“For the talented, Jack Binion is fond of saying, Las Vegas is the land of milk and honey, and for the rest it is a burial ground”</>, says Al Alvarez in his book – The Biggest Game in Town and may I just add that I couldn’t agree more. But why did I choose this particular book to begin with? Because you should always know the rules and risks of any game before you start playing, right? And at the end of the day, this is what gambling is and it should be treated as such.
On the other hand, there are many people who simply gamble to live and live to gamble. But perhaps only 30% manage to actually make a living without jeopardizing their family, their life, their future. And this is where this book comes in. If you plan on being quids in from gambling, you hav to read this particular book. Couple of times, actually. Aside from being extremely entertaining and full of valuable lessons, this book will take you straight to the poker tables in Las Vegas with the big sharks. To give you a little teaser, there is this one gangster who loses all his money at the poker table, and what does he do? He goes to rob a bank and returns to the table, only to lose all his heist money once more. That’s all I’m going to reveal about this book, but trust me, it’s definitely worth reading. You can find a kindle version of the book here.
The next book is a must-read for all poker players all over the world. Check-Raising the Devil, by the poker player extraordinaire Mike “The Mouth” Matusow will take you on a roller coaster ride deep into the life of high stakes poker, wild parties filled with drugs and sex and mental illnesses and meltdowns. Warning! This book is not for the fainted hart and it will keep you glued to it until you read the last word.
What’s Luck Got to Do with It?: The History, Mathematics, and Psychology of the Gambler’s Illusion, written by Joseph Mazur – Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Marlboro College is a walk down history lane, which will take you from the earliest evidence of dice-playing among Neolithic peoples all the way to the contemporary betting strategies. From pure mathematical explanations to engaging anecdotes, this book focuses on our deceptive psychology and all the things that make us rely on our luck more than we should.