Card counting once you have mastered basic strategy, you are ready to begin learning to count cards. This book is an excellent intro to card counting written by a knowledgeable trainer of people who want to beat blackjack. Ranging from the basics of card counting to fresh material for experienced players, this 256page classic is a superb introduction to how precise play can create an advantage over the house. I filled out the form, won back half my losses, got half shoed and was too stupid to quit, started winning while count was spiking fairly early in shoe, and when i spread to an extra hand, i immediately. People unfamiliar with card counting tend to think that it requires great memorization and this simply isnt true. Nonetheless, an amazing amount can be said about this seemingly trivial game. Modern blackjack is a free 540page webbook covering blackjack from the basic rules to advanced topics like shuffle tracking, hole card play, and team play. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. May 20, 2019 this book has something for everybody. Vancura and fuchs knockout blackjack is a great book, too. The most common variations of card counting in blackjack are based on statistical evidence that high cards especially aces and 10s, and to a lesser extent 9s benefit the player more than the dealer, while the low cards, 3s, 4s, 6s, and especially 5s, and to a lesser extent 2s and 7s help the dealer while hurting the player. This first section is an introduction to blackjack and card counting.
I believe the strategy is outdated, but i remember it being full of great stories about blackjack. The underlying principle behind card counting is that a deck rich in tens and aces is good for the player, a deck rich in small cards is good for the dealer. Blackjack is a game of skill and card counting can help you gain an advantage in the game. Most of the systems are geared towards singledeck games, so modern players may want to use books that profile systems that can handle 6. As far as card counting is concerned, the presen t literature available is particularly lacking. You will have to r e g i s t e r free before you can post. Blackjack card counting how to count cards with our free. Blackjack stories everyone who plays blackjack has a story. There are plenty of interesting stories to tell, from a car breakdown on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere to the death of the writers father. Books on counting cards in black jack score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Recently, i was at the unlv campus visiting the gaming research center that is on the third floor of the lied library. A blackjack book does not become the best just because one player decides it is the best because some other player might put it at.
Edward r thorp is considered the father of card counting. Knockout blackjack by olaf vancura and ken fuchs this books covers basic strategy and an intro to card counting, and the rest of the book focuses on the knockout card counting system. An instructional guide to counting cards in blackjack for significantly improved odds. Weve picked out the best blackjack books for players at every point on the betting spectrum. I began to learn the mechanics of card counting with a deck of playing cards. When the counter knows the odds are in his favor, he will bet more, and adjust his playing strategy to stand, double, and split in some plays where basic strategy says to stand.
While the card counters get featured in movies and books, the real truth is card counters rarely make much money. Card counting can be useful, providing you with an advantage in playing. Andy anderson, a tall silverhaired man who worked for griffin, followed the team for four to five years and played a major role in exposing their strategy breaking vegas. This may seem small, but with the correct betting this technique can get you the best odds in the casino and win you a nice chunk of change. One of the best american heist drama movies which was directed by robert luketic and released in 2008 was 21. Some people choose just to go with the running count in a single deck, but know that the true count is always a little bit different higher, regardless. I would turn over each card one at a time while mentally keeping the running count. For many years, card counting has been the surefire way to bank a consistent profit at the blackjack tables. Card counting course blackjack books gamblers general store. The host, howard schwartz, and the sound engineer, bill coveney, spent an hour before the interview and an hour afterwards showing me books and telling stories about some of the notorious guest authors who occupied the same chair as me. My bankroll didnt allow me to sit down to the blackjack tables, therefore i had to spend hours in the casino and risk my money only when the. Heres a snippet of my book the 21st century card counter. Below you will find some very interesting books found on amazon that deal with card counting, blackjack games, betting systems etc the best of anything and everything blackjack related that a beginner to advanced player would be interested in. Modern blackjack free version blackjack card counting.
The unbalanced systems generate about 95% of the gains of their level 1 true count counterparts. Fundamentally this story became an inspiration to movie creators and book authors. Josh, i discovered blackjack basic strategy and card counting when i lived in. Listed below are some of the most common, and also failed attempt by the casinos to put a stop to card counting. As already mentioned, indeed, there are countless books which deal with any one or two of these concepts. Though the book is classified as nonfiction, the boston globe alleges that the book contains significant fictional elements, that many of the key events propelling the drama did not occur in real life.
