Books about Gambling Your Library Really Needs

Books on gambling satisfy a variety of literary needs. There are books on how to begin. These give the reader a proper road map leading up to a spot on the casino wall of fame. There are guide and strategy books. These can come as instructional or they could be personal gambling experiences with guidelines woven in. Some are about gambling as a whole and others about the different arms. Gambling books can also come in form of biographies. These are very important in understanding the journeys of different gambling legends. This understanding paves way for new legends to be born and carved. There are history and notable events gambling books. These focus on the stories behind different games. They offer insight into the underlying assumptions and inner workings of gambling.

Whatever the literary needs, the pool is filled to the brim with choices. Amazon is a good place to start to find the best book to satisfy your need. There are reviews on every book and the reader can decide what they want to invest in.

To begin in anything, one needs to be equipped with information. They need to know the myths and truths. The same goes for gambling. Learn then earn. Build an armory of information, lessons, myths and mistakes. Arm yourself against devastating losses. These books make great gifts.

1. General Gambling

Gambling is dangerous but mad fun. In order to lose very little or win big, one needs to be smart and cautious. They need to have all the information they can get their hands on. Vegas being one of the most popular gambling destinations, a literary peep into the landscape will help the discerning gambler feel right at home. Instead of suffering new town jitters, they will enjoy the various gambling types offered in the town.

The American Casino Guide is published every year. The latest American Casino Guide features detailed reviews of 750 casino establishments in more than 40 states. The author Steve Bourie includes the distinctive features of the gambling culture of every state. The book holds tried and tested money saving and gambling strategies. It comes with 200 casino/travel coupons worth $1000. There are coupons for free slot play. This is essential for a Vegas weekend. The book offers suggestions of the different places and activities one can engage in. A bankroll should not be exhausted in one game or even one house. 

Reviews of the restaurants come in handy because who wants to waste time finding a good place to eat instead of cleaning out at the tables? The coupons in the book more than cover the cost of the book.

The author has 35 years experience in gambling which makes him an authority on the subject. In his book, he includes actual payout percentages and a list of games with the best odds.

2. Slots- Mike’s Guide to Better Slot Play: 2017 by M. J. Veaudry

Slots is a game of chance. The result relies on a random number generator activated by touching an icon, button or, for the old schoolers, pulling a lever. Before activating some charge is inserted like a dollar or quarter. Winning is solely determined by luck. No skill is required. However, there are ways to trick the machines into paying out. There are mathematical tricks to carry out to gain an edge. The one armed bandits are aptly named for their ability to clear one’s wallet out. For a great gambling and slot play experience, one needs to keep the losses at a minimum. While luck is a key player in slots, possessing knowledge of cheats is advantageous.

The book takes a step back and looks at the history of slot machines. It is imperative one understands these machines and their programming so that the tricks in the book can make sense. The more you know the better you can manipulate the machines.

This book gives a comprehensive list of machines that give the player a mathematical edge. There is a slot strategy called the standard deviation strategy. This book will teach the player how to harness this power to their benefit. The house always wins but guess who will also win?

Mike’s Guide to Better Slot Play is appropriate for both pros and amateurs. It features everything from the basics to the science of casino floor arrangements. The reader will also learn how to stay disciplined throughout the gambling weekend. The lessons therein will arm them with good money management abilities.

3. Craps- How To Play Craps Made Simple by Brian Burch

This is a casino game in which a shooter throws a dice and the other players bet on the outcome. Two dice have to be thrown at the same time otherwise, the round is invalid. The dice are meant to hit the further back wall of the craps table. However, some casinos allow the round if only one die hits the wall. The shooter may continue to roll and passes the dice when they roll a seven after a point has been established. 

Confused? Worry not. Brian Burch was a teacher first then dealer then pit boss and now, an author. He is the perfect person to teach the complicated art of craps. First thing the author warns against is get rich quick fantasies. He does not promise wins. The craps table walls are rubberized which makes the results very random. Therefore, no win guarantees.

There are more than 100 possible bets at a craps table. The reader will understand every one of them after reading this book. Most people learn how to play craps from engaging in street craps. They never really understand the etymology of every action. This can be detrimental when playing in a casino with masters. It is very easy to fall when you do not know your reason for taking the step. One needs to understand their reason for the leap. A point to note, odd bets. These are very hard to understand but not after reading this book.

How to Play Craps Made Simple really does do exactly that. It is clear and concise. The prose of the book is logically planned and sensible but still very basic and easy to understand. The author does a good job of breaking down the subject of craps quickly and efficiently. This would make a good and useful read on the flight down for that gambling weekend. It is loaded with craps etiquette and strategies.

