For Dave Farrar, a commentator and presenter in the UK, it was something that he’d always done but in a six month spell of personal crisis he blew thousands in a steady run of ill disciplined, ill informed and just plain ill gambling. This book charts his attempts to apply a greater level of knowledge and logic to his betting in an attempt to win his money back. But rather than a mere pursuit at regaining lost cash it’s more a look at how he gathered a greater level of knowledge about his chosen sporting events in order to make a far more informed and educated choice.
And with this plan he set out to visit the same events that had cost him so dearly in his betting the year before. He visits the NFL playoffs to see Philadelphia take on Green Bay, he spends an inordinate amount of time studying the rough grass at the US Open at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda. He goes to the French Cup Final and the Haye v Klitschko fight in Hamburg. His horse racing passion is sated at Cheltenham and Goodwood. On each of these occasions he speaks to as many experts as he can, gathers as much knowledge as possible on the conditions and possibilities and makes his bet. Each bet is placed at an amount that would bring winnings of £2000 should it come in; extortionate amounts to me, but clearly not to Farrar.
What he has produced is a highly amusing and entertaining adventure of a book that is decidedly not a guide in how to become a perfect punter, as he readily acknowledges. It is a very personal account of failings and successes and a lesson in where things have gone wrong and where they sometimes go right. The very act of writing the book seems to have had a cathartic effect on Farrar, preventing him from being able to ignore or forget his mistakes; a tactic he intends to keep in his ongoing gambling.
As Farrar states more than once, everyone is a gambler is one way or another. That he chooses to gamble on sport and try to eat the bookies is considered by many to be nothing more than a fool’s errand, but for many it is a means of great pleasure and enjoyment. But you don’t need to be a sports gambler to get some enjoyment from this book. It is entertaining and endearing in its own right.
- Aidan Williams - http://thesportsbookreview.com
Publisher - A & C Black Publishers Ltd
Date of Publication - 6 Feb 2012