TOP 10 BOOKS ABOUT BEING A PROFESSIONAL GAMBLER

For most people, gambling is an entertaining diversion — a night at the casino, a few bets on a big game, or a spin of the roulette wheel. But for a rare few, gambling is more than entertainment — it’s a profession. Professional gamblers live on the edge, relying on skill, maths, nerve, and discipline to carve out a living in a world stacked against them. These books tell their stories, from blackjack card counters and poker prodigies to sports betting sharps and hustlers.

Why Read Books About Professional Gamblers? Books about professional gamblers go beyond strategy guides. They reveal the people who risked it all to make a living from games of chance. They show:

·     How professional gamblers think differently from casual players.
·     The psychology of risk-taking, discipline, and obsession.
·     Stories of legendary wins and devastating losses.
·     The lifestyle, risks, and rewards of making gambling a career.
·     The colourful characters who became legends of the gambling world.

OUR OFFERS

Set in a casino, a man sitting at a games table looking very serious surrounded by friends

RICHARD W.MUNCHKIN, MICHAEL KONIK, WILLIAM POUNDSTONE & DOUG J SWANSON

1. Gambling Wizards – Richard W. Munchkin

· Munchkin interviews some of the greatest gamblers of all time—across blackjack, poker, and sports betting. Their stories reveal the mindset, methods, and discipline that separate pros from amateurs.

2. The Man with the $100,000 Breasts – Michael Konik

· Konik recounts outrageous, funny, and inspiring stories of professional gamblers and hustlers. From proposition bets tolegendary risk-takers, this book captures the wild side of professional gambling.

3. Fortune’s Formula – William Poundstone

· This book tells the story of maths geniuses who developed the Kelly Criterion to beat casinos and financial markets. It blends biography, mathematics, and gambling history into a gripping narrative.

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4. Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion – Doug J.Swanson

· A biography of Benny Binion, the Texas gangster who built a Las Vegas empire and founded the World Series of Poker. It shows the darker side of professional gambling’s history.

JOSH AXELRAD, AL ALVAREZ & MICHAEL CRAIG

5. Repeat Until Rich – Josh Axelrad

· Axelrad’s memoir chronicles his time as a professional blackjack card counter, travelling the country with a team to beat casinos. It’s a mix of high tension, camaraderie, and the grind of professional gambling.

6. The Biggest Game in Town – Al Alvarez

· A literary masterpiece about the World Series of Poker in the 1980s, Alvarez’s book captures the personalities and culture of professional poker players. It remains one of the finest works about life as a poker pro.

7. The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King – Michael Craig

· Craig tells the incredible story of billionaire Andy Beal’s high-stakes poker battles against the world’s top professionals. It’s a dramatic account of risk, ego, and the psychology of gambling at the highest level.

A group of people playing poker together

A man sitting at a games table in a casino wearing purple glasses

BETH RAYMER, NOLAN DALLA & PETER ALSON & LAWRENCE REVERE

8. Lay the Favourite – Beth Raymer

· Raymer’s memoir takes readers into the sports betting underworld. From working with shady bookmakers to navigating the gambling world, her story is raw, funny, and revealing.

9. One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey ‘The Kid’ Ungar – Nolan Dalla & Peter Alson

· The biography of poker genius Stuey Ungar, a three-time World Series of Poker champion whose brilliance was matched only by his self-destructive lifestyle. It’s a cautionary tale of genius and addiction.

10. Gambling for Life – Lawrence Revere

· Revere, a professional card counter and blackjack theorist, shares his perspective on making gambling a profession. Part memoir, part manual, it’s an essential book for anyone curious about life as a professional gambler.

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These stories prove that being a professional gambler takes more than luck, discipline, risk tolerance, and nerve. If you want to enjoy the thrill of gambling yourself, do it safely at a UK-licensed online casino that offers fair play and welcome bonuses at www.casinojester.co.uk.

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A close up of stacks of poker chips on poker table

THEMES THESE BOOKS COVER, WHAT THESE BOOKS TEACH & THE OVERVEW

Themes These Books Cover

The best books about professional gamblers highlight different approaches and lifestyles:

· Interviews & Profiles: Richard Munchkin’s “Gambling Wizards,” Michael Konik’s “The Man with the $100,000 Breasts”.

· Memoirs of Pros: Josh Axelrad’s “Repeat Until Rich”, Beth Raymer’s “Lay the Favourite”, Lawrence Revere’s “Gambling for Life”.

· Poker Legends: Al Alvarez’s “The Biggest Game in Town”, Michael Craig’s “The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King”, Nolan Dalla’s “One of a Kind”.

· Maths & Systems: William Poundstone’s “Fortune’s Formula”.

· History & Culture: Doug Swanson’s “Blood Aces”.

What These Books Teach

Books about professional gamblers teach valuable lessons about the realities of making a living from gambling:

· Professional gamblers rely on skill, maths, and psychology, not luck.

· The lifestyle is often gruelling, with long hours, stress, and travel.

· Big wins come with crushing losses, and discipline is essential.

· Many legends of gambling lived on the edge, balancing brilliance with self-destruction.

For most, gambling should remain entertainment, but these stories inspire awe at those who made it a career.

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Overview

From Richard Munchkin’s interviews with gambling legends to Nolan Dalla’s biography of Stuey Ungar, these books capture life's highs, lows, and psychology as a professional gambler. They reveal the risk-taking, discipline, and obsession that define some of history's greatest players.

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