handicappers

[ck]

As I stated in my first post. I am classified as a novice bettor,but big time sports fan. So here is my question. When you sift through all the magazines and such. There are a lot of handicappers, on the net as well.
Anyone actually have a good one that they can recommend without any actual connection to?

CK

[Max the Knife]

Look at handicapping central.

[ck]

I realize that there is a handicapping central on this site. Which is why I am asking the question. Are these paid advertisers on this site. I realize that these services are not 100% guaranteed. But are they as solid as the sportsbooks that advertise on this site?


Ck

[j]

ck,

I definitely don't have any handicappers to recommend as pickers, but there have been handicapper-authors who have written books that introduce the conventional wisdom on betting and handicapping. Here are my top picks, all of which are available at:

gamblersbook.com

General Introduction to Sports Betting:

Sports Betting 101 (Arne Lang)

Pro Football:

How Professional Gamblers Beat the Pro Football Pointspread (J. R. Miller)

--Author Kevin O'Neil seems to be an up-and-comer in this division

College Football:

College Football Handicapping (Trace Fields)

Other:

IMO there are no outstanding books written on baseball handicapping (Although Robert Ross's is the best of the lot), or basketball (although the yearly previews but out by MTi sports are thought provoking).

Money Management:

Money Management and NBA Wagering (MTi Sports) [This is a sophisticted presentation of the kelly criteria, the mathematically correct way to determine how much you should bet if you know your success rate with a certain class of bets. The explanations in this book on issues of value are exemplary, and not limited to basketball.]


So since you're a big sports fan anyway why not choose a sport, start making lines on it (not picks), and see if you'd be a winner after a year of betting. Then jump in. A valuable site for beginners, I think, is wagerline.com which allows you to open a blank account and bet against pretty accurate lines. Once you're nailing 54% or better across a couple of hundred picks you can decide if you want to take your interest in this activity to the next level.

[This message has been edited by j (edited 04-29-2000).]

[This message has been edited by j (edited 04-29-2000).]

[This message has been edited by j (edited 04-29-2000).]

[reno]

Contact Gambler's Book Club in Vegas--at 702-
382-7555--and request their free catalog. The books in the catalog will give you a basic education about handicapping. But don't expect to find fabulous, sophisticated systems that will make you a multimillionaire and first-ballot Sportsbetting Hall of Famer.

[Jeff]

Reno is right.....there's nothing there that will make you an overnight sucess, HOWEVER, that is the best way to start. It will give you the basics and a good foundation to build on.....Good reading for the beach this summer!