Beat Your Bookie Tony Stoffo [1]

12 WAYS TO BEAT YOUR BOOKIE Proven Money-Management Programs For the Professional Sports Bettor

By

TONY STOFFO

with

NELSON WILLIAMS

Formally entitled

Money Management for the Year Round Professional Sports Handicapper

Copyright 2003, Tony Stoffo and Nelson Williams, All rights reserved

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Tony Stoffo, the former manager of the race and sportsbook at the old Desert Inn Casino in Las Vegas, has made his living in the sports gambling industry for 30 years. Starting as a teenager, he ran bets for a local bookmaker on Wall Street for 10 years before moving to Florida to work fulltime in the thoroughbred horseracing industry. In 1989, he started as a sportsbook writer in Las Vegas casinos, working his way up to manager at the Desert Inn, one of the city’s top 10 sportsbooks. Tony still lives in Las Vegas, where over the last several years he has earned the reputation as one of the best sports handicappers in the country, making his exclusive picks available to gamblers via the Internet at www.10starpicks.com and www.vegasinsider.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Nelson Williams, who splits his time between New York City and Los Angeles, is a writer and editor who has covered sports and other topics for newspapers and magazines for 20 years. He can be reached at [email protected]. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS If it weren’t for Sonny Reizner, my former boss at the Rio and Desert Inn sportsbooks in Las Vegas, you wouldn’t be reading this book today. Sonny, who ran the Hole in the Wall Sportsbook at the old Castaways Casino from 1976 to 1988 and developed the city's first NFL handicapping contest, took me under his wing at the Rio, teaching me the ins and outs of the gambling business. The sharpest bettor I have ever met, Sonny showed me many of the strategies that I incorporate in my 12 Money-Management Programs, and his influence continues to color every pick I make as a professional handicapper. -- Tony Stoffo, 2003 I would also like to thank Howard Schwartz from the Gambler’s Book Shop here in Las Vegas. Howard took time out of his busy schedule to share some of his own ideas how to make my book even better and gave me the encouragement to go forward with this project. -- Tony Stoffo, 2003 The Gamblers Book Shop is located at: 630 South 11th Street Las Vegas, NV 89101 1-800-522-1777 http://www.gamblersbook.com

DISCLAIMER All information in this book is meant for professional gamblers betting in states and/or venues where it is legal to do so. The authors and publishers do not condone illegal gambling, strongly urge readers to determine the legality of gambling in their locale or via the Internet before betting, and accept no liability for those who break local, state, federal or international laws by gambling illegally. As is stressed throughout this book, all gamblers are encouraged to bet legally, smartly and conservatively, with only a small portion of their disposable income, risking only what they can afford to lose. Those who feel that they may have a gambling problem are urged to cease betting immediately and contact their state’s chapter of Gambler’s Anonymous as the first step in seeking help.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

5

1.

Re-Learning How to Bet

8

2.

Setting and Building Your Bankroll

13

3.

Program #1: The 2-6 Straight Bet System

26

4.

Program #2: The 2-3 Straight Bet System

39

5.

Program #3: The 4-Level Accumulation System

51

6.

Program #4: The 2-16 Consecutive Wins System

63

7.

Program #5: The 2-18 Consecutive Wins System

71

8.

Program #6: The Straight + Saver System

80

9.

Program #7: The Baseball Streaks System

92

10.

Program #8: The Baseball Underdog System

104

11.

Program #9: The 1-8 Parlay System

116

12.

Program #10: The 0% Risk System

124

13.

Superstitious, Anyone?

132

14.

Program #11: The Set Monthly-Income System (Straight Bet Version)

133

15.

Program #12: The Set Monthly-Income System (Parlay Version)

146

16.

Sport by Sport Betting Strategies

160

17.

The Bet You Should Never Make

167

18.

Receiving Tony Stoffo’s Expert Picks

170

19.

Glossary of Tony Stoffo’s Gambling Terms

175

INTRODUCTION

Winners and Losers It’s a funny thing about gamblers. We all like to think it’s the other guy, not us, who is helping casinos and sports books make billions of dollars a year. In reality, 98 out of every 100 gamblers laying bets are guaranteed to lose money over the long term. During the time I spent as the Manager of the Race and Sportsbook at the Desert Inn Casino in Las Vegas, I witnessed daily the misguided betting habits of the 98% of gamblers who helped pay for the city’s lavish casinos and hotels. I also studied and befriended the 2% who were making real money over the long haul. So what separated the countless “losers” from the lucky few “winners”? Of the tens of thousands of sports gamblers I watched, the “losers” invariably fell into one of several categories. The first type of loser (and perhaps the most common) was the high-roller from out of town who bet $1,000 or more on every game, no matter what the situation, either because he had it to lose, liked showing off for his buddies or lady friend, or was hooked on the rush of gambling. I met perhaps the most memorable high-roller of my career on Super Bowl Sunday in 1996. The casino manager brought him over to me moments before kickoff, informing me that the gentleman wanted to lay $200,000 on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were 13-point underdogs against the Dallas Cowboys. Our betting limit for the big game was $25,000, but the high-roller said the Hilton down the Strip was willing to take his bet if I wasn’t, so I took his action. Dallas won the game 27-17, meaning Pittsburgh covered, so he won the bet at 11-10 odds and pocketed $181,818.18. But we at the Desert Inn sportsbook were ultimately the winners. This high-roller was so “high” over his win that he went on to drop $1.5 million at the blackjack tables later that night. Like this gentleman, most high-rollers feed off the rush and buzz of gambling -- so much so that winning is almost an afterthought. Even if they pick a big winner, they’re often quick to squander their earnings within hours of cashing in. Of the other types of “losers,” there was the $100-a-unit everyday bettor who chased losses by upping his plays to $250 or even $500 or more in a doomed game of catch-up. Then there were the regulars and out-of-towners alike who set their bet amounts erratically on whims, with no rhyme or reason, either underplaying great values, overplaying mediocre picks on ill-conceived hunches, or throwing away their mortgage money on fly-by-night handicappers’ so-called “locks.” Meanwhile, the whopping 2% of consistent “winners” all fell into one single category. Every one used money-management strategies that I witnessed, analyzed, modified and verified for years before compiling them in this one invaluable book for serious sports gamblers like you.

Join the Exclusive Winners Club In the pages to follow, I’ll explain in easy-to-understand language how your bad betting habits have kept you from winning consistently. I’ll also outline in simple detail my 12 Money-

Management Programs, which will correct those bad habits and can help turn even those belowaverage bettors among you into consistent winners. My 12 Money-Management Programs are all based on mathematical certainties, but you won’t need a Ph.D. or a computer to figure them out. In fact, they’re so simple that after a few days, you'll be using them automatically in your daily betting, without a second thought. But they do require discipline -- the discipline to bet only amounts dictated by your previous bets’ outcomes, and the discipline to track every single bet you make, win or lose. Don’t worry, I’ll provide you with all the information you’ll need to help determine how much of your Bankroll to set aside for each bet, as well as with the necessary Charts to track your winnings. The only thing left to decide will be which teams to bet on. Fortunately for you, my Programs even take much of the risk out of that. Skeptical? Don’t be. Before we go any further, I’m going to let you in on the dirty little secret that bookmakers never want you to find out: You don’t have to pick 53% or more winners in order to make a profit, as is commonly believed. By setting your bet amounts according to my Programs, you can win as few as 26% of your straight bets and 12% of your 2-team parlays and still walk away with hundreds or even thousands of dollars or more in profit every week. So there’s no pressure to pick winners more than half the time, which even professional handicappers and gamblers like me, who make their entire livings by betting, have a tough time accomplishing.

