Marinelle Adams
Blackjack is a seemingly simple card game that has fascinated players since it was first played in the early 18th century.
This game is also known as the Twenty-One. Since the rules are very simple, anyone can learn it quickly and play. It’s not only a game of luck but also a strategy since it involves counting cards and applying mathematical logic to find out the best odds.
It became more popular during World War I, as a card game that soldiers would play in their spare time between battles. However, its roots date back to the 1760s in France, where some still call it Vingt-et-Un (which means 21 in French).
Nowadays, you can find blackjack pretty much on any American casino. Furthermore, you can also find it on its online counterpart, with many apps and websites dedicated to gambling offering blackjack either with real or virtual money.
Blackjack is played with a 52-pack card deck and each participant tries to beat the dealer, attempting to get a count approximated as possible to 21. But, they can’t go over the 21. You can go over the general rules of the game here.
Still, if you are not familiar with blackjack and you want to learn more about it make no mistake. There are lots of books written on the subject, with something available for every type of player and every experience level.
Take a look at our list for the best books about blackjack available.
Blackjack Bluebook II: The Simplest Winning Strategies Ever Published by Fred Renzey
This popular book from Fred Renzey on how to play blackjack starts off by looking at the basic strategies needed to play this game at any level.
Renzey is a columnist from Chicago who works for the Daily Herald newspaper, specializing in casino gambling advice.
Plus, he also is the author of many blackjack and poker articles for magazines and internet sites.
This book from him covers pretty much everything you could want to know, regardless of whether you are planning to play your first-ever blackjack hand or want to boost your existing knowledge.
Among the most interesting sections, we can see details of blackjack myths and some of the hands that are commonly displayed. There is also a look at whether counting cards can really help you to win more of the hands you play.
The Theory of Blackjack: The Compleat Card Counter’s Guide to the Casino Game of 21 by Peter A. Griffin
If you search Peter Griffin on Google you will probably find the hilarious father from the animated series Family Guy. However, there is another Peter Griffin, who sadly passed away in 1998 that is a legend amongst blackjack players.
Peter is one of the 7 original members of the blackjack all of fame and the book we mention here – The Theory of Blackjack – is considered by many to be a classical analysis of the game of blackjack. Griffin had a background in statistics and calculus, and he became interested in the mathematical ramifications of the game in 1970.
While the previous title we mentioned is mainly about learning how to play the game, this book adds in a great look at the numbers involved in blackjack. Here, you can understand how things like card counting have become popular.
However, it also looks at how to start playing with a basic blackjack strategy. Despite focusing largely on the math in parts, this book is surprisingly easy to read if what you want is a way of getting started on this timeless card game with some good knowledge behind you.
Sklansky Talks Blackjack by David Sklansky
David Sklansky is best-known for his poker books, but he has also taken a good look at the game of blackjack too. A professional player, he was always famous for his mathematical insights into the games of poker and blackjack.
So much so that he developed a table about poker hands, similar to the periodic table.
Anyway, this 1999 book from Sklansky is fantastic for beginners who are looking to play their first hands of blackjack online or in a land casino.
The author talks us through many of the different hands that you could come across and explains the math behind your chances of winning. Despite being so strong on numbers, it is also pretty easy to read and should help to get you feeling ever keener to start playing blackjack.
Blackbelt in Blackjack: Playing 21 As a Martial Art by Arnold Snyder
Snyder is another one of the inductees in the Blackjack Hall Of Fame, not only for his records as a player but due to his innovations and techniques approaching gambling and blackjack in particular.
This book starts off with the interesting idea that blackjack can be viewed as a type of martial art. As you might have guessed from this, it is aimed mainly at serious players who are looking to try and win big money by playing the game.
It covers a lot of useful tips and advice to help you to try and beat the dealer more often. However, if you are completely new to the game of blackjack then you might find it a little bit intimidating and too in-depth for your needs.
Playing Blackjack as a Business by Lawrence Revere
This is an older book than the others we have listed, and it has been around for more than half a century. The author was hugely knowledgeable about blackjack and managed to cram a huge amount of his experience into this book on the subject.
Some of the languages may seem a bit old-fashioned now, but it is still an enjoyable read that covers a lot of the basics you will need to know if you are just starting out on blackjack.
Try any of these books and you are sure to learn a lot of useful blackjack information. It doesn’t matter whether you take the game really seriously or not, it is always good to know more about it and how to play it well.
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