Classics Of Gambling Literature

Blackjack

1) Thorp, Edward. Beat The Dealer

The book that started it all, this contains the first professional count system ever published. The story of Thorp's adventures with his count system reads like a thriller, involving a web of intrigue spun across Vegas involving mystery millionaires, cheaters, a secret cabal of pre-war counters, high stakes and advanced technology, even the FBI. There is a wealth of information explaining the principles behind card-counting in simple terms. It is an essential purchase for the interested student. However, the ten-count system is too clumsy and inefficient to compete with modern commercial systems, and the high-low system indices contain some errors. Nevertheless, Thorp covers many ideas that were later credited to others such as depth-charging, Wonging and tell-play. You must familiarize yourself with the material if you wish to count cards, as it contains so much of importance about the theory of the game.

2) Black, Jacques. The Money-Spinners

One of the most eloquently written books on gambling, Black has the rare ability to express dry mathematical subject matter with passion and enthusiasm. He makes the professional gambler seem almost heroic. Black is an English card-counter on the London scene, as well as a financial expert. A Cambridge graduate,he has a steely intelligence to his writing. This is quite unlike any other book you will read on gambling. At times, it seems Black is almost writing prose.

I am sure most of the professional players in Britain were introduced to card-counting by this book. Unfortunately, while Black excels when expressing concepts and themes, his actual advice concerning advantage play methods is erroneous. His roulette system advises clocking the wheel for far too many spins, his baccarat card-count has virtually no effect on the raw odds of the game and his blackjack methodology is seriously lacking. The Zen Count, the system Black recommends for the British game, is a poor choice owing to its feeble (for a level II count) betting correlation. The basic strategist plays at a 0.52% disadvantage, not a 0.98% disadvantage, under British rules. Black recommends memorizing strategy departures above and below TC's of 5 or -5. This will only get you a small percentage of the gain available from playing strategy. Nevertheless, this is one of the definitive works on the subject of the history of gambling. The general approach Black recommends towards gambling is correct: his specifics are not. This can be traced to a lack of computer analysis (for example he uses linear algebra to define playing strategy).

3) Uston, Ken. Million Dollar Blackjack

For many, the book on blackjack, MDBJ (as most professionals know it) contains a wealth of valuable information. Essential reading for its ambition in taking the reader from novice to expert and largely succeding. Like Thorp, Uston's adventures are fascinating and have passed into blackjack legend. Many of the concepts herein were previously unpublished: subjects such as card-eating, joint bank, even a simple shuffle-tracking method. The book is vital alone for its explaination of the concept of team play, the powerful methods contained therein yield spectacular advances over solo play.

The hole-card methods such as spooking, front-loading and warping are not useable in the British game where no hole card is taken. The Uston Advanced Point Count, while the most powerful commercial system in existence, yields only very marginal improvements over other systems for the shoe game. For a third level system with a sidecount of aces and numerous indices the extra effort is simply not worth it. Uston's advice on risk of ruin contains some serious errors.

4) Canfield, Richard. Blackjack Your Way To Riches

This sometimes entertaining but more often irritating hype-driven book contains information that, while accurate, is largely applicable only to the American game. The "Expert System" requires a sidecount of aces, which as with the Uston APC is a waste of time for the eight or six-deck game. The authors write in an arrogant cocksure manner, which contrasts badly with their own plagiarism of certain more credible sources. Bits of it they have almost certainly made up.

5) Revere, Lawrence. Playing Blackjack As A Business

One of the few blackjack millionaires, the late Revere's dry style provides a very gentle introduction to the game and one of the better early systems, the Revere Point Count, which is one of the best compromises between power and ease of use available to the British player.

Also contains the high-low system with the sensible idea of generating indices that only change when the index is positive or negative, thereby greatly reducing the burden of index memorization without much loss in efficency.

6) Roberts, Stanley. Thorp, Edward. Humble, Lance. Braun, Julian. Uston, Ken. Patterson, Jerry. Mitchell, Howard. The Gambling Times Guide To Blackjack

A weird treasure-laden curio of articles by the undisputed masters and practioners of blackjack theory this is an often confused but invaluable text. Read Jerry Patterson outline prototype shuffle-tracking methods in the years when he was one of the best blackjack writers. Read DH Mitchell's fascinating account of the development of multi-paramater count systems. Hear Thorp analyze the methods developed by advantage players after his own seminal work. Fascinating oddities:-Uston reveals the "steamer" in MDBJ was in fact himself. Mitchell explains how Peter Griffin devised a system which gave him 0.4% over a single-paramter count system. Observe Stanley Roberts prove that card-counting increases casino profits with substantive evidence and chuckle merrily at his ridiculous solution to the card-counter/casino conflict.

