Rootie Kazootie: Pick Two Books

[Rootie Kazootie]

I have looked at the various book selections on this site but just can't decide on which ones to buy. I am a very good basic strategy player but it is time to move up.
I am asking "if you could pick any two books of your choice from the online catalog..which two would you pick?"
Thanx for your recommendations.

[Parker]

> I have looked at the various book selections
> on this site but just can't decide on which
> ones to buy. I am a very good basic strategy
> player but it is time to move up.
> I am asking "if you could pick any two
> books of your choice from the online
> catalog..which two would you pick?"
> Thanx for your recommendations.

The first book I would pick was recently published, and is Blackjack in the Zone, Revised and Expanded, by Rick "NIght Train" Blaine. This book contains detailed step-by-step on exactly how to learn a counting system, and also includes what to expect the first time you count in a casino, and a whole lot more. It is the best reference I have seen yet for someone getting ready to learn a counting system.

The second book will be the basic text for whatever counting system you decide to learn, and will be one of the following:

Knockout Blackjack by Ken Fuchs and Olaf Vancura. IF you want the easiet system to learn, this is it, yet it gives up very little to more complex systems. Knockout (KO) is an unbalanced system, meaning that no true count conversion is required. The strategy variations are in the form of a reduced, rounded matrix, meaning that all deviations from basic strategy are tied to one of only three numbers.

Professional Blackjack, by Stanford Wong. This is the standard reference work on the Hi-lo count, the most popular counting system. Hi-lo requires a true count conversion, but is still easy and powerful.

Blackbelt in Blackjack, by Arnold Snyder. This covers the Red 7 count, an unbalanced count similar to KO, and a "lite" version of the Hi-lo count that gives up very little to the standard Hi-lo.

All three of these books contain a great deal of useful information in addition to the details for their particular counting systems. You just might want to buy them all. (I personally own all of them.)

[SnoopDarr]

Ok, so if someone has Wong's Pro BJ, and has counted in a casino for a decent amount of time (100 hours maybe?), THEN what two books would you recommend? Oh, and what do you do when your time devoted to blackajck is spent reading message boards instead of studying/praticing/playing?

> The first book I would pick was recently
> published, and is Blackjack in the Zone,
> Revised and Expanded, by Rick "NIght
> Train" Blaine. This book contains
> detailed step-by-step on exactly how to
> learn a counting system, and also includes
> what to expect the first time you count in a
> casino, and a whole lot more. It is the best
> reference I have seen yet for someone
> getting ready to learn a counting system.

> The second book will be the basic text for
> whatever counting system you decide to
> learn, and will be one of the following:

> Knockout Blackjack by Ken Fuchs and Olaf
> Vancura. IF you want the easiet system to
> learn, this is it, yet it gives up very
> little to more complex systems. Knockout
> (KO) is an unbalanced system, meaning that
> no true count conversion is required. The
> strategy variations are in the form of a
> reduced, rounded matrix, meaning that all
> deviations from basic strategy are tied to
> one of only three numbers.

> Professional Blackjack, by Stanford Wong.
> This is the standard reference work on the
> Hi-lo count, the most popular counting
> system. Hi-lo requires a true count
> conversion, but is still easy and powerful.

> Blackbelt in Blackjack, by Arnold Snyder.
> This covers the Red 7 count, an unbalanced
> count similar to KO, and a "lite"
> version of the Hi-lo count that gives up
> very little to the standard Hi-lo.

> All three of these books contain a great
> deal of useful information in addition to
> the details for their particular counting
> systems. You just might want to buy them
> all. (I personally own all of them.)

[Parker]

> Ok, so if someone has Wong's Pro BJ, and has
> counted in a casino for a decent amount of
> time (100 hours maybe?), THEN what two books
> would you recommend? Oh, and what do you do
> when your time devoted to blackajck is spent
> reading message boards instead of
> studying/praticing/playing?

Once you have the basics mastered, you are ready for Blackjack Attack, 2nd Edition, by Don Schlesinger. Then pick up whichever of the above-referenced books that you don't already have.

Once you have the basic text for your counting system and Blackjack Attack, it becomes much more subjective. All of the books in the online catalog are worth reading.

As for your last question, four words: High speed Internet connection.