4. Roulette- The Live Roulette and Electronic Roulette: The Golden Manual by Dr Panagiotis Tsironis

Yes, the author really is a doctor. He was a doctor on ships for 20 years. What does he have to offer with regard to roulette or gambling? On stopovers, he would play roulette in host cities. His spin physics analysis was so successful he was able to finance his lifestyle without dipping into his marine earnings. This is exactly why he is the best person to learn the art of roulette playing from.

Roulette is a French word meaning little wheel. The player can choose to bet on a single number, various groupings, red or black, odd or even or high or low. A croupier, the operator, spins the wheel in one direction and the ball in another. Eventually the ball slows down to a stop in either numbered slot or colored one. The numbered slots can be either 37 or 38 depending on whether the roulette wheel is European or American.

The good doctor’s book gives more insight into the working of this game. He talks about probabilities and odds. This information is acquired from two decades of observation and playing experience. The strategy advised by the author is no strategy at all. This is the most important thing you will gain from this book. The ability to do on the spot, analyses and make spot on predictions. By this book, the reader will gain an understanding of all 150 possible bets. This is done through real life vivid illustrations and explanations. The reader will be able to derive a system from the roulette wheels chaotic spin.

5. Baccarat- Lyle Stuart on Baccarat by Lyle Stuart

Lyle Stuart entered two major Atlantic City Baccarat tournaments and won both of them. He took home $250,000. This is not the only notable thing he has done since then. He is a well-known baccarat extraordinaire. 

Baccarat is a popular casino card game. The game was once involved in a royal scandal back in the 1800s but that is a different story. It is played between two parties in which the outcome can be one of three. Player has highest score banker has highest score or a tied score. If the banker holds the higher score, house wins. Cards 2 through to 9 have a face value. The value for an ace is one and the joker is not used. All other cards have a face value of zero. The face value is calculated by summing up the constituent cards then picking the rightmost digit. For instance, 3 and 4 would have a value of 7 but 9 and 4 would have a value of 3. The highest possible value is therefore nine. This is pretty simple stuff thus suggestion of a book that shows a different dimension of baccarat.

This book features a well-detailed and quite informative history of baccarat. The game is famous for card counting but that is not included here. The author focuses more on the insider stories of baccarat and world of gambling. His personal experiences are well worth the read especially for one who is aspiring to reach master status. Lyle Stuart talks about the possibility of instant wealth. He also talks about the sobering reality of fast ruin and loss. There are lessons on how to walk away before the game turns on you and you start losing big time. Big wins are a knock to exit the table. 

The author has written a great account of all things gambling. His story is frank with enjoyable anecdotes. His enthusiastic take on the game is infectious. Lyle’s passion and obvious common sense leap right off the pages. 

6. Poker- Molly’s Game by Molly Bloom

The world of poker is synonymous with prestige, affluence, big wins and even bigger losses. These are commonplace in the world of poker.

One woman left her small hometown, Colorado, and travelled to Los Angeles with no particular game plan in mind. She met a wealthy entrepreneur with connections in Hollywood and a love for poker. This is how Molly Bloom got started in poker. She went from knowing absolutely nothing about poker to being the snake wrangler of high stakes underground poker. She hosted the most coveted and exclusive poker games. Celebrities, politicians and ‘Wall-Streeters’ all scrambled to be blessed with a seat at Molly’s table. The world was her oyster. Molly was fearless even in the face of Russian and Italian mobs. She had all of them eating out of the palm of her hand. She went unscathed by the dangers of underground poker for a decade.

Then she met a beast she could not tame. The beast tamed her instead. She lost everything. The VVIP privileges, private planes, A-List suitors and her beloved clientele. She lost it all. In a decade, she managed to go from grass to grace then right back down to the grass. 

Molly narrates her experience living a life most people only dream of. This is not a how to book but it is more worthwhile than any poker guide out there. The most notable feature of the book is the lessons she learnt.

She gives a chilling account of the realities of underground poker. The author is vulnerable in her telling of the story. She leaves no secrets hidden but still protects the identities of her former clients. She shares her battle with greed and the darkness of the trade. This is an extraordinary story loaded with drama and excitement. She does a good job of sprinkling a little dark commentary here and there. There is a lot to learn from this book about life, love and poker. It is slated to be a movie in 2018.

Caution

The books do not have to give systematic instructions of how to be a better gambler. Sometimes the lessons are better when one has to mine them out of a story. This list offers a mixture of both instructional and story books. The common advice in all of these books is the word of caution. Gambling is risky business. All these books will advice against greed after big wins and desperation upon loss.