There are hundreds of gambling books out there for you to choose from. These books can inspire you to play on fast withdrawal casino UK and help you develop the best strategies possible. The best gambling books that we feature in this article include the following:
- Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas For Millions: Ben Mezrich.
- The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win: Maria Konnikova.
- The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel: Mark Paul.
- The Easy Way to Stop Gambling: Allen Carr.
- The Logic of Sports Betting: Ed Miller and Matthew Davidow.
- Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold’em: Phil Gordon.
- The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How to Think Like One: David Sklansky.
- Super Casino: Inside the New Las Vegas: Pete Earley.
This list gives you a short introduction to each of these books so you can decide which ones you should read to improve your gambling experience. The list includes books ranging from raw strategy to memoirs and historical narratives about the most iconic events that have happened in the world of gambling.
Bringing Down the House
Every gambler knows about card counting and is keen to learn how to p
ull it off. It is a skill that requires constant awareness, maths skills, and a strong nerve. Successful card-counting teams switch the odds in favour of the player and can win millions. One of the most successful card-counting teams of all time was the MIT Blackjack Team. They travelled to Las Vegas, where they were financed by Micky Rosa and won millions of dollars from the casinos.
Despite allegations that elements of the book have been fictionalized, Bringing Down the House remains one of the most popular gambling books of all time. It has been adapted into two movies: 21 and The Last Casino.
Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book
Gambling enthusiasts might find that Konnikova’s book strays too far away from poker and goes too deeply into her lived experiences. The antidote to this issue is Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book which focuses entirely on the strategy and maths of poker to maximize your chance of winning.
Phil Gordon is a professional poker player who has participated in tournaments all over the world. He was famous in the US as the resident expert on the TV show Celebrity Poker Showdown.
In his book, Gordon uses his extensive experience to teach you to have the patience, aggression, courage, and determination to be the best player possible. He also shares mathematical information that will help you to understand how to play in every scenario. But this isn’t just a dry strategy book. Gordon shares this information in the form of captivating anecdotes about his experiences playing with celebrities like Ben Affleck.
The Theory of Poker
Another essential poker theory book is David Sklansky’s The Theory of Poker. This is a thorough and comprehensive review of essential strategies in every variation of poker, including Texas Hold’em. Sklansky has chapters on poker theory, deception, raising, bluffing, playing slow, the importance of position, psychology, game theory, implied odds, the free card, heads-up play, and semi-bluffing.
Some readers may find Sklansky’s work denser and more difficult than Gordon’s Little Green Book. However, it is far more comprehensive. By reading this book, you can leave your opponents behind and ensure you are the most knowledgeable player at the table.
Thousands of poker players rely on Sklansky’s knowledge to perform at their best at the poker table. Moreover, Sklansky himself uses the knowledge contained in his book to continue being a successful poker player.
If you’re a fan of poker books, you could also give the following a try:
- Playing to Win: Roger L. Martin
- Mastering Small Stakes: Jonathan Little
- Super System: Doyle Brunson
- Harrington on Hold’em: Dan Harrington
- The Myth of Poker Talent: Alexander Fitzgerald
The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told
Mark Paul’s work is essential reading for lovers of horse racing. It combines the excitement of betting on horses with the tension and danger of dealing with the Mexican cartel. This book tells the story of a female racehorse called Winning Colors, who was owned by the owner of the San Diego Chargers American Football team. Three gamblers – Miami Paul, Dino Mateo, and Big Bernie – realized this filly could be an unlikely winner of the 1988 Kentucky Derby.
The three gamblers place their bets, unknowingly, with the Mexican drug cartel, and when their horse wins, they realize it is going to be a challenge to claim their winnings. The book then tracks their high-octane adventure into Mexico to get their money. They have run-ins with killers, the border force, and of course, hardened cartel gangsters.
The Logic of Sports Betting
The next book, written by Ed Miller and Matthew Davidow, is essential reading if you are a sports fan. Miller is a bestselling author of gambling books, and Davidow is a sports modeller who has been using his unique methodology to beat the bookies for 15 years. They have been named the “smartest minds in sports betting.”
In this incredible book, the authors start with the basics. They explain how sports betting works and the ways that bookies make their sportsbooks. They then use this invaluable insider knowledge to give you the best strategies when betting on sports.
However, you should be aware that this book is focused on American sports. As a UK sports fan, you may find it difficult to understand. However, their advice still applies to European sports, and you should be able to translate it easily.
Super Casino: Inside the New Las Vegas
Playing at an online casino can be a fun and adrenaline-filled experience. However, every gambling fanatic harbours ambitions to visit the most iconic gambling site in the world: Las Vegas. If you are planning on taking a trip into the Nevada desert, you have to read Pete Earley’s Super Casino before you go.
Super Casino is a comprehensive history of the city. It traces its chequered past, revealing the real stories of the men who created the strip that now defines Nevada. This book looks into the moguls, mobsters, and entertainers who made Las Vegas what it is today.
Out of this gripping tale rose entrepreneurial casino owners and the Las Vegas of today. This book offers a portrait of the lives of those who call Vegas home, caught up in the never-ending chaos of one of the most infamous cities in the world.
The Easy Way to Stop Gambling
So far, this list has been a celebration of gambling, helping you to master the odds and have the best experience possible. However, we must always remember that gambling can be addictive, and sometimes the most responsible thing to do is to take a temporary or permanent break. All UK casinos are required to have self-exclusion measures in place. For people that love to gamble, this can be challenging, and Allen Carr’s The Easy Way to Stop Gambling is an essential book.
Allen Carr evangelizes the easy way method, which he has used to help people with books across multiple addictive practices. He has sold 18 million books in this genre. The Easy Way to Stop Gambling shares a step-by-step guide to stopping gambling. It understands how gamblers think and behave, explaining the psychology of addictions to gambling without patronizing the reader.
Book Ratings
Here is a brief rundown of each book to summarise them all:
| Book | Rating (out of 10) | Who it will appeal to |
|---|---|---|
| Bringing Down the House | 9 | Card enthusiasts |
| The Biggest Bluff | 7 | New poker players |
| Little Green Book | 7 | Poker players of all levels |
| The Theory of Poker | 7 | Poker experts |
| The Greatest Gambling Story | 8 | Horse racing fans |
| The Logic of Sports Betting | 7 | New sports bettors |
| Super Casino | 8 | Gambling history buffs |
| The Easy Way to Stop Gambling | 8 | Anyone struggling with gambling |
Choosing Your Gambling Book
As you choose the right gambling book for you, it is important that you think about where you are in your gambling journey. If you are a hardcore gambler looking to go professional, you should read heavy theory books like The Logic of Sports Betting or The Theory of Poker. These books will put you in the best possible position to beat the bookies and the other players at your table.
However, if you are interested in gambling history and culture, you should look at other books on this list. Bringing Down the House and The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told will get you gripped on the history of gambling and keen to learn more.