The Most Important Bet You’ve Ever Made By buying this easy-to-understand insider’s guide to sports gambling, you’ve made the best investment you possible could as a bettor. Read it through once, making note of which of my 12 Money-Management Programs make the most sense for you. Check out the “test results” I’ve included that show actual examples of how you can pick just 8 winners out of 30 games in one monthly Program and still net hundreds or thousands of dollars of profits. Then, when you’re ready, starting turning your own disposable income into regular winnings. In a few days, you’ll be astounded that you ever set your bet amounts off the top of your head and not according to one of my 12 Money-Management Programs. As you get comfortable with my programs and gain the confidence that comes with making consistent money, make sure to implement the Sport by Sport Betting Strategies I include in Chapter 16, which can help you earn up to $50,000 or more annually from your sports gambling. Or use Program #10, which releases for the first time my 0% Risk System -- picked up from some “wise guys” from New York -- which literally guarantees you’ll come away from any straight moneyline bet with either a win or a push, no matter which team wins. Making guaranteed profits -- or, better yet, a living -- from gambling on sports may sound too good to be true, but I’ll prove to you that it’s possible time and again with concise instructions and numerous examples in the pages to follow. I’ll also give you inside strategies on how to build your Bankroll from month to month and year to year, so you can afford to bet -- and win -- more and more as time goes by.

Now that you’re ready to put losing behind you, let’s get started managing your bets, beating your bookies and building your Bankrolls.

Tony Stoffo

Chapter 1

RE-LEARNING HOW TO BET

Take 3 Simple Steps to Betting Success

As I noted in the Introduction, gamblers making straight bets must hit 53% winners just to make a profit. This in and of itself is hard enough for the average bettor -- but the task is made even more difficult when you vary your bet amounts on whims and hunches.

The average win on a straight bet nets a one-time 90.9% return on your wager, meaning you must lay $11 to win $10. On the other hand, every single winning wager using most of my 12 Money-Management Programs not only builds your Bankroll by this same ratio but also recoups either a portion or all of your recent losses.

In fact, when betting with one of my Programs, losing any single bet isn’t a cause for worry like it would be if you laid a substantial bet on a game because you had a “gut feeling” or even paid for a professional handicapper’s expert picks.

Why? Because regular losses are “expected” and built into my Programs. So you know there will inevitably be another win coming along that will earn back your losses, plus a little extra. (I’ll even show you how to incorporate the money you pay handicappers into the System, so your winnings pay for expert picks such as mine many times over.)

My 12 Money-Management Programs, which I learned from gambling professionals who make their entire living by betting on sports, are based on proven mathematical certainties that virtually guarantee you’ll make money by:

1) Breaking your Bankroll into portions to help prevent losing the entire amount, even during losing streaks (see Chapter 2, “Setting and Building Your Bankroll,” for details).

2) Determining your current bet amounts according to the results of previous wagers, not hunches or whims (see each Program chapter for a full explanation). 3) Requiring you to keep disciplined track of all bets and profits, as well as any money paid to handicappers for their expert picks (use the handy Chart I’ve provided with each Program for this precise purpose).

Break 3 Common Bad Betting Habits To accomplish the 3 simple things above and become part of the 2% of bettors who make consistent money betting on sporting events, you’ll need to break 3 of the bad habits that keep the other 98% of gamblers from winning.

1) Stop betting more than a small portion of your total Bankroll on any single play. 2) Stop betting an arbitrary number of games per day and setting your individual bet amounts by some ill-conceived “unit” system. 3) Stop betting without keeping strict track of all your wins, loses and profits.

You’ve probably noticed that by achieving the 3 “dos” above you’ll be ensuring that you’re not guilty of the 3 “don’ts” that follow.

Pick Your Programs Before Your Favorites

Before you even think about which teams to place your bet on -- or your “favorites” -- decide which of my 12 Money-Management Programs best fit your gambling tastes and situation. You’ll want to read closely the chapter devoted to each Program, but here’s a quick overview: Program #1, known as The 2-6 Straight Bet System, is a favorite because it requires you to hit just 33% -- or about 2 of 6 -- of your wagers to turn a profit. Similarly, Program #2, The 2-3 Straight Bet System, is popular since you can win substantial profits by picking just 2 winners among any 3 wagers in a Series of up to 8 bets. Conservative gamblers who are looking to bet modest amounts daily with little if any long-term risk will undoubtedly like Program #3, The 4-Level Accumulation System, which allows you to grind out steady profits over months and even years while getting lots of “action” every day. Programs #4 and #5, The 2-16 and 2-18 Consecutive Wins Systems, allow you to make money when you hit just 2 consecutive winners in any Series of up to 16 or 18 bets.

Program #6, The Straight + Saver System, is for “action” players who like to bet 3 strong plays daily but who also want to hedge by putting money on an opposite parlay to cover yourself for those rare, disappointing 0-3 days. While most of my programs work across all sports, Programs #7 and #8, The Baseball Streaks and The Baseball Underdog Systems, are tailored to betting exclusively on America’s Pastime, which lasts six months of the year and provides some of the best values for gamblers. Those of you who enjoy the increased payoffs of parlays will find it remarkable that you must hit just 1 of 8 winners (for a winning percentage of only .125) to make a profit using Program #9, The 1-8 Parlay System. For those high-rollers who have substantial disposable income, Program #10, The 0% Risk System, is a foolproof way to take advantage of differing odds at various sportsbooks to guarantee yourself a profit or push no matter who wins. Programs #11 and #12, the Straight Bet and the Parlay Versions of The Set Monthly-Income System, teach you how to set a monthly gambling “salary” for yourself by laying either straight or 2-team parlay wagers. By picking a minimum of 12% parlay winners or 26% straight-bet winners, you can “guarantee” yourself a monthly income of $400, $1,000 or even $5,000 or more.

Set and Build Your Bankroll Once you know which of my 12 Money-Management Programs you’ll be using to make gambling profits, you need to know how much money you have to wager with. I’ll explain it fully in Chapter 2, “Setting and Building Your Bankroll,” but basically it involves 3 easy steps:

1) Determining and putting aside a portion of your disposable income that you don’t need for life’s essentials like mortgage or rent, car payments, credit card bills, food and entertainment, etc., and using this Bankroll exclusively for betting. 2) Dividing your Bankroll into 4 parts and betting a calculated portion of this 25% of your Bankroll on every pick. 3) Taking all winning profits and putting them back into your Bankroll so you have more to bet - and win -- with.

Of course, once you know what your total Bankroll is, you’ll need to determine how much to wager on each game.

