Gambling: theories and methods Books

Book SynopsisMastering Tennis Trading gives you the tools to take a calm, strategic approach to tennis trading - in contrast to the emotional, impulsive trading style of many - and this will give you an edge in the markets.

Read more less

Book Synopsis Is this the right book for me?Do you want to make smart choices and win at the track?Whether you are a novice better or an experienced punter, it has all the tips and advice to help you spot a winner and enjoy this popular national pastime. This new edition has been been brought right up-to-date with interactive features. It explains not only such basics as the form and the nature of the races, but will also explain in full where to bet, how to bet, and how to do so successfully. It offers full and unique coverage of the latest phenomena, such as internet betting, online betting exchanges and spread betting. It also gives you vital tips in addition to providing practical information on how to avoid credit card fraud and how to make a successful selection.Back a Winning Horse includes:Chapter 1: Horse racingOrigins of horse racingThoroughbred horsesTypes of racingGrading of racing<Table of Contents : Introduction 01: Horse racing 02: Where to bet 03: Understanding the odds 04: Making your selection 05: Betting tips 06: Checking the results and calculating your winnings : Appendices : Taking it further : Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisGames covered here include: blackjack, slot machines, video poker, craps, baccarat, roulette, poker, sports betting, keno, three-card poker, four-card poker and Ultimate Texas Hold'em.Trade Review"The runaway winner as the best overall gambling encyclopedia written in the past 20 years." —Detroit Free Press"The runaway winner as the best overall gambling encyclopedia written in the past 20 years." —Detroit Free Press

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsisfabulous guide to playing like a pro, whether you're a novice or a certified card shark. Bring on the big bucks!

Read more less

Book SynopsisA primer and reference for one of the most useful concepts in poker.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere's a way for every poker player to improve their game, and Bykofsky shows us how in this comprehensive, instructional guide to poker strategy - for novice to expert players.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat happens when you take your wife, kids, and dog on a six-week trip to Vegas to battle the poker pros? Kampis's folksy, conversational style will place readers in a world of massive chip stakes and lurid dreams.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Easy Money David Spanier studies the psychological motivation of gamblers, those who beat the system and those beaten by it, portraying the personalities and legends of the gambling world of the time. Spanier ranges widely over his subject, considering the motivations of gamesters, stressing the physical sensations they experience, the percentages and chances, heuristic principles, the differences in European and American gambling, and the criminal element in U.S. gaming, but concentrates primarily on the human side of gambling rather than the mathematical or theoretical. While he is comfortable discussing Freud's analysis of the compulsive gambler, his real emphasis is on the individuals: the mathematician who devised a way to beat the house advantage at blackjack; the London man-about-town who ran games for the upper class; the cleric who founded the British Gamblers Anonymous; the physician who established a 'gamblers' hospital' in Brecksville, Ohio. This is an insider's analysis of the thrills, action, and intense emotional involvement that makes up the world of gambling.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow do we know if we can beat the bookmaker? That's easy: just look at our bank balance. But how do we know if we've not just been lucky? More specifically, how do we know that someone who says he can do it, and who is selling his 'expertise', can keep doing it again and again, through talent, skill and hard work? This book examines the techniques available to answer that question, to identify those qualities and to help the punter find value for money in an industry that appears to be largely built on trust and the influence of chance; to uncover the truth about sports tipsters and ultimately how to find the best tipsters - the 'Black Cats'.Trade Reviewranks amongst the more important books on sports betting * Bettfair Pro Trader *

Read more less

Book SynopsisReputedly the best poker playewr in the world when at his height, Amarillo Slim reveals here that to win consistently requires not only a mind that can count cards, read hands and evaluate the complex laws of probability, but also an ability to analyse every aspect of human nature. In this book 'Slim' reveals valuable poker playing secrets and recouns some of the great hands and great games that he has played. In the process he explains the strategies and tactics of the poker game and passes on invaluable advice about judging your opponents correctly. Read this book and you will improve your poker. You'll learn how to bet, when to bluff, when to drop, and when to pick up your chips and head for home.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen you think of ‘gambling’ you might think of Vegas casinos, betting shops and football flutters but the risk of gambling is embedded in numerous corners of popular culture that many of us consume. By considering the concept of ‘soft gambling’, No Dice asks how we could possibly link the Pokémon Trading Card Game with gambling. Can we compare Netflix to a night at the theatre? When does fictional gambling within video games go too far with their infamous loot boxes? Does such risk affect everyone or are socio-economic divides driving further inequality? No Dice explores the messy world of gambling and risk that we encounter regularly, from childhood through adulthood, considering if it is worth the risk and if we even know what risks we might be taking.

