Blackjack is a simple card game, yet it has inspired a huge number of books that look into its history, strategies, and different ways of playing.
Which of the most popular books about blackjack should you read?
The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book – Lance Humble
The title gives this book a lot to live up to, and the updated versions now sold online certainly covers a lot of ground. It is described as being the most comprehensive guide to blackjack ever sold and while that it is debatable, there is no doubt that it gives you plenty of information. Among the highlights is a look at the Hi-Opt betting system, which is a card counting approach that can be adapted to deal with the different rules you will come across in casinos across the planet.
The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book also looks at issues such as how to pick a casino to play in, how to choose a blackjack table by dealer, and how to avoid being banned by casinos once you start winning. It may be quite a heavy read for a newcomer, but reading it in chunks will let you process all of the details more easily.
Blackjack Bluebook II: The Simplest Winning Strategies Ever Published – Fred Renzey
This is a solid choice of blackjack book for a newcomer who wants to get started as simply as possible on the game. The current version on sale has updates from 2017, so it is fairly recent. It has a large section on basic strategy, letting you see exactly how you should play each hand that you are dealt.
The updated parts cover areas such as side bets and insurance, which have become more important in recent years thanks to the growth in blackjack online games. It is also good to see a section that shows how you can sometimes go against basic strategy in certain situations., as well as a part that covers what to do with the most difficult hands you might be dealt.
Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One – Edward O. Thorp
With over a million copies of this book said to be in print, the success of Beat the Dealer can’t be denied. Like many of the top blackjack books, the aim is to let us see how to improve our chances of winning at the game.
The author is an American mathematics professor who did a lot of work on probability theory that led to him becoming a respected blackjack researcher. This book starts off with a gentle introduction to the classic card game before looking at a variety of strategies that can be used to win at it.
The Theory of Blackjack: The Compleat Card Counter’s Guide to the Casino Game of 21 by Peter A. Griffin
This is another hugely popular book on blackjack that it is well worth taking a look at. It takes a mathematical approach, looking at the numbers involved in the game and how the basic strategy approach works.
However, as the name suggests this is also a manual to help you get to grips with the concept of card counting. This controversial blackjack system has proved massively successful for a lot of players and you get a full explanation of how it works in this book.
Blackbelt in Blackjack: Playing 21 As a Martial Art by Arnold Snyder
The interesting difference between this book and others based on blackjack is that it takes the card game and looks at it as a sort of martial art. While you might never have thought of it like this before, it is certainly an interesting way of viewing the game that could help some players.
It probably isn’t the ideal book for a newcomer to blackjack, as it is written for the benefit of experienced players who want to take their game up to the next level. Anyone who is serious about trying to make money by winning more often at blackjack might think it is worth taking a look at, though.
Burning the Tables in Las Vegas: Keys to Success in Blackjack and in Life – Ian Andersen
This 2002 book is the follow-up to the mid-1970s title Turning the Tables on Las Vegas, which proved to be hugely influential. The long gap between his books and the fact that we know little about Andersen means that he is a mysterious sort of figure on the blackjack scene.
It is thought that he was a professional card-counter who started to hide his identity after being barred from many casinos for being so successful. This book looks at a way of winning at card games that combines math with mental and physical tips. It covers a lot of ground and gives an interesting look at the lengths some people will go to when they want to win money.