Aim For Your Target Numbers

Believe it or not, virtually all bettors are destined to lose before they even lay their bets -because they make the mistake of spending 90% of their time deciding which teams to bet on and just 10% on how to bet them. The key to my 12 Money-Management Programs is to drastically alter that ratio. Each of my Programs involves placing a “Series” of bets with predetermined wager amounts, which virtually ensures you’ll make money in the long run. Because your wager amounts are determined by the results of your previous plays, you may be playing slightly fewer picks each day than you have in the past if you are an “action” player. For example, you can play just 1 Series in 1 Program, betting just 1 game a day, or 1 early and 1 late game per Sunday during NFL season. Or those of you who desire more action -- and have the Bankroll to afford it -- may want to mix and match by playing several Series in 1 or more Programs simultaneously. For instance, you may choose to bet on 1 game each day with a 2-6 Straight Bet System Series, 1 game with a 2-9 Consecutive Wins System Series and 2 more games via a 2-team parlay in a 1-8 Parlay System Series. Whatever your selection of Programs and the number of Series played in each, before you even decide which games to bet on, you’ll know how much you’re going to wager, based on the previous play’s results. This does away with any guesswork regarding how much money or how many “units” to put on a particular game. Because mathematical formulas proven to earn profits over time are the basis of my 12 MoneyManagement Programs, you’ll have 1 or more “target” numbers to hit in each Series every day. We call these target numbers “Series Amounts,” since they’re the numbers that make up your Series. For example, if you’re running a total of 3 Series in 1 or more Programs, your Series Amounts for the day may be 48, 147 and 312, meaning your 3 Series require you to wager enough to win $48, $147 and $312, respectively. Hence, you’d put your best play of the day on your $312 Series, your next best on the $147 Series, and your third-strongest play on the $48 Series. It’s important to note that each of my 12 Money-Management Programs allows you as an individual bettor to select those that fit your budget and Bankroll, so they can be used by $25-aday gamblers as easily as by $25,000-a-game gamblers. And you’re not required to run more than 1 Program or Series at a time, or even bet every day. You can start with just 1 Series based on 1 Program, and bet just once a day, or even skip days when you’re not comfortable making a play.

Chart Your Course and Keep on Track

With each of my Programs comes full instructions on not only how and what amount to bet -again, based on your personal budget and Bankroll -- but a Chart to keep track of your wagers.

It’s imperative that you fill out these Charts religiously, or you won’t know how much to bet, and the mathematical formulas they’re based on won’t work to “guarantee” your long-term winnings. You’ll want to take this book to your local copy store and make dozens of copies of all the Charts provided. I recommend you copy them onto 8.5 x 11-inch paper and keep them in a 3-ring binder for easy access and tracking.

The enclosed Charts will not only help you calculate your daily Series Amounts -- or how much to bet -- they also aid you in tracking your long-term winnings. This will enable you to know when it’s time to increase your bets to a larger-wager Series, allowing you to increase your profits.

Take a Look at the Proof

In addition to Charts to track your bets, I’ve included with each and every Program several examples of Series that prove you can pick just 12% winners on 2-team parlays and 26% winners on straight bets, and walk away with substantial profits.

Since as a regular gambler you’ll also be interested in earning a regular monthly income from your wagers, you’ll probably want to incorporate Programs #11 and #12 into your gambling, so I’ve even included proof that these Programs do indeed bring regular winnings, week after week, month after month.

This proof comes in the form of examples, which provide entire months of sample wins and losses at various winning percentages to show you that if you can hit a minimum number of bets, you are guaranteed to be a winning gambler over the long haul.

So, let’s move on to Chapter 2, set our Bankrolls and begin making winning wagers.

Chapter 2

SETTING AND BUILDING YOUR BANKROLL

Don’t Spend It All in One Place (or on One Sunday)

There’s no time like pro football season at a sportsbook. Because each team plays only 16 regular-season contests, every game is an event. You can feel the buildup during the week, culminating on Sunday, when there are usually 15 games on tap, oftentimes as many as 11 “early games” kicking off at once, at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

When I was managing the sportsbook at the Desert Inn Casino, the first few Sundays of the NFL season were always standing room only. There was electricity in the air. The bets came fast and furious. Invariably, however, by Weeks 4, 5 and 6, the crowds had thinned by 60%. And those who remained were playing more conservatively. Bettors who had been laying $500 a game were now agonizing over their wagers and risking just $100 a game.

Needless to say, the football fans who disappeared altogether after the first few weeks had blown their entire Bankrolls. And practically the only money-management technique the last men standing were using was to bet less, but of course they were doing this only because they had less in their pockets.

By neglecting to set a Bankroll or use a money-management strategy, both those groups had not only ruined their chances at making money over the long haul, but they’d sapped all the fun out of following the football season as fans and gamblers. Much like it is for the players on the field, gamblers know it’s no fun sitting on the sidelines, or playing catch-up for most of the season.

To begin making consistent money as a regular gambler, you must first set your “Personal Betting Bankroll,” to ensure that the occasional serious losing streak won’t knock you entirely out of the game. Before you can determine your Personal Betting Bankroll, it’s a good idea to evaluate your personal finances as a whole.

Grin and ‘Bare’ Your Monthly Budget

If you can honestly say you know, without having to check your personal records, exactly how much money you have left over each month after all your living expenses are paid, you are exactly the kind of person who will do wonderfully as a disciplined gambler. Congratulate yourself and move down to the next section, where you’ll set your Personal Betting Bankroll.

However, if you have no idea how much money you have going out each month for all your personal bills, don’t be discouraged. You’ve got plenty of company. You’d be surprised how many people -- even extremely wealthy ones -- have never sat down and drawn up a personal budget. In a way, they’re like gamblers who use no money-management technique. They live week to week, paycheck to paycheck, spending as urges and whims come and go, content not to know the potentially scary truth of their financial situation as long as there is some money in the bank and room on their credit cards.

Because my 12 Money-Management Programs are all based on financial discipline, let’s quickly determine your monthly budget so you’ll know how much of a beginning Bankroll you have to play with. It takes only about 15 minutes -- whether you’re one of the middle-class masses or a multimillionaire -- and it can only help your personal and gambling life to know exactly where you stand financially.

To complete your personal budget, fill in the Chart at the end of this chapter. Simply write in dollar amounts next to each of the monthly budget categories, making sure they’re all accurate monthly figures. For instance, if you spend $125 a week on groceries and dining out, make sure you put $500 in that category, assuming a 4-week month. Also, if you have expenses such as taxes or insurance that you pay quarterly or yearly, don’t forget to divide them by the number of months in the quarter or year, and then include them as well as monthly expenses, so you don’t come up short when those bills come due.

Note that if any of your expenses are taken out of your paycheck before you receive it, don’t deduct them. We’re trying to determine your monthly “Total Disposable Income,” or what’s left of your paycheck after you pay all of life’s “little” essentials.

When the Chart is filled out, you’ll be able to subtract your combined monthly expenses from your monthly income and be left with your Total Disposable Income.

Betting a Safe and Secure Bankroll Whether you’ve just outlined your personal budget for the first time or knew all along where all your dollars and cents were going each month, you’re now able to set your Personal Betting Bankroll. Take a look at your monthly Total Disposable Income, the amount left over after you’ve paid all the items on your personal budget -- from the mortgage to the car payment to the kids’ college fund. Now take that dollar figure and cut it by 50%. If you have that dollar figure right now in your dresser drawer, your savings account or your wallet, whether it’s $200 or $20,000, you’ve established a good, safe amount for your beginning Personal Betting Bankroll.