7)Wong, Stanford. Professional Blackjack.

One of the classic writings of blackjack literature, this provides complete data for using the hi/lo and Wong halves systems to exploit a very wide range of rules, unusual and ordinary. Also provides the only complete proof of the efficacy of ace location in existence. The one fault in this book is that is very dry and the numerous data does not make it particularly readable,nevertheless it is required reading for any student of the game.

8)Schlesinger,Don. Blackjack Attack.

The only blackjack book that exceeds "Theory of Blackjack" in terms of intellectual rigour, this is the primary data source for card-counters. Certainly the book has no parallel concerning the shoe game. You must buy this book if you seriously intend to win consistently against multiple-deck shoes by counting cards. The book is worth several times its cover price for the inclusion of the chapter on the Illustrious 18, the only indices you really need to know for the shoe game. This will save you hundreds of hours of practice time and greatly increase your overall win rate. The chapters on camoflage play, and the practical business of table-hopping are also essential reading. Finally, charts at the back contain the win rate and risk for almost every conceivable form of 1,2 and 6-deck games,for both backcounting and play-all styles. This book is not as exciting as say,"Beat the dealer" or "Million Dollar Blackjack", as the advice herein concerned the daily practicalities of professional card-counting.

Baccarat

1.Qui, John. Q's Winning Baccarat Strategies. New York: Gambler's Book Club, 1998.

Qui suggests a system to use when you are betting on the tie. He says "some shoes are rich in ties...others are scarce." He backs up his point with diagrams and charts plus his own questionable logic. Certainly this book is interesting. But it is terrible to think anyone might actually put Qui's methods into practice. Qui states that because the tie is often set at a lower minimum than the other wagers a small player has a better chance. Of course, the direct opposite is true, the 14%+ edge will eat up an inadequately financed player in no time, Qui's ideas about locating a "tie-rich" shoe notwithstanding. Qui's understanding of baccarat falls significantly beneath complete ignorance of the game. A gambler who consistently bets on the tie loses 14 times faster than a gambler who bets on the player or the bank, it's that simple.

2.Lyle Stuart On Baccarat

Stuart is one of the most influential writers on modern baccarat and in many ways that's no bad thing.In this revised edition his anecdotes are entertaining, and his advice is often suitable. I cannot agree with his belief in trending (his "rule of three" has recently become one of the most popular systems). Then again,the 71 year-old Stuart does not need my approval, he has just won $245,000 in successive baccarat tournaments in Atlantic City, one at Bally's Grand, one at the Taj Mahal.

3.Renzoni, Tommy. Baccarat: Everything You Wanted To Know About Playing And Winning. Lyle Stuart, 1997.

Entertaining, informative and enthusiastic treatment of the game from the man who introduced the modern game to the US. Interesting for the historical/human value.

4.Patrick, John. John Patrick's Baccarat: How To Play And Win At The Table With The Fastest Action And The Highest Stakes

Contains harmful information. Patrick extolls the virtues of money management, discipline, the importance of an adequate bankroll and reliable knowledge of the game, all of which is fair enough; but he encourages the use of "regression" bet-sizing methods. Much of the material is identical to other books in the Patrick gambling series. Some of the basic procedural details are incorrect. I eagerly anticipate John Patrick's Lizard Racing: How to bet and win on races between green scaly animals, which will doubtless contain information extolling the virtues of money management, discipline, the importance of an adequate bankroll and reliable knowledge of the sport.

5.Cardoza, Avery. The Basics Of Winning Baccarat. Cardoza Publishing, 1992

An inexpensive description of the various forms of baccarat and the associated customs of baccarat. A good introduction to the game, lacking unnecessary material. Explains the basics of card-counting.

6. Tamburin, Henry. Rahm, Dick. The First Effective Card-Counting Systems For The Casino Game Of Baccarat. Research Services, 1983.

Prior to the publication of my own book, Rahm & Tamburin's work was far and away the best treatment of the mathematics of the game. Explained in layman's terms, it nonetheless deals in the more sophisticated aspects of the game. Rahm & Tamburin believed that the game could not be beaten by card-counting and their system is designed to minimize losses for the player. Contains an interesting chapter explaining the fallacious nature of betting systems. An essential purchase for the serious student of the game.

