This one is ok, not one of the best, but not the worst either. It did have some decent tips and strategies for spotting an overlay and has been somewhat of a help to me in my handicapping.

I thought the book was pretty good. Some good straightforward advice that is good to take with you to the track. No systems or guarantees, just common sense. The only drawback is that the analysis is using older formats of the Racing Form that doesn't include Beyers, and other newer things. The insight from the Mig, PG Johnson etc. was helpful.

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This book is worth reading for the appendix and details on trip handicapping, but the material on track biases smacks of type 1 errors (finding differences that aren't really there).

The main theme of this book is trip handicapping and a horseplayer who mainly focuses on figures must read. This book will change your mind and ways of thinking. I am actually quite surprise that this book was written over 10 years ago.

With Andrew Beyers new approach to handicapping, I have grasped the full potential of my own creative handicapping skill. A full out knowledge investment. This book is gauranteed to lead an intelligent player to success.

This book doesn't even rate 1 star. The author obviously knows nothing about golf or the types of games that can be played. I'm really surprised that any publisher would even publish this trivial attempt. I felt that the purchase of this book was a complete waste of money

Great book. I don't know what James M. Herschel's problem is, because this book has given me a bunch of new ways to take money from my golfing buddies! Highly recommended -- the best betting games collection available.

This book outlines numerous games which puts a little twist on your golf outings with buddies. Not only do you get your 4-some games, but other formats as well. Best guide to golf games of any other book I've read, plus a touch of humor.

The software is easy to use and the book does not teach any new principles of pace handicapping. The two simple pace rating is as good as any pace rating which one can create. The problem with the software is that it picks the last paceline of the horse for dirt races, and on turf races, it selects all the turf pacelines for the horse. This leaves the user with the task of proper contender and paceline selection. The author provides guidelines to contender and paceline selection; however the user will still need to make analysis of the race in order to succeed, if one follows blinded to the computer output, one will be greatly disappointed. It's not a black box, judgment and thinking is required to interpret the numbers. The section on money management is a little vague, the author shows in his book that he makes most of his money in exactas and trifectas betting rather than straight win bets. Unless, one has a big bankroll for exotic betting, be ready to go through a roller coaster ride in exotic betting.

I was informed of this book in a on-line newsletter about horse racing, and the authors were describing the successes they were having with some of Michael's methods. I am a seasoned handicapper, and the last thing I thought I needed was another handicapping book, but I was intrigued. After reading the book, I found the rating techniques described simple to anyone who has handicapping experience and is serious about the game (for the novice, it is very helpful to be good with numbers and calculations).

The techniques also seem to be quite effective. I usually handicap multiple tracks at an simulcast facility, looking for good bets (i.e. longer-priced horses that have a chance to win). The first 2 days I tried Michael's methods, I was pointed to a total of 4 longshot winners that I would have otherwise passed over using my current handicapping methods. Not bad....

Michael details his background in the book to some extent, and the reader will realize that he did not come up with these techniques overnight - years of experience and refinement have brought him to the methods he describes. Any serious bettor and student of the game can appreciate the effort. If anything, the techniques described in the book will help you find overlooked horses, as the methods seem to be very good at quickly ferreting out 'hidden ability' - ability not apparent from looking at the past performances in the public's generalized way. If the methods and rankings point to the logical favorites, pass the race. Otherwise, be prepared to play!

This book is an excellent supplement to anyone's current method of handicapping, and gave me more tools to add to my 'handicapping toolbox.' Like any handicapping method, it is desirable to show proven success over the long haul, but Michael states his case well and I am off to a flying start with the techniques - the book has already paid for itself several times over. Any book that can help someone make profits and provide enjoyment is worth its cost and deserves 5 stars.

One of the half dozen best (meaning most valuable in terms of actually winning money at the track) handicapping books I've read in over 30 years in the game. The best, and simplest, method for rating pace I've seen. The method of play suggested by Mr. Pizzolla is bent toward the production of longshot winners. I began playing the method within a few days of reading the book. I cashed tickets on longshots (like Statesville, at better than 19.00 to one, in the 9th at Woodbine on September 14, 2001) I'd not have given a second thought to before. You will have to accept some contrary ideas and absorb some detailed practice. It is worth the time and effort.

