Customer Reviews

The Odds: One Season, Three Gamblers, and the Death of Their Las Vegas

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Chad Millman has written the book I had always dreamed of writing since my days in the Stardust sports book sharing nachos and hotdogs with the homeless, deadbroke souls who made it their home. I could not put this book down and read it in one night. It hit home with enormous impact since I knew in person or by reputation most of the main characters in book. I grieve for Joe Lupo and Alan Boston for their soon to be lost way of life. I have witnessed first hand the death of the Las Vegas Millman so touchingly pays tribute to and am grateful that Millman captured the last battle in the war in Vegas between Wiseguys and Bookmakers across the counter.

Even if one is not familiar with the subject matter, the book is still a must read. It is a roadmap of what pumps blood in the veins of young college educated affluent Americans in their spare time. An entire generation has become obssessed with gambling on the stock market and on sports and Millman interweaves the book with psychological insights on why people gamble and why risk takers who win are so revered in American pop culture. Lastly, Millman takes a shot at the hypocrisy of Congress and the NCAA. Reading about their attempts at stemming the tide of young sports bettors with legislation outlawing college gambling in Las Vegas (which accounts for less than 1% of the total wagering handle on sports betting) leaves one with the distinct impression that lawmakers are bumbling into a "New Prohibition" where government should be regulating and making taxes from sports gambling, instead of only protecting lotteries and casino gambling which gives gamblers no mathematical chance at ever beating the house.

The Odds is a first hand look at what is going on in the sportsbook environment. Whether you want a view from the bookmaker's perspective, the wiseguy's perspective, or the casual sports bettor's perspective, this book is terrfic. The bookmaker, Joe Lupo of The Stardust is one cool customer. He is under constant pressure to get it right as the manager of The Stardust sports book. Traditionally, the line comes out first from The Stardust, hence, the added pressure of being the focus of attention in Las Vegas sports gambling circles. He knows the details of every game from his collective sources of sports oddsmakers. This would make one cool movie...

It's an engaging read, but in the end it comes across as a frustratingly superficial write. As a tale of three diverse role-players in the Vegas sports betting scene, it gives us little in the way of character depth or development. As a tale of how one season pans out for these guys, we learn only the outline of their cumulative performance - some occasional snapshots. As a primer in how to make sports bets, only a tempting morsel is briefly revealed. As a history of sports betting in a crucial transition period -just a glimpse. Yet it still has a journalistic pull on our attention...almost despite ourseves, we really get involved in how two college basketball teams we'd hardly blinked an eye at in our lives fare head-to-head on a random night, and we do end up wanting our featured bettors to go home winners. Yet it's hard not to feel this could have been so much better had the research been more thorough, the characters more closely followed, the history less skimpy. I read it in two sittings - goes down smooth as a Dove bar.

This quick read about what makes the world of sports betting tick from the perspective of the gambler and the casino reads like an extended magazine article (not surprising as the author is a former Sports Illustrated writer and now a contributor to ESPN The Magazine). What I found most enlightening was the world of the sports book managers of the casino's. The devotion to setting the proper line was facinating and speaks to the business of sports book - the odds are set by a person everyday and the books profits or losses are determined by how well the line is drawn. Also of real interest is how the on-line books have taken the major gambling action away from Vegas and is the death of old Vegas. Its not about action its about profits as Vegas has become a corporate entity. Interesting in the end but I would have enjoyed a little more analysis of the structure of what has brought about these shifts in the way money drives sports.

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!

This is a good/great book for everyone. This is a very well balanced book that deals with both "Action" sports betting as well as the lives of the men who risk it all on the bounce of a ball. The author does a good job of presenting the reader a voyeuristic look into the lives of these three men. You can almost feel your heart pound as you read about the games coming to a close with a one point difference meaning winning or losing tens of thousands of dollars.
Great read for the beach or to keep yourself entertained this winter.

Millman shows the extreme side of sports betting by giving the reader a glimpse into the pathos of high rollers. He also gives us a fascinating look at the lives of the bookies at the Stardust. Only a guy with ESPN credentials could have gotten this behind-the-scenes information. It's a great read, and a wry, humorous look at the dark side of sports betting.

The Odds: One Season, Three Gamblers, and the Death of Their Las Vegas, is a great read. It fuses a bit of sportsbetting history and information with a great storyline that had me feeling the rush with the characters. When a bet was placed in the book, I felt like I had placed it... and as Millman skillfully described the outcome of the game in a play by play narrative, (a tough style to write in my opinion), I found myself cheering for my team to beat the spread... I wish that there were more books out there that dealt with this subject matter in such an entertaining way. Anyone who gambles on sports regularly, is interested in sportsbetting, or has even placed a wager on a superbowl game in Vegas once will love this book. It realizes the addictive nature of sportsbetting, but doesn't get "preachy" about it at all. It is a sypathetic portrayal of the hard-nosed sports handicapper.

this book leaves a lot to be desired. Some captivating stories, but it left me wanting to know more. It read more like the transcript to a documentary than a narrative. Otherwise, I'd recommend. Excellent (first?) effort by Millman. I'd be interested to see how he matures as a writer.

Good book. Shows Vegas from many different angles. I read the whole thing in one weekend. If you like gambling or are curious about Vegas in general, you'll enjoy The Odds. My ONLY complaint is I wanted more insight on how the bookies set the odds for the games. I'm sure that information is not made public, however.