In this system, the seven is considered a low card and thus a positive valueunlike the hi low system where it is a neutral card. The next section teaches blackjack players how to use the hilo card counting system. It then jumps into the social part of blackjack card counting such as reading the dealer, talking to the pit boss, choosing the casino, and when its time to make a fast exit. He discovered the principles of card counting and published his method in 1962 in his book beat the dealer. Some of the newer writings on card counting offer better counting systems, but for an introduction to how and why the game is beatable, beat the dealer iswell, its hard to beat. It was the year 2003 when i began playing blackjack, counting cards while standing behind the players on the table. A professional card counters chronicle of the blackjack wars. Apr 23, 2020 card counting is easier than people think. Modern blackjack is a free 540page web book covering blackjack from the basic rules to advanced topics like shuffle tracking, hole card play, and team play.
This book communicates an understanding of the game. The promise is that you will know and understand the best way to play. Really, for aspiring card counters, this could be your key to casino conquest. None, however, incorporate a workable system involving all of these elements. The recent post about how to become a professional card counter in blackjack brought back memories from my first gambling activity. Just like everything else in life, blackjack is subject to change. Best blackjack books ever written legitimate casino. The 21st century card counter blackjack apprenticeship. This relatively simple system allows a player to track the cards, and change his betting patterns. No blackjack book can be called the best blackjack book.
The knockout cardcounting system eliminates the mountain of mental arithmetic necessary to win at blackjack. The team and its successors operated successfully from 1979 through the beginning of the 21st century. The story of one mans quest to count card at every casino in nevada with at least one blackjack table. One of the easiest card counting books you can find and the quickest way to learn how to count cards. Basic blackjack by stanford wong another book for beginners for anyone who likes to play blackjack really. The book included a simple counting system to keep track of the ratio of high to lows cards in a deck. Instead, it is just knowing the difference between the number of small cards and the number of big cards. How to tell if youre playing blackjack with a card counter.
Arnold snyder has written several books about 21, but this one is my favorite. The mit blackjack team was a group of students and exstudents from massachusetts institute of technology, harvard business school, harvard university, and other leading colleges who used card counting techniques and more sophisticated strategies to beat casinos at blackjack worldwide. The pros approach to beating todays blackjack published september 2019 by huntington press. It also made the blackjack, which is now offered online with real human dealers. It isnt memorizing all the cards that come out of an 8 deck shoe.
Ustons own methods of card counting are presented in this book, and he used them to make millions in the casinos of las vegas and atlantic city. Card counting first originated when professor edward o. Jones is featured prominently in the 2011 awardwinning documentary, holy rollers. The inside story of six mit students who took vegas for millions is a book by ben mezrich about a group of mit card counters commonly known as the mit blackjack team. There isnt a whole lot for experienced players, but maybe a few interesting stories. A journey through the inner world of card counting, the lessons of teamwork, and the clandestine pursuit of beating the odds nathaniel tilton on. This is perhaps why its entirely unsurprising why many of us keen gamblers are so enthralled by the concept of card counting. It is a factbased story about the greatest blackjack card counting heist. Free blackjack book blackjack card counting software and. A very simple, yet powerful card counting strategy is explained. This is the classic blackjack book on the mathematics of the game and includes a complete discussion of basic strategy and card counting systems including single and multiparameter.
Ed, alan, phil and doug are driving towards vegas in a classic mercedes with the top down. In the real life story of the mit blackjack team, mike aponte was the star. Blackjack books gambling gamblers general store, page 2. It includes information on winning without card counting, and is written in easy to understand language with wongs hilarious style. Bringing down the house, by ben mezrich this book is considered to be a fictional account based on a true story, on which the move, 21, was based. It is a simple technique, but practicing is needed before you become a veritable master. Card counting is a practice used in blackjack to improve player odds. After the mit blackjack team dissolved, mike aponte continued to count cards professionally. This breakthrough new blackjack strategy that has nothing to do with card counting. The techniques he described in that book still worked.
