The gambling literature scene has seen a lot of action most recently, especially in the Garden State where online gambling has been legalized. Like casino films, gambling books are an oasis of inspiration but also provide great insights, tips, hacks, strategies, and new ways to bet.
Not all gambling books are useful, though. Some offer obsolete tactics, while others provide inaccurate info or strategies that won’t do much for you. As casino gambling experts ourselves, we’ve read so many books on the subject and we can help you distill what’s on the market down to brass tacks.
Below you’ll find the best of the very best gambling books that you should read before you start betting at an NJ online casino. These include classics from your beloved authors and gambling gurus to new releases worth adding to your reading lists.
What we cover
1- Casino Gambling For Dummies by Kevin Blackwood
Casino gambling has been around since time immemorial and its power is now more evident than ever before, especially with the rise of NJ casino sites. The latest edition of Casino Gambling for Dummies was written by Kevin Blackwood, a world’s renowned gambling expert. This book packs everything you need to know to get started with online gambling into 384 sensational pages.
For the rookies, this is one gambling book that should not miss on your reading list. It teaches you how to gamble wisely, improve your edge against the house, and rake in the wins without losing your shirt! Whether you want to be a master of internet gambling, get privy to casino game jargon, or learn how to report gambling winnings to the IRS, this book has got it all!
It starts with a no-fluff intro into understanding casino odds, including RTPs, house edge, and pay-tables. You’ll also learn to develop and use killer winning strategies for casino games like blackjack, roulette, poker, baccarat, craps, and even slots. Best of all, it gives a no-frills look at common gimmicks, mistakes, and bad bets you should avoid like the plague when gambling at an online casino.
We love that author Kevin Blackwood keeps it simple and straightforward, offering nitty-gritty explanations without overwhelming beginners. He has simplified one of the most important lessons on responsible gambling, too: how to manage your bankroll. Overall, this is a handy and easy to grasp learning tool for newbies to casino gambling, sports betting, and horse racing.
Buy Casino Gambling for Dummies by Kevin Blackwood on Amazon here.
2- Sharp Sports Betting by Stanford Wong
The best and brightest sports bettors try to know the math, the logic, and the odds behind sports betting. And you can thank Stanford Wong for authoring one of the best gambling books on these aspects of wagering on sports. Wong’s Sharp Sports Betting goes deep when explaining concepts like props, teasers, parlays, money lines, and other logic behind sports betting.
What’s impressive is that the first couple of chapters cover the basic nuts and bolts of sports wagering. The author then dives deeply into the most useful wagering strategies and tactics that you won’t find elsewhere (trust us on this). The explanations are vivid and detailed with illustrations, tables, formulas, and examples that drive the point right home.
If you ever wondered how bookmarkers come up with odds, this should be your pocketbook. It also explains how betting outcomes often play out for various sports, from basketball, soccer, and football to ice hockey and even tennis. Admittedly, this book has a ton of NFL data, making a great read for one who loves to bet on NFL matches.
All up, this is a newcomer-friendly book for those looking to get into sports wagering. It’s also informative, in-depth, and insightful enough for a pro sports bettor. It’s a book that you’ll refer to over and over again.
Buy Sharp Sports Betting by Stanford Wong on Amazon here.
3- Mensa Guide to Casino Gambling: Winning Ways by Andrew Brisman
The title of the book says it all. Andrew Brisman’s Mensa Guide to Casino Gambling: Winning Ways is not a book to be ignored if you’re serious about gambling at online casinos. It acquaints you with the atmosphere, the gimmicks, and the general outlook of the casino gambling industry.
Not just that; the book goes a step further and thoroughly expounds on important casino aspects like house advantage, probabilities, odds, and RTPs. If Kevin Blackwood’s Casino Gambling for Dummies seems a little shallow for your liking, then this is what the gambling doctor prescribed for you.
Impressively, the first edition of this book was written more than a decade ago, but the lessons and messages are still fresh and evergreen. It offers some quirky chapters like “how online casino gambling works,” but you can easily see the humor shine through the pages.
We love that this book is as entertaining as it is useful for those looking to delve into the world of online casino gambling. It introduces some of the wildly popular online casino games, such as roulette, baccarat, Let It Ride, video poker, blackjack, slots, Pai Gow Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, Keno, and of course, baccarat.
Buy Mensa Guide to Casino Gambling: Winning Ways by Andrew Brisman on Amazon here.
4- Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich
If you’re looking for an inspiring book based on true gambling stories, you won’t go wrong with Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich. The book narrates the true stories of a group of MIT students who made a killing by counting cards and playing blackjack in Vegas.
This gambling title is so engrossing and fascinating you’d think it is fictional work. No wonder the inspiring story of the MIT students has been spun into the 2008 blockbuster movie 21which is directed by Robert Luketic and stars film sensation Lawrence Fishburne, Kevin Spacey, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira, and Kate Bosworth.
