If you want to become an Blackjack expert, here is a Blackjack Geeks recommended literature about blackjack.
“Professional Blackjack” by Stanford Wong
Simply put, “Professional Blackjack” by Stanfors Wong is the best blackjack strategy book out there. The author is a professional and shares his experience in card counting as also various strategies for different rules. Expect lots of stats, tables and plenty of useful information.
- Biggest Advantage: contains the complete blackjack strategy with plenty of statistics, tables for both the game itself and also some card counting techniques. You won’t find a more detailed explanation of how to behave at the blackjack tables;
- Biggest Disadvantage: some of the information in the book used to be relevant in the past, but it’s somewhat outdated today.
- About the Author: John Ferguson aka Stanford Wong is a blackjack professional with more than 50 years of experience. He is the creator of one of the first blackjack software tools called “Blackjack Analyzer”.
“Beat the Dealer” by Edward O. Thorp
Another expert shares his blackjack knowledge. Edward Thorp is called “the father of card counting”, so you could expect a lot on the matter. “Beat the Dealer” by Edward O. Thorp is not the strategy itself, but also gives plenty of practical advice how to do it in a real casino and not get caught.
- Biggest Advantage: the best book on card counting out there. You will see plenty of tips and tricks on how to count cards and not get caught which could give you an additional edge over the house.
- Biggest Disadvantage: the general strategy part is not that good as it contains mostly standard advice that is available in more details in other books on the matter.
- About the Author: Edward Thorp is a professor in mathematics and one of the pioneers of the probability theory. He is also the inventor of the wearable computer.
“The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book” by Lance Humble & Carl Cooper
The title might be a little ambitious, but is not far off the truth. “The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book” by Lance Humble & Carl Cooper is an exceptional book that has been revised multiple times and presents precious advice on blackjack strategy.
- Biggest Advantage: the book has been revised many times and the strategy in it has been adjusted to the latest trends in the casino industry;
- Biggest Disadvantage: it is more focused on theory and there is not much practical advice compared to other blackjack books.
- About the Author: Lance Humble was a horse racing expert who entered the blackjack world in the 1970s. He studied all the strategies available and developed his own system for card counting that is considered to be one of the most appropriate for beginners. Carl Cooper is another pro and expert in mathematics and he helped Humble create his blackjack system.
“Playing Blackjack as a Business” by Lawrence Revere
The author has it all: he worked in casinos and played blackjack for almost 30 years and combined his experience with science. Lots of computer calculations were used and you will see the results. “Playing Blackjack as a Business” by Lawrence Revere is one of the best blackjack books out there. It might not be the best for total beginners, though.
- Biggest Advantage: the strategy in the book is complex and reviews all aspects of the game: theory, maths, card counting, behaviour in the casino. It’s a complete guide how to be successful playing blackjack;
- Biggest Disadvantage: if you are a beginner, you might find it a bit difficult to understand everything.
- About the Author: Lawrence Revere has a degree in Mathematics, worked as a pit boss and became a professional blackjack player. It’s safe to say this guy knows the industry from the inside out.
“Blackbelt in Blackjack” by Arnold Snyder
When one of the legends in the game decides to share his experience, you should be careful. Lots of strategy, lots of practical advice, various card counting approaches. All of this represented in “Blackbelt in Blackjack” by Arnold Snyder – one of the best blackjack players in history.
- Biggest Advantage: a great book that will show you the way blackjack professionals think and their approach to the game. It combines theory and practice for the best results;
- Biggest Disadvantage: some of the techniques described in the book are not working today.
- About the Author: Arnold Snyder is a member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame and a man who radically changed card counting by proving that simplifying the system does not hurt profits. A true innovator and one of the legends in the world of blackjack.
“Bringing Down the House” by Ben Mezrich
Another novel that tells the story of a group of MIT students that ripped off more than one casino in Vegas. You won’t learn a lot, but if you want to have some fun and enjoy a blackjack-related novel, the one for you is “Bringing Down the House” by Ben Mezrich.
- Biggest Advantage: a truly compelling story about a blackjack betting syndicate that tormented the Vegas casinos for years, You will have lots of fun while reading it;
- Biggest Disadvantage: although it contains some valuable information, this is basically a novel and not a book dedicated to strategy.
- About the Author: Ben Mezrich is an American writer with more than 10 books up to this day.
“Burning the Tables in Las Vegas” by Ian Andersen
The author is a known pro that has been busting Vegas casinos since the 1970s. It does not go as deep in terms of strategy as some of other books in our list, but there’s a lot more to it. You will find all kinds of tips and tricks, even about the best diet if you are a blackjack player.
- Biggest Advantage: if you want to become a professional blackjack player, this book will teach you how to do it. It’s a complete guide to what lifestyle you should adopt in all aspects of your daily routine;
- Biggest Disadvantage: rather limited in terms of strategy, but it still contains most of the basic stuff you’ll need to learn.
- About the Author: Ian Andersen is a member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame. He used to be a bored executive in the corporate world that decided to become a blackjack pro at some point. He initially found it difficult, but managed to find his own path in the casino world.
“Blackjack Blueprint” by Rick Blaine
Another complex book by a proven winner. Rick Blaine is working in the world of finance, but has managed to transfer his skill to the blackjack table as well. Take a look at strategy on various rules, card counting and more in “Blackjack Blueprint” by Rick Blaine.
- Biggest Advantage: a very complex book that has practical advice and strategy for all kinds of blackjack players. It contains information for solo players, groups and is not limited to regular blackjack, but also has tournament strategy;
- Biggest Disadvantage: it’s a bit “Jack of all trades, master of none” kind of book as it concentrates on many aspects, but not as deeply as some of the other titles in our list.
- About the Author: Rick Blaine is an extremely successful executive in the corporate world who’s been playing blackjack as a hobby for almost 30 years. He’s been crushing the casinos with his own playing style.
“Million Dollar Blackjack” by Ken Uston
This book is a bit different as it reads as a novel to an extent. It makes it more interesting than the rest, but the card counting system suggested by Ken Uston is harder to execute. However, “Million Dollar Blackjack” by Ken Uston is really powerful and can buff your winnings a lot.
- Biggest Advantage: he book will provide you with one of the most complex and successful card counting strategies out there. It can give you a real edge over the house;
- Biggest Disadvantage: the strategy is really hard to accomplish for the regular player without getting caught and the other aspects of the game are not dissected in such a details.
- About the Author: Ken Uston was one of the first people to win millions from blackjack in the day. His glory earned him a ban from most casinos around the world and he was forced to use various disguising techniques in order to play.
“Blackjack For Blood” by Bryce Carlson
The author presents one of the most powerful blackjack strategies out there: the Omega II card counting system. “Blackjack For Blood” by Bryce Carlson is great, although complicated and could easily help you become a much better player.
- Biggest Advantage: another card counting system that is much better than the standard strategies out there. Many professionals have adopted the Omega II ever since its release;
- Biggest Disadvantage: the system is too complex for beginners, so you should probably read this book when you already have some decent experience in blackjack and card counting.
- About the Author: Bryce Carlson has more than 40 years of experience playing blackjack and was one of the first pros to enter the online casino world. He developed a programme called the Omega II Blackjack Machine to help him analyze and improve his own game. There is a rumore that he still plays online occasionally even today.
