Skip to content

Must-Have Blackjack Books: Learn Winning Strategies

Must-Have Blackjack Books: Learn Winning Strategies

You wouldn’t think much could be said about the game of blackjack. You get two cards, decide to stand or try to improve your hand, and then see if you can beat the dealer without exceeding 21. It’s a simple game. But that’s only the surface level.

If you regularly play blackjack for real money, you’ll know that it goes much deeper than that, including strategies based on mathematical probability and card counting. That’s why there are so many blackjack books; in this guide, we’ll look at the best of them.

Basic Blackjack by Stanford Wong

Stanford Wong is a very famous blackjack author with several titles to his name. Basic Blackjack is probably the best book for beginners, as it covers the basics of the game in Wong’s easy-to-follow style. This is a great place to start if you’re entirely new to blackjack or have played at a few tables without much success.

You won’t learn much about more complex aspects of the game, including card counting, but all that can come later. You need to get the basics out of the way first.

Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich

This book inspired 21, a film about a group of MIT students who take on Las Vegas casinos and win. The film dips into strategy and card counting while covering the real-life drama behind this fantastic story. Don’t worry if you have already seen the movie, as it adds a lot of Hollywood glitz and glamour and takes liberties with the real story. A lot of stuff here isn’t covered in the film.

Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution by Frank Scoblete

This book highlights a card-counting system known as the Speed Count. Unlike some of the other card counting books in this guide, it focuses more on speed and simplicity than complexity, making it easier for beginners to follow. Card counting is nowhere near as complicated as certain films would have you believe. However, the more complex strategies can still be challenging to follow in the noise of a busy casino, so more uncomplicated strategies like this serve as ideal introductions.

Professional Blackjack by Stanford Wong

You should read this book after Basic Blackjack. It covers more professional aspects of the game and shows you how to progress from a novice to a blackjack pro. It will teach you about the mathematical side of the game and show you how to implement a blackjack winning strategy.

Big Book of Blackjack by Arnold Snyder

It is a detailed book that covers many aspects of blackjack and is written in an enjoyable and easy-to-follow style. It covers everything from basic strategies and probabilities to the unique types of blackjack games and rules found in casinos across the United States, Europe and Asia. If you want to expand your professional knowledge or leap from beginner to pro, make sure you have this blackjack book in your collection.

Dynamic Blackjack by Maverick Sharp

An excellent blackjack card counting book to get you started with this craft. First published in 2013, it has introduced many players to card counting. Sharp discusses the Dynamic Matrix Pro Count, which uses a three-level system to deliver a more accurate count and help you tilt the house edge in your favor.

Other card counting systems, including the Pro Count, are also discussed, and there are over 600 pages of content to get through. If you’re looking for a comprehensive blackjack book that covers most of what you need to know about the art of blackjack, this could be ideal.

Blackbelt in Blackjack by Arnold Snyder

Just like Professional Blackjack, Blackbelt in Blackjack studies the art of blackjack and helps you master the more complex aspects of this game. It’s also somewhat beginner-friendly, making it a good option if you’re new to the game and want to dive in at the deep end and learn everything about it.

Million Dollar Blackjack by Ken Uston

An oldie but a goodie, this book comes from one of the game’s greats, a man who helped to make professional blackjack what it is today. Sadly, Uston is no longer with us, but this read is still enjoyable and insightful. Uston discusses several blackjack strategies, each more complicated than the last. It’s a good starting point for card counting and is probably the best blackjack book if you want to learn about counting cards but don’t know where to start.

Blackjack Wisdom by Arnold Synder

Blackjack Wisdom was compiled from a series of magazine articles. It is not heavy on math and probability and doesn’t focus on card counting. It’s more entertaining than informative, but you will still learn a lot about the world of professional blackjack and the players and casinos that form this world.

Summary: The Best Blackjack Books

The above blackjack books are just a handful of the many titles that have covered this game over the years. Blackjack has been a mainstay in casinos for many decades, and players have been creating strategies throughout that time, so there is no shortage of helpful publications.

Whatever you decide to read, we recommend picking up a blackjack book to learn more about the game and become acquainted with its finer points.

Blackjack Common Queries

What do blackjack books cover?

Some blackjack books focus on basic blackjack strategy, but as this strategy is standard across the board, only so much can be said, especially to those who already know this strategy. Therefore, most blackjack books delve into card counting strategies, which can vary significantly in approach and complexity.

What is the best blackjack book?

It depends on your current level and what you hope to learn about the game. If it’s an introductory book that you seek, you can’t go wrong with one of Stanford Wong’s beginner titles, such as Basic Blackjack. For something more complex that also delves into card counting, check out Dynamic Blackjack.

Related Tags

Blackjack

Did you find this article interesting?

Comments (0)