleece Someone By Arnold Snyder
Flipped By Dunbar
New Blackjack, Same Old Baloney: Review of E. Clifton Davis' NBJ System By Arnold Snyder with commentary by Boardwalker
Articles about Jerry Patterson and the TARGET System
Patterson Bars Snyder from TARGET By Arnold Snyder (Coming soon)
Off Target By Arnold Snyder
I Saw It With My Own Eyes By Arnold Snyder
Review of Break the Dealer, by Jerry L. Patterson and Eddie Olsen By Arnold Snyder
Response to Arnold Snyder's Review of Break the Dealer By Jerry Patterson
Snyder's Response to Patterson's Response to Snyder's Review of Break the Dealer By Arnold Snyder
Articles about Leonard Benson and the Power Numbers Blackjack System
John Leib Challenges Leonard Benson By Arnold Snyder and John Leib
Leonard Benson Takes the Challenge By John Leib
22 Hours of Leonard Benson's Power Numbers Blackjack System By John Leib

COMPUTER POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!
FROM ET FAN:

Best Casino Bonuses Online

Big Secrets
By Arnold Snyder
(From Card Player July 1992)
© Arnold Snyder 1992

Question from a Reader: I purchased a blackjack system through the mail about six months ago. It was very expensive, and in order to obtain it I had to sign a contract stating that I would never disclose the system to anyone else, and that I would never show the materials I received to any other blackjack system seller. The advertising materials made a big issue of the fact that some other system seller might try to steal this system, and that the author would prosecute any purchaser who revealed his secrets to competitors. After six months of losing with this system, I feel I’ve been had. I would like to get a professional opinion on whether or not this system has any value, but how can I get an opinion if I can’t even show this system to anyone else?

Answer: You’ve been had, in my opinion. Over the years I’ve seen photocopies of about a dozen different systems which had been sold with some kind of binding contract stating that the purchaser would never reveal the system to anyone else, and in every case thus far, my opinion has been that the system was worthless. My cynical opinion of the secrecy contract is that its sole purpose is to keep you from obtaining a professional opinion, not to keep unscrupulous system peddlers from stealing the system.

There are very few blackjack books or systems that have been published in the past decade that I haven’t had a chance to examine. Most authors send me their books for review. Those systems that aren’t sent to me by the authors or publishers are usually sent to me by players who want to know my professional opinion. Secrecy contract or not, I think just about everything published on blackjack crosses my desk eventually.

Some system sellers write long treatises on how you will be violating international copyright laws if you photocopy their materials. You’ll be investigated by the FBI, the CIA, the Federal Trade Commission . . . This is nonsense.

The copyright laws are written to protect authors and publishers from losing income. If you are photocopying something for the purpose of obtaining a professional opinion from an expert in that field, you are not violating copyright laws. You’re not selling the photocopies for any personal gain, nor are you in any way affecting the copyright owner’s income from his sale of his work.

Signing a contract not to disclose information is something else again. I’m no attorney, and I’m not going to get into my understanding of the validity of inane contracts. My advice to anyone who is required to sign a secrecy contract in order to purchase a gambling system is simple. Don’t do it. The system is probably worthless. The system seller is probably trying to keep you from obtaining honest expert opinions. The system seller probably doesn’t care if the secrecy contract you signed is valid, so long as the check you signed is. ♠

For more information on blackjack systems and genuine professional gambling techniques, see the Blackjack Forum Professional Gambling Library

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Winners' Testimonials Aren't Proof That a Gambling System Works
Over the short run, every gambling system, no matter how phony, will have some winners due to sheer flux (good luck). And even over longer periods, every gambling system, no matter how phony, will have a lucky someone or two who beat the odds and won. Arnold Snyder explains why winners' testimonials do not mean that a gambling system will work for the many over the long run, including for you.