1 month’s Total Disposable Income divided by 2 = your Personal Betting Bankroll.

What’s the remaining 50% for, you ask? The unexpected. The last thing you want to do is risk losing the money needed to take care of life’s little emergencies -- like car repairs and unexpected doctor’s bills -- because the Knicks end up losing to the Celtics. If you don’t have half a month’s Total Disposable Income available right now to start betting with, divide it in half again, which should give you one week’s pay -- after all your personal expenses -- and make this number your Personal Betting Bankroll. That way, you can keep reading and be ready to bet safely and responsibly after you cash your next paycheck and pay all your bills, using just 25% of your Total Disposable Income.

Saving for a Rainy Day at the Sportsbook Now that you’ve set your Personal Betting Bankroll, put it safely aside either at home or in a bank account (if you’re betting with your local neighborhood bookie), or in 1 or more reputable online sportsbook accounts (if you’re betting on the Web). As you’ve undoubtedly gathered by now, my entire approach toward helping you make money via sports betting is to have you gamble smartly, conservatively and according to my 12 MoneyManagement Programs, which utilize proven mathematical certainties to help steadily build your Bankroll. In keeping with this, I am going to have you take your Personal Betting Bankroll and divide it evenly into 4 equal “Betting Blocks.” For example, if you’re starting with a Personal Betting Bankroll of $1,600 (based on a portion of your Total Disposable Income), break it into 4 equal Betting Blocks of $400 each.

$1,600 Personal Betting Bankroll divided by 4 = Betting Blocks of $400 each.

Rather than risk your entire Bankroll right off the bat, you’ll begin putting a calculated portion of your $400 Betting Blocks on each bet. These bets are hereafter referred to as “Series Amounts,” since all my Programs provide preset “Series,” or a specific number of wagers, for you to make.

Divvying up your Personal Betting Bankroll into Betting Blocks from which you’ll set your Series and Series Amounts prevents you from ever losing everything during an unfortunate losing streak. Knowing that you have substantial “reserves” in your Bankroll, and that you must only win as few as 1 in 8 parlays and slightly better than 1 in 4 straight bets in a Series to make a profit with my 12 Money-Management Programs, you’ll bet calmly, with a clear head. Of course, just because I have selected $1,600 as a possible beginning Bankroll and $400 as the natural Betting Blocks for this Bankroll doesn’t mean you should automatically set your Bankroll and Betting Blocks at these amounts. Your budget may warrant a lower or higher Bankroll and Betting Blocks, which you should set according to the budget and monthly Total Disposable Income numbers you’ve determined for your own specific financial situation. For consistency in betting examples throughout this book, however, I always will be using $1,600 as a Personal Betting Bankroll and $400 as Betting Blocks. I’ll also be setting your betting “Series,” the preset number of wagers in any given System, and your “Series Amounts,” the dollar figure you’ll wager, precisely so that you’re “guaranteed” to make a profit and protect your Bankroll by picking a reasonable amount of winners.

Don’t Lose Sleep or Your Bankroll To show you why it’s so important to both set a reasonable Personal Betting Bankroll and to divide it up into 4 equal Betting Blocks, let’s take a peek ahead at Program #1, The 2-6 Straight Bet System. The 2-6 Straight Bet System requires that you win a minimum of just 2 wagers in every 6 bets made in a Series, and pre-calculates your “Series” of wagers at $11, $22, $44, $66, $88 and $132. In other words, your “Series Amounts,” or the dollar figure you will be wagering or attempting to win, will be

11-22-44-66-88-132.

Don’t be alarmed if this doesn’t make complete sense to you right now. It will next chapter, when I go into full detail about how Program #1, the 2-6 System, makes you steady profits if you win just 33% of your wagers. For the moment, however, I’m interested only in your understanding how dividing up your Personal Betting Bankroll into Betting Blocks prevents you from losing everything. Say, for example, you make 1 bet a day for 6 days utilizing Program #1 and have a horribly unlucky week, losing all 6 wagers. (Remember, your goal is to win at least 2 of every 6 bets.) By going 0-6, you lose a total of $363 -- but since you’ve set your Personal Betting Bankroll at $1,600 and your Betting Blocks at $400, you’ve still got more than 75% of your original Bankroll left to win your way out of the slump. It’s important to understand that, unlike stupidly “chasing your losses” with huge bets, my 12 Money-Management Programs use mathematical “Formulas” based on easy-to-hit minimum winning percentages to ensure that you steadily recoup your losses, and then some. Watch as Your Bankroll Builds

Rather than merely “protecting” your Bankroll, my 12 Money-Management Programs have been designed to build on it steadily and consistently. Assuming you can hit 26% or more winners on straight bets or 12% or better on 2-team parlays, you’ll see your Bankroll growing in no time. Using the example of a $1,600 Personal Betting Bankroll above, when you have won enough to roll $400 in winnings back into your Bankroll, it will then be worth $2,000. At that point, you will divide it into 4 equal Betting Blocks of $500 each. This way, you can start wagering a little more on your plays. For example, The 2-6 Straight Bet System that began with a betting Series of

11-22-44-66-88-132

increases when your Betting Blocks move from $400 to $500 to a betting Series of

22-44-88-132-176-264,

which once again allows for substantial profits while risking relatively little, even if you go on the occasional 0-6 losing streak. I suggest that you take no money out of your Personal Betting Bankroll for the first year. That way, it increases substantially and you will be making big bets -- and big profits. Of course, there’s no reason you must raise the amount of your Betting Blocks or can’t “withdraw” profits from your Personal Betting Bankroll as it grows. You can reward yourself by dipping into some of your winnings, keeping your original Personal Betting Bankroll amount the same. Or, whenever you feel comfortable with my Programs, you can increase your Betting Blocks -- and your expected profits. If you do raise your Betting Blocks to $500 each and steadily make winning bets that double that amount, then your Personal Betting Bankroll will now be worth $2,500, and you can divide your 4 Betting Blocks into $625 each. At that point, you’ll likely want to increase your betting series as well to

44-88-176-264-352-528.

Just as you increase the amount of your Betting Blocks when you double your money, if you happen to lose an entire 6-bet Series, simply divide the resulting Personal Betting Bankroll total by 4 and set up a new Betting Block amount with new Series Amounts. For example, if you had a Betting Block of $625 and lost 6 consecutive bets, your Personal Betting Bankroll would then be $1,875 and you’d have 4 equal Betting Blocks of about $470 each. With that total, you would want to drop your Series back to

22-44-88-132-176-264.

Summing It All Up

Setting and building on your Personal Betting Bankroll is as easy as 1-2-3-4-5:

1) Determine your Personal Betting Bankroll, making sure that it is no more than 25% to 50% of a single month’s Total Disposable Income.

2) Divide your Personal Betting Bankroll into 4 equal Betting Blocks.

3) Bet just a portion of any Betting Block on any single wager, using Series Amounts dictated by my 12 Money-Management Programs and their Formulas.

4) Roll all your winnings back into your Personal Betting Bankroll, so it builds steadily.

5) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

Now that you’ve set your initial Personal Betting Bankroll and the dollar total of your 4 Betting Blocks, it’s time to become intimately acquainted with my 12 Money-Management Programs.