Read more less

Book Synopsis Delving into the history of gambling and corruption in intercollegiate sports, Cheating the Spread recounts all of the major gambling scandals in college football and basketball. Digging through court records, newspapers, government documents, and university archives and conducting private interviews, Albert J. Figone finds that game rigging has been pervasive and nationwide throughout most of the sports'' history. The insidious practice has spread to implicate not only bookies and unscrupulous gamblers but also college administrators, athletic organizers, coaches, fellow students, and the athletes themselves. Naming the players, coaches, gamblers, and go-betweens involved, Figone discusses numerous college basketball and football games reported to have been fixed and describes the various methods used to gain unfair advantage, inside information, or undue profit. His survey of college football includes early years of gambling on games between eTrade Review"Cheating the Spread is an important study that usefully synthesizes existing literature on college sports gambling and the major scandals and provides a wealth of new information gleaned from heretofore untapped sources. The exhaustive research in Cheating the Spread has a comprehensive sweep that is stunning."--Richard O. Davies, author of Sports in American Life: A History "A compelling, informative look into the dark side of collegiate athletics."--Booklist"An informative account illustrating the nature of incentives in big-time college athletics. It should be required reading for any serious student of college athletics."--The International Journal of the History of Sport

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhy do so many gamblers risk it all when they know the odds of winning are against them? Why do they believe dice are 'hot' in a winning streak? Why do we expect heads on a coin toss after several flips have turned up tails? This book takes a look at the mathematics, history, and psychology of gambling to reveal various misconceptions about luck.Trade Review"From the dice-playing of Neolithic peoples to modern lotteries and casino capitalism, he tracks the history of placing bets. He explains both the mathematics of chance and the psychological and emotional factors that entice some people to risk it all to win that improbable jackpot."--Joanne Baker, Nature "In What's Luck Got to Do With It?, mathematician Joseph Mazur explores these misconceptions, taking the reader on an entertaining and accessible tour of the history of gambling, the way mathematicians quantify luck and the psychology that keeps gamblers returning to the table. A book worth taking a chance on."--New Scientist "Doubtless aimed at the interested gambler, the frequent cultural references, anecdotes and intervention of psychology nevertheless make the book appealing reading."--Times Higher Education "Both an analysis of the idea of luck, the gambling impulse, and a history of it, stretching back to Neolithic times, the Renaissance (Francis Drake and Ben Johnson often played hazard--an early form of dice) up to the age of one-arm bandits."--Steven Carroll, The Age "Because Mazur's not judgmental about luck and gambling, but is analytical, the book is a winner. It's not just a mathematician telling us that we'll never hit a million-dollar jackpot--it's a mathematician looking at why we continue to hope to hit that jackpot. This book should be required reading for anyone in the casino business, and anyone who spends more than a fraction of their disposable income on gambling should find it informative, if nothing else. It's a reasoned, but also passionate, search for the meaning of luck that may change the way you look at a pair of dice--or your mortgage."--dieiscast.com "What's Luck Got to Do with It? is an entertaining and informative history of gambling beginning with the Ice Age... Anyone who has an interest in probability will enjoy Mazur's ideas and insights."--Mathematics Teacher "Readers will find many an unexpected treat in Mazur's exploration of luck, or, as Mazur might say, the likelihood of long runs of desired outcomes within the purview of the law of large numbers."--Andrew James Simpson, Mathematical Reviews Clippings "Mazur's book is appealing to virtually anyone with an interest in the human psyche. It should certainly be given out to anyone arriving for work on their first day on Wall Street. Perhaps it would help to avoid a few more disasters."--Sam Marsden, Jackpot Gaming LimitedTable of ContentsIntroduction xi Part I: The History Chapter 1. Pits, Pebbles, and Bones Rolling to Discover Fate 3 Chapter 2. The Professionals Luck Becomes Measurable 19 Chapter 3. From Coffeehouses to Casinos Gaming Becomes Big Business 37 Chapter 4. There's No Stopping It Now From Bans to Bookies 46 Chapter 5. Betting with Trillions The 2008 World Economic Calamity 58 Part II : The Mathematics Chapter 6. Who's Got a Royal Flush? One Deal as Likely as Another 75 Chapter 7. The Behavior of a Coin Making Predictions with Probability 83 Chapter 8. Someone Has to Win Betting against Expectation 101 Chapter 9. A Truly Astonishing Result The Weak Law of Large Numbers 118 Chapter 10. The Skill/Luck Spectrum Even Great Talent Needs Some Good Fortune 131 Part III : The Analysis Chapter 11. Let It Ride The House Money Effect 157 Chapter 12. Knowing When to Quit Psychomanaging Risk 168 Chapter 13. The Theories What Makes a Gambler? 182 Chapter 14. Hot Hands Expecting Long Runs of the Same Outcome 202 Chapter 15. Luck The Dicey Illusion 209 Acknowledgments 217 Appendix A. Descriptions of the Games Used in This Book 219 Appendix B. Glossary of Gambling Terms Used in This Book 224 Appendix C. The Weak Law of Large Numbers 227 Appendix D. Glossary of Mathematical Definitions 229 Appendix E. Callouts 236 Notes 249 Further Reading 265 Index 267

