The World Greatest Blackjack Book [Paperback]

Lance Humble (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 1987

A revised edition of the blackjack player's bible, with complete information on the odds, betting strategies, and much more -- now updated to include the rules of play in Atlantic City as well as international playing rules.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A revised edition of the blackjack player's bible, with complete information on the odds, betting strategies, and much more -- now updated to include the rules of play in Atlantic City as well as international playing rules.

From the Inside Flap

A revised edition of the blackjack player's bible, with complete information on the odds, betting strategies, and much more -- now updated to include the rules of play in Atlantic City as well as international playing rules.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (March 17, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385153821
• ISBN-13: 978-0385153829
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #87 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Poker

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for the beginner, But a bit dated, August 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The World Greatest Blackjack Book (Paperback)

I found this book in a used book store and read it for fun. The basic system seems to work. I've played the system against computer blackjack games for hours at a time until I get bored and I seem to run pretty even. As he mentions in the book, the basic hit,stand,split,double system simply evens up the odds between you and the house. To actually make money you need to start counting.

The count system he teaches (The Hi-Opt 1) is easy to understand, but it takes a lot of practice to perfect (as does any counting system). From what I've seen on the web it's still a decent system, but it's not one of the more optimal systems that's been developed since this book was written in the 80's. But it's still a good one.

It's funny though to be constantly reminded that this book was written in the late 70's to early 80's. He keeps making references to Farrah Fawcett and Lee Majors and TV shows like "Barreta". That makes it tough to feel like you're learning the latest and best system. Also, if you just want to know the basic strategy and the count system then you can ignore about 380 of the 404 pages in this book. The rest of the book is stories and advice (which is also quite dated) on how the casinos work and how not to get barred as a counter.

Overall, it's not a bad book, but here in the 21st century it no longer rates as "The World's Greatest Blackjack Book".

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall, a very good buy., December 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The World Greatest Blackjack Book (Paperback)

I'm planning my first trip to Vegas and wanted to brush up on my Blackjack skills. I heard about this book from several websites and decided to buy it.

Overall, the book is a very good buy. The author thoroughly explains the ins and outs of gambling and does a great job teaching Basic Strategy, the Hi-Opt I counting method, and adjustments to Basic Strategy to accommodate the Hi-Opt I. The book details many gambling tricks and actions you can use to increase your advantage, explains casino cheating, and details betting procedures, etc. The author also discusses the variations and strategies for non-casino blackjack. The book is also fun to read because of the many stories the author tells from personal experience.

The major downside of the book was that it was printed in the 80's. The comparison of blackjack conditions in various casinos was based off the casinos that existed in the 70's and 80's. Obviously, that has changed drastically. Most of the mathematics and strategies are described for single, double and four deck games, which still exist, but more common these days are six or eight deck games. The only other downside is that the author is paranoid and obsessed with the topic of casino cheating.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is intersted in Blackjack, regardless of their skill level. There is information for anyone in this book!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great first book, July 8, 2005

By 

John Salerno (Houston, TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The World Greatest Blackjack Book (Paperback)

This is the type of book that, if I were to look at it now after having learned a lot about blackjack, I would probably consider one of the "dumb" or "mainstream" books that try to convince you there's a system you can use to beat roulette. I think the title might help lend it this idea as well.

But in reality this is the book that started it all for me. I don't know why I chose it first, but I learned *everything* about blackjack from this book, except for advanced card-counting techniques (which are here as well, but I chose to learn a simpler system, the KO Count). This book does an excellent job of describing the game for those who are new to it, and it presents Basic Strategy very clearly and concisely. I still refer to it to refresh my memory every time I go to a casino. In a lot of ways it really is one of the greatest books, at least in my experience.