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The Book On Bookies: An Inside Look At A Successful Sports Gambling Operation 1St Edition Edition

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James Jeffries (Author)
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James Jeffries (Author), Charles Oliver (Contributor)
3.8 out of 5 stars 40 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-1581600704
ISBN-10: 1581600704
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  • The Book On Bookies: An Inside Look At A Successful Sports Gambling Operation
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  • The Odds: One Season, Three Gamblers, and the Death of Their Las Vegas
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Paladin Press; 1St Edition edition (May 1, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1581600704
  • ISBN-13: 978-1581600704
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #769,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsGood read that misses a few points...
By BDV on November 28, 2001
Format: Paperback
"The Book on Bookies" was very insightful for those curious about the gambling world and those who want to start their own outfit. It was written as a "How To" book on starting one's own operation detailing the types of action taken, how to not get caught, how to collect, and how to be very successful. There were a few points missing, namely how to deal with smart gamblers (something the author adamantly believes do not exist), and how the offshore and internet casinos have affected the bookie business. There is such as thing as a smart gambler, one who uses legitimate handicapping services, unloads a ton of action on one game every few weeks, bets the same dollar amount each time no matter what, and clears his account once the season is over. I could personally guarantee that I would have ALWAYS taken his money at the end of football season. The question remains: what should be done with a gambler who has control of his wagers and sees sports gambling as a way to consistently turn a profit at the end of a season? Should the bookie not take his action and direct him elsewhere? The author left this point out because he believes the winning gambler does not exist, but I assure him that they do even though they consist of less than 5% of the gambling population. Another question I had was "Should a bookie place a bet with another operation if he has too much action on one side of a game?" Reason dictates that if the same amount is wagered with someone else (preferably with a legit offshore casino) then no matter the outcome, the bookie will turn a profit from the juice. All in all, a good read (didn't much care for the jab at Philadelphia, but every Philadelphian would stick up for their city no matter what), and recommended to those interested in this underworld. I would like to speak with the author if he was available, but no information was given about his whereabouts (go figure).
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2.0 out of 5 starsDisappointing..
By Kelvin L. Cheung on February 7, 2002
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I had fairly high hopes for this book after reading the online reviews. What a letdown. Don't expect to learn anything that will help you gamble. The most interesting part of bookmaking--making and moving lines--is glossed over (author mentions software to retrieve lines from online sources). Instead, the book is full of inane details such as which color pen to write with while taking bets.
If you are looking for a condescending read describing how to run an illegal business which will continue to become less and less profitable as online casinos flourish, this is the book for you. If you're looking for a book to teach you about sports betting, I would recommend Stanford Wong's "Sharp Sports Betting".
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3.0 out of 5 starssomewhat revealing
By Konrad Baumeister VINE VOICE on December 9, 2006
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
The first thing to make clear about this book is that it is meant to cover sports betting from the bookie's side, not the players, and is therefore very definitely NOT about how to make money betting sports. I have no idea what book the reviewers talking about how this made them better gamblers are talking about, unless they mean to say that they quit playing after reading it (a very reasonable course of action).

The second thing is that there are a few technical details on the lines that are inaccurate or out of date. Further, the idea of manually grading 150-200 customers, many of them playing multiple games and non-straight bets, is a joke in the year 2006. Doing this yourself is nuts, giving it to a clerk (who the author assumes will rob him blind given the chance) doesn't seem like an ideal option either.

Finally, the author in trying to come off clever or hip or wise or whatever his attitude is supposed to convey comes off instead as a 24-carat butt hole, with his utter and complete contempt for gamblers (his customers). Despite all admonitions to keep it professional and courteous in treatment of those making him money, his disgust and condescension drips off page after page, eventually becoming quite annoying.

If you are a gambler, the only point in reading this book is as a form of intervention. If you are a bookie, you learn little or nothing. If you are neither, it is an unusual glimpse into the mind of ONE bookie, anyhow. Not many books cover this subject from this angle.
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2.0 out of 5 starsThis book will NOT help you win!
By James F. Lacher on June 26, 2001
Format: Paperback
I am amazed to see so many reviews from gamblers stating how great a book this is. This book will not help you win at sports gambling! It will only help you lose your money more slowly.
There are two simple reasons that the better always loses and they are stated on page two. The bookie makes the spread and when you lose you always pay the bookie more than when you win. Mathematically speaking you have to win 53% of the time just to break even. And that's with a juice (the amount extra you pay the bookie) of 10%. On props and parlays and teasers the juice is much higher.
The reason I give this book two stars instead of one is for the pure entertainment value. I read this book cover to cover and this "James Jeffries" is a world class jerk. If anything, this book should make you want to stop betting because of the attitudes of the bookie.
If you want to actually become a bookie then I would definitely recommend it. He does miss a few points though like how much of a bankroll you need to start. And I'm curious why one would pay out the day before he collects.
I must point out that there are numerous errors in the book also. Mr. Jeffries states that he goes by Vegas odds but he has the 3 team parlay only paying out 5-1 when it should be 6-1. He also believes that half of all college basketball games are played on Sunday when in fact only a handful of televised games are played that day.
If you want to know how a bookie acts and feels, read it. Otherwise, don't bother. It won't help you win.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

Interesting to read.

Published 14 months ago by Kaleb7891
4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

Good advice offered by an author with a good sense of humor on the subject.

Published 14 months ago by Patrick C. Weidinger
1.0 out of 5 starsWas this book wriiten by a con man? Doubt if he ever booked!

Even granting that this book is dated, I think this book is fiction. So much of the advice is wrong . So much is a path to jail. Most telling is what was left out. Read more

Published 18 months ago by Darrell R.
4.0 out of 5 starsFun

I've been wanting to read this book for years. It's exactly as it advertises; nothing more or less. It was a fun book, worth the purchase. Read more

Published 20 months ago by D. Hicks
1.0 out of 5 starsJeffries couldn't give water away in hell! He's a con man!

Reading this book is like reading the plus's of dial-up internet. The book is out dated to the point of being irrelevant. Read more

Published 22 months ago by MFS
2.0 out of 5 starswhat the bookie does not tell you!!

The author tells the reader that bettors never win; the true statement should be that bettors seldom win in the long run. Read more

Published on June 8, 2013 by George F. Morris
5.0 out of 5 starsvery informative

this book was interesting and infomative for those of us who follow sports and have been to las vegas many times.

Published on January 3, 2013 by Roy Shaw
5.0 out of 5 starsgreat book!

well worth the read, tons of info and easy read. cant wait to "try" what he did!

Published on October 22, 2010 by leath1981
5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful book full of information about bookies

If you have ever watched a movie and they talk about a bookie and you think to yourself, "I know of the concept of a `bookie' but I would like to know more details," then this is a... Read more

Published on August 19, 2009 by Travis Zee
1.0 out of 5 starsClueless Author Comes to Mind

Save your money, do not buy this book as you may find out you know more about the subject of bookmaking than the authors. Read more

Published on July 23, 2009 by Hutchinson, Ken

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