LAWRENCE'S BLACK BOOK BACK FOR ANOTHER YEAR
By Howard Schwartz
Annually, Marc Lawrence of Cleveland, Ohio
produces his Black Book (108 pages, paperbound, $29.95) and
players (including many who enter football contests) who love what are known as
"100 percent trends" use it throughout the season to handicap. This book, along
with a first-timer titled Stop Making Those Dumb Bets and Start Making The
Tough Ones (107 pages, paperbound, $29.95) have arrived at Gambler's
Book Shop), as the 2002 football season gets up a head of steam.
Subtitled A Guide to Picking College and Pro
Football Winners, the Black Book (no relation to the books by
the same title which either bar cheats or criminals or identify blackjack
counters) gives the player betting systems that are totally for or totally
against a team. For example, Dallas in the NFL: They are 11-0 against the spread
when they are coming off a straight-up loss as a favorite when allowing 35 or
more points. Also, looking at Atlanta, the Falcons are 0-6 against the spread
after a straight-up win against the 49ers.
In addition, one can see the entire NFL schedule for each
team, game by game and isolate angles for each contest. From page 46 on, the
book concentrates on the colleges, from Air Force to Wyoming, with similar
angles. The trends for colleges are particularly useful because there are so
many of them that a handicapper has trouble keeping tables on each one. So for
the player who wants to do a minimum amount of work, wants the research done and
easy to use, and hopes history repeats itself, this book is a delight.
HIGGINS' FOOTBALL ADVICE BOOK LAST-MINUTE ARRIVALS
By Howard Schwartz
Jerry Higgins, from Reno, NV, focuses his book on
betting pro football. Although the title could be a bit shorter than Stop
Making Those Dumb Bets and Start Making the Tough Ones, it does get to
the point when offering advice based on analysis of the 2001 NFL season and his
own experiences. This includes use of power ratings; examining concepts like
yards per point and yards per passing attempt; team turnovers and turnover
ratios; identifying strong home dogs; playing streaks properly; observing double
digit dogs; identifying offensive and defensive "peaks" of teams throughout the
season; considering when to bet the money line; "sandwich games"; money
management decisions; betting the playoffs.
Overall, the theme of Higgins' book is making bets on a very
selective basis, while examining the criteria for making solid plays. There are
17 weeks of the 2001 season and a lesson each week. Higgins' writing is simple,
and to the point—not much technical or mathematical material to plow through.
(The books mentioned here are available from Gambler's Book
Shop, 630 South 11th Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101. Call l-800-522-1777
from 9 to 5 Monday through Saturday Pacific time to order, using only
MasterCard, VISA or Discover card (no Amex accepted). You may order through the
store web site at
www.gamblersbook.com and view the
store's 1,000 books, videos and computer software. You may also call or write
and ask for the free 80-page catalog to be sent to you. The store, founded in
1964, is located about two miles from Downtown Las Vegas, and the same distance
from where the Strip begins, a block west of Maryland Parkway, just off
Charleston Boulevard.)