I really found this book to be boring. I would recommend this book to a person who does not know anything about sports betting. This book is not for experts. To much basic stuff, like what straight bets, parleys, teasers, ect are. Three quarters of the book explains betting terms. The only one good thing I got from this book is the charts in chapter 13. I found these win loss charts against the spread to be great information. Everything else was weak. Do not buy this book if you are looking for ways to win. I could write a book that would help you do a lot better in handicapping then this book will. There are some great points in this book, but those great points come from other authors. The author gets most of his information from a certain website, so I guess you pay to find that sites name.

Sharp Sports Betting is a complete lesson in betting on the NFL. For the beginner, there is instruction on what kind of bets are available and how to place them. And there is detailed instruction on how to handicap sporting events and determine what bets are worth taking using complex statistical analyses. I say that it is a complete lesson in betting the NFL because most examples that the author gives are from the NFL. Much of the book's content can be applied equally to other sports, and the author frequently tells you exactly how to do that. But I would say that it is not a complete lesson in betting on other sports, due to its emphasis on the NFL.

For those unfamiliar with the workings of sports books, Sharp Sports Betting explains how to place bets, money management, calculating what you stand to win on bets, and what types of bets are available, including separate chapters on money lines, over/under bets, props, parlays, and teasers. There is a glossary of sports book terms in the back of the book. And there is a chapter on internet sports books.

Moving beyond the basics, the author lays out his highly mathematical methods of handicapping sporting events and choosing bets. I have to say that I was not at all surprised to find out, on the last pages of this book, that Stanford Wong is also a professional blackjack player. He earned his way through graduate school playing cards. He has written books on blackjack. And he handicaps sports precisely like a blackjack player. I think the cardshark perspective that Wong brings to handicapping sports lends a little extra interest and unique content to Sharp Sports Betting. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the guy is a statistics and probability nut. He doesn't actually make his own lines, so there is no instruction on line-making. He just tells you how to beat the lines that the sports books are offering, using probabilities. At least half of this 384-page book is dedicated to teaching the reader how to calculate probabilities of various things happening in a game -pretty much anything that could happen in a game, actually. I wouldn't know how to begin to explain it, so I won't. In addition to instruction, the author includes a lot of charts which aid you in predicting outcomes, many specifically for the NFL, but some relevant to other sports. There are also 2 appendices with charts of Poisson distribution of events (probabilities), one cumulative and one not. A third appendix contains charts for win-lose-push probabilities.

Sharp Sports Betting is a good introduction to sports betting for the novice. Its very mathematical tone and in-depth instruction on calculating probability make it useful for the intermediate bettor, as well. The author's passion for applying statistics to sports, in the spirit of a card player, may result in some fresh ideas for the experienced handicapper also.

Like the person before me I think Sharp Sports Betting is better for the beginning bettor. This is a pretty thick book which might make you think there is a lot about how to handicap your own games but there really is very little on that subject. The book deals mostly with defining types of bets and only really addresses football specifically. However, the reason I gave this 4 stars is because I liked the mathematical approach to prop bets. It gives you a really good way to figure out if they are worth betting on depending on the payouts by the sportsbook. Also, as another reviewer pointed out, the charts at the end were interesting and gives you a few good angles to bet on football. I would have liked to have seen more on handicapping though and less defining of terms and bets. Overall though, Sharp Sports Betting is a pretty good book. The information is current and also addresses things like internet betting, while providing some interesting websites.

IS THE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTABLE?
I bought this book back in the late 80s when I went through my gambling phase, trying horseracing and counting cards at blackjack (which btw actually works but you need to bet big money b/c the margin is so slim), among other things. I used to drive 20 minutes to buy the Daily Racing Form, come back to my house and methodically key in the race histories of the horses in that day's races, and this was back in the days of the Apple II computers when there was no Internet. I wrote a spreadsheet program (in Lotus 1-2-3, remember that?) that took the data, applied the formulas and concepts in this book, and spit out what bets I should place on each race.

Well, nowadays the Daily Racing Form has all of its data available for download in spreadsheet format so if you have some decent MS Excel skills, the number crunching process can probably be accomplished quickly in the morning, allowing ample time to get to the track (I haven't actually downloaded the DRF's data, lest I slip back into my gambling phase, which I'm happy has passed).

