Needs advice on books/videos

R

Royam

Well-Known Member
Hi,

I have read (or already ordered) the books from the Mayor's reading list. If anybody can recommend other books, it would be most welcome.

Just to give you an idea of what I like:
- I found books like Blackbelt or Professional BJ good to understand the basics of counting and casino world (wondering if it would be worth reading Basic Blackjack?),
- I found books like Blackjack Secret or Burning the Tables in Las Vegas most useful, with their many tips on casino behavior (wondering what would be the benefit of reading the older book by Andersen, Turning The Tables?),
- I am using Zen, but do not mind reading books about other systems (like K-O), it is always good for general background, especially if the book contains other valuable information (like K-O),
- I did not like The World's Greatest BJ book as much as others, because part of it is outdated and it is confusing for a newbie to read too much conflicting information,
- And I found The Theory of BJ a bit too technical (the beginning I have read so far at least).

Apart from purely BJ books, I am considering buying the Counter's Guide to Casino Surveillance? Anyone can give me a feed-back?

Lastly, I am considering learning more about cheating dealers. Wong in Blackjack secrets recommends a book (Gambling Protection Series) and a video (Dealing with Cheats). Anybody can give a feedback or recommend other titles?

Thanks for your wise advices,

Royam
 
H

Hal Jordan

Active Member
Materials

I suggest buying a copy of Cellini's work-it is worth the cost.

A few favorites of mine include Blackjack Autumn and any old issues of Blackjack Forum. I find that appreciating the history of the game, appreciating the lifestyle of the game, is often more useful than any other single aspect of actual casino play.

HJ
 
R

Royam

Well-Known Member
Thanks

I did not know about this book but found some good reviews, I will get it thanks. One review compared the book to Stuart Perry's Las Vegas Blackjack Diary, have you an opinion on this one?

Thanks for your tip,

Royam
 
R

Rob McGarvey

Well-Known Member
My Review of The Card Counters Guide to Casino Surveillance *PIC*

I really do not know why it took me so long to ask Cellini if I could review his book The Card Counters Guide to Casino Surveillance. I have always found Cellini very approachable, funny, and more than knowledgeable. Maybe it was the price (was $100, now $50), and I never thought anyone would part with a book of that value to have it reviewed. It may have been because I hold Cellini in such high regard. I can't imagine myself offering Edward Thorp a review of some new book he may publish one day for this same reason. In Arnold Snyder's introduction he says "This is the most important information for professional blackjack players to be published since the 1962 edition of Ed Thorp's Beat the Dealer." I don't feel so silly about not asking after reading that. My signed copy to "a true player's advocate" came from Huntington Press a week later...................

(Dead link: http://members.rogers.com/blackjackprofessional/cellini.htm)
 
H

Hal Jordan

Active Member
Diary Writing

Although I would not include either Perry or Meadows among the great stylist of writing, I do enjoy the reality of their journeys. I preferred Blackjack Autumn because I feel that Meadows does a better job of capturing the reader in an interesting story. Meadows tells a story of a few months in his life. The story calls out to even a larger audience than BJ players alone. In the work that Stuart Perry does, you feel more like you are reading someones Blackjack log. I enjoy both works, but I find Blackjack Autumn to be much more captivating.

My overall feeling on any literature related to this game is that it is all a must read at some point. Even the garbage allows one to explore the psychology of what many consume.

HJ
 
R

Royam

Well-Known Member
Thanks

Sounds good, I will get a copy then (despite the high price).

Thanks for the review.

Royam
 
R

Royam

Well-Known Member
Thanks, and what about the older ones

Thanks for the advice, Zen.

Good opportunity to ask: what do you guys thinks of the older books, like:
- Million dollar BM,
- Beat the Dealer,
- Playing BJ as a business?

If the interest is mainly for the history perspective, I guess I'll have to pass on these ones as I do not have an infinite BJ budget and wuold like to focus on books with the higher usable knowledge / book ratio. For instance, I find Burning the Tables absolutely mind-blowing. The author displays a lot of emotional intelligence. Now that I mention this book, nobody answered my previous questions:

- If I have Burning the Tables, is Turning the tables useful?,
- If I have Professional BJ + BJ secrets, is Basic BJ usesful?

Thanks for your advices,

Royam
 
R

Royam

Well-Known Member
Blackjack forum?

BTW, how would I get copies of Blackjack forum? get used ones? if so, where?

Royam
 
zengrifter

zengrifter

Banned
The only books that are NOT obsolete...

... are -

Blackbelt
Knockout
Cellini
Uston on BJ
Extreme BJ

What'd I forget? Oh yes...
Get The Edge at BJ, and Faces And Aces... NOT! zg
 
Automatic Monkey

Automatic Monkey

Banned
Who needs books?

Ha, I've been counting for 9 months now and up over $10K, and I have yet to read a blackjack book. All you need is...

1. Software- CVData, run the sims and fool around with them. Change things and see what happens and remember this at the table. Create your own counts and index sets. Learn what works and what doesn't, and think about why.

2. Websites. This one, blackjackcardcounterscafe on Yahoo, bj21.com, bjfonline.com Full of information, and experts (like you ZG!) who share real, practical, and current advice with players of all levels. It's like a military academy. You go in as an underclassman, and you take orders from everyone. Then you become a cadet, and you take orders from officers, and give orders to underclassmen. Then you become an officer and you have nothing to worry about but losing your life or your bankroll. Here, instead of orders, we give/take advice.

3. The intelligence to properly implement 1. and 2. But if you don't have that, you're not going to be able to learn the game from a book anyway.
 
S

suicyco maniac

Well-Known Member
AM

I dissagre....yes there is alot to be learned form the people on this board but you would be amazed at some of the info you get out of the "classics" many times I have sat down to read a copy of a book a few years after I bought it and dozens of readings later and all of a sudden something will reach out and grab me in a whole new light even though I have read it so many times B4...SM
 
R

Royam

Well-Known Member
I'm happy

I'm happy it worked for you.

Each of us has her/his own way, which is fortunate otherwise we would be clones and easy to spot.

Royam
 
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