The following represents our version of the top 15 blackjack books of all time ( we've actually read all of these and many others ). Some are appropriate for beginners and some are for serious advantage players. Others on the list are a full treatise on the game for novices to pros. Brief descriptions including authors and applications are included. Links are included for further descriptions and purchases.
Some of these books were first published long ago, but most of their uses and applications still apply for today's games. The forerunners of the game and their works provided a foundation for future players and researchers to expand and devise more accurate and / or player-friendly systems.
These books all tout the appropriate MATH of the game conducive to playing the game as it should be played. None of these works promote progressive betting systems as a sole means to beat blackjack, because those systems simply do not work over the long haul.
The first 6 books are all great texts for novice players, while entries 7 through 15 delve more deeply into theory, card - counting systems, cover plays, and other aspects of advantage play.
1.
The World's Greatest Blackjack Book by Lance Humble and Carl Cooper ; Despite the somewhat vain title , this entry is suitable for beginners as it provides a good basic introduction to game description, rules, odds, and strategies. It also addresses card counting (mostly one system) in a readable format. This book offers broad coverage of the game.
2.
Bootlegger's 200 Proof Blackjack by Mike Turner ; This is a great A - Z blackjack book and is quite suitable for new players, though it delves into some of the finer points of advantage play.
3.
Basic Blackjack by Stanford Wong ; This book is a comprehensive guide to blackjack basic strategy and rule variations. Great book for new players authored by a renowned blackjack theorist and player.
4.
Best Blackjack by Frank Sclobete ; Another good A - Z book suitable for novice players, though card counting is covered as well.
5.
Winning Blackjack For The Serious Player by Edwin Silberstang ; Good introduction to the game with broad coverage including importance of true counts in advantage play betting.
6.
Fundamentals of 21 by Mason Malmuth & Lynne Loomis ; A good introductory work including basic strategies and an introduction to the Hi - Lo counting method.
7.
Beat The Dealer by Edward O Thorp ; Landmark classic blackjack book that provided the first publicly available card counting strategy allowing players to beat the game. This book turned the Vegas casinos on their ears and eventually paved the way for blackjack to become the most popular table game in the world. This work is a must read for any serious blackjack player because of it's historical importance.
8.
Professional Blackjack by Stanford Wong ; Classic book authored by a classic player and theorist that is likely the best available reference on the popular Hi - Lo card counting system.
9.
Blackjack For Blood by Bryce Carlson ; Successful big - stakes player's methods and systems to beat the casinos is offered. Thorough descriptions of the Omega II counting system and related betting strategies are provided.
10.
Modern Blackjack - An Illustrated Guide to Blackjack Advantage Play by Norm Wattenberger ; This free online book covers the gamut of advantage play methods and is an excellent recent resource. Can't beat the price, either.
11.
Blackjack Attack, 3rd Edition by Don Schlesinger ; This work has evolved into a bonafide professional blackjack player's math bible. This recognized player - author is noted for statistical use and perfection as elements for advanced players application to beat the game. The author is known as the developer of the Illustrious 18 strategy / betting variation system which is thoroughly described in this classic work. Many pros use this as a mainstay reference.
12.
Burning the Tables in Las Vegas by Ian Andersen ; The author is considered one of the top blackjack players of all time based on play results (winning money ). The core theme in this work is application of cover plays and camouflage for advantage players which can directly contribute to their survival playing under today's casino conditions.
13.
The Big Book of Blackjack by Arnold Snyder ; This book lives up to it's subtitle claim..."Everything you've ever wanted to know about blackjack". There's some interesting blackjack history, description and application of the author's Red Seven count, team play, alternate blackjack game strategies, and much more. The author is a well known and respected blackjack authority.
14.
The Theory of Blackjack by Peter Griffin ; Players interested in the mathematics behind blackjack play methods will appreciate this book. It's considered a classic regarding some of the early statistical work for basic strategy and card counting systems.
15.
Blackjack Bluebook II by Fred Renzey ; This book is another A - Z blackjack book, but provides some interesting yet sound twists on the game and advantage play. Entry (KISS) and advanced (Mentor) level card counting systems are presented and the author delivers a very readable text with hit - home descriptions.
The above is certainly not a complete list of all the better blackjack texts available but these are our picks. Two others that should be mentioned here are
Knockout Blackjack (by Olaf Vancura and Ken Fuchs ) and
Playing Blackjack Like the Pros by Kevin Blackwood. A complete list of blackjack books and resources can be found at this
Gambler's Book Shop link.
Cheers...
Chuck60
Header image courtesy Ppntori, Wiki Commons public domain licensure
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