Gambling can be both financially and psychologically hazardous; it can have adverse social and economic repercussions for those involved as well as those close to them.
This article will present some of the most notable books with gambling as a primary theme, from classic novels to non-fiction works – sure to engage anyone interested in betting!
1. The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, an acclaimed 19th-century Russian writer, is well known among literary-inclined psychiatrists for his poignant and accurate depictions of mental illness across multiple works by him. Less well known is his depiction of gambling in The Gambler, published in 1866.
Alexei Ivanovich works for a Russian family living in Germany who are in deep financial difficulty and hoping for their matriarch Grandmother’s death so they can claim her inheritance to repay their debts. Alexei can’t resist being drawn towards playing roulette at the hotel’s table for hours until he finally wins some money which he gives to Polina his sweetheart and give her what is owed him as his payment back for their tutor’s services.
Aside from its core theme of gambling, The Gambler also explores complex relationships and Dostoyevsky’s sense of nationalist patriotism and character. Additionally, this novel may also be somewhat autobiographical since Dostoyevsky himself struggled with gambling addiction and wrote the novel under a tight deadline to pay off debts related to it.
2. Titanic Thompson: The Man Who Bet on Everything by Kevin Cook
Kevin Cook chronicles Alvin Clarence Thomas (1892-1974), commonly known as Titanic Thompson, through this exciting and fascinating biography. From gambling and grifting to American icon status – Thompson lived an extraordinary life that made his living by rolling dice for profit.
Born into poverty, Thompson made a swift escape into gambling at 16 and soon found himself hooked on betting everything from cards, dice and golf to pool and his own dangerous games he designed himself. Thompson killed five men while marrying five teenage brides before reigning New York’s underground craps games during the 1920s; Damon Runyon used him as inspiration for Sky Masterson from Guys and Dolls.
Titanic was so adept at convincing suckers to take risks that he earned himself the moniker “the Mozart of proposition betting”, according to Cook. He was adept at manipulating percentages, knowing how to mark decks of cards so that nobody could detect any illegal marking. Furthermore, his physical dexterity was impressive: He could cut daffodils at 10 paces with a knife!
3. A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street by Edward O. Thorp
More and more people than ever are living with addiction – whether to prescription medicines, alcohol, drugs, gambling, porn or sex – but our understanding of it remains mired in unsupported 20th-century ideas such as ‘addiction is a crime or brain disease’ and outdated treatments.
Thorp’s invention of card counting revolutionized Wall Street and opened the era of quantitative investing, playing bridge with Warren Buffett and sparring with Rudy Giuliani while uncovering Bernie Madoff’s scheme. Now Thorp reveals his extraordinary life story; sharing his passions and motivations behind creating game-changing solutions to seemingly insoluble problems with seemingly irrational solutions in A Man for All Markets; an intellectual thrill ride packed with practical wisdom to encourage you to approach problems rationally in our world that often appears irrationally.
Casino Royal, featuring James Bond’s epic game of baccarat, is undoubtedly one of the most iconic casino-based books ever published. Not only is it entertaining and action-packed reading material, but its fictional tale can teach readers valuable concepts like gambling psychology and money management while captivating audiences everywhere. It will no doubt appeal to a wide audience.
4. The Winning Colors: The Story of a Gambler’s Winnings
Gambling may be used as a coping mechanism in certain instances of life challenges. Alexei Ivanovich from Dostoyevsky’s novel employs gambling as a form of escape to forget his sorrow and deal with loss more easily; similarly Philip Marlowe from The Big Sleep film frequently visits racetracks to ease stress from investigations.
Bettors’ risk-taking tendencies can be stimulated by the potential payoff of betting, increasing their likelihood to engage in gambling behavior (Clotfelter and Cook, 1989). Skill can either decrease or increase one’s chance of success when participating in certain forms of betting such as poker, dice or horse races (Bruce and Johnson 1996).
Gambling has long been an integral part of culture, yet women often face unique problems related to gambling compared to men. According to research, gendered approaches must be employed in order to address disparate participation rates and harm experienced between genders in gambling activities; furthermore, more people than ever before are being diagnosed with addiction due to gambling addiction.
5. Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts by Annie Duke
Gamblers are individuals who place bets with money or valuables on activities with uncertain or random outcomes that require risk or skill, such as sports betting and poker. Gambling has been both legal and illegal throughout history; however, more recently there has been an increasing acceptance of this activity.
Annie Duke has written an insightful book for anyone wanting to gain more understanding about gambling and making decisions with incomplete data. Readers learn to analyze odds for various casino games and produce reliable outcomes despite imperfect knowledge.
Puzo’s book offers an enlightening account of Las Vegas as a gambling city that has given rise to such great names as Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), Frank Sinatra and divorce as an industry. A great read for anyone wanting to gain more insight into its culture. Available both as hardcover and paperback editions; additionally ebook versions may also be purchased.