The Ultimate Reading List for Game Lovers: 14 Most Famous Books on Casinos (Both Novels and How-Tos)
In this article, I would like to discuss the most famous books on casinos both written by novelists and those by authors of how-to books for playing casino games such as blackjack, roulette, poker, slots, etc. Some of these books are classics that are worth reading even if you’re not much interested in playing casinos. Some of them are out-of-print. Some of them are published for a very short period of time. They are not hard to find either in your local bookstore or in the Kindle store of Amazon.com.
Casino Gaming (Book)
By Wayne Stark, MD
Wayne Stark is a leading authority on the psychology of gambling and casino games. He has appeared on 60 Minutes, Nightline, Geraldo, the Dr. Phil show, the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Alex Jones show, and other national television shows.
For decades, Stark has held both state and national accredited degrees in both psychiatry and in counseling psychology. He has worked as a psychologist for 25 years. Most recently, he has worked as a consultant to the U.S. Military’s Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) and the Air Force Trial Counsel’s (ATC) Offices. He is also a published author.
Dr. Stark and his brother, John, created the casino gaming company Qbet, Ltd., with locations in 5 states and two countries, Canada and Brazil. He also authored a chapter in the book, “Epistemology and the Magic Kingdom: Games and their Psychology.”
He received his B.S. in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He also graduated from Northern Illinois University, where he received a doctorate in clinical psychology. He and his wife live in Orlando, Florida, where they spend much of their time playing blackjack, slot machines, and playing poker in various casinos throughout the Orlando area.
Playing to Win
By Ian M. Francis and Mike Birnbaum
Not many would say that they enjoy playing the poker tables at Las Vegas casinos, but for many of the players who have checked out this book, that is exactly what it’s all about. Although not specifically about playing poker in Las Vegas casinos, Playing to Win is a book written by two of the top professional poker players in the world. This book, written by Mike Birnbaum and Ian M. Francis, is about how to learn to play and compete successfully at poker tournaments. They give a number of excellent poker tips and techniques in this book.
This book shows you how to place the cards, read your opponents’ cards and recognize the weakness of the hand before deciding whether to continue the game or call the bet. The authors also cover other strategies such as the ones employed by Pauly, Thompson, Doyle, and others. One of the things that makes this book particularly good is the chapter where the authors discuss “The 4 Levels of Poker.” This chapter is an excellent introduction to poker from the beginner’s perspective. It is easy to understand and it is an excellent way to teach beginners how to play the game. Playing to Win is a well-written book that has numerous great advice for beginners as well as advice for experienced players.
World Class Edge
By Michael Seery and James Martin
The authors of World Class Edge: The Complete Guide to High Rollers, Profits, and Talents are two of the most successful poker players in the world. They are known for being players of big-stakes, high stakes tournaments. Michael Seery is also a multi-million-dollar winner of the World Series of Poker, one of the most prestigious poker tournaments in the world.
World Class Edge includes strategies for playing in professional poker tournaments as well as tips on how to turn your profits into huge winnings. The book also contains many helpful strategy notes, common poker terms, and even a collection of numerous poker videos and online poker tutorials. This book is filled with powerful poker advice and tips from two of the poker world’s best known professional players.
Getting the Lead: How to Win at Poker
By Stephanie Maury and Emily Loizeau
This book by Stephanie Maury and Emily Loizeau has been described as “sophisticated, unique, and insightful.” It’s basically a how-to guide for winning at high-stakes poker games. Stephanie and Emily created this guide based on their experience playing a few hundred high-stakes poker games with over 500 players. They say that they put into this book not only their own experiences, but also the advice and ideas from many players from around the world.
The book covers a number of strategies such as over-the-board game play, avoiding a jackpot going off at the wrong time, and increasing your average profit. The authors are big advocates of advanced poker strategies, including information from Danny Keefe, a famous high-stakes online poker player who is one of the top-ranked players in the world.
The authors of Getting the Lead also give a number of strategies for getting an edge over the other players at the table, such as playing no limit hold ‘em, playing at different poker tables, and using outside information to improve your chances at the poker table.
The Psychology of Poker
By Russ ‘Krebs on Poker’ Krebs
In The Psychology of Poker, veteran poker player Russ Krebs has written a book about the psychological game of poker. Krebs was one of the most successful professional poker players in the world when he retired from the game in 2010. He is also one of the most quoted and admired minds in the world of poker.
The basic philosophy of The Psychology of Poker is to help players improve their game in a way that is both logical and believable. As an avid student of psychological phenomena, Krebs seeks to help players understand the thinking process that leads to good or bad decisions on the poker table.
As an expert, Krebs looks at the strategies of the best and most successful players as well as the behavioral issues that inhibit players from playing at their best. This book is easy to read and is full of great advice for both experienced and beginner poker players.
Rake the Stage
By Seth Jacobson
A book by Seth Jacobson of Raise Your Hand Productions, Rake the Stage: Playing to Win the Full Booth Poker Tournament, is part instructional and part book about a full high-stakes tournament in Vegas. The book is a road-map for how to win the table on the day of the tournament. It’s an intimate look at how to prepare to play a full tournament and the psychology involved in winning at that level.