7. Wong, Stanford. Casino Tournament Strategy. Pi Yee Press,1997.

The only worthwhile study of correct strategy for gambling tournaments which is available. The book has sections on blackjack, keno, craps and horse tourneys, but the section on baccarat makes it worth purchasing even if you only play this game. This book will allow you to win double the amount you pay in entry fees on average.

8. Barnhart, Russell. The Bankers Secret Strategy At Baccara Chemin-de-Fer, Baccara-en-banque And Nevada Baccarat. Las Vegas,1980.

Unparalleled insight into the three incarnations of the game from one of the best gambling writers in the world. The only detailed study of the European variations of the game. Unfortunately very hard to find.

9. St.Germain,Erick. 72 Days At The Baccarat Table (Live! Mini-bac decisions). Zumma Publishing Co. 1995.

The award for stamina at the mini-baccarat tables goes to this author who collated data from 45,000 hands of mini-baccarat play, or a total of 600 entire shoes. A streak analysis chart for each shoe is given. The author is to be admired for his tenacity, but his research would have been more helpful if it undertaken with those interested in scientific systems in mind as well as the average player.

This book has been indirectly responsible for a resurgence in interest in betting progressions. Ian Harmer, who promotes a progression system known as "Turnaround" on the internet cited the Zumma data as evidence that his method works. Harmer, and others like him, can draw such a conclusion because 45,000 hands, while requiring a great deal of time to record, is not a statistically significant sample. With such a sample there is bound to be a system which wins consistently against this particular set of hands, but that system won't work for the next 45,000 hands you will play. Such is the danger of placing too much faith in real-world statistics. Despite this, it's a good idea to browse through the data if only to get a feel of what happens in an average session of baccarat. The data also confirms that the real-world game is pretty much identical to the computer-generated one, and the figures given for the house advantage calculated by computer are born out by this sample.

10. Professor Hoffman. Baccarat Fair And Foul. Casino Press. 1983.

Detailed description of the frauds perpetrated by cheaters at the elder forms of baccarat at the end of the last century. Originally punlished in 1891, this is a classic work of interest chiefly to students of the history of the game.

General gambling texts

1.The Mathematics Of Gambling

This interesting general text on gambling explains card-counting theory, how to detect cheating,how to predict the path of the roulette ball and the wheel of fortune to gain a huge edge, this book contains a description of the first primitive attempts to analyze the modern game of baccarat back in the 1960's. Describes in detail in layman's terms how Thorp attempted to see if a linear card-counting system could beat the game. Also valuable for Thorp's explaination and proof that all betting progression systems devised do not change the odds, including those that have not yet been created, of which there are an infinite number.

2. Epstein, Richard. The Theory Of Gambling And Statistical Logic. Academic press. 1995.

While you would have to be a degree-level mathematician to fully understand this book, it is nonetheless worthwhile reading for whatever level of gambler. This recently reprinted classic from the sixties contains extremely useful information on various methods of gambling, including a method to predict cards following a shuffle, that may be of great value if applied to gambling card games (Epstein notes that such a strategy could generate a 40% edge, something that has tantalized gamblers for decades).This is pretty much the unvarnished truth about games of chance. The blackjack chapter makes this an essential purchase for the serious card-counter.

3. Wilson, Alan. The Casino Gambler's Guide. Harpercollins. 1970.

This book was ahead of its time and still outranks the vast majority of gambling literature. Wilson was possessed of an visionary mind which allowed him to anticipate the advent of successful gambling systems.Contains the first detailed writings on biased-wheel roulette play. Provides a detailed chapter on baccarat which explains clearly why a card-counting system cannot overcome the house edge, and describes the Thorp/Walden team's attempt to beat the "natural" baccarat side-bets. Also contains a description of Wilson's pre-Thorp count system. Priceless.

4. Rubin, Max. Comp City. Huntingdon press. 1994

Essential reading for the big player, who automatically falls into the class of gambler who can benefit most from casino comps. Rubin was an insider who's played both sides of the tables and knows how to beat the system. After reading the book, the well-financed player should be able to get free rooms, free travel, tickets to the best LV shows, and ultimately, a free vacation.

5. Scott, Jean. The Frugal Gambler. Huntingdon press. 1998.

This book is to the low-rolling afficianado as "Comp City" is to the big table player. Scott describes how she takes vacation in Nevada for months on end with the casinos paying her way. In a well-written and entertaining style, Scott describes how she prizes value from slot coupon books and comps. The chapter where she explains how to get free flights is worth the cost of the book alone, which ought to pay for itself many times over. Note that Scott plays mostly 25 cent video poker, but most of the techniques described here are universal to all casino games.