books

hi i�m new here and looking for some good stuff to learn black jack.
in vegas a nice lady from the gamblers store told me that the ko book is really good to learn and win in black jack. is that right? or is bj for blood better? i�m asking because i don�t want to waste my time with books which are not worth to read.

i would appreciate any info i can get...

after that, you can add Professional Blackjack by Wong, Blackbelt in Blackjack by Snyder, and Blackjack for Blood as an inspirational tale and for background only. But your starting point is a good one.

Blackbelt In Blackjack is no longer available anywhere. It seems as if there was a concerted effort to buy up all the remaining copies? At any rate, you can get the '98 version (with all shuffle tracking information DELETED) online at www.bjfonline.com . The information is still great, but to me, there's nothing like bound hardcopy.

ETF

There was an interesting thread on this topic elsewhere. There seemed to be a consensus that if you really want to understand blackjack, you should start with the hi-lo system well described on this site and in Professional Blackjack (Wong). Many find KO to be easier to use in real life, but to understand any of the literature, and many of the basic concepts, you have to be fluent in hi-lo. That said, the KO book has a really nice set of introductory chapters. I think you might enjoy reading both.

getting a good understanding about gambling in general, the concept of positive and negative expectation, etc, before even learning to count. I'm not sure what books to suggest. Getting the Best of It by David Sklansky is a good one. Another good source is carefully reading the rebutals written to internet posts about gambling progressions and other voodoo. I think even a skilled counter who knows 200 indeces is doomed to failure without a certain amount of understanding of some general principles. There are too many ways to go astray.

getting a good understanding about gambling in general, the concept of positive and negative expectation, etc, before even learning to count

I like to suggest The Mathematics of Games and Gambling by Edward Packel. It combines just the right amount of history, fun problems, and discipline. Important to know that brilliant mathematicians spent their lives and fortunes getting it wrong so we can get it right.

Another excellent intro is Oswald Jacoby on Gambling, written by one of the greatest (if not the greatest) card players, alive or dead.

If you really had to struggle through high school algebra, I'd suggest reading Lady Luck by Weaver, before tackling one of the above. A really breezy romp through the elements for everyman (but not enough preparation for serious gamblers).

All of these books have sections discussing the fallacy of betting systems (progressions). Perhaps the shortest proof on this is in Elementary Probability by none other than Ed Thorp, but I hesitate to recommend this, unless you're a math major.

Some of these may be out of print, but they are all attainable in this wonderful age of the internet.

I think even a skilled counter who knows 200 indeces is doomed to failure without a certain amount of understanding of some general principles. There are too many ways to go astray.

Wise words.

ETF