Risk and Reward

For decades, casino gaming has been steadily increasing in popularity worldwide. Blackjack, among the usual casino table games, is the only one whereastute choices of playing strategy can create an advantage for the player. Risk and Reward analyzes the game in depth, pinpointing not just its optimalstrategies but also its financial performance, in terms of both expected cash flow andassociated risk. This Second Edition begins by laying out the strategies and their performance in a clear, descriptivestyle. The presentation is self-contained, non-mathematical, and accessible toreaders at all levels of playing skill, from novice to expert. Careful attention is alsogiven to simplified but still nearly optimal strategies that are easier to use in a casinoenvironment. Unlike other books in the literature, each aspect of the strategy is derivedmathematically, to justify its claim to optimality. The derivations mostly use algebraand calculus, although some require more advanced analysis detailed in appendices. For easier comprehension, formulae are translated into tables and graphs, many ofwhich are linked to interactive versions on the author's website that recompute for each reader's choice ofplaying conditions. Risk and Reward will appeal to everyone interested in blackjack: every playerseeking to improve their performance as well as thosewith training in mathematicsand intrigued by its application to a game they enjoy.