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A Great Book on Blackjack

Kevin Blackwood is someone that I've had the good fortune to meet recently, although it was at a Blackjack tournament where he thoroughly beat my butt. No fun, that, but we had never stumbled across each other before and he generously offered to send me a copy of his new book. This is Kevin's second book on the topic of Blackjack - the first is a novel called "The Counter", which I haven't read - but, I am very glad that he sent me this one. The book is "Play Blackjack Like the Pros" (Harper Resource, 2005 - $15.95) and that's exactly what it shows you.

Kevin has been a professional Blackjack player for over 20 years and this book explains how he got to the point where his skill at the game enabled him to rely upon it as his primary source of income and, perhaps even more importantly, what he's doing now to maintain that status. As he freely admits, the game of Blackjack has changed somewhat over the years, but Kevin genuinely believes the opportunities that exist today still offer the savvy player many ways to make a living and he very clearly lays out a blueprint for doing just that.

Naturally, there are a lot of "nuts and bolts" in a book like this and most of it centers around traditional card counting, such as which counting system to use, what size bets to make, the minimum bankroll required and so forth. But, as Kevin points out over and over again, one need not be a math genius to be successful at card counting; it's really all just a matter of some diligent study and old-fashioned hard work. This book is very encouraging in that regard, yet it's also very realistic in explaining that becoming a Blackjack pro isn't the best way for most people to earn their living. While the basic skills are relatively easy to master, it's the "intangibles" that separate the winners from the losers. It's probably no surprise that one of those intangibles is self-discipline, which all of us lack from time-to-time and situation-to-situation.

No book can teach you to be self-disciplined - you either have it or you don't - but a book can, in many ways, show you what can be attained through self-discipline and also show you what can be lost through a lack of self-discipline. Kevin has been on both sides of the coin because he's human like the rest of us, but his experiences provide the motivation to become a disciplined player and that's something a book can do - give you a reason to improve your behavior. This book does that very well, without delving into deep psychological discussions although it's obvious that the author has had more than one such discussion with himself over the years. We, as readers, are the beneficiaries of that and the process is made fairly simple because Kevin's writing style is entertaining and interesting.

In all humility, I know a lot about card counting at Blackjack, but this book taught me a thing or two that I'll be adding to my game. One of the best "tips" was Kevin's discussion of when and why to play more than one hand in a negative count. Another is his view of the proper bet spread for a 6-deck game, which definitely goes against conventional wisdom, but his reasons for doing so are compelling. The advice on these two topics alone makes the book a bargain for even the most accomplished professional-level counters, as well as the newest beginner. Speaking of "newbies", if you're giving any thought whatsoever to either going pro or just using Blackjack as a fun way to supplement your regular income, you need to read this book. The time you'll save by drawing on Kevin's experiences - not to mention the $$$ you'll save as well - can give you a good start to your endeavor and there's nothing quite like hitting the ground running, as we used to say in the Army.

Other topics covered include the basics of the game, a specific stair-step approach to becoming a professional-level player, an excellent discussion of team play, money management, opportunities available on the Internet and tournament play.

I could very easily go on and on about the virtues of this book, but I'll end with this: I have often said that every serious card counter should own a copy of Stanford Wong's book "Professional Blackjack," because it lays the foundation for most aspects of the game. From now on, I'll be telling them that they also need to own a copy of this book.

I'll see you here next time.

  

2007 Articles