Read more less

Book SynopsisSeven precedent-setting case studies taken from the files of the Nevada Gaming Control Board illustrate vital issues addressed in the first decade of the megaresorts.Trade ReviewIt’s a fascinating book. Rich in story and the kind of historic detail one hears from casino professionals at the end of a long night. In using the state’s gaming control institutions to tell the story of Las Vegas, however, Jeff Burbank gets the truth and from the sources and people who can document what happened. For fans of Las Vegas, and I am one, start reading and you can’t stop."" —Nicholas Pileggi, author of Casino and Wise Guy""License to Steal is the first ever, detailed examination of the regulation, and occasional non-regulation, of licensed gambling in Nevada. Jeff Burbank looks at the world with the eye of an experienced journalist: he presents concrete facts, not speculation or opinions. A good thing, because many of the stories he relates would be rejected as completely implausible if presented as fiction: the forger who did not know how to spell the name of his life-long friend, or the casino owner who threw parties with swastika-covered birthday cakes on Hitler’s birthday. Burbank’s straight presentation of the facts behind the ruling paints a complete picture of how the system really works."" —I. Nelson Rose, author of Gambling and the Law

Read more less

Book SynopsisExamines how Las Vegas' culture of spectacle has obscured boundaries between art and entertainment, as well as public and private interest. This work offers an insight into the increasing commercialization of nature and culture across America, and the ways Las Vegas has manipulated them to achieve ever-higher levels of extravagance and spectacle.Trade Review"In the Desert of Desire is a remarkable book. It deserves a wide readership, especially among students and scholars concerned with tourism, spectacle, and the American West. It should be required reading for those concerned with Las Vegas." - C. Richard King, Journal of the West "As I tagged along on his zigzagging explorations...I felt the exhilarated giddiness of one of those long, winding nocturnal rambles through the Strip itself." - Marc Cooper, Los Angeles Times Book Review"

