Review of Sports Betting 101

Title:

Sports Betting 101

Author:

Arne K. Lang

Publisher:

Gamblers Book Club/GBC Press

Date:

1992

ISBN:

0-89650-927-3

Pages:

193

Price:

$9.95

Reviewed by Nick Christenson, npc@lvrevealed.com

July 31, 2006

Sports Betting 101 is an introduction to the intricacies of sports betting that includes information on the math, the language, the business, and the mental approach of this subject. Basically, the author asks himself 101 questions (hence the second meaning in the title) about sports betting that are aggregated into 11 chapters. These questions run the gamut from how the 11-to-10 house edge originated to an examination of the pluses and minuses of betting parlays rather than straight bets.

All the important issues that a beginning sports bettor would need to know are covered here. The terminology is explained, the basics of making a bet are covered, and the math on which sports betting is based is explained simply yet thoroughly. The introductory material lacks the silliness that fills many introductory books on sports betting, which is welcome. This is as good an explanation for beginners as I've read.

Lang's book also contains a great deal of advice on betting sports. There are occasional places where I have a mild disagreement with the phrasing of some of what he says, but there's no passage in the book I can point at and say, "This is wrong." Moreover, I believe that most of the advice given is not only correct and colorfully written, but displays a deep wisdom about what it takes to be a winning sports bettor. I was surprised at how much I liked the vast majority of the explanations contained in this book.

Sports Betting 101 also contains a great deal of history and background about sports betting. I found all of this material to be not only informative but extremely entertaining as well. In retrospect, I'm surprised at how much of this information was new to me. Lang fills this book with historical curiosities, inside industry insight, and fantastic stories. It's rare that I read a gambling book that is both entertaining and educational, but this is an example of one that succeeds at both.

As an introduction for sports bettors, Sports Betting 101 succeeds admirably. I have no problem recommending this book as a good place for novices to begin their sports betting education. Even though I don't think advanced sports bettors will learn a lot of deep secrets from Lang's book, I anticipate that it will contain enough new information and good advice, and will provide enough entertainment value, that I'll recommend it for this audience as well. I liked it, and I believe it was well worth reading.

The one downside is that the book does feel a bit dated by now. There's no mention of Internet sports betting, or even the Internet for that matter. The number and availability of many bet types the book discusses has changed considerably since the book was written. Some of the data and trends that Lang discusses are no longer valid, although the author's general advice regarding them is as sound as ever. It would be nice if the book were more up-to-date, but that doesn't prevent it from being valuable to sports bettors.

Since this book is published by a small independent press, finding a copy can be tricky. For those who are interested, the best place to go is the source. This book can be picked up at or ordered from the Gamblers Book Club in Las Vegas.

Capsule:

Sports Betting 101 is good book for beginners looking for a thorough introduction to the world of sports betting. This book is filled with good information, solid advice, and informative and entertaining stories. The target audience is beginners, but even though advanced sports bettors probably won't increase their win rate, Lang's book will still be worthwhile. I recommend this book for just about anyone with an interest in learning more about sports betting, but I especially recommend it as arguably the best introduction to the topic in print.