Bringing Down the House is more emotional and adrenaline-packed than the film 21. It gives you the chance to truly connect to the blackjack players and deeply understand their strategies. It also manages to teach you one thing or two about blackjack winning strategies and playing rules.
When should you split, stand, double down, or surrender? It’s all here and everything in the book makes it a sure winner.
Buy Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich on Amazon here.
5- The Complete Guide to Sports Betting: The six key betting principles that professional bettors use to ensure profit at the sportsbook by Kevin Dolan
If you want to dive into the world of sports betting from the deeper end of the pool, this gambling book by Kevin Dolan will fit your reading needs. It provides a fresh view of the sports wagering world through the lenses of odds, methods, and systems.
Dolan doesn’t just explain the art and science of successfully betting on sports. The author goes to great lengths to help you incorporate proven methods and systems into your online sports betting plans so you can land win after win.
For those who love to look at the big picture, this book is all about taking your sports gambling IQ to a whole new level. It has awesome lessons on how to analyze trends, patterns, and odds behavior. The best part is that you’ll get to learn how to analyze line movements both early and close to the match to determine when to pass or bet on a particular sports game.
6- American Casino Guide by Steve Bourie
Steve Bourie’s The American Casino Guide is the equivalent of Lonely Planet for casino gamblers. The latest edition details well over 750 gambling sites across the US, including Indian casinos, riverboats, casino resorts, and much more. You’ll find a detailed map of casino gambling hubs, including Atlantic City in New Jersey and Las Vegas.
Players will be happy to know that the book has in-depth articles on the best tactics for casino classics that include video poker, slot machines, baccarat, roulette, craps, and blackjack. You’ll also find a wide range of casino bonuses, gambling coupons with extended expiry, and much more.
It’s a guidebook, a how-to guide, and an insightful casino package all wrapped in one excellent book that’s fascinating and easy to follow. It’s extremely useful, whether you’re planning a gambling-packed Atlantic City weekend or ready to sign up for an online casino account.
Buy American Casino Guide by Steve Bourie on Amazon here.
7- Scarne’s New Complete Guide to Gambling by John Scarne
John Scarne has written some of the best books on gambling, including titles on how to beat the dealer, tried-and-true card tricks, and blackjack. The work of the veteran gambling writer has served gamblers well since he first published in 1961.
There’s no question John Scarne is one of the most recognizable names in the history of casino gambling. And his prowess on and off the gambling floor makes this an excellent book for both beginners and seasoned players.
As a newbie, you’d find the book’s guides to live casinos and online casino gambling to be royally useful. It has it all, from the rules and history of casino gambling to complete math, logic, and odds behind some of the most loved casino games.
For the most part, this is an encyclopedic book that’s a must-have for any casino player. It offers surprisingly useful and evergreen tips on how to win at slots, video poker, and blackjack.
Buy Scarne’s new complete guide to gambling by John Scarne on Amazon here.
8- The Smart Money: How the World’s Best Sports Bettors Beat the Bookies Out of Millions by Michael Konik
Now that the NJ sports betting market is gaining more and more traction, Michael Konik’s is the perfect book to read before you sign up for an online wagering account. As the title clearly intimates, the book uses a rather humorous tone and tasteful style to explain how the world’s best sports gamblers beat the sportsbooks.
It’s not the most lighthearted gambling book out there, but one you should have on your reading list no less. The author pulls back the veil on some of the industry’s best-kept secrets, such as strategies, outlooks, and tactics you can use to clean out bookies.
On the flip side, this book is some sort of a cautionary tale that explains that sports betting isn’t exactly a bed of roses. You need to analyze odds and use any betting opportunity wisely. The lesson: success in sports betting doesn’t come easy; you have to be committed and work hard for it.
9- Video Poker Book For the Intelligent Beginner by Bob Dancer
Video poker accounts for a big chunk of some of the most loved and widely played games at NJ online casinos, and it’s easy to see why. Whether you’re living it up in Atlantic City casinos or at home on your desktop/mobile, they are not just fun to play; video poker games come with an added perk: bonuses.
The best gambling sites in New Jersey offer a bountiful of casino bonuses to poker players looking to land that big jackpot. While there are many variants of video poker online, the same old-school tactics and strategies often come in handy.
In the Video Poker book for the Intelligent Beginner, Bob Dances, one of the best-known video poker gurus lays out what you need to beat the house. He has detailed all of his most successful tactics he has used in the past to make a decent living out of playing video poker.
Dancer uses joke-filled illustrations to explain how to find video poker games with the highest ROI. He expounds on important terminologies like variance, RTP, and odds. You’ll find yourself flipping this book from page to page.
Buy Video Poker book for the Intelligent Beginner by Bob Dancer on Amazon here.
10- God Doesn’t Shoot Craps: A Divine Comedy by Richard Armstrong
Online gambling is, first and foremost, about having harmless fun. And what could be better than kick-starting your gambling by reading humorous and action-packed thrillers about the game of craps? Well, if you’re a big fan of gambling and fiction literature, Richard Armstrong’s God Doesn’t Shoot Craps will sure do it for you.
