Risk and Reward: The Science of Casino Blackjack - Hardcover

Werthamer, N. Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3319913840 ISBN 13: 9783319913841

Publisher: Springer, 2018

Synopsis

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, non-mathematical, 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.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Praise for the First Edition:

 "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, 2009

For decades, casino gaming has been steadily increasing in popularity worldwide. Blackjack, among the usual casino table games, is the only 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.

This Second Edition begins by laying out the strategies and their performance in a clear, descriptive style. The presentation is self-contained, non-mathematical, and accessible to readers at all levels of playing skill, from novice to expert. Careful attention is also given to simplified but still nearly optimal strategies that are easier to use in a casino environment. Unlike other books in the literature, each aspect of the strategy is derived mathematically, to justify its claim to optimality. The derivations mostly use algebra and calculus, although some require more advanced analysis detailed in appendices.

For easier comprehension, formulae are translated into tables and graphs, many of which are linked to interactive versions on the author's website that recompute for each reader's choice of playing conditions.

Risk and Reward will appeal to everyone interested in blackjack: every player seeking to improve their performance as well as those with training in mathematics and intrigued by its application to a game they enjoy.

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.

About the Author:

N. Richard Werthamer is retired from a successful career as a scientist and executive,mostly recently as the Executive Officer of The American Physical Society. He earneda B.A. summa cum laude from Harvard College, followed by a Ph.D. from the Universityof California, Berkeley. His original scientific research has been published in theworld's leading journals. In RISK AND REWARD, he applies that background to hisanalysis of blackjack.

About this edition

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 3319913840
• ISBN 13: 9783319913841
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 170