If you’re interested in gambling, whether it’s at a casino, sportsbook, or even the lottery, you can find a lot of information through reading. There are lots of excellent books written on the subject of gambling, and whether you’re interested in improving your chance of success or you’d just like to pass the time, you have plenty of options.
Our author for this article, Jacek Michałski, is something of a gambling expert himself. You can check out his profile here or keep reading for his best gambling books that any good gambler should read at least once.
Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty One
Although it was published all the way back in 1962, Beat the Dealer by Edward O. Thorp is still one of today’s most important gambling books. The book’s author, Thorpe, is considered to be the father of card counting, and although some players had managed to beat the Blackjack odds before, he set out a blueprint for success that anyone could follow.
Using extensive mathematical calculations, Thorpe found that it was possible to gain an advantage while playing Blackjack, which he used to make his fortune at casinos worldwide. Anyone looking to sit down at a Polish blackjack table at a polskie kasyno online should give this book a read beforehand.
Scarne’s Complete Guide to Gambling
John Scarne was an incredibly famous card magician and gambling expert who spent countless hours playing cards and other casino games in the US. He was also an accomplished author and put his skills to good use in creating this book.
Scarne’s Complete Guide to Gambling was published in 1961 but remains the most comprehensive and complete guide to gambling that you can find. Covering everything from rules, history to winning strategy. Readers will also be fascinated by the various anecdotes and stories within these pages, including tales of gangsters and professional gamblers from a bygone age.
Bringing Down the House
Bringing Down the House is the true story of how six MIT students managed to win $10 million at Las Vegas casinos. Although some elements have been changed to protect identities and make the story more dramatic, the story of MIT students going to Vegas and beating the odds is 100% true.
The book was extremely successful and brought a lot of discussion about the topic of maths and gambling. It was adapted into a major Hollywood film in 2008 called 21 and has inspired a new generation of card counters and gamblers. It’s definitely worth a read as it goes into detail on how the MIT Blackjack team had so much success at the tables.
Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling
Ever wanted to know the origins of gambling and of various games like dice, cards, and more? Roll the Bones by David Schwartz has the answers. As the Centre for Gaming Research director in Las Vegas, Schwartz certainly knows gambling, and this book reveals a lot of information that most people aren’t aware of.
If you love history, this book is especially interesting, as it connects lots of famous historical figures with their love of gambling. There are lots of interesting stories about characters throughout history playing at the casino or taking wagers with their friends. There are stories from across Europe, including Poland, and it’s all linked back to society’s love of gambling today.
The Biggest Game in Town
The Biggest Game in Town by distinguished poet and author Al Alvarez is a chronicle of the 1981 World Series of Poker event. The book details what goes on at the Poker tables of Vegas, where high rollers, professional sharks, and criminals rub shoulders and compete for massive stakes. Throughout the book, readers will get a glimpse at the mad world of Vegas and it is an enthralling read.
The book is one of the first-ever on Texas Hold ‘Em, and it’s largely credited with helping to shine a spotlight on professional Poker and the World Series event. Not long after the book was published, Poker tournaments started to really take off, becoming bigger than ever in the 90s. Poker is now one of the most popular card games in Poland and all across the world.
There are loads of other great books on gambling out there, but these are some of the best. Whether you prefer history, guides, casino management books, or stories, this collection should keep you interested and have you excited about your next time playing at a casino or gambling online.