The book follows the tale of Danny Pellegrino, your typical straight-up con-artist who uses direct mail for his get-rich schemes. Danny is anything but an ordinary grafter looking for new ways to supercharge his schemes. His fortunes change when he’s introduced to Virgil Kirk, a filthy rich inventor with loose morals like him.
Let’s say their meeting was arranged in the skies. Soon Virgil invents a math-based strategy for beating the casino’s classic game of craps. Much to Danny’s surprise, the method actually works like a charm, making it a very lucrative craps player. However, it wasn’t long before their secret formula got into the hands of the mafia, who wanted Danny to never use it again. How is Danny going to get himself out of the mobster’s way?
Buy God Doesn’t Shoot Craps: A Divine Comedy by Richard Armstrong on Amazon here.
11- The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book by Lance Humble
Blackjack is one of the most popular table games at both Atlantic City and online casinos in New Jersey, and that’s no accident. Like most card games like baccarat, blackjack is a game of skill and strategy. It has one of the lowest house edges to start with, but you can use certain winning strategies to drive the house advantage even lower.
While the book has some old-school strategies like counting cards, hi-opt technique, and more, it also has some winners. This is especially the case if you’re after tips for blackjack gold and staying ahead of the game.
This is an entertaining book that’ll appeal to be newer and old-school blackjack players. It even teaches you how to choose the perfect place (aka online casino) to play this game of cards and how to deal with dealers. It has been refreshed and revised severally since it was first written in 1987, offering stunning illustrations that make learning blackjack much more enjoyable and easier.
Buy The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book by Lance Humble on Amazon here.
12- The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How to Think Like One by David Sklansky
Poker gambling has experienced some sort of renaissance in recent years, thanks partly to the emergence of best-in-class online poker sites in New Jersey. As such, more NJ gamblers than ever are interested in learning the ins and outs of the timeless casino card game. David Sklansky’s The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How to Think Like One is your guidebook when it comes to all things intro to poker.
It explains the concepts and theories on poker. The author covers almost all variations of the game, including Razz, Lowball Draw, Texas Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, Five Card Draw, and other versions.
Sklansky’s writing style is not only tasteful but full of simplicity and clarity. He explains poker with great depth yet the lingo is easy to grasp. You’ll learn all about bluffing, semi-bluff, folding, pot odds, check-raising, and much more.
13- Gambling 102: The Best Strategies for All Casino Games by Mike Shackleford
If you no longer consider yourself a casino rookie, this is perhaps the best gambling book for your intermediate play. The author shares strategies, tips, and general advice on how to be a better casino gambler. And it does a bang-up job on that.
Gambling 102 has a whopping 19 chapters of pure bliss, including computer-based gambling models, math calculations, and fascinating gambling theories. Consider this book your “Wizard of Odds” guide book. It cuts through the core of each casino game, including sports betting markets, video poker, and even keno.
If you believe that casino gambling is all about hunches and luck, you’re better off looking for another book. This is a practical, hands-on book that offers razor-precise ways to approach games of chance like slots, baccarat, craps, Three Card Draw … the whole shebang.
Buy Gambling 102: The Best Strategies for All Casino Games by Mike Shackleford on Amazon here.
14- Gambling Wizards by Richard W. Munchkin
With Richard W. Munchkin’s Gambling Wizards, you will be able to get a front-row seat to interviews with some of the world’s revered gamblers. You’ll get into their minds and discover what makes them the greatest gamblers of our time.
The book has deeply insightful interviews with 8 of the world’s best-known gamblers, masters of the casino games if you will. You’ll meet the crème de la crème of the betting world, including sports bettor Billy Walters, blackjack Master Tommy Hyland, and poker greatest champs Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese.
Other interviewees include backgammon prodigy Mike Svobodny, blackjack player Cathy Hulbert, sports betting Guru Stan Tomchin, and horse bettor Alan Woods. You will learn how they play, how they think, and what made them the greatest of all time. This is definitely a book you don’t want to miss out on.
Buy Gambling Wizards by Richard W. Munchkin on Amazon here.
15- Weighing The Odds In Sports Betting by King Yao
Let’s not kid ourselves – most explainer gambling books are not going to be #1 New York Times bestsellers. Yes, this book isn’t Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, or Allan Poe’s horror novel. But then again, you are here to be educated about casino gambling; you aren’t here to be thrilled (well, it would be fun if it does happen).
With that said, King Yao’s Weighing the Odds is almost obsessively detailed and meticulously explained. Yao’s view is that you must think of sports wagering as a battle between you and the bookie. It’s a fluid relationship.
One of the biggest takeaways from the book is that money line movements are frequent and profound just before the game begins. By using analytics, the author offers a guide to determining just the right moment to bet on a given sports market.
Buy Weighing The Odds In Sports Betting by King Yao on Amazon here.