Once you decide which of my 12 ways to beat your bookie you like the most, you can start making winning wagers, and build your Bankroll.

PERSONAL BUDGET (MONTHLY)

MONTHLY INCOME

Take-Home Pay (After Taxes)

$ +

All Other Income (Government, Family, Investments)

$ =

____________________________________________________________

A) TOTAL MONTHLY INCOME

$

MONTHLY EXPENSES

Home

Total Rent(s) and/or Mortgage(s)

$ +

Second Mortgage(s)

$ +

Property Taxes

$ +

Utility Bills (Electric, Gas, etc.)

$

+ Home Maintenance and Repairs (Gardening, etc.)

$ +

TVs and Computers (Cable, Satellite, DSL, etc.)

$ +

Telephones (Home and Cellulars)

$ +

Renter’s or Homeowner’s Insurance

$ =

____________________________________________________________

B) MONTHLY HOME SUBTOTAL

$

Health and Children

Healthcare (Insurance, Doctor’s Visits, Medicines, etc.)

$ +

Childcare (Centers, Babysitters, Diapers, etc.)

$ =

____________________________________________________________

C) MONTHLY HEALTH & CHILDREN SUBTOTAL $

Schooling

Tuitions (For Entire Family)

$ +

School Loan(s) Payments

$ =

____________________________________________________________

D) MONTHLY SCHOOLING SUBTOTAL

$

Car and Other Vehicles

Vehicle Payments (All Loans and/or Leases)

$ +

Insurance Payments (For All Vehicles)

$ +

Fuel (Gas, Diesel, etc.)

$ +

Repairs/Service (Tires, Tune-ups, Oil Changes, etc.)

$ +

Public Transportation (Bus, Taxis, etc.)

$ =

____________________________________________________________

E) MONTHLY VEHICLES SUBTOTAL

$

Food

Groceries

$ +

Dining Out

$ =

____________________________________________________________

F) MONTHLY FOOD SUBTOTAL

$

Entertainment and Incidentals

Entertainment (Movies, Nightclubs, etc.)

$ +

Travel (Getaways and Vacations, etc.)

$ +

Publications (Papers, Magazines, Books)

$ +

Miscellaneous Spending Money

$ =

____________________________________________________________

G) MONTHLY ENTERTAINMENT SUBTOTAL

$

Financial

Deposits to Accounts (Savings, Money Market, etc.)

$ +

Other Investments (Stocks, bonds, etc.)

$ +

Donations (Charitable, Religious, etc.)

$ +

Personal Loans (not previously listed)

$ +

*Credit Card Payments (Total of all cards)

$ =

____________________________________________________________

H) MONTHLY FINANCIAL SUBTOTAL

$

Professional

Legal Expenses

$ +

Accounting Expenses

$ =

____________________________________________________________

I) TOTAL PROFESSIONAL SUBTOTAL

$

Other

Miscellaneous Expenses (Emergency Fund, etc.)

$

____________________________________________________________ J) MONTHLY MISCELLANEOUS SUBTOTAL

$

DETERMINING YOUR TOTAL DISPOSABLE INCOME (MONTHLY)

Now that you’ve calculated all your monthly income and expenses, it’s a matter of simple subtraction to determine your Total Disposable Income. Use the subtotals from above to subtract all your monthly expenses from your total monthly income.

A) TOTAL MONTHLY INCOME

$ -

B) MONTHLY HOME SUBTOTAL

$ -

C) MONTHLY HEALTH/CHILDREN SUBTOTAL

$ -

D) MONTHLY SCHOOLING SUBTOTAL

$ -

E) MONTHLY VEHICLES SUBTOTAL

$ -

F) MONTHLY FOOD SUBTOTAL

$ -

G) MONTHLY ENTERTAINMENT SUBTOTAL

$ -

H) MONTHLY FINANCIAL SUBTOTAL

$ -

I) TOTAL PROFESSIONAL SUBTOTAL

$ -

J) MONTHLY MISCELLANEOUS SUBTOTAL

$ =

____________________________________________________________

TOTAL DISPOSABLE INCOME (MONTHLY)

$

Note that for our purposes, you are going to take no more than 25% to 50% of your personal Total Disposable Income figure above and use it for your Personal Betting Bankroll. Read more about this in Chapter 2.

* While I am not a certified financial advisor, I believe most professionals in the field would urge you to pay off credit cards as quickly as possible, not merely make the minimum monthly payments, since interest and finance charges can accumulate, limiting your disposable income and hurting your overall financial health.

Chapter 3 Program #1

THE 2-6 STRAIGHT BET SYSTEM

Keeping the Customer Satisfied

A big part of any sportsbook manager’s job is making sure the regulars and high-rollers are kept happy. This involves a good amount of schmoozing and an even greater amount of “comps” -complimentary meals, hard-to-score show tickets and plush hotel suites.

The idea is to keep them in -- or coming back to -- your hotel and casino, because the longer they play, the better the odds they’re ultimately going to lose.

After working for a while at the Rio and Desert Inn sportsbooks, I noticed that a small percentage of these regulars -- and I do mean small, about 2% -- seemed to defy the odds and win on a consistent basis. At first, I thought they may just be lucky.

Then it occurred to me -- they weren’t lucky. They were smart. They were “betting wise.”

Loose Lips Sink Bookies’ Ships

So I made it my personal mission to find out what these players knew that other gamblers -- and even a sportsbook manager like me -- didn’t. Zeroing in on a longtime regular at the Desert Inn named Ed, I approached him one day with some small talk and a fistful of comps. He remembered me from the “old days” at the Rio, and we spent the afternoon reminiscing.

Finally, I got up the nerve and asked him: “How are you doing it?” He eyed me for a moment and then smiled. Very few people who are great at what they do can resist talking about it. And even fewer can keep a secret.

So he grabbed a cocktail napkin and a pen and showed me one of the simplest, most brilliant money-management strategies in the history of gambling. An old-timer from back East had taught it to him years before, and he’d since been using it to make big money. I’m now going to show it to you.

The Set-Up Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are either predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a Formula I’ll provide you. For the purposes of examples, all bets are straight bets on which you will be laying $11 to win $10 (or multiples thereof), the standard odds against the spread on basketball and football games, unless otherwise noted.

The Program

The brilliant beauty of The 2-6 Straight Bet System is that you can win just 2 of any 6 bets (for a winning percentage of .333) in a Series and still attain a profit. Additionally, your wagers, or “Series Amounts,” are predetermined, so there’s no guesswork regarding how much to lay on a particular game. In The 2-6 Straight Bet System, you are going to make a Series of up to 6 bets, in the precalculated amounts of $11, $22, $44, $66, $88 and $132. You will bet 1 or 2 games at a time in the Series, moving up to the next Series Amount after each bet. When you achieve your goal of just 2 total wins, you roll your profits back into your Personal Betting Bankroll and start over at the beginning if you’d like. For example, to begin, make 1 wager in the Series Amount of $11, or 2 wagers, 1 in the Series Amount of $11 and the other in the Series Amount of $22. If you win both bets, your goal is attained and you add your profits to your Bankroll. If you win just 1 wager of the 2, however, you can bet only 1 game at a time thereafter, since you are seeking just 2 total wins anywhere in the Series of up to 6 wagers. Say, for instance, you win your first wager for $11, then lose bets in the subsequent Series Amounts of $22, $44, $66 and $88. Then you win your final wager in the Series, for $132,

reaching your goal of only 2 total wins in 6 wagers. At that time, you can go back to the first number in the Series and start over with another Series of up to 6 bets, or begin playing one of my other great 12 Money-Management Programs.

