Blackjack Books Every Player Should Read
Many high-quality, engaging, and appealing books on the exciting game of blackjack are available for players. This is true whether you are a beginner or an experienced player looking to sharpen your skills. For newcomers to the game, choosing just one blackjack book from the extensive selection may seem like an overwhelming task.
The good thing is that choosing a small number of books about blackjack to start with is all that’s required. It’s a good idea to read as many as possible to expose yourself to many points of view, but this is something you can do over time.
Use the links before to jump to the book your interested in:
- The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book
- The Theory of Blackjack: The Compleat Card Counter’s Guide to the Casino Game of 2
- Beat the Dealer
- Blackjack for Blood: The Card-Counters’ Bible, and Complete Winning Guide
- Blackjack Bluebook II
- Professional Blackjack
- Playing Blackjack to Win: A New Strategy for the Game of 21
- Playing Blackjack as a Business
All prices below are correct on date of publishing.
The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book by Lance Humble & Carl Cooper (1987)
Lance Humble and Carl Cooper, both of whom have doctorates, have produced a first-rate guide for bettering one’s game, targeted squarely at newbies and intermediates. This book includes the Hi-Opt I, the most effective straightforward betting technique currently on the market. It has also been updated to reflect recent developments in both domestic and international play. If you want to learn how to maximize your profits from playing the game, this book is for you.
Players will also get insight into how to choose a casino and a dealer. They will also learn how to detect cheaters. Many helpful hints are available for improving one’s card-playing skills and winning more often by adhering to the Basic Strategy.
| Book Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Published Date | 1987 |
| Price | $15.99 (Paperback) / $12.99 (Kindle) |
| Author | Lance Humble & Carl Cooper |
| Publisher | Three Rivers Press |
| Where to Buy | Amazon |
The Theory of Blackjack: The Compleat Card Counter’s Guide to the Casino Game of 21 by Peter Griffin (1996)
You won’t find a better introduction to blackjack theory than in this book. The author takes his audience on a thorough tour of the game of blackjack, with a special emphasis on the mathematics underlying various card-counting strategies. Although the book’s focus is undoubtedly mathematical, it is written in a way that makes it an easy and enjoyable read. For instance, it includes many humorous stories from Griffin’s playing days.
Griffin was well known for his writing, yet it was just one facet of his multifaceted career. In 2002, he was one of the first seven people ever inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. He was so invested in the game that he even suggested adding a course on the mathematics of gambling to the curriculum of Sacramento State University.
| Book Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Published Date | 1996 |
| Price | $14.95 (Paperback) |
| Author | Peter Griffin |
| Publisher | Huntington Press |
| Where to Buy | Amazon |
Beat the Dealer by Edward O. Thorp (1966)
This classic work on the subject is from the blackjack player universally recognized as the industry’s first true card counter. The book details the earliest, most effective techniques of winning in blackjack. All the techniques are broken down into three different degrees based on difficulty: beginner, intermediate, and advanced
Although it may be a little dated in certain sections, this book is packed with timeless insights. When the Blackjack Hall of Fame was established in 2002, Thorp was one of the first seven inductees. Even before this, his impact on blackjack was substantial, but now he will go down in history as a major figure in the game’s development.
| Book Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Published Date | 1966 |
| Price | $11.89 (Paperback) / $8.99 (Kindle) |
| Author | Edward O. Thorp |
| Publisher | Vintage |
| Where to Buy | Amazon |
Blackjack for Blood: The Card-Counters’ Bible, and Complete Winning Guide by Bryce Carlson (2001)
For those interested in learning how to count cards in blackjack, Blackjack for Blood is one of the best resources available. Also included are strategies for playing the house to minimize your losses when gambling and a variety of simple methods for counting cards to improve your odds.
Before getting into the finer details of advanced counting strategy and camouflage, the author provides a detailed introduction to the game, one that is appropriate for newcomers to the game of blackjack. Over 40 years of playing high-stakes blackjack, Carlson developed his unique counting system. Referred to as the Advanced Omega II System, it is explained in detail in this book.
| Book Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Published Date | 2001 |
| Price | $19.83 (Paperback)/ $9.99 (Kindle) |
| Author | Bryce Carlson |
| Publisher | Pi Yee Press |
| Where to Buy | Amazon |
Blackjack Bluebook II by Fred Renzey (2003)
While the book’s primary purpose is to introduce newcomers to the game’s finer nuances, it also provides several insightful rules and maxims. All of them help simplify advanced theoretical concepts into formulae that even casual players can understand and use. Its success lies in its ability to explain complex concepts in blackjack to novices while also enlightening seasoned players on how to improve their own game.
