Must Read's for Sports Handicapping?

Thremp · 12-11-07, 01:02 AM

Betting Baseball by Michael Murray is the baseball book.

Louisvillekid1 · 12-11-07, 01:36 AM

Thanks, i was also looking into . . . Smart pro Football Handicapping by Ryan J Parker and How Pro Gamblers beat the Pro Football's Pointspreads by J.R. Miller . . .

Thremp · 12-11-07, 03:42 AM

Read the one by RJP. Its pretty solid. Though I don't handicap football so I can't give a "OMG it helped me ship the cheese" rec. But it doesn't have huge errant passages like so many books do

VegasDave · 12-11-07, 04:04 AM

I too would LOVE to learn how to handicap horses. I know how to read the DRF and all, but I rarely (if ever) convert it into winning. If any of you do fairly well at the horses and wouldn't mind sharing some tricks of the trade, I'd be forever grateful.

VegasDave · 12-11-07, 03:13 PM

Bump Diggity.

Seattle Slew · 12-11-07, 03:26 PM

I love the challenge of it, and the sport in general. But winning in the long term is impossible for a bettor like me.

I think you need a big bankroll and focus on those Pick 4 and Pick 6s.

Originally posted by usckingsfan31

I too would LOVE to learn how to handicap horses. I know how to read the DRF and all, but I rarely (if ever) convert it into winning. If any of you do fairly well at the horses and wouldn't mind sharing some tricks of the trade, I'd be forever grateful.

durito · 12-11-07, 07:28 PM

Sharp Sports Betting by Stanford Wong is generally considered the best place to start. I've heard some people here call it elementary, and while much of it is, there are plenty of solid concepts in there that 99% of sports bettors don't understand.

http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Sports-Betting-Stanford-Wong/dp/0935926240/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197419094&sr=1-1

I've also gotten a lot out of Fixed Odds Sports betting by Joseph Buchdahl

Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Fixed-Odds-Sports-Betting-Statistical/dp/1843440199/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197419214&sr=1-1

He is British, so soccer is the only sport talked about, but the information on odds, staking strategies, and ranking systems are applicable to any sport.

jjgold · 12-11-07, 08:38 PM

No read

Just get the best numbers and forget handicapping

Louisvillekid1 · 12-11-07, 09:22 PM

Anyone have the e-Book from smartcapper.com. . . Smart Pro Football Handicapping , by Ryan J. Parker. . . Save me $30 bucks. . . .

Thremp · 12-11-07, 10:56 PM

Christ. Pay the man what he deserves you beggar.

Art Vandeleigh · 12-12-07, 12:54 PM

Originally posted by usckingsfan31

I too would LOVE to learn how to handicap horses. I know how to read the DRF and all, but I rarely (if ever) convert it into winning. If any of you do fairly well at the horses and wouldn't mind sharing some tricks of the trade, I'd be forever grateful.

Even before you start handicappping the ponies there's probably a bigger issue to deal with, that being what type of gambler are you.

In horse racing you can bet $2 to show on an odds-on favorite, and cash a ticket for $2.10, for a profit of 10 cents.

The guy sitting next to you can be betting $2 on a superfecta (exact order of first 4 finishers) in the same race, and trying to cash a ticket as high as tens of thousands of dollars for that same $2. And you can try for every type of payoff in between.

Needless to say, money management can be very tricky in this type of betting environment.

Anyway, assuming you want to play one horse per race to win, it's very difficult to give someone advise on how to pick such horse, because all horses can be played - it just depends what price they're at. A certain horse can be a play at 6-1, and a pass at 4-1. Another can be a pass at 12-1, but a play at 18-1. So the first thing you have to do is learn how to assess the horses chances relative to each other in that race, and make your own line. Then, if a horse's price exceeds your price, it's a possible play for the win.

The other thing I'd say to a beginner is not to underestimate the importance of the horse's trainer.

Louisvillekid1 · 12-12-07, 01:06 PM

Durito,

Thanks i ordered both of them along with How Professional Gamblers Beat the Pro Football Pointspread” by J.R. Miller

Any more advice for NCAAB, NBA, NHL, PGA, MLB, horses. I would like to learn different concepts of each sport in depthly, to try to apply the best system that works for me. Particualy Money Management, and Handicapping techniques.

Art, Are you a pro? . . . I can read the racing form and everything and i also know most of the jockeys and trainers in the business. I only play the horses for fun, and normally play 3 horse exacta boxes, ocassional tri's or a horse to WPS. Anything more in depth on money management in this sport? . . . I really find it to be the hardest sport to gamble on successfully in the long term, without inside information from the trainers or jockeys personally. Obv there is some sort of hedging that is done in that sport on every race to win over a long period of time, due to many different competitors in each race.

Santo · 12-12-07, 01:18 PM

Kellen's football book is well worth a read.

Art Vandeleigh · 12-12-07, 02:03 PM

Originally posted by Louisvillekid1

Durito,

Art, Are you a pro? . . . I can read the racing form and everything and i also know most of the jockeys and trainers in the business. I only play the horses for fun, and normally play 3 horse exacta boxes, ocassional tri's or a horse to WPS. Anything more in depth on money management in this sport? . . . I really find it to be the hardest sport to gamble on successfully in the long term, without inside information from the trainers or jockeys personally. Obv there is some sort of hedging that is done in that sport on every race to win over a long period of time, due to many different competitors in each race.

Wow there's so much here that would take so much time to get into and explain, including my background and abilities in this game.

Let me say this, however, if you are boxing horses in either exactas or trifectas, you are really making it difficult for yourself to profit in the long run. Exotics come with about a 25% take out, and the only way you have a chance to profit is by building scenarios for that race, and minimizing the combinations you play - i.e. you have to take some sort of a stand.