The Goal The simple objective is to win any 2 bets in a Series of no more than 6 wagers.

The Series 11-22-44-66-88-132. (Again, Series are pre-calculated so that you can profit by winning the minimum set numbers of wagers in a particular System, in this case, 2. They also protect your Bankroll by representing about 25% of your total available money, so if you happen to go on a losing streak and lose your entire Series, you are down just 1 Betting Block, and still have 75% of your Bankroll with which to wager.)

The Formula For those who find the Series Amounts in the Series

11-22-44-66-88-132

too rich or poor for your blood, there is no reason you can’t raise or lower the amounts according to your betting objectives. The formula for setting the 6 Series Amounts in The 2-6 Straight Bet System is

a, 2a, 4a, 6a, 8a, 12a.

In the Series above, a = 11 or $11. If you find this too conservative, try a larger multiple of 11 for the value of a, say 22. If you pick 22 for the starting bet, your Series would be calculated 22, 44, 22 x 4 = 88, 22 x 6 = 132, 22 x 8 = 176 and 22 x 12 = 264, or

22-44-88-132-176-264.

On the other hand, if the prospect of having to risk $132 to make $120 should you go 1-4 or 0-5 in your first 5 bets makes you nervous, you can start with a $5.50 bet, or a Series of

$5.50-11-22-33-44-66,

which will limit the downside in the event you pick less than 50% winners or go on occasional losing streaks. For our purposes here, however, we will stick with the original betting Series for examples. Note that when setting your own Series Amounts, if you add up each of the 6 numbers in the Series, they should total about the same dollar figure of each of your 4 Betting Blocks, give or take 10%. This is what prevents you from losing more than 25% of your Bankroll during any given losing streak.

The Rules 1) Make only 1 or 2 bets at a time in the predetermined amounts until you have won at least 1 bet. 2) Once you have won 1 bet, bet only 1 game at a time in the predetermined Series Amounts, until you win a second wager. 3) When you win 2 bets in any Series of up to 6 wagers, your goal is achieved, so you roll your profits back into your Personal Betting Bankroll and either start over with a new Series to build your Bankroll, or begin a Series in another of my 12 Money-Management Programs. 4) If you suffer an unfortunate losing streak of 1-5 or 0-6, start over with a new Series and begin recouping your recent losses.

The Proof It’s one thing for me to boast that this System can turn a profit for you if you can pick just 33% winners, and it’s another to see it in black and white. Below is the proof. First, let’s look at example where you pick just 2 of 6 (or 33%) winners while betting traditional 11-10 odds against the spread, say on football or basketball games.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Net Profit

#1

11

lose

-11

-11

#2

22

lose

-22

-33

#3

44

lose

-44

-77

#4

66

lose

-66

-143

#5

88

win

+80

-63

#6

132

win

+120

+57

It’s hard to believe, but by going on a 2-4 losing streak, you’ve added an astounding $57 to your Bankroll. Of course, the goal is to achieve 2 wins as fast as possible in the Series of up to 6 wagers, so hopefully you won’t regularly reach the sixth bet. Remember, your Series can end after 2 bets, if you win them both, at which point you start over. In our next example, let’s look at a scenario in which you win a mediocre 14 of 30 bets (or 47%) over the course of a month, assuming you lay 1 bet in this Series per day. (Keep in mind that you can run several Series at once, or play early and late games every day in a single Series and end up laying wagers on more than 30 bets in a month if you’d like.) While the bookmakers’ 10% “juice” (or commission) would cause you to lose money picking 50% winners with straight bets of the same amount, my System allows you to post a substantial profit.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#1

11

win

+10

+10

+10

#2

22

lose

-22

-12

-12

#3

44

win

+40

+28

+28

You win 2 out of your first 3 bets, so your Series goal is achieved. Add your winnings to your Bankroll and start over with another $11 wager. Note that you’re already ahead $28 by posting a 2-1 record, but if you had made 3 straight bets of $11 each, you’d be up only $9. So my System has already increased your profits by more than 300% after just 3 bets.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#4

11

lose

-11

-11

+17

#5

22

win

+20

+9

+37

#6

44

lose

-44

-35

-7

#7

66

lose

-66

-101

-73

#8

88

win

+80

-21

+7

Even though you now go on a slight losing streak, winning 2 bets and losing 3, you achieve your Series goal. You lose $21 for the Series but remain up $7 overall with a combined record of 4-4. Had you been placing $11 bets, you’d be at -$4 after 8 wagers. This is a great example of how my Systems can make you money when under normal betting circumstances you’d be in the hole. Let’s continue with our hypothetical month.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#9

11

lose

-11

-11

-4

#10

22

lose

-22

-33

-26

#11

44

win

+40

+7

+14

#12

66

win

+66

+73

+80

Again, your Series is over when you achieve 2 wins. What’s amazing is, even though you go just 2-2, you add $73 to your Bankroll. So, overall, you are 6-6, but you’re up $80. On the other hand, because of the juice extracted by bookies, you’d be at -$6 if you’d bet $11 on each game. So far, our Series have lasted 3, 4 or 5 wagers each. Let’s see what happens when we go on minor winning and moderate losing streaks.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#13

11

win

+10

+10

+90

#14

22

win

+20

+30

+110

By attaining the quickest Series win possible of 2 wins with 2 bets, you now stand $110 ahead with an 8-6 overall record. Again, by laying $11 a game, you’d have just $14 to show for your efforts. By utilizing my Money-Management Program, your profits are 785% more than they’d be by betting the old way. Now, let’s see what happens when you go into that moderate slide.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#15

11

lose

-11

-11

+99

#16

22

lose

-22

-33

+77

#17

44

lose

-44

-77

+33

#18

66

win

+60

-17

+93

#19

88

lose

-88

-105

+5

#20

132

win

+120

+15

+125

As you can see, by increasing your bets methodically according to the predetermined amounts, you save huge losses despite a 2-4 losing streak. Adding $15 to your Bankroll, you’re now up $125 by picking 10 winners out of 20 bets (for a winning percentage of .500), whereas if you’d kept betting $11 a game, you’d be at -$10. Let’s finish out our hypothetical month with 1 mediocre and 1 losing Series and see how the numbers add up.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#21

11

lose

-11

-11

+114

#22

22

win

+20

+9

+134

#23

44

lose

-44

-35

+90

#24

66

win

+60

+25

+150

By going an average 2-2 with your picks, you manage to once again add $25 to your Bankroll, making it $150 richer than when you began. Meanwhile, the bettor making straight $11 bets with a 12-12 record would stand at -$12. Now, for the final Series in our month.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#25

11

lose

-11

-11

+139

#26

22

lose

-22

-33

+117

#27

44

win

+40

+7

+157

#28

66

lose

-66

-59

+91

#29

88

lose

-88

-147

+3

#30

132

win

+120

-27

+123

Even with a disappointing 2-4 finish, you still end up adding $123 to your Bankroll for the month by winning a so-so 47% of your picks. On the other hand, those plunking down the same $11 bet every day would find their Bankrolls depleted to the tune of -$36. Using just the first of my 12 Money-Management Programs, you have turned a $36 loss into a $123 profit. And that’s by hitting less than 50% winners. Imagine how much you can win if you have a bigger Personal Betting Bankroll to wager with, or you follow your favorite sports closely enough to consistently pick over 50% winners.

