Blackjack Book

Abu Turab · #1 05-26-2005, 09:51 AM

I'm looking to add this game for B&M visits so my friends don't think I'm rude for playing poker all day. Can you guys suggest a good book for strategy etc.
How is Sklansky's book btw?

playersare · #2 05-26-2005, 10:20 AM

how far do you want to go with BJ? 99% of people who go to B&M casinos don't even know basic strategy. and then out of that 1% who do, maybe only 10% have progressed to become competent card counters. with comps included, you can play virtually breakeven with the house with just a few hours of practice, and without having to keep track of the deck.

you can get BS charts for free on many web sites, I personally like www.blackjackinfo.com where you can customize based on specific game conditions, as well as practice for free on their flash simulator.

decent cheap books with correct basic strat include the $5 "Smarter Bet Guide to Blackjack" (Basil Nestor) and the 2005 American Casino Guide (Steve Bourie). I haven't read the Sklansky book, the "Fundamentals of 21" by Malmuth and Loomis is a good value with correct strategy (as one would expect from 2+2), but I personally think the first books I mentioned are easier and 'friendlier' to read for beginners.

beyond basic strategy into simple level 1 counts I would try the following (in order of intensity):

- Blackjack Bluebook II (Fred Renzey)
- Knock-Out Blackjack (Vancura & Fuchs)
- Professional Blackjack (Stanford Wong)

bohemian · #3 05-26-2005, 10:45 AM

Blackjack Bluebook II is excellent, the best I have seen for a beginner.

Abu Turab · #4 05-26-2005, 12:21 PM

how about Scobelette's books on BJ?

playersare · #5 05-26-2005, 01:53 PM

fundamentally speaking, Scobe is a good guy, and a good ambassador to casino gambling in general. but he's a bit of a pompous shill and he puts out too many books which have a lot of unnecessary overlap between them. and sometimes his playing advice can be oversimplified or a borderline progressive betting system, which are almost always not mathematically sound.

you can certainly do worse than buy a BJ book written by him, but you can also do better.

Abu Turab · #6 05-26-2005, 03:09 PM

thanx for the info. I messed around on the site that you linked me to and played the simulator. I also ordered a few of the books you recommended. One of my B&M partners in crime is big on BJ and theory so after our latest jaunt to AC, he piqued my interest. Besides, it will stop my wife from bitching every time we go that I am an unsociable gambler hiding out in the poker room! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Daliman · #7 05-27-2005, 03:41 AM

Sklansky's book is the best BJ book out there to explain the uderlying concepts of Basic strategy. I have never seen another BJ book that explains it nearly as well as Sklansky on Blackjack( and I have 50+ books on BJ). That said, I no longer have the book, as a guy I used to know never gave it back to me,(making my non owned 2+2 books total 3...). I don't remember if he gives more than a cursory overview of count strategy, but I still highly recommend hte book just for better understanding of the underpinnings of the game. One of 2+2's most underrated books, IMHO.

For a beginner's counting book, I recommend either Blackbelt in Blackjack or KO Blackjack. Both are excellent.

hoopsie44 · #8 05-27-2005, 10:57 AM

It's a little dated, but Million Dollar Blackjack by Ken Uston is a classic. His stories about using a counting calculator at the table are great.

PE101 · #9 05-27-2005, 01:02 PM

The other advice posted on this thread is good. But...

If you want to socialize with your friends while you play, you probably won't be able to count. Just get a basic stategy card and have fun. Be sure and get (or make) a card that is appropriate to the game you play (number of decks, etc.)

DO NOT PLAY ANY BJ GAME THAT PAYS LESS THAN 3:2 FOR BJ!!!!
The new trend is to offer "single deck" games that only pay 6:5 for BJ. Don't do it! "Super-fun 21" is a bad game too! It has a bunch of attractive rules EXCEPT the payoff for BJ.

Have fun. A good basic strategy will cut the cost of playing to a very resonable amount.

sl4v3 · #10 05-28-2005, 08:43 PM

For a first book, get either Blackbelt in Blackjack by Snyder or Knock-Out Blackjack by Vancura/Fuchs. The Snyder book is more comprehensive, but Knock-Out might be a slightly easier first read. The 2nd book you'll want to read is Blackjack Attack by Schlesinger. AdvantagePlayer.com is an excellent resource for blackjack information as well. Also (as another poster already mentioned), make sure you *never* play any blackjack game where blackjack pays 6:5. The house edge in this game is huge and cannot be overcome by card counting.