Best Blackjack book?

[inkman]

hello,
i have a friend who is getting into blackjack, he knows a lot of good theory and knows the basics.
what is a good book for him thats for a moderate casual player like him?
thanks.

[cardcounter0]

If he has a count system down, then "Blackjack Attack" by Don Schlesinger is the must have Bible. Tells you how much, when, and why to bet.

If he is just starting to count, then "Blackjack Bluebook" by Fred Renzey explains some simple beginner counts that are actually pretty effective. "KnockOut Blackjack" is another book that explains the KO Count which is very simple yet very effective.

[charlie_t_jr]

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If he has a count system down, then "Blackjack Attack" by Don Schlesinger is the must have Bible. Tells you how much, when, and why to bet.

If he is just starting to count, then "Blackjack Bluebook" by Fred Renzey explains some simple beginner counts that are actually pretty effective. "KnockOut Blackjack" is another book that explains the KO Count which is very simple yet very effective.

[/ QUOTE ]

CC, you seem to but heads and have some what controversial threads in areas of the forum...but when it comes to BJ and the book recommendations...you're spot on.

My two cents...if he is just starting out, I'd go with KO system, but he might gain more "BJ knowledge" from BJ Bluebook...if that makes sense.

[slickpoppa]

Million Dollar Blackjack by Ken Uston is the bible of blackjack books. It's a must read for anyone interested in card counting IMO.

[charlie_t_jr]

[ QUOTE ]
Million Dollar Blackjack by Ken Uston is the bible of blackjack books. It's a must read for anyone interested in card counting IMO.

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Its an excellent book...the bible of BJ its not. Its a great book from one of the most colorful players in history.

The "stories" in between the technical data, from a historical standpoint, are what make the book an interesting read...not a "must" read. Most of the stuff is outdated.

[slickpoppa]

I was expecting someone to make that comment. I disagree that the book is outdated. Yes, it does not mention newer techniques like Wonging and shuffle tracking, but the information that is in there is not outdated. The Uston APC is just as powerful today as it was 30 years ago. Although most couters nowadays use simper systems to reduce error, there is nothing wrong with the Uston APC. The only thing outdated about the book is that many of the BS charts are for rule variations that are not common anymore. But this is not a big deal because charts for any rule variation can easily be found on the internet.
When I referred to Million Dollar BJ as the bible of BJ books, I was not implying that it is the most up to most up to date and comprehensive book out there. It is the bible of BJ books in the sense that it was the first truly comprehensive counting book and is the standard for all that have been published after it. Yes, counting has been updated and refined since then, but most of these updates are minor changes to the overall strategy laid out by Uston.
I just think that anyone who is interested in card counting would appreciate the combination of history and strategy as told by the most revolutionary counter from the heyday of counting. I get pissed off when people read Bringing Down the House and think that those MIT nerds were geniuses when they basically just copied 90% what Uston and other were doing 30 years ago.

[charlie_t_jr]

Well, I certainly wasn't trying to denigrate the book or Uston's contributions to BJ. But a "bible" usually refers to an indispensable guide. If the count system you use is one that Uston describes, then this would be your "bible"...if its hi/lo, Professional BJ by Wong...KO, the KO book, etc.

One thing we have today, that Uston didn't have, was the ability to sim different sytems, with various bet spreads, and whatnot. And that's where BJ Attack comes in.

Million Dollar BJ is a great book, but the most compelling reason for a player today to read it, would be from a historical standpoint.