Tips 1) The 2-6 Straight Bet System turns a profit when you bet against the spread with traditional 1110 odds (like on football and basketball), but it can show even more profit when used with “even-money” or better bets such as moneyline wagers (or which team will win “straight up” or outright, not against the spread) on underdogs. 2) For the reasons stated in Tip #1, this System works especially well when using the strategies detailed in Program #8, The Baseball Underdog System. 3) If you are betting against the moneyline and/or with odds worse than 11-10, make sure you wager enough to win the payouts associated with your Series Amounts. In other words, if you are betting on the Yankees -150, instead of wagering $11 to win $10, you must wager $15 to win $10. 4) Related to Tip #3, for any wager with odds worse than 11-10 that you lose, you must add the additional losses, in this case $4 ($15 - $11 = $4), to the payout of what would be your normal Series Amount, in this case making your next Series Amount $26 ($20 + $4 = $24 payout so the next Series Amount at 11-10 odds would be $26 to win $24), so that a win can not only recoup your losses but post a profit. 5) Don’t forget to also add any money paid to a professional handicapper for his picks to your Series Amounts in the same way you add losses at worse than 11-10 odds (as explained in Tip #4). Keep in mind that if you pay $25 for 5 picks, you must add only $5 to each Series Amount, assuming you run 5 Series that day. In other words, divide the handicapper’s fee among the total number of picks you play that day. 6) If your Bankroll allows it, try running 2 or more Series at once, which can boost your monthly profits to $500 or more on this System alone. 7) Don’t forget to keep strict track of your 2-6 Straight Bet System bets using copies of the Chart provided at the end of this chapter

Crunching the Numbers For those who want to delve further into The 2-6 Straight Bet System and understand the mathematical laws that make it work, I’ve listed below literally every possible outcome of The 26 Straight Bet System in which you achieve 2 wins in a Series. Next to each possible outcome, I’ve shown your net profits, including juice paid to the bookmaker. Next to that I’ve included the amount you would have won betting the traditional way of laying the same amount on every game. Last, there’s a column reminding you how much extra money my System has put in your pocket. Note that even when suffering through unfortunate losing streaks, you still make so much more - or lose so much less -- than if you’d bet the old way.

Series Betting

Your Net

Net Profit If Making

Extra $ For

Record

Profit $

All $11 Bets

You

(2-0) W-W

+30

+ 20

+10

(2-1) W-L-W L-W-W

+28 +49

+9 +9

+19 +39

(2-2) W-L-L-W L-W-L-W L-L-W-W

+4 +25 +67

-2 -2 -2

+6 +27 +69

-42 -13 +21 +63

-13 -13 -13 -13

-19 0 +34 +77

-90 -69 -27 +15 +57

-24 -24 -24 -24 -24

-66 -45 -3 +39 +81

(2-3) W-L-L-L-W L-W-L-L-W L-L-W-L-W L-L-L-W-W (2-4) W-L-L-L-L-W L-W-L-L-L-W L-L-W-L-L-W L-L-L-W-L-W L-L-L-L-W-W

As you see, there are only 15 possible winning Series outcomes of The 2-6 Straight Bet System, and 10 of them (or 67%) make you money, as shown above. Also, in 11 of the 15 scenarios (or 73%), you’re as good or better off betting with my System than with straight $11 bets. Incredibly, of the 12 unfortunate scenarios in which you post a 500 or losing record with 2 wins in the 2-6 System, 7 of them (or 58%) still earn you profits. In fact, all 3 scenarios in which you achieve 2 wins and 2 losses net you a profit. Remarkably, half of the scenarios in which you win 2 games and lose 3 still build on your Bankroll. Even more astounding is that 2 of the 5 scenarios in which you win 2 and lose 4 wagers earn you as much as $57 in profit -- or as much as an $81 increase over traditional betting -- for picking just 33% winners.

Weathering the Dry Spells Into every gambler’s life comes the occasional dry spell, of course. These dreaded losing streaks that result in a 1-5 or 0-6 Series in The 2-6 Straight Bet System can cost you. But because you’ve set up your Personal Betting Bankroll and have broken that into 4 equal Betting Blocks, you not only maximize your profits, you minimize your risks. In the rare instance when you lose 5 of 6 wagers in a Series -- or even go all 6 bets without a win -- you still have more than 75% of your original Bankroll in reserve to recoup your losses with future wins.

Because, as all bettors know, the tide will inevitably turn back in your favor. The examples below show the only 7 possible outcomes out of 22 (or 32%) in which you will show significant losses to one of your Betting Blocks. On the up side, if this occurs, there are 3 more Betting Blocks where those came from.

Series Betting Record

Your Net Profit $

Net Profit If Making All $11 Bets

Extra $ For You

(1-5) W-L-L-L-L-L L-W-L-L-L-L L-L-W-L-L-L L-L-L-W-L-L L-L-L-L-W-L L-L-L-L-L-W

-342 -321 -279 -237 -195 -111

-44 -44 -44 -44 -44 -44

-298 -277 -235 -193 -151 -67

(0-6) L-L-L-L-L-L

-363

-66

-297

While these numbers may seem daunting, don’t forget that 1-5 and 0-6 streaks make up less than 33% of the possible outcomes. And for regular bettors who do their homework on games, 0-6 losing streaks come along much less regularly than 1 in every 3 Series. Also, such droughts are often followed up by winning streaks that will wipe out these losses and, even if they don’t, your Betting Blocks held in reserve are created precisely for this reason. For instance, one winning streak of 8-2, as shown below, can potentially negate the losing skid of 1 win and 5 losses shown above.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#1

11

win

+10

+10

+10

#2

22

win

+20

+30

+30

Your goal of 2 wins is achieved, so add $30 to your Bankroll.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#3

11

lose

-11

-11

+19

#4

22

win

+20

+9

+39

#5

44

win

+40

+31

+79

With 2 wins in 3 bets, add $31 to your Bankroll for an overall profit of $79 for going 4-1.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#6

11

win

+10

+10

+89

#7

22

lose

-22

-12

+67

#8

44

win

+40

+28

+107

Again, add $28 to your Bankroll, giving you $107 profit for posting a 6-2 record.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#9

11

win

+10

+10

+117

#10

22

win

+20

+30

+137

By winning another $30 with 8 wins out of 10 wagers, you add $137 to your Bankroll, which erases between about 40% to 100% of the losses incurred by a 1-5 or 0-6 slump.