DID IT WORK FOR ME?
Yes it worked for me. I crunched the numbers, followed the betting rules pretty much to the letter, and overall had a positive outcome over the course of 8 to10 race cards. My rate of return (net winnings/total bets placed) was pretty low, but it was positive. The system itself is very easy to implement if you can automate the data entry and calculation part of it. If you can automate that through DRF Online, the tweaking process afterwards is pretty easy and can be done at the track. Those that can do math in their head quickly and well (and think in fifths and fractions) may actually be able to pick up a DRF at the track early and get the crunching process done in their heads. For everyone else (like me) that can't do that much math in your head (say within the 15-20 minutes between each race), the system is a little overwhelming and the principles can only serve as a guideline then.

WOULD YOU WANT TO IMPLEMENT IT?
Should you be able to "invest" money at the racetrack and expect a certain rate of return? Well, let's examine the traditional investment - stocks. You should expect a positive rate of return from the equity market (over time) because you are lending money to others who take that money and invest it in a productive process that adds value. How about card counting in blackjack? Yes, you should expect a positive return when counting cards in blackjack - the odds are slightly against you without counting cards (and following the "optimal" hit/hold strategy), but altering your betting scheme and hit/hold strategy based on face cards left in the deck has been mathematically proven by IBM mathematicians (and others after them) to allow the player to have the statistical edge on the house (see "The Worlds Greatest Blackjack Book"). So then horseracing? Races are determined by the events primarily within the power of dumb (and I mean that in the biological sense) animals, with intervening events like weather, race fixing/throwing, injury, jockey error, etc. Barring your knowledge of non-public information like a jockey's intent to throw a race, there are no theoretical or mathematical reasons why you should be able to make any money (especially not counting the house fees you are paying) betting on horses. The pari-mutuel system reflects the collective public knowledge of those betting - it's not enough to simply choose the horse that will win (or place/show), you also have to choose the horse with more consistency than your fellow bettors.

BOTTOM LINE: If you want to have more fun at the race track and have a more structured approach toward horse selection and betting, this is a great book. If you are looking for the next best handicapping strategy, please get some help at GA, really.

Simply put, this book actually does what it says. I won't go so far as to say that it is safer than the stock market. I will say that after reading this book and studying the formulas, that I had the same results (or better) when I took a vacation and spent 2 weeks actually betting at the track, than the author did during his week at the track that he describes in his book.

The book tells you how to figure out the speed, endurance and stamina of a horse to see if he has what it takes to be up at the front when the finish line comes rolling around. I have to say that even if you don't believe what he is selling, and even if you don't follow all his little rules, the major tips he gives you in this book will definitely help out the novice handicapper and make a day at the racetrack much more fun. I mean why not, winning money is more fun than losing money. Right?

My average was on $20.00 bets. I made $70.00 per day per track bet. My worst day I lost $80.00. My best day I made $700.00

Good Luck

The author's premise -- that placing bets at the horse track can be as reliable as investing in the stock market -- may be a bit hard to swallow at first... but handicapper William Scott makes the concept appear quite plausible. Scott shows a refreshing willingness to break with established traditions as he provides the racegoer with a well-explained handicapping method that attempts to remove "luck" from the equation.

Readers new to racing will gain valuable insights into the science and art of the sport, while experienced bettors will appreciate the fresh perspective on the "accepted" methods of rating horses and their past performances.

The methods detailed in the first half of the book are explained in easy-to-follow detail, supplimented by charts reprinted from various regional editions of the bible of the racing industry, the "Daily Racing Form." While the examples and calculations are explained in easy-to-understand terms, Scott never talks down to his audience -- even the experienced horseman won't be bored. The last half of the book, which shows Scott's methods in use in each race over a typical week at Belmont, serves to cement the lessons learned.

Experienced handicappers may shudder at some of Scott's play-it-safe suggestions, and businesspeople with their 401(k) statements may roll their eyes at the idea of blowing money on the ponies, but both should put "Investing at the Racetrack" to the test. After all... it's only money...

I checked out the 1967 version of this book in the library when I first became interested in horse race handicapping. It was so full of information that I ended up buying it. A few years back, I loaned it to my brother and later asked for it back so I could review some stuff. But, his dominating wife had thrown it away. Well, enough of this boring stuff. This book does a good job of introducing a new, novice, or disorganized horseplayer to the fundamentals of handicapping--a fancy way to say picking winners at the track. Ainslie covers distance, speed, class, form, track conditions, breeding, and jockeys and trainers very thoroughly. The reader should avoid the laundry lists of specific qualifications for horses that appear periodically in the book. This book was published before the advent of Beyer speed figures and other new concepts in handicapping. Also, as in most how to pick winners books, Ainslie has sections of the Daily Racing Form from races where he made a big score. Racing authors seem to never have DRF examples of races where they lost their shirts. But, it is a useful treatise to learn the fundamentals of handicapping though even the lastest edition (1988) is a bit dated. I would advise the reader to learn the general concepts in the book and to avoid the specific criteria for picking horses. It is an excellent place for a new horseplayer to start. Now, if someone could write a book for my brother telling him how to stand up to his wife.