Blackjack books gambling with an edge las vegas advisor. Browsing amazon and it seems like a lot of the card counting books are very old and possibly outdated. Las vegas, atlantic city, mississippi, riverboat casinos, native american casinos, the bahamas, and on cruise ships. While in college, his friend, ben crawford, recommended he read a book about card counting. Peter griffin died from cancer at the age of 61 on oct. The club grew slowly at first, but by the late 1990s, the right people had come up with the right system to take some of the worlds most sophisticated casinos for all they were worth. By counting cards and using this information to properly vary your bets and plays, you. You would then multiply 4 x 4 to get 16 and divide it by 3 a little over 5. Online blackjack strategy books best blackjack card. Blackjack card counting books and publications book and. Zen count the zen count was created by arnold snyder. Bringing down the house by ben mezrich 2002 this is the story of the mit blackjack team that won millions of dollars by card counting.
Aug 20, 2015 you neednt look too far beyond olaf vancura and fuchs knockout blackjack. Professional blackjack by stanford wong 1994 loaded with tables, statistics and clear instructions, this is one of wongs best books. Thorp published in 1962, beat the dealer is considered to be a classic a groundbreaking work in blackjack basic strategy and card counting. Mit blackjack teams play had been based on card counting techniques, so we can talk here about mit card counting. The first editor of my book thought all the characters in the story were somewhat racist.
A journey through the inner world of card counting, the lessons of teamwork, and the clandestine pursuit of beating the odds nathaniel tilton 4. It is not considered cheating because you are using the same information that is seen by everyone else at the table. Many of these classic books were originally published in the 1970s and 80s and were some of the first intelligent books ever published on blackjack and card counting. May 08, 2020 if you are working with a single deck, you invert and multiply. Blackjack is a much simpler game than portrayed in most books. Card counting learn to count cards play blackjack online. I have never delt with any cash out procedure at all, except at the casino where i got booted on my first trip.
In knockout blackjack, dr vancura and ken fuch detail a strategy known as the knockout. I used no players card, and at one point when i hit 10k for the day, i had to give up all my information and fill out irs firm or quit. The knockout card counting system eliminates the mountain of mental arithmetic necessary to win at blackjack. Card counting systems have been around for ages and some of the first books on the subject were published in the early sixties and so have the people working for the casinos trying to stop these activities. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. List of top blackjack books every player must read. Casinos dislike card counting, so if you arouse suspicious, you risk being banned. Starting with beginner guides and working through to pro strategy and card counting tips, our guide will give you the best blackjack books in each category. Blackjack strategy learn the basics to advanced blackjack strategy. Here at blackjack apprenticeship, we are not fond of gambling. Card counting or advance blackjack is a method of play that allows blackjack players the ability to improve their game by a process called card counting. We made our first sojourn to a casino to play blackjack during a 3day. I was in the green valley library and noticed an entire bookshelf of.
Also covered are some intermediate to advanced card counting tips. This book simplifies the method, by giving the reader an intelligent and logical way to find the imbalance of large cards to small cards, without driving the player loony, retaining a vast. Based on all the information i had gleaned from the books, i decided to master the hilo card counting system. How to count cards in blackjack blackjack card counting. You neednt look too far beyond olaf vancura and fuchs knockout blackjack. The 21 movies true story reveals that the real mit blackjack team was investigated by griffin investigations, a security agency that had been used by casinos worldwide. Ive taught blackjack card counting to high school dropouts and phds and i can teach it to you. Professional blackjack players, mathematicians, and scientists have all studied the game and written great books, and it is up to the individual blackjack player to decide which one of them is the best. I learned basic strategy stone cold before i ever played my first hand of casino blackjack. I knew if i counted all 52 cards accurately, my final count should be zero. Read the first chaper of the 21st century card counter. Generally, the advantages of the more complex card counting systems compared to the more basic systems are fairly slight, around 0.