What makes Rake the Stage special is that it has unique illustrations, is filled with great practical advice, and includes a nice piece of humor. It’s not a guide on how to play poker, but a guide on how to win at poker, and a collection of a number of secrets to winning a tournament. Another great aspect of the book is that it teaches the players of the future, whether playing a full tournament or simply playing for fun, how to play a long game with the best poker players in the world.
The Golden Touch
By Justin Googe and Jackson Palmer
Raking in a huge pot during a big tournament is something that all poker players strive for. But, achieving this by luck, rather than skill, is the biggest fallacy in poker. It is simply a fallacy. The Golden Touch is the secret to achieving the sweet feeling of victory by reading out all the right lines during big pots and by recognizing the opponent’s habits in the game.
The Golden Touch offers some interesting strategic play. It is a book designed to help you win with your brain rather than with your hands. If you want to know how to break the rules and take the fun from the best of the best, then The Golden Touch is a must read.
Casino Fun Poker Guide
By John Franklin
Casino Poker Guide is a book that takes a deeper look at the psychological aspects of poker. The book does so by writing about psychological principles in the game and discussing the psychological tendencies of the best players in the game. The book doesn’t promote any one specific strategy, but it does give players a deeper understanding of the games of skill and calculation that comprise a poker game.
The psychological aspects of the game are discussed with the understanding that both the pros and amateurs who pick up the book learn a lot about the game in the process. Casino Poker Guide is a book that helps you learn how to be a better poker player by thinking like a winner. The psychological aspects of poker are explained in a way that is easy to understand.
The Strangest Thing in Poker
By Chris Reed
One of the most thought provoking books in poker is The Strangest Thing in Poker by Chris Reed. This book looks at the strange things that go on in the mind of a professional poker player. It tackles a variety of subjects, from “The Pro’s Secret Handshake” to the impact of aging on the brain. The book is interesting and, in some ways, thought-provoking.
It’s a book about the mind and the methods of using it to achieve victory in a wide variety of situations. The book also contains sections that are about general game play, being on a losing streak, and negotiating deals during a live poker tournament. With The Strangest Thing in Poker, Reed uses his own experiences as a pro to show us the importance of both analytical and intuitive playing styles.
The Players’ Championship Game Prep Book
By Steven Kolb
Steven Kolb wrote the book The Players Championship Game Prep Book to help players prepare for the biggest tournament of the year, the World Series of Poker (WSOP). The book, which is geared toward amateurs, contains detailed practice routines for every game type.
The book covers both buy-in and no-limit, the most popular games, and is designed to help amateur and pro players alike. The Game Prep Book is a great resource for amateur players in their preparation for the WSOP.
High Stakes Poker: Strategies to Win Any Game
By Ben Fowlkes
There’s a reason High Stakes Poker is one of the most popular poker books of all time. It’s a clear and concise look at playing poker at a high-stakes level. The book is made up of 22 chapters that are divided into eight sections. Each section contains five chapters that focus on specific aspects of game play.
There are also subsections for advanced tactics, bluffing, playing down, winning with negative equity, and winning when the pot is blinds or antes. High Stakes Poker is a great resource for any high-stakes player. Fowlkes’ book, in no uncertain terms, provides a book of the highest quality for anyone who wants to play at the highest levels.
Win Big in Poker
By David Sklansky
Win Big in Poker is the standard by which any high-stakes book about poker should be measured. This is because it covers all the strategies that the pros use to play at the highest levels. Win Big in Poker is divided into three sections. The first section describes the psychological nature of poker, including studies showing that players usually score higher than they should on personality tests and another that shows that the pros are actually smarter than the amateurs.
Then there’s a section that details the strategy of high-stakes play. This section covers things such as limiting bets, monitoring time, staying alive, and the impact of game play psychology. The final section covers game strategy and specific card-sorting strategies. Each of these sections is thoroughly researched and is full of advice that can be used at the poker table.
The Big Ripoff
By Martin Gardner
I’m not a big fan of textbooks, but The Big Ripoff by Martin Gardner is one of the best poker books I’ve ever read. In it, Gardner looks at the psychology of the game, and provides many of the strategies that professional poker players use to win their high-stakes games.
He also makes some astonishing statements about the relative intelligence of pros and amateurs. In any case, the book is easy to read and great for the high-stakes players out there who want to know more about game theory and how the pros approach the game.
High Stakes Poker II
By Daniel Negreanu
High Stakes Poker II is a sequel to High Stakes Poker written by Daniel Negreanu and John Gronbeck. In the book, you’ll find the “El Mochi” section from High Stakes Poker, and about 45 pages worth of supplements that give additional strategies for games of all sizes and descriptions.
This is not a book for beginners, but it is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to learn about the strategies of the pros. Negreanu and Gronbeck make a big deal about the book’s inclusion of the El Mochi strategy and a number of other truly amazing concepts that you’ll find in this book.
Conclusion
These books are designed to help you play better poker and improve your skills. Each of them was recommended by an experienced poker player, and the books cover topics such as game theory, the psychology of poker, and strategic play.
“Over my years as a poker professional I have used a huge amount of time and a large portion of my brain to improve my game,” said Miles Wong, a professional poker player. “I have learned that poker is a combination of countless hours of play and an insane amount of psychological work.”
The books mentioned above are just a sample of the best books for poker, and they will help you to improve your game in a variety of different ways.
