Here are the Best Blackjack Books
There are dozens and dozens of Blackjack books and you can easily spend several hundred dollars buying them all. Blackjack strategy has attracted many authors over the years.
Fortunately, we've done the research for you and list below what are our reviews of the best books available, in our opinion, on Blackjack.
Whether you're a beginning Blackjack player who wants to develop intermediate skills, or an intermediate player who wants to develop advanced skills, you will find excellent Blackjack books in this selection.
If you decide to purchase one of these excellent Blackjack books, we would very much appreciate your comments and feedback about it. Please send it to us at: reviews
"Beat the Dealer" by Edward O. Thorp
This is it! The grandfather of all Blackjack books. Edward O. Thorp is the man
who invented card counting and his book, while 40 years old now, is still the definitive
guide to basic strategy in Blackjack. While his counting method is challenging to learn,
his book is a must read for everyone who hopes to be a serious Blackjack player. If you
have any doubts as to the mathematical accuracy of card counting as a method to beat the
casinos at Blackjack, you won't after reading Thorp's book. But just be sure to read our
"Advanced Strategy" section to learn how to avoid being detected!
"Professional Blackjack" by Stanford Wong
One of the best, if not the best, all around Blackjack books. Stanford Wong (which,
by the way, is in all probability an alias) is one of the top Blackjack players in the
country, although not as flamboyant a marketer of his methods as, say, a Ken Uston.
Wong gives data and charts for almost any variation of Blackjack you will find and an in
depth review of the different card counting methods. If you want a deep understanding of
the game, and if you plan to become a serious player, you need to add "Professional
Blackjack" to your library.
"Blackjack Bluebook II: the simplest winning strategies ever published" by Fred Renzey
Blackjack Bluebook is one of the best Blackjack books for the beginning to intermediate player. The author is a
gambling columnist for the Daily Herald in Chicago, so he knows how to write (unlike
many other Blackjack book authors) and it show. One of the things we like most about
the book is the simplified counting strategies that do not require advanced card counting
skills to use. We particularly like the simplified Ace/ten count that can be mastered by
almost anyone. He also covers some strategies that do not depend on card counting and
which we've never seen in other books. All in all, this is an excellent book to take you
from a rank beginner all the way up to an accomplished player.
"Best Blackjack" by Frank Scoblete
In addition to being a solid Blackjack manual, Frank Scoblete's "Best Blackjack" is one
of the most entertaining of all the Blackjack books. His stories about gambling
in both Atlantic City and Las Vegas give a realistic feel for what casino gambling is
really like. His methods, like most methods, use card counting and basic strategy, but he
explains them without complicated graphs and tables and uses a more narrative style that
is easy to understand. His book is best for those who want to become very competent
intermediate players.
"Theory of Blackjack, 6th Edition" by Peter Griffin
This is THE book for the expert Blackjack player. It very thoroughly gives the mathematical theories behind basic strategy and card counting and will enable you to evaluate the many blackjack counting systems. The mathematical models will also help give you an edge when playing in online casinos. It’s ideal for those who really want to understand what it takes to be an expert card counter and will help you modify your methods for the different rules in different casinos. Bottom line: once you become an expert, this book will help take you to the next level.
"Winning Casino Blackjack for the non-counter" by Avery Cardoza
Another of the excellent Blackjack books for the beginning Blackjack player. It very clearly and
concisely explains basic strategy, betting and money management, and other
fundamentals you'll need to know to begin winning at casino Blackjack. The strategy
explanations and charts are among the easiest to read and understand that we've seen. If
you are already an intermediate to advanced player (in other words, you know basic
strategy backwards and forwards and have some card counting knowledge) you will not
learn much new from this book. But if you are just starting out, or want a refresher on
the basics, this book is a must to have in your library.
"Beginner to Pro" by Stephen Mead
One of the rare Blackjack books that really does accomplish what it title suggests. It can be used by the beginning
Blackjack player all the way up to the pro. It gives a bit of history (just a bit!) and then
gives excellent explanations of everything from basic strategy to card counting to shuffle
tracking. The author, Stephen Mead, even explains things such as casino etiquette and
includes a very nice FAQ section for the most commonly asked questions about casinos.
Be sure to check out his special information about how to best work the casino
complimentaries. He finishes up with sections on cheats and scams, which make for
some of the most interesting reading. All in all, this is an excellent all-around book for
the well rounded player.
"Burning the Tables in Las Vegas" by Ian Andersen
One of the more unusual Blackjack books. The best way to describe this book perhaps is to call it "Zen and the Art of Blackjack".
While Ian Andersen gives a brilliant treatise on all aspects of playing Blackjack, he also
covers topics such as psychology, history, health, behavior, and risk management. Look
at it as both a primer on Blackjack and on life. This book is the best we've seen at
explaining the psychological aspects of playing the game of Blackjack and how they can
affect your ability to win. Also sprinkled throughout are real life gambling stories about
high stakes Blackjack. If you want to learn to read a room and read people as well read
the cards, you need this book.
"Powerful Profits from Blackjack" by Victor H. Royer
Victor Royer's book comes closer than almost all other Blackjack books, in our opinion, to telling the truth
about how the game of Blackjack is actually played in the casinos of today – not
yesterday. He actually presents a method of winning that does not rely on counting
cards, using methods he calls "session event strategy," "tiered wagering" and "fractional
differential principles". Don't worry, they are all distilled down into an easy to learn
strategy and decision charts that anyone can learn and use. If you want to play well, but
don't want to have to learn card counting, this book will pay for itself.
"Blackjack's Hidden Secrets, II" by George Pappadopoulos
"Blackjack's Hidden Secrets II" is one of the most easy to read and understand Blackjack
books on the market. George Pappadopoulos' friendly writing style has a way of making
complex concepts easy to understand and apply at the gaming table. His system is one of
the few that does not rely on counting cards and can be learned in a couple of days. He
also explains many of the "insider" secrets about casinos and how to work the "perks"
they offer. This book is for the beginning to intermediate player and is especially good
for reading on the plane while on your way to Vegas.
