Hey, how’s it going? Casino is one of my favourite topics when it comes to books – I mean, there’s just something so exciting about them, wouldn’t you say? Whether you’re betting huge amounts of money on a single poker hand and hoping that you’ll be able to read your enigmatic opponent right, using complex algorithms to beat the casino at their own game or just accidentally hitting the jackpot on the slot machines and then having to deal with all kinds of shenanigans, casinos are always a setting for some really fascinating stories, provided they’re done right! And that goes for both the world of fiction and our own – after all, some of the best stories are the ones that happened to you, right? As such, I decided to compile two lists of my favourite casino books – one with novels (fictional or based on true stories) and one with non-fictional guides meant for casino players. Today I’ll be focusing on the former, but keep an eye out for a second list with the latter in the very near future! Without further ado, let’s get started!
Bringing Down The House
Ben Mezrich
Ever seen the movie “21”? Well, that’s the book it was based on, and, as is often the case with adaptation, it’s way better! The book depicts the real (although somehow exaggerated at times for dramatic effect) story of Kevin Lewis, an MIT student who joined up with other fellow students in 1993 in order to form up a card-counting team and hit Vegas hard! Naturally, they succeed (wouldn’t have been much of a story if they hadn’t, after all), resulting in one of the biggest financial “scams” in the world. Keep in mind, I use the term “scam” loosely, as card counting isn’t technically illegal, but it’s certainly heavily discouraged by casinos, for obvious reasons. And even besides that, there’s still plenty of third parties willing and able to cause trouble for our protagonists to make for a rather exciting and intriguing read!
Casino Royale
Ian Fleming
We just can’t talk about casino books without mentioning this 1953 classic! For the, like, two of you who didn’t know this, “Casino Royale” is the book that gave us one of the greatest British pop culture icons, the one and only James Bond! While originally despised by critics, the book was quickly embraced by readers, spawning an entire, long-running series and making its main character a household name! I mean come on, is there really someone who hasn’t heard of James Bond? That aside, though, the book itself is actually very well-written, with tight prose and excellent pacing. While the game at the centre of it, baccarat, isn’t exactly the most thrilling casino game in the world (it had to be changed to poker for the 2006 film adaptation), Fleming still manages to keep the novel going, switching up scenes just as the action starts to drag. And sure, the aforementioned movie adaptation is really, really good (and Daniel Craig is a god in a human body and I don’t care who says otherwise), but it’s always fun to explore the franchise’s beginnings, especially when they still hold up today!
All on Zero
Argiro Mantoglou
Goodreads
And now for a book that I’m sure absolutely none of you have heard of (but it’s okay, that’s why I’m here, after all), but I’m going to recommend you anyway because it’s just SO good, you guys! Have you ever wondered what would happen if “Fifty Shades of Grey” was good, less porny and about casino? Well, it doesn’t matter, because “All on Zero” is the answer! If you’ve ever wanted a dark romance that will also make you ponder philosophy and anthropology, you’ve just found it, and also you have very weird preferences. “All on Zero” tells the story of Dawn, a writer who returns to her home in Greece after 18 years in order to recharge her creative juices. That’s where she meets the charming Stavros, who introduces her to the dangerous appeal of casino life. Gradually, he corrupts her more and more, turning her into a twisted product of his own darkest fantasies. The entire book is written in a rather incoherent style, with scenes flowing into each other with little explanation, but that only helps to put us in the shoes of Dawn, who has suddenly found herself thrown into a world ready to chew her and spit her out. I’d be lying if I said that the book is for everyone, as admittedly the long discussions about philosophy tired even me out at some points, but if that’s your thing, you’re going to be quite happy… And even if it’s not, you’re still going to find plenty to love in “All on Zero”!