Bet the House: How I Gambled Over a Grand a Day for 30 Days on Sports, Poker, and Games of Chance [Hardcover]

Richard Roeper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 2010

Over 30 days in early 2009, Richard Roeper risked more than a quarter-million dollars on practically every method of gambling currently available in America. Bet the House chronicles his wild journey. Follow Roeper as he travels from celebrity-filled Vegas tournaments to podunk dog races, negotiates illegal sports bets with shadowy bookies, trolls overseas-based Internet gaming sites, wagers against a radio comedian, haunts blackjack tables, and flips coins at a bar. As the wins and losses mount, you’ll share his suspense over that next big bet, the one that might, just might, get him back to black by the end of his odyssey.

 

Bet the House also explores:

•         What it’s like to bet money you don’t have, knowing that if you lose, you’re in some serious trouble.

•         The worst referee’s decision in the NFL in the last decade, and how it cost the author thousands of dollars.

•         The time Roeper won more than $20,000 on a single horse race.

•         Why the slots are such a bad play, why Roeper hates baccarat, and why state lotteries are worse than any numbers game run by the mob.

•         The 10 best gambling movies of all time.

 

The true national pastime isn’t baseball or football or basketball. It’s gambling--on fantasy football, March Madness, poker, slots, the lottery, keno, church raffles, bingo, and more. Bet the House recounts with humor and pride the ultimate thrill ride of one American gambler.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Roeper (Sox and the City) was inspired by filmmaker Morgan Spurlock's documentary Super Size Me to do his own 30-day challenge: every day for 30 days, I would risk at least $1,000 gambling. From craps and blackjack, to slots, off-track betting, poker tournaments, online poker, the lottery, and more, he gives a day-by-day account, with wins and losses, such as Day 8: Bankroll: + $4,980. Shuffling a full deck of anecdotes, movie references, and memoir moments, Roeper deals in such topics as gambling addiction, high rollers, casinos of choice, Indian gaming facilities, celebrity and charity poker tournaments, luck vs. strategy, and sports upsets. Amid dreams and desperation, he recalls, I have had insane fun and I have experienced freefalling, dangerous lows in various gleaming casinos on the Strip. As a film critic, Roeper is certainly aware that his entertaining book could easily be adapted into an equally entertaining high-stakes movie. (Apr. 1)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Roeper, a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for more than 20 years, has been a gambler for even longer, cutting his teeth as a teen in basement poker games and sports betting with a neighborhood bookie. He defines the rules of his project upfront—see the subtitle—and then begins with a series of bets on the 2009 NCAA college basketball tournament. He bets on horse races and dog races; plays poker in Vegas, in pals’ basements and online; hits the casino blackjack tables; and bets on coin-flipping contests. He relates stories from his past gambling life, including the time an NFL official’s horrible call cost him thousands. He’s at his best when revealing the mentality of the gambler—e.g., watching sports events on two levels: the actual score and the score modified by the spread. Some of the jargon may befuddle nongamblers—especially poker babble—but Roeper does a pretty fair job supplying definitions and context. Readers who seldom gamble can vicariously experience a new world and meet some unforgettable characters; gamblers will nod their heads in recognition. It’s even money you’ll like the book. --Wes Lukowsky

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press (February 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569762473
• ISBN-13: 978-1569762479
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #895,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun and light read, but utterly pointless, May 30, 2010

By 

Joe (Medford, NJ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bet the House: How I Gambled Over a Grand a Day for 30 Days on Sports, Poker, and Games of Chance (Hardcover)

First, let me preface this by saying I know nothing about Richard Roeper. I've never seen any of his movie critiques or read any of his other books. I bought this book strictly for the gambling angle, as I love reading almost anything involving gambling. Overall, I enjoyed reading this and could easily picture myself in the same situations as Mr. Roeper. The portion on the dog track was particularly amusing.

