What Every Gambler Should be Reading? Top 5 Gambling Books

Knowledge is power, and books are the gateway to that knowledge. The more you read, the more you know, and if you want to become an expert in any field, you need to hit your local library, visit your favourite online bookstore, and start improving your comprehension.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at 5 gambling books to start with. All these books on gambling can help you advance from a novice to an expert, increasing your knowledge with every page you turn.

The Art of Statistics by David Spiegelhalter

Statistics are at the heart of every casino game and every sports bet. The more you understand about this basic concept, the easier it will be to place a bet. You’ll also understand when you’re getting good odds or a favourable Return to Player (RTP), which is essential if you want to turn a profit from gambling.

The Art of Statistics is the ultimate guide to statistical analyses, with everything explained in a way that is easy to grasp, even if your mathematical skills are limited.

The author, David Spiegelhalter, is a British statistician who has featured in some of the world’s biggest publications, became the president of the Royal Statistical Society in 2018, and was even knighted for his services to statistics.

He is perfectly positioned to help you understand this subject, which in turn will teach you more about the foundations of gambling. The book is not specifically tailored towards gambling and actually covers statistical and data as a broad subject, but it has been used by many gamblers to improve their craft.

It is the perfect way to start your exploration of books on gambling.

Beat the Dealer by Edward O. Thorp

It is often said that this book is so good it made Las Vegas change the rules, and to an extent, that’s true.

Edward O. Thorp is one of the kings of casino gambling and is an expert at Blackjack in particular, with a proven record of beating the casinos at their own game and consistently walking away with a profit.

This book became a New York Times Bestseller and remains one of the most popular books ever to be written on the subject of Blackjack and casino card gambling. It aims to teach novice and experienced players about the methods that casinos use to stay ahead, which in turn can help them to beat the casinos.

In addition to winning strategies, the book goes into great detail about casino countermeasures, teaching players how to turn the tables on them and beat them at their own game.

It also teaches players how to spot cheating inside and outside the casino, and it does this in a way that is simple, straightforward, and easy to understand.

Casino Gambling for Dummies by Kevin Blackwood

The “for Dummies” series has covered hundreds of subjects over the years and is the go-to series for countless consumers seeking to learn key concepts.

Casino Gambling for Dummies was penned by an expert gambler, someone with a vast well of experience to tap into and someone who has consistently made a profit with casino gambling.

It covers a host of basic concepts and follows them through to the end. It goes into detail about the strategies and methods and shows you how to beat all of them, and it’s also one of the few books on gambling that discusses insider secrets and strategies.

There are many readers who refuse to look at these books, even if they don’t know anything about the subject in question and need a simple and straightforward guide. They don’t want to admit that they are a “dummy” or be seen holding a book that labels them as such.

But it’s important not to read too much into the title and simply see these books as a complete first stop for anyone looking to learn more about a specific subject.

Hold’em Wisdom for All Players by Daniel Negreanu

Hold’em Wisdom for All Players is one of the best gambling books and poker books. It was written by Canadian poker star Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu, who has played at the highest level for decades and has been a spokesperson for Texas Hold’em since day one.

If you want to improve your poker game, this is the perfect book. It details a host of poker tips and secrets, many of which Negreanu has used to beat the world’s best players and to take home the game’s most prestigious titles, including several World Series of Poker bracelets.

If that’s not enough to convince you, consider this, Daniel Negreanu has earned in excess of $40 million over the course of his career and has turned gambling into an art form and a very lucrative career. What’s more, while this book focuses on tournaments and cash games of Texas Hold’em, the methods discussed herein can also be used to get ahead with games of Draw, Stud, and Three-Card Poker.

Blackjack: Play Like the Pros by John Bukofsky

Blackjack: Play Like the Pros was first published back in 2006 and since then it has become a bible of sorts for the game of Blackjack, one that has turned many novice players into experts and has introduced countless others to this wonderful card game.

As the book describes early on, the game of Blackjack has one of the lowest house edges of any casino game, which means you just need a little skill, luck or strategy on your side and you’re ready to turn a profit.

Blackjack: Play Like the Pros discusses methods and strategies that can help you to beat Blackjack whether you’re playing with friends, sitting in a Las Vegas casino or playing at an online casino like Royal Vegas.

The author, John Bukofsky, has played with some of the best players in the world and has won and lost huge sums at the biggest casinos. There is no one better to introduce you to the game of Blackjack and show you how to consistently beat the house.