Risk and Reward: The Science of Casino Blackjack

ISBN-13: 9781489983848 / Angielski / Miękka / 2014 / 131 str.

N Richard Werthamer

Opis

For decades, casino gaming has been steadily increasing in popularity worldwide. Blackjack is among the most popular of the casino table games, one where astute choices of playing strategy can create an advantage for the player. Risk and Reward analyzes the game in depth, pinpointing not just its optimal strategies but also its financial performance, in terms of both expected cash flow and associated risk. The book begins by describing the strategies and their performance in a clear, straightforward style. The presentation is self-contained, nonmathematical, and accessible to readers at all levels of playing skill, from the novice to the blackjack expert. Careful attention is also given to simplified, but still nearly optimal strategies that are easier to use in a casino. Unlike other books in the literature the author then derives each aspect of the strategy mathematically, to justify its claim to optimality. The derivations mostly use algebra and calculus, although some require more advanced analysis detailed in supporting appendices. For easy comprehension, formulae are translated into tables and graphs through extensive computation. This book will appeal to everyone interested in blackjack: those with mathematical training intrigued by its application to this popular game as well as all players seeking to improve their performance. N. Richard Werthamer is retired from a successful career as a scientist and executive, most recently as the Executive Officer of the American Physical Society. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College before receiving his PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of California at Berkeley. His original research has been published extensively in the world s leading journals. In this book, he applies his scientific background to the analysis of blackjack."

Recenzje

From the reviews:

"As the title suggests, Risk and Reward: The Science of Casino Blackjack is a book about strategies for increasing your chances of winning the game of Blackjack. ... The author makes the book accessible to a variety of audiences by presenting the strategies separately from the mathematical analysis. ... It is well organized, flows nicely and cites previous works. ... Overall, the book is an entertaining and stimulating read for both mathematicians and casino goers." (Michael Rowell, The Mathematical Association of America, December, 2009)

"This book, based on the author's own research as well as that of many others, describes current knowledge. Although aimed at serious Blackjack players, it begins with a full description of the game, including common variants, followed by an outline of the Basic Strategy, with hints of why some of these recommendations are made." (John Haigh, The Mathematical Gazette, Vol. 94 (531), November, 2010)

Spis treści

Preface.- Introduction.- Part I: Strategy.- 1: The Game.- 2: Playing the Hand.- 2A: Basic Strategy.- 2B: Composition-dependent play.- 3: Tracking the Cards.- 4.- Betting.- 4A: Yield, Risk, and Optimal Bet Strategy.- 4B: Betting Proportional to Current Capital.- 4C: Back-counting and Table-hopping.- 5: Playing the Hand When the Count and Bet Vary.- 5A: Play Strategies that Vary with the Count.- 5B: Counter Basic Strategy for the Variable Bettor.- 6.- Synthesis and Observations.- 6A: A Practical, Nearly-optimial Strategy.- 6B: Blackjack as a Recreation vs a Profession.- Part II: Analysis.- 7: Play Strategies.- 7A: Basic Strategy, Large Number of Decks.- 7B: Basic Strategy, Small Number of Decks.- 7C: Play Parameters Dependent on Identities of Initial Cards.- 8: Card Counting.- 9: Bet Strategies.- 9A: Risk and Capitalization.- 9B: Betting Proportional to Current Capital.- 9C: Back Counting and Table Hopping.- 10: Play Strategies with Card Counting.- 10A: Count-dependent Play Strategy.- 10B: Counter Basic Strategy.- References.- Index

Blurb

For decades, casino gaming has been steadily increasing in popularity worldwide. Blackjack is among the most popular of the casino table games, one where astute choices of playing strategy can create an advantage for the player. Risk and Reward analyzes the game in depth, pinpointing not just its optimal strategies but also its financial performance, in terms of both expected cash flow and associated risk.

The book begins by describing the strategies and their performance in a clear, straightforward style. The presentation is self-contained, nonmathematical, and accessible to readers at all levels of playing skill, from the novice to the blackjack expert. Careful attention is also given to simplified, but still nearly optimal strategies that are easier to use in a casino. Unlike other books in the literature the author then derives each aspect of the strategy mathematically, to justify its claim to optimality. The derivations mostly use algebra and calculus, although some require more advanced analysis detailed in supporting appendices. For easy comprehension, formulae are translated into tables and graphs through extensive computation.

This book will appeal to everyone interested in blackjack: those with mathematical training intrigued by its application to this popular game as well as all players seeking to improve their performance.

N. Richard Werthamer is retired from a successful career as a scientist and executive, most recently as the Executive Officer of the American Physical Society. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College before receiving his PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of California at Berkley. His original research has been published extensively in the world’s leading journals. In this book, he applies his scientific background to the analysis of blackjack.