Here you will find a comprehensive explanation of the game’s rules and mechanics, as well as a collection of simple strategies. The three-card counting method used to obtain an advantage via card counting is likely to stand out among the others. The explanation of the three hands that are most often played incorrectly is also a very entertaining part of the book.
| Book Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Published Date | 2003 (Original)/ 2017 |
| Price | $14.90 (Paperback) |
| Author | Fred Renzey |
| Publisher | Blackjack Mentor |
| Where to Buy | Amazon |
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Professional Blackjack by Stanford Wong (1981)
One of the most skilled blackjack writers currently at work today penned Professional Blackjack. Stanford Wong is a pseudonym used by John Ferguson, a professor of finance, who is one of the most prolific gambling writers in history. On top of his blackjack book’s practical value, it also provides enough background information to be taken seriously as a reference. Nonetheless, it may not be the best entry point for newcomers.
Reading his book will teach you the fundamentals of blackjack, Wong’s High Low count technique, and the Wong Halves Count, which has three different levels. You may also find information on the Over / Under 13 side game available at various casinos. To put the cherry on top of everything else, after you’ve finished reading this book, you’ll discover charts totaling 100 pages that depict different aspects of the game.
| Book Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Published Date | 1981 (Original) / 1994 |
| Price | $8.99 (Kindle) / $53.47 (Paperback) |
| Author | Stanford Wong |
| Publisher | William Morrow & Co (Original)/Pi Yee Press |
| Where to Buy | Amazon |
Playing Blackjack to Win: A New Strategy for the Game of 21 by Baldwin, Cantey, Maisel, and McDermott (1957)
There’s a good argument to be made that this was the book that started it all. The first printing of Playing to Win by the Four Horsemen was limited to just 5,000 copies. As a result of its scarcity, the first printing is highly sought after by collectors of blackjack memorabilia.
More of a touchstone than a how-to guide for today’s blackjack, “Playing Blackjack to Win” is a landmark in the current casino sector. It accomplishes its goal of giving readers an understanding of how the blackjack strategy developed.
| Book Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Published Date | 1957 (Original)/ 2008 |
| Price | $14.95 (Paperback) |
| Author | Roger Baldwin, Wilbert Cantey, Herbert Maisel, and James McDermott |
| Publisher | Cardoza |
| Where to Buy | Amazon |
Playing Blackjack as a Business by Lawrence Revere (1969)
Revere’s plan was to make Thorp’s technique of card counting even more effective. Together with IBM computer scientist Julian Braun, he revised Thorp’s 10-count method. Their findings may be seen in the book “Playing Blackjack as a Business.” Among the counting systems recommended in the book are the “Point Count,” “Five Count,” “Reverse Plus-Minus,” and “Ten Count.”
If you have ever dreamed of playing blackjack professionally, this book is for you. It’s filled with clever strategies to help you beat the dealer and turn a profit. Even though it was published almost fifty years ago, the basic premise it offers is just as valid now as they were then.
| Book Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Published Date | 1969 (Original) / 2014 |
| Price | $19.99 (Paperback) |
| Author | Lawrence Revere |
| Publisher | www.bnpublishing.com |
| Where to Buy | Amazon |
Summary
It is possible to find a suitable book to read online thanks to the internet. This is true whether you’re interested in tried-and-true strategies, big bankroll gains, or just a little novelty in your blackjack play. There are, of course, a wealth of other resources available that would aid a novice in learning the basics of blackjack.
Reading material created by someone who has already attained your desired level of achievement is always a good use of your time and energy. It doesn’t matter where you get it most of the time. All of the books we have recommended here are excellent places to begin.
Still, you will need to complement what you learn from them with plenty of practice to reach your full potential. With the correct combination of skills and knowledge, you won’t be unbeatable, but the odds will be more in your favor.
