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Theory of Blackjack, Sixth Edition | 
 enlarge | Author: Peter Griffin
Publisher: Huntington Press
Category: Book
List Price: $12.95
Buy New: $7.97
You Save: $4.98 (38%)
New (5) Used (5) Collectible (1) from $7.89
Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 71078
Media: Paperback
Edition: 6th
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 270
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.4
ISBN: 0929712137
Dewey Decimal Number: 795.423
EAN: 9780929712130
ASIN: 0929712137
Publication Date: February 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Product was purchased in bulk directly from the publisher, never opened, never read, condition is A++++
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Book Description
Generally considered the bible for serious blackjack players, Peter Griffin's classic work provides insight into the methods and numbers behind the development of today's card-counting systems. Contains the most complete and accurate basic strategy.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 An Oldie but Goodie March 1, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Who knew a mathematician could be so funny? In this well written, enormously entertaining and enlightening book, the late Peter Griffin tackles the questions of why blackjack can be beaten and what kind of edges players can get using a count system. There are some interesting revelations in the book, too. I would recommend that players with some experience of the game are the best audience for the book, and the truly best audience are those players who have mastered a card counting system and have enjoyed/suffered the slings and arrows of being an advantage player. This book clearly explains why blackjack is a roller coaster.
I think this is one of the must-read blackjack books of all time.
Frank Scoblete: Author of Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution!
 Great book, tough read June 24, 2005
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
The theories in this book are rock solid, but unless you have a degree in mathematics, it will be a very tough read. There are lots of complex theories and equations that the everyday Joe might have a problem following.
Also, this book mostly covers 1 deck blackjack which is not played in any casino in the world these days. Most casinos use 6-8 decks, but the theoretical aspect of the book holds true regardless on how many decks are used.
Great book for those interested in theory! December 12, 2004
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Although this is a great book you really need to know what it is and what it IS NOT!
It is not an introduction to blackjack. It's assumed you already know how to play the game.
It is not an introduction to card counting. The author assumes you already know a card counting system, or at least have a basic understanding of what one entails.
It is PROBABLY not going to make you a better player. It's not really a "how to" guide for the game as much as it's a guide to show you how to effectively ANALYZE the game.
As the title suggests this book is a fairly comprehensive review of the theory of blackjack. While a traditional counting book will tell you the HOW of card counting, this book will show you WHY it works, how card counting systems are derived, how to compare the power of different card counting systems (the so-called "efficiences") and contrast them to an (linearly) ideal system. You will also learn how to calculate exact probabilities (well, really how to write a program to do this) that could be used to determine the values (in terms of expected return) of different hands or to design a tool that will give you the optimal play in any situation that may arrise in blackjack. This tool isn't to be confused with "basic strategy", which only gives you the optimal play off the top of a freshly shuffled shoe.
This book is ideal for someone who is comfortable with playing blackjack in a casino environment, has a basic understanding of the difficulties faced by card counters, and is comfortable with mathematical formulas and their derivations (although a lot of concepts can be understood without a strong background in math, you'll get a lot more out of the book if you can follow its derivations). After reading it you should be in a position where you COULD develop your own card counting system, calculate expected values (essentially probabilities) for given hands and given plays, and have the satisfaction of knowing that you have a better understanding of the inner workings of blackjack than 99% of the people who play the game!
VERY TECHNICAL April 1, 2003
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
THIS IS A GREAT BOOK FOR THE CASINO PROFESSIONAL.
This book changed my opinion of gambling books November 4, 2002
21 out of 23 found this review helpful
I ran across this book many years ago in a used bookstore (mine was the 2nd edition). I must say this book changed my opinion of books about gambling books. Up to that point, all the gambling books I've come across were laughable. But this book was startlingly different. It thoroughly explains the mathematics behind basic strategy and card counting techniques in a way that really made sense.This may sound too advanced for many folks, but frankly the math is fairly easy to understand (it mostly uses basic statistics that you probably learned and forgot in high school). If you are serious about card counting, the information in this book will help you evaluate BJ counting systems (or even systems you invent). It will also help you subtly modify your play for changes in rules at different casinos. Do you need to be a computer programmer to use this book? No, but it wouldn't hurt. Is this book useful for writing BJ simulators? Yes, but it's also great for really understanding what it takes to be a really good card counter. Personally, this book convinced me that I don't have the patience (or time) to become a good card counter. But at least now I know why.
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