That said, I had to keep asking myself what the point of it all was. He said something about an experiment, similar to "Super Size Me". However, in "Super Size Me", I think the experimenter was trying to prove some points with his experiemnt, the biggest one being that people needed to see what could happen to a person after 30 days of eating such awful food. In reading Mr. Roeper's stories, I got the sense that most of this experience was nothing new to him and that the "experiment" was just an excuse to gamble for 30 days and write about it so that he could make back his wagers. What was he really trying to prove here?

I also felt like Mr. Roeper ran out of gas toward the end of the 30 day period, as I felt shortchanged by the last few chapters in the book. There was really no "climax" to speak of, no major "wow, look what has happeend to me after all of this" moment, nothing like that. It was just a guy who said he would wager a certain amount per day.

I was also a little disappointed with his treatment of games he didn't care for throughout the book. For instance, take what he called "gimmick games". If the book is supposed to describe your experiences down a wide variety of these gambling paths, then talk about each of those paths and your experience with them. Don't cop out with "I tried it, I lost, and I'm done with it". If your baccarat experiences were boring, then tell us a little more about why than just that "they were boring". For a man who makes his life critiquing the experiences of others on the big screen, he sometimes doesn't describe his own terribly well.

Bottom line: An entertaining read for non-gamblers and Roeper fans, a somewhat annoying read for fans of gambling itself. One thumb up.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ultimately Succeeds, In That It's Interesting for Non-Gamblers, April 5, 2010

By 

Anthony Ian "anthony_ian" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bet the House: How I Gambled Over a Grand a Day for 30 Days on Sports, Poker, and Games of Chance (Hardcover)

I know very little about gambling, except that I like to casually play Texas hold 'em or blackjack. So the first challenge to an author with a book like this is: can you make it interesting to what we call in my biz "non-category" readers? Is it appealing to the layperson, who doesn't know what "the vig" means or has no idea what the odds are on one casino game versus another, and doesn't care?

The answer: mission totally accomplished. Just as Scorcese's "Casino" served as an insider's look into Vegas then while following a human story narrative, this book makes you feels as though you've suddenly been dropped into the middle of the whole gambling world as a fly on the wall. You'll learn the language, what bookies actually do, what they DON'T do, what requires skill and what is really just a scam. Not surprisingly, lottery tickets are probably the biggest sucker's bet of all time--and ironically they're the most legal form of gambling, a theme which is touched on repeatedly throughout the book.

You'll get a sense of what it's like to have money riding on sports bets, horse racing, dog racing (which, as described, is eerily depressing, like a scene out of "No Country for Old Men."), the stock market, and, literally, simply flipping a coin one hundred times at a bar--among others.

Even with all the gambling setups and jargon, biographical details of Roeper's life manage to keep bubbling up at various points, including a horrific Vegas-set breakup story that may hit home to many.

Lest I paint this book too darkly, I read it in one sitting and I can't tell you how many LOL moments and characters appear--using VERY colorful language--which bring levity to the task at hand: risking at least $1,000/day on a bet of some sort. I won't tell what the final over/under was, but I can recommend this is a wildly entertaining read that you'll think about for some time afterward.

The other interesting subtext--which I'll leave to others to debate, but he gives mention--is: is what's being described merely a passion for gambling, or an addiction?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book got me reading again, May 22, 2010

By 

M. Denton (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bet the House: How I Gambled Over a Grand a Day for 30 Days on Sports, Poker, and Games of Chance (Hardcover)

Honestly it's been a while since I have sat down and read a book all the way through. I heard about this book on the Howard Stern show and since I gamble from time to time, I figured I could relate to it and maybe learn a thing or two. After reading it in just 5 hours, I am hooked on reading again. Richard does a great job of keeping the readers attention through anecdotes and fun facts about gambling all while crusading through his quest of gambling at least $1,000 a day. Anyone that enjoys to gamble, thinks they have a shot at the lotto, or just likes to be entertained should pick this one up. Great read front to back and I am now hooked on the Roeper mindset. Two thumbs up!