“The literature always teaches us a lesson.”
Gambling Books. What is worth reading?
If you are a real dedicated player, and you’d like to expand your knowledge about gambling by reading both fiction and non‑fiction, we have prepared a list of 20 breathtaking books, which we recommend you read.
- “The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win” – the book, which was published in 2020 and written by Maria Konnikova, who is also a psychologist. The book covers the psychology of gamblers, especially those playing poker. Here you’ll get insights about the behavior of people and will learn to predict it. The author of the book herself won $311,000 and was able to increase this number, learning to become a pro in poker.
- “Hypnotised By Numbers: Psychology and logic versus data in sports and betting” – the book, which was written by Bryan Nicholson, who is a sports betting and poker player, and published in 2022. The book shows how to use the inefficiencies in betting markets and discusses probability concepts. Here you’ll be able to learn from the personal experience of the author by seeing real examples.
- “The Princess of Las Vegas” – the novel, which was written by Chris Bohjalian and published in 2024, tells a story about Crissy Dowling, who was an impersonator of Princess Diana at the Buckingham Palace Casino, who becomes involved in family secrets and crime after her sister with her daughter arrive, and two owners of the casino are murdered.
- “Fortune’s Formula” – the book, which was written by William Poundstone and published in 2006. The story begins in 1956, when two scientists decided to get rich fast, and began to explore stock investing, gambling, and came up with the “Kelly criterion,” otherwise known as “Fortune’s Formula”. They were testing theories in various types of games and were able to win.
- “Molly’s Game” – the book, which was written by Molly Bloom and published in 2014. The book tells the story about Molly’s success in operating one of the largest and wealthiest poker tables in the underground, facing a criminal world and mafia, and not letting this world lose her common sense.
- “The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How To Think Like One” – the book, which was written by David Sklansky and published in 1999. The book is an amazing guideline for playing poker. Here you will learn all the nuances of the game in a simple language.
- “Chasing the Win: The Hidden Psychology of Gambling Addiction” – the book, which was written by Alexander C. Blackwell and published in 2024, covers what drives people to gamble, regardless of large financial losses. The book covers useful information about human psychology, teaches you to recognize signs and patterns of an addiction, and shows the way to recovery.
- “The Final Table” – the book, which was written by Dan Schorr and published in 2021. An intriguing political thriller that tells about a high‑stakes poker tournament and a failed professional poker player who is trying to win a big prize.
- “A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market” – the book, which was written by Edward O. Thorp and published in 2017. Here you’ll learn about a mathematician and his story in the world of gambling, and how his education helped him build great wealth.
- “One of a Kind: The World’s Greatest Player” – the book, which was written by Nolan Dalla and published in 2005. The game tells a story of the best poker player, Stuey Ungar, who was a legendary player. He was passionate about playing poker and did not care about money.
- “The Psychology of Gambling: Understanding Addiction, Habit Formation, and Industry Profits” – a book, which was written by A. A. Castor and published in 2025 is another book that explains gambling from the perspective of psychology and explains monetization strategies, behavior psychology, the formation of a habit, and their roles in gambling addiction.
- “Trading Bases: How a Wall Street Trader Made a Fortune Betting on Baseball” – the book, which was written by Joe Peta and published in 2014, tells the story of the author who left his work on Wall Street for his passion – fantasy baseball.
- “Thinking in Bets” – the book, which was written by Annie Duke and published in 2018. The book covers a lot of aspects, which are important not only in gambling but also in investing. So, you’ll learn about strategic thinking, behavior, and even business aspects, and how to achieve a result with a lack of information.
- “The Logic of Sports Betting” – the book, which was written by Ed Miller and published in 2019. The book explains the nature of bets in detail, debunks myths about betting, and shows the real-life betting, without rose colored glasses, providing a clear path to success.
- “The Confidence Game: The Psychology of the Con and Why We Fall for It Every Time” – another book, which was written by Maria Konnikova and published in 2017, shows how our brain works, how easy it is to trick it, and why we are more prone to pick the easiest solutions.
- “Casinolabs” – the satirical psychological thriller, which was written by Lee Scrivner and published in 2025. The book shows a story about Morton Waterhouse, his fate and life, when his father dies, and he gets a job in a cryptic firm, Casinolabs.
- “The Gambler” – the classic novel, which was written by Fyodor Dostoevsky and published a long time ago in 1866, features the gambling experience of that time. If you are into classic literature, this book will be an exceptional addition to your collection.
- “You Bet Your Life: The Burdens of Gambling” – the book, which was written by Neil Isaacs and published in 2001. The book dares to challenge society to reconsider how it thinks about gambling, offering a new and interesting perspective on this topic.
- “Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker” – the book, which was written by Doug J. Swanson and published in 2015. It is a story about a gangster, Benny Binion, who helped Las Vegas Grow and created the World Series of Poker, which is still the most famous competition.
- “Gambling for Life: Harry Findlay” – the book, which was written by Harry Findlay, was published in 2017, and tells a story about Harry Findland, a lucky person who won more than $22 million by taking part in contests, and claimed to have a talent for sports bets, which no one can repeat.
Games, poker, sports betting, and the psychology and strategy of betting are a few of the many subjects covered in gambling literature. In addition to being engaging accounts of real-life stories of the gaming industry, they provide worthwhile information for gamblers looking to enhance their knowledge and expertise.
Gambling Books
Conclusion
Gambling books cover a range of aspects, and we hope you will find the book that attracts you most and will satisfy all your interests. Enjoy reading!
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Nicole
Meet Nicole, our Head of News and your go-to source for all things gambling! With a keen eye for stories, Nicole keeps you up-to-date on online casinos, industry trends, and exciting gambling news. Her engaging and approachable style makes even the most complex topics enjoyable and easy to understand.
