Insights into Sports Betting (2nd Edition, New & Revised) (Plastic Comb)

by Bob McCune (Author) "They start off easy, their money they bide, Then get more daring and up their stride..." (more)
Key Phrases: average sports bettor, sports betting market, most sports bettors, Las Vegas, Sonny Reizner, Lem Banker (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
An author's experience and level of proven success are vitally important when you're choosing to read any type of 'how-to' book. In other words, does the author know what the hell he's talking about? Bob McCune certainly passes those tests. But just as important , the all-too-rare-thing Bob McCune brings to the sports betting table is integrity. If you're looking for 70 percent winners, "lock" bets, or get-rich-quick progressive betting schemes, you've come to the wrong place. Bob tells it like it is...Really is. He's paid his dues and learned his profession, and he reveals in this book precisely what it takes to be a professional-level sports bettor. He doesn't 'sweeten' it with claims of easy money or outlandish winning percentages. Making a living by betting on sports is tough, but this book will help show you how. This book should be one of the first books in your sports betting library. -- J.R. Miller, professional handicapper, author

I've known Bob since the 1970's. He is one of the few fellas I respect in this industry. He's an astute handicapper and a hard worker. Whoever reads this book cannot help but benefit greatly from Bob's knowledge, experience, and fine writing. -- Lem Banker, professional handicapper

This book is an excellent introduction to the perils and pitfalls of sports, packed with ideas on how to survive, and the importance of good research. Both the beginner and the pro will pick up enough ideas to find value in this work. It covers all major sporting events, and the disciplined handicapper will find McCune's ideas and suggestions the equivalent of a weekend of seminars. A fascinating foray into the intricate world of sports handicapping from a veteran of the betting "wars". -- Howard Schwartz, marketing director, Gambler's Book Club, Las Vegas

Product Description
This book is especially for serious sports bettors who want to take their sports handicapping ability to the next level. This work covers everything from the fundamentals of sports betting to handicapping techniques for the most advanced professional gamblers. Topics include football, basketball, baseball handicapping, sports services, the sportsbetting marketplace, oddsmakers, bookmakers, philosophical insights, money management, and much more. Giant 9" x 11" 132 pages, comb-bound, illustrated, heavy-duty pages for repeated use.

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Product Details

• Plastic Comb: 225 pages
• Publisher: Flying M Group; 2 Revised edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963650041
• ISBN-13: 978-0963650047
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,155,269 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Circa 1900?, June 12, 2003

By	"matmuell5" (Ann Arbor, MI United States) - See all my reviews

Please keep in mind this "book" is not really one per se. It is a rag-tag grouping of previously written columns by McCune and neither the book nor the columns were apparently edited as there are numerous spelling and wording errors throughout. Similar content is repeated throughout the book many times. Also the author feels the need to introduce each section with a REALLY bad poem and often goes quite off-topic in trying to establish a point related to sports betting.

This might be a decent book for somebody who is just starting out in the world of sports betting. You learn what juice is, how a local bookie might shade a hometown line etc. However all the information was written at least 10 years or more ago. As sport-betting moves into a new era, the usefulness of this dated information is questionable but it was frustrating to sit through reading.

In short, there is very little worthwhile about this book for a more advanced player with a semi-decent understanding of mathmatical probability.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad Bet, June 26, 2002

By	David Brett (Perth, WA Australia) - See all my reviews

I took a gamble buying this book on positive feedback from others - I lost.

Lots of ryhmes, many words in CAPITALS, even a picture of the author circa 1949 but unfortunately very little useful information on how to systematically implement winning sports betting methods.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Things to know before you throw money away, August 15, 2001

By A Customer

This book isn't going to make you rich, and it definitely doesn't have any sure fire easy ways to always beat the line. What it does have is good common sense advice about how not to go broke betting, and how to maybe make money if you're smart enough and work hard enough.

This book will tell you how to manage a bankroll intelligently and how to avoid a lot of the ripoffs that are out there for gamblers. It will also discuss methodologies for approaching handicapping. Realize, however, that it takes a lot of work and experience to handicap games effectively.

Of course, even if you do put a lot of work into it, you may never make much money at gambling. Only a tiny percentage of bettors who spend years learning to handicap can make a decent living off gambling. Still if you're interested in learning, this is an excellent place to start.