The best handicapping book I've read. The beauty is the organization, how Ainsle teaches you a systematic, organized method. There's a lot of leeway for putting your own system together, but it's the mindset, the step by step way he approaches things that's so valuable. I haven't seen that anywhere. Most books teach you things of value, but not how to step by step go through the past performances, decide if the distance is right for this horse, figure out if the horse is in condition, in the right class etc. After reading this book I can actually sit down with a program, figure out which races are playable and which aren't, and hit about 40% winners. I would highly recommend it.

This was the first book on this subject that I have read and I bought it again for someone else. If you are just getting started this is an excellent place to begin.

I read the book in two sittings and enjoyed it throughly. The characters were fleshed out nicely and you could actually feel yourself rooting for them in some instances knowing all the while that a "normal" person would never have the guts to lay down the bets that they have made. Contempt and jealously were common emotions I felt as I read them, and as I am planning a trip to Las Vegas in the next few weeks I will be toting the book looking for autographs.

This is truly a very good read and if you have interest in sports betting and Las Vegas I can't see how you could go wrong in purchasing this.

THE ODDS... is a non-fiction account of sports betting in Las Vegas during the football and college basketball seasons in 1999/2000. It gives insight into betting from three perspectives: small-time, big-time, and the bookmaker. The book provides some information for the curious that is interesting and helpful in understanding how betting lines are made, the effect and purpose of moving the line, the impact of internet betting, and Congress' interest in abolishing betting on college sports.

The book also chronicles the agony, torment, and excitement of sports betting. Unfortunately, for those who are already living the gambler's lifestyle there's little in this book they don't already know. For those considering using sports betting as their sole source of income, they might think twice after reading this book. However, acknowledging that gambling is such a powerful drive, I'm afraid they'll want to find out for themselves. Good Luck!

I thought this was a very good book that not only gives you a feeling of being in Las Vegas sweating out the games or more precisely the bets, but it also educates the reader to the many changes in sports wagering with a little history lesson. I read it in only two readings because I could not put it down.

My biggest letdown from the book is when it ended. I wanted to read more! I wanted more true stories to feel the exitement of winning as well as the sickening feeling of losing a bet in the last few seconds of a game to a freak play.

The book leaves the reader thnking maybe I do not know as much as I think I do about betting sports. The games fall squarely on the lines so often it is scary. If the wise guys can not beat the lines studying information and trends as a full time job, how can I possibly do it over the long run committed to a family and working a full time job.

I only found a few editing mistakes where the team did not cover the spread but our guy was stated to have a winning ticket. Not enough to take away from the realism or to be too distracting. No gambler really tells the truth all the times. It would have been a little better if we knew how much the bettors really lost or won, the book was a little vague in that area. It only stated the our guys had had a very bad two months.

But to finish positively, It was a great read and one I will pass on to my best of friends.

Apparently, Amazon.com has some sort of private agreement with the publisher, as the first review that I wrote has been censored. This "book" is without merit. Two thirds of the content is filler - useless anecdotes that won't lead to putting any money in your pocket. The money management "system" proposed by the author is statistically unsound. If you want a solid sports betting primer, pass on this title and buy "The Complete Book of Sports Betting" by Jack Moore. For more in-depth info, obtain any work written by Bob McCune other than the "Gambling Times" book.

If you're looking for "get-rich-quick" systems on sports betting, then look elsewhere (and you'll be looking for a *long* time, too!). But, for the average income gambler like myself, you'll make good use of the author's betting theories, money management and discipline guidelines. Filled with dozens of examples, John Patrick's book on one of the most popular forms of gambling explains how to manage your money and turn a profit simultaneously at this exciting game of chance. Read it, digest it and follow it. You'll be glad you did.

This is the first of John Patrick's books I have read. From other comments, you either love or hate his writing style. I think he is hilarious while also very informative. All I have to say about this book is, betting with the money management ideas he presents, I ended up positive where I have so many times previously ended up negative on the same number of wins. If you bet on sports, buy this book!