The saying goes, “It takes two lifetimes to be a good gambler.” Gambling is a highly complex art that only a few know. There are too many factors to consider before making a decision. Most of the time, you will be struggling with finances. But another saying goes, “Gambling is a problem only when you lose.”
If you build up a winning streak, it will not be a problem for you and certainly not for those around you. But to do that, you will have to learn all the ins and outs of the art, or you will wander cluelessly. And there is no better way to learn anything other than by reading what others have experienced.
Whatever your level, if you are passionate about gambling, you must read books written by experienced gamblers to learn the art. With that said, here are 20 books that will teach you the art of gambling. So, let’s get started.
1. Bringing Down the House
Bringing Down the House is a book by Ben Mezrich about the experiences of the MIT blackjack team, which won millions of dollars at casinos around the world. The book tells how a group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology students used their math skills to beat the odds at blackjack. The team’s success took them to Las Vegas, where they won millions at casinos. The book is an exciting read that will not let you go. If you are looking for a book that will teach you how to count cards and win big at blackjack, Bringing Down the House is the book for you.
2. Gambling 102
Mike Shackleford allocates strategies for all casino games within the 19 chapters of his bestseller, Gambling 102. The book’s content results from a year of combining real casino gaming with mathematical calculations and computer models.
Gambling is a game that some belief is based on chance, while others believe it is based on mathematics. If you’re one of those people who believe in the power of calculation to win a hand, then this is the book for you.
3. Video Poker for the Intelligent Beginner
Bob Dancer has had numerous successes in real-world video poker. Besides, the video poker master has written the ultimate how-to-win gambling book for every head-banging video poker enthusiast.
These playbooks reveal and explain the most effective techniques for finding the highest-return games. Along with these techniques, Dancer teaches how to implement computer-perfect strategies that yield maximum profits.
4. The Smart Money
This is a dive into sports betting in America. As Michael Konik is a journalist, it is not surprising that his book on sports betting is a tasteful step into the author’s own story of beating millions over sports betting, bookmakers, and $5 deposit casinos in NZ like on mindepcasinos.com.
Konik’s life takes a turn when he meets Rick Mathew, considered the best sports bettor in the world. The events lead him to The Brain Trust, a prominent gambling group. This book will provide exciting insights into high-stakes sports betting and some valuable tips and tricks to keep in mind for every sports bet.
5. Lay the Favorite: A Memoir of Gambling
Beth Raymer gives the reader a vivid and hilarious account of the sports betting and gambling underworld. The memoir has too-good-to-be-true moments as it takes us through various scenarios clouded by betrayal.
All the characters you would expect to find in a semi-fictional book about sports betting can be found here. The author, who spent four years as a bookmaker, tells us how things even out when there’s a pro who knows how to beat the house. If you bet on sports, you need it.
6. The Biggest Bluff
The Biggest Bluff was written by Maria Konnikova, a world-renowned poker player and author. The book chronicles Konnikova’s journey to learn all about poker to become a professional player herself. The Biggest Bluff is essential for anyone wanting to learn more about the poker game or find inspiration from Konnikova’s story.
7. The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time
In 2001, a wealthy Texas businessman named Andy Beal had a risky idea: he wanted to challenge the world’s best poker players to one of the highest-stakes games the world had ever seen. His strategy was to gamble for such large amounts of money that even the best players would fall out of their comfort zone.
8. The Gambler
The Gambler is a classic book by Fyodor Dostoevsky about a young man who becomes a compulsive gambler and falls into debt. Although the book is set in Russia, the themes and ideas covered are universal. The Gambler is a cautionary tale about the dangers of gambling, but it’s also a story of hope, redemption, and love.
9. Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling
David Schwartz, who calls himself Dave, is a real gaming luminary. The man is a director at an institute in Las Vegas that researches gambling. The book offers educational entertainment and follows a common thread, but you must get involved with the work.
10. UK’s Most Feared Professional Punter
Veitch writes his own story. With biting humor and a somewhat gritty style, he tells how he went from being a nobody to the most notorious professional player in Great Britain. He is considered the most significant horror for bookmakers, who have already lost heaps of money with Veitch, namely more than ten million pounds in around eight years.
More books to read about gambling
Here are a few more epic books that will surely help you live through the life of a gambler:
- Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
- Dice Angle by Brian Rouff
- Sex, Lines, and Video Poker by Bob Dancer
- The Biggest Game in Town by Al Alvarez
- Dreaming of You by Kleypas
- Fools Die by Mario Puzo
- God Doesn’t Shoot Craps: A Divine Comedy by Richard Armstrong
- A Man of All Markets by Edward O. Thorp
- The Music of Chance by Paul Auster
- The Gambler’s Bible by John Patrick.
Ending thoughts
No matter if you are in it to learn or for the love of reading, all 20 of these best books about gambling will take you on an epic ride through the ins and outs of the art of gambling. So pick any of the books, and you will undoubtedly thank us later.