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Frisbee has written a lively and engaging book about boxing in the American West, with a particular focus on the turn-of-the-century Progressive Era. . . . Counterpunch is a finely researched, nuanced, and well-written study that deserves a wide readership among historians of sports, the West, and Progressive Era America." -- Brian M. Ingrassia * Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains *"A compelling read beyond the narratives of early American heavyweight prizefighters. . . . Entertaining and engaging. . . . Boxing fans will undoubtedly enjoy this piece of sport history, but sociologists and sport historians in general might also find the author’s descriptions of the social, symbolic and political conflicts over heavyweight prizefighting in American compelling." -- Anne Tjonndal * idrottsforum.org *"A compelling book that uses prizefighting as a lens to examine political battles between white men, their concerns about manhood, and the need for progressive reform in the West. . . . Frisbee’s ability to describe the events will entertain boxing enthusiasts." -- Louis Moore * Pacific Northwest Quarterly *"In this sprightly, well-researched book, Frisbee examines the political battles over prizefighting in the West. . . Frisbee demonstrates that the most important matches of the time took place outside the ring in courtrooms and legislative chambers, where Westerners battled for the region's future. At stake were differing versions of morality, economic freedom, and social liberty. Highly recommended. All readers." * Choice *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The “Slogging” Craze in San Francisco 2. The “Daring” Conservatives 3. Borderline 4. Nevada’s Gamble 5. Paradise Lost 6. Prizefighting Is Not a Crime Conclusion Notes Selected Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis“The ultimate hustler . . . a rollicking tale.”—Sports IllustratedTrade Review"Highly enjoyable." -- Wall Street Journal"Titanic Thompson is as emblematically American as Babe Ruth or Mark Twain. . . . Cook gives us the real deal." -- Los Angeles Times"Remarkable." -- Audie Cornish - NPR"A crackerjack biography." -- Seattle Times"Here's a wonderful contradiction: a delightful, breezy account of the most outrageous grifter who ever worked the dark side streets of the American dream. If there'd been any money in the pro game back then, he might have been the most talented golfer of a generation that included Nelson and Hogan. He became, instead, the premiere con man of the twentieth century who never held public office. If this was fiction, you wouldn't believe a word of it. You still might not believe it, but it's all true, and it's all here." -- Mark Frost, author of The Greatest Game Ever Played and The Match"Kevin Cook’s biography vividly illuminates the life of Titanic Thompson, perhaps the craftiest golfer and poker player—and certainly the most dangerous hustler—of his, or just about any, generation." -- James McManus, bestselling author of Positively Fifth Street and Cowboys Full"Titanic was a legend, one of the toughest, smartest gamblers of all time. Kevin Cook’s terrific book brings him back to life." -- Doyle Brunson, two-time winner of the World Series of Poker, member of the Poker Hall of Fame"Even money you’re going to read this book in a night, maybe two. Five to one you’re going to practice shuffling cards or throwing quarters against a wall or chipping golf balls into a shot glass when you’re finished. Ten to one you’re going to claim you can throw a peanut over a three-story building. Hundred to one you’re going to get married a bunch of times, kill a few people, make and lose a fortune and...oh, read the book and find out. You won’t be disappointed." -- Leigh Montville, author of The Mysterious Montague

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A must for anyone who wants to play a game and play it correctly.'Charles H. GorenWhether you play card games, dice games, parlor games, word games, chess, checker, backgammon, or solitaire games, here is a comprehensive, up-to-date book with the complete rules of your favorite games of skill and chance. ACCORDING TO HOYLE gives not only the rules but expert advice on winning, too.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn ex-Wall Street trader improved on Moneyball’s famed sabermetrics and beat the Vegas odds with his own betting methods. Here is the story of how Joe Peta turned fantasy baseball into a dream come true. Joe Peta turned his back on his Wall Street trading career to pursue an ingenious—and incredibly risky—dream. He would apply his risk-analysis skills to Major League Baseball, and treat the sport like the S&P 500. In Trading Bases, Peta takes us on his journey from the ballpark in San Francisco to the trading floors and baseball bars of New York and the sportsbooks of Las Vegas, telling the story of how he created a baseball “hedge fund” with an astounding 41 percent return in his first year. And he explains the unique methods he developed. Along the way, Peta provides insight into the Wall Street crisis he managed to escape: the fragility of the midnineties investment model; the dis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn Unsafe Bet? The Dangerous Rise of Gambling and the Debate We Should Be Having reveals how gambling represents a danger to public health due to its inherent addiction potential, which is being intentionally downplayed by the gambling industry and governments. Lays bare the extent of gambling and its effects on society Exposes the dilemma for policy makers, who are charged with protecting public health but also increasingly dependent on revenues earned from gambling Written by Jim Orford, an internationally respected authority on the topic International examples broaden the argument and reveal the global stakes involved Table of ContentsPreface. Section I: Gambling is Growing. 1. The Extraordinary International Growth of Gambling. 2. The Rise of Gambling in Britain. Section II: Gambling is Dangerous. 3. Gambling Addiction. 4. Modern Addiction Theory Applied to Gambling. 5. Does the Fault Lie in the Person or in the Product? Section III: Gambling is Controversial. 6. Discourses of Gambling: ElevenWays of Talking About the Subject. 7. Public Attitudes Towards Gambling Are Negative. 8. The Costs and Benefits of Gambling for Society: A Hotly Contested Subject. Section IV: Gambling Expansion is Not Being Challenged. 9. Governments Are Complicit in Supporting the Interests of the Gambling Industry. 10. Trapped: The Disempowering Effects of Failure to Challenge the Growth of Gambling. 11. Conclusions and Recommendations: The DebateWe Should be Having. Sources. References. Index.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe only Monte Carlo gambler to devise an infallible and completely legal system to break the bank.Trade Review‘An utterly compelling and deeply personal account of a working class Victorian man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo. In telling the remarkable story of her ancestor, the author brings to life one of the most transformative periods in British history. Her painstaking research is as fascinating as the tale itself. Not to be missed.’ -- Tracy Borman‘A thrilling true detective story that redefines family history. Anne Fletcher deploys impeccably researched social history on the Victorian north of England as the convincing backdrop to a portrait of a desperate man whose last chance is finding improbable luck, a thousand miles from home.’ -- Jonathan Foyle‘An eloquent and captivating rags-to-riches tale, well-drawn, evocative of character, place and era; a fascinating read.’ -- Amy Licence