Vancura and fuchs knockout blackjack the easiest card counting system ever devised 1998, hamilton press. Card handling and cheating expert joseph proves a manual for pit bosses and supervisors who need to identify blackjack card counters. It goes from the rules of the game to the fine points of card counting. Blackjack card counting learn how to count cards at black jack. Stories if this is your first visit to the blackjack forum, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. Colin is often asked what blackjack books he recommends. This is chapter 1 of colins book titled the 21st century card counter. In the story, there is a fictional jamaican woman named anishakeekwa taking part in various blackjack experiments. Blackjack as a martial arts, this book is probably one of the best for beginners and intermediate players, as it covers all topics from a to z on card counting, basic strategy, professional techniques, and much more. Its a rare combination of entrepreneurial success story, personal spiritual journey. A journey through the inner world of card counting, the lessons of teamwork, and the clandestine pursuit of beating the odds. One of most popular card counting systems is the hilo system. New blackjack stories and card counting blogposts every week from professional card counters and the blackjack apprenticeship community. Million dollar blackjack by author ken uston is widely regarded as the definitive volume on counting cards.
He also won the first ever world series of blackjack tournament in 2004, proving that his blackjack card counting. On this page, we list and annotate the top 20 blackjack books that, in our. The scientifically devised unbalanced ko count can be used profitably anywhere blackjack is played. Blackjack blog card counting stories blackjack apprenticeship. The writing is full of humorous similes and observations. Its considered one of the most accurate card counting systems, but also one of the most difficult to learn and use. Card counting the ultimate guide count cards in blackjack. I purchased my initial blackjack book that very day and i have been hooked on card counting ever since. Blackjack and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Card counting has been in use since decades, but it got much publicity recently when the movie 21 was released. It starts with information about blackjack and why card counters can win. After wrapping up another blackjack bootcamp in vegas, colin sat down to share a.
In the knockout card counting ko count system, as explained in the book knock out blackjack, all card values are the same as in the hi low system, except for the value of the 7. Feb 01, 2016 surrendering 15 sometimes vs a 10 is a sign of card counting basic strategy says to do it always. Making a play like standing 16 vs 10 sometimes is also one. The main thing it adds to the collective literature on the game is the dynamic matrix pro count. A small blackjack club sprang up, dedicated to counting cards and beating the house at major casinos around the country. This book is a complete system blackjack card counting book. The casinos have invested time and money in developing better methods of deterring card counters. His writing started the blackjack revolution, and it was also instrumental in the casinos taking action to ban card counters. Apr 25, 2011 i used no players card, and at one point when i hit 10k for the day, i had to give up all my information and fill out irs firm or quit. Card counting is a simple but powerful exercise that, when executed correctly, gives you a 1% edge over the house. One of the most useful books on blackjack, this is a complete introduction to basic strategy and a powerful reference for its comprehensive list of game variations. Josh, i discovered blackjack basic strategy and card counting when i lived in las vegas in the late 80s and early 90s.
The ko count taught in it keeps things simple and can be upgraded later on to the true count version tko from the book the color of blackjack or the definitive blackjack course dvd. The first book to codify and popularize blackjack card counting, beat the dealer. Covers all the techniques used for counting such as the basic strategy, table conditions, number of decks, counting systems, deck penetration. My bankroll didnt allow me to sit down to the blackjack tables, therefore i had to spend hours in the casino and risk my money only when the true. My story begins as my oldest friend bryan was getting married in michigan to. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required.
The pros approach to beating todays blackjack published september 2019, by huntington press. Best blackjack books find a good blackjack strategy book. Second, selecting from this list of popular blackjack books will be an. When done right, counting cards is much more of an investment then a gamble because card counting is a repeatable, predictable system based on math and logic. We all love to hear stories about avid gamblers who effectively manage to outsmart casino dealers and walk away with sizeable amounts of hard cold cash in their pockets. The third section has an indepth look into betting amount, unit size and bankroll information. Take the money and run by henry j tamburin this covers blackjack basics, including how to play, why blackjack can be beaten, basic strategies and risks. Modern card counting is the perfect book for serious players looking to beat the house. This just might be the most popular blackjack book ever written. Blackjack stories everyone who plays blackjack has a. The casino industry certainly viewed thorp as an outlaw after his book beat the dealer appeared in 1962.
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