Beat the Dealer

by Edward O. Thorp Book Review A winning strategy for the game of 21. The essentials, consolidated in simple charts, can be understood and memorized by the average player. Best Book on Blackjack Ever Written, April 11, 2000 Reviewer: A reader from Wisconsin Everyone who ever THINKS about playing blackjack to win should read this book. Thorp is the one who started it all - the Einstein of gambling theory. Anyone who doubts this should read any of his other books or articles, or simply count the number of references to Thorp in Epstein's Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic. The clarity, depth, and scope of this work surpasses any other on the subject - and it started a revolution! The theory, complete with computer printouts from 1961(!), and the methodology are there, yet this is no dry textbook. Thorp includes fascinating historical and motivational material, as well as a spellbinding account of his first successful tests in Las Vegas. How anyone could aspire to become a winner at blackjack and not read this book is a mystery to me! And some of the reviewers are simply mistaken. Thorp's systems ARE still relevant, and they absolutely still work. Naturally, they have been improved upon over the course of 34 years, and aspiring card counters will have more than one text, one would HOPE. But Thorp is still: Relevant, Mesmerising, Indispensable. Reviews provided by Amazon.com

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