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisEach spring as the Kentucky Derby grows near, a kind of frenzy hits a wide section of the population. People suddenly turn their attention to Churchill Downs, and the anticipation of the Run for the Roses sends everyone into 'Derby fever.' Here in his third book on the Kentucky Derby, Jim Bolus brings together a collection of his favorite Derby Stories that are sure to make an avid race fan out of anyone. Bolus covers a wide range of topics--from 'the Duke' at the Derby; to the famous Derby photograph of the Fighting Finish in 1933; to his favorite Derby, the 1969 running. Also included are such champions as Whirlaway, Exterminator, Secretariat, Spend a Buck, and Nashua. Bolus has devoted a chapter to the Stevens family, whose horse-racing roots trace back more than 120 years, and to the Derby chart callers, those men who through the years have documented the race for posterity. Bolus also relates his own personal experiences as a bettor (and a loser!) on the Derby. In particular, he devotes a chapter to Holy Land, a horse who ran in the 1970 race but lost his jockey and the race. It's a pick Bolus has been kidded about a lot over the years. An authority on the subject, Jim Bolus has conducted hundreds of interviews about the Derby. With this book, readers will understand his passion for the grand old race and its traditions as they learn why so many get Derby fever every spring. Also by Jim Bolus are Remembering the Derby and Kentucky Derby Stories, both published by Pelican.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisLunardi delves into the early days of Bracketology, details its growth, and dispels the myths of the process The NCAA Tournament has become one of the most popular sports events in the country, consuming fans for weeks with the run to the Final Four and ultimately the crowning of the champion of college hoops.  Each March, millions of Americans fill out their bracket in the hopes of correctly predicting the future.Yet, there is no true Madness without the oft-debated question about what teams should be seeded where—from the Power-5 Blue Blood with some early season stumbles on their resume to the mid-major that rampaged through their less competitive conference season—and the inventor of Bracketology himself, Joe Lunardi, now reveals the mystery and science behind the legend. While going in depth on his ever-evolving predictive formula, Lunardi compares great teams from different eras with intriguing results, talks to the biggest names in college basketball about their perception of Bracketology (both good and bad), and looks ahead to the future of the sport and how Bracketology will help shape the conversation. This fascinating book is a must-read for college hoops fans and anyone who has aspired to win their yearly office pool.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLunardi delves into the early days of Bracketology, details its growth, and dispels the myths of the process. The NCAA Tournament has become one of the most popular sports events in the country, consuming fans for weeks with the run to the Final Four and ultimately the crowning of the champion of college hoops. Each March, millions of Americans fill out their bracket in the hopes of correctly predicting the future.Yet, there is no true Madness without the oft-debated question about what teams should be seeded where—from the Power-5 Blue Blood with some early season stumbles on their resume to the mid-major that rampaged through their less competitive conference season—and the inventor of Bracketology himself, Joe Lunardi, now reveals the mystery and science behind the legend. While going in depth on his ever-evolving predictive formula, Lunardi compares great teams from different eras with intriguing results, talks to the biggest names in college basketball about their perception of Bracketology (both good and bad), and looks ahead to the future of the sport and how Bracketology will help shape the conversation. This fascinating book is a must-read for college hoops fans and anyone who has aspired to win their yearly office pool.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less