I have a short hortor story for you: My buddy lost 3k last month at a gas station casino. He used to be a pothead but transferred addictions when the joined military.

>>25210299
Chess Story
Luzhin's Defense
The Master of Go
The Gambler

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>>25210299

Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People by Amarillo Slim

Ace on the River by Barry Greenstein - a strategy book with a bunch of good stories

The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King by Michael Craig - details a group of players and stakers who formed "the corporation" to play against billionaire Andy Beal

Geeking, Grifting, and Gambling Through Las Vegas: Fifty Years of Exploits, Ideas, and Tell All Stories, From The Noted Poker Author - the recently deceased David Sklansky's memoir

Titanic Thompson: The Man Who Bet on Everything - old school degenerate golf gambler/prop bet guy

at least 1 of these guys is a confirmed diddler, and sklansky dated a disabled woman who was the product of incest and dressed up like victorian porclean dolls... gamblers are an unusual bunch

>>25210299
The Third Reich by Bolaño.

>>25210299
The main character of Dukaj's Ice is a gambling addict.

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>>25210299

Chinaski played the ponies

The Gambler, by Dostoevsky. It's an anti-gambling novel though.

>>25210299
The Glass Bead Game

>>25210299
Last Call by Tim Powers

>>25210299
The Queen's Gambit (Chess)

>>25210299
The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis, light read about a young chess prodigy, quite enjoyable.
Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, the first Bond novel, baccarat plays a pivotal role, way better than I expected it to be based on the movies.
Moonraker, also by fleming, features bridge in the beginning. Not a super important part of the story, but there are actual diagrams showing what cards the players are holding at certain points, so it stuck in my mind.
The Player of Games by Iain M Banks, a sci fi novel about a huge intricate board game a civilization uses to choose its various leaders, but there are of course several different layers of games and players going on at the same time.