The 2-5 Straight Bet System: The 2-6 With a Twist If you are an experienced gambler who doesn’t find it unusual to win 50% of your picks consistently, The 2-5 Straight Bet System is an effective variation on my 2-6 System. I suggest that you use this Series of

20-30-40-60-120

primarily for even-money or better bets (such as selected “totals,” or over/under wagers) and/or when betting the moneyline on underdogs, and with your strongest daily picks. Why? Because in this new Series you must win at least 50% of your first 4 bets to show a profit. Even if you go 04, however, the fifth bet will recoup the majority of your previous 4 losses, but not all of them. Let’s give 2 quick examples to show how picking 50% winners can work for you in this bonus System, and how the final bet can make up for a short slump. First, let’s examine a Series in which you hit 50% winners. (Note that we are playing evenmoney or better wagers, such as underdogs on the moneyline, in this example, as suggested.)

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

#1

20

lose

-20

-20

#2

30

win

+30

+10

#3

40

lose

-40

-30

#4

60

win

+60

+30

So with a 2-2 record, you net $30 in winnings, while if you’d bet every game at $20, even with even-money odds you’d merely break even. Next, let’s see what happens when you correct an 0-4 skid with a winning bet on the next wager. (Note that, again, we are playing even-money wagers in this example, as encouraged.)

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

#1

20

lose

-20

-20

#2

30

lose

-30

-50

#3

40

lose

-40

-90

#4

60

lose

-60

-150

#5

120

win

+120

-30

While a bettor laying the same $20 on each game would be at -$60 after a 1-5 record, you take just a $30 hit to your Bankroll.

Summing It All Up

Without a doubt, these examples detailing The 2-6 Straight Bet System have proven to you how essential my 12 Money-Management Programs are to limiting losses or turning them into profits, and to turning modest winnings into big money. Here’s a quick overview of the System: 1) Make only 1 or 2 bets at a time in the predetermined amounts until you have won at least 1 bet. 2) Once you have won 1 bet, bet only 1 game at a time in the predetermined amounts, until you win a second wager. 3) When you achieve your second win in any Series of up to 6 wagers, your goal is achieved. 4) Roll your profits back into your Personal Betting Bankroll and either start over with a new Series to build your Bankroll, or begin a Series in another of my 12 Money-Management Programs.

5) Should you suffer an unfortunate losing streak of 1-5 or 0-6, start over with a new Series and begin recouping your recent losses. 6) If you’re a bettor confident of regularly winning 50% of your picks, you may want to try The 2-5 Straight Bet System, which uses a slightly different Series.

7) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

8) Make sure you track every single bet with the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

If you liked the 2-6 System or its sibling, the 2-5 System, wait until you see The 2-3 Straight Bet System in the next chapter, which requires you to win just 2 of any 3 wagers in a Series of up to 8 bets to substantially boost your Bankroll.

Chapter 4

Program #2

THE 2-3 STRAIGHT BET SYSTEM

The Money-Management Mantra

Much like the key to making money in real-estate investments is location, location, location, the key to making money in sports gambling is discipline, discipline, discipline.

Every bettor has his favorite story of the big score he made on a big game. For the average $100a-game gambler, it may be the time he won $1,500 on a Vikings game. For a “dime” bettor -who plays $1,000 a game -- it may be the time he spotted an ill-conceived line on a Flyers game and laid just $10,000 to win $15,000.

What no gambler likes to brag about are the 10 or 25 or 50 times he lost big money chasing that one memorable “monster” payday.

Bet With Your Head, Never Just Your Heart

During the NHL playoffs in 2003, a client (who shall remain nameless) phoned to tell me he’d been taking a beating and needed a “sure thing.” Since he had been buying my daily Internet picks and I’d been on a good run, I asked him how this was possible. He sheepishly confessed that he was a Colorado Avalanche fan and had been betting them instead of going with my hockey picks.

When the Avalanche had gone up 3-1 in their first-round series against the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, my client explained to me, he put down $4,000 to win $2,000, betting that they’d win Game 5 to close out the series. When they lost by a score of 3-2, he upped his wager to $10,000 to win $5,000, banking that they’d put away the Wild in Game 6. Again the Avalanche lost 3-2, this time in a down-to-the-wire overtime game.

That’s when he called me. As kindly as I could, I told him it was betting habits just like his that I preach against in my 12 Money-Management Programs. “I know, I know ... never again,” he told me, quickly adding, “but do you have a winner?”

By sheer coincidence, I did have one of my strongest picks of the NHL playoffs going off that night: Vancouver -1.5 goals +160. As confident as I felt about the pick, I cautioned him that continuing to chase his losses could just put him deeper in the hole.

That night, when my pick came in a winner as Vancouver won 4-1, I thought my client just possibly had been saved by providence. But you won’t believe what he did. Or maybe you will.

Desperate for his favorite team to win the deciding Game 7 -- and to make back his losses -- he bet $15,000 on the Avalanche and didn’t put a dime on Vancouver. I probably don’t have to tell you that Colorado lost -- again 3-2, again in OT, and at home no less. They’d lost the series and my client had lost a total of 30 grand.

Now, for a multimillionaire whose wife spends 10 grand a month on clothes, losing $30,000 isn’t the end of the world. But for a working guy like my client, it can be a devastating blow not only financially but emotionally.

If you’re going to bet with your heart like my client did, at least do it with your head in charge of the checkbook. If he had simply set his wagers based on the Series Amounts from his current betting Series, his losses would have been minimal, and the inevitable wins that followed would have negated them.

But he strayed from the simple rules of my 12 Money-Management Programs and paid the price -- the price of a new C-series Mercedes.

Different ‘Wise Guy,’ Similar Principle

Larry, a regular at the Desert Inn when I managed the sportsbook at the casino, was nothing like my client, the Avalanche fan. Larry was a nice guy from the Midwest who bet nearly every day, all year long, but never over his head. Seeing Larry’s winnings pile up, it didn’t take me long to realize that, like Ed in the previous chapter, Larry was “betting wise.”

After I assured Larry that I’d never banned any bettor from my casino for winning too much or too often -- you’d be surprised at how many sportsbook managers do just that -- Larry came clean and admitted he was using a method to stay ahead. He explained that he’d picked it up from a friend back in Chicago and was using it every day for his personal “best bets” to make a nice living.

I asked Larry if he’d mind sharing the strategy with me. He didn’t even hesitate. Now you can use it to beat your bookie too, parlaying it into the type of regular income Larry still does to this day.

The Set-Up Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a provided Formula. For the purposes of our examples in this chapter, all bets are straight bets on which you will be laying $11 to win $10 (or multiples thereof), such as against the spread on football and basketball, unless otherwise noted.

The Program

The 2-3 Straight Bet System outdoes the 2-6 System, if that’s possible, by guaranteeing that you turn a profit if you pick 2 of 5 (or 40%) winners. In The 2-3 Straight Bet System, you are going to make a Series of bets in the pre-calculated amounts of $11, $22, $33, $55, $88, $143, $231 or $374 with the intent of winning 2 of any 3 wagers along the way.

Once again, your Series Amounts are preset, so there’s no guesswork regarding how much to lay on a particular game. The one major difference from the 2-6 System is that you’ll move “up and down” the string of Series Amounts depending on whether you’ve won or lost your previous wager. You will bet 1 game at a time in the Series until you have picked winners in 2 total games in any 3-wager stretch, rolling your profits into your Personal Betting Bankroll after achieving this goal. At that time, you can go back to the first number in the Series and start over with another Series, or begin playing one of my other great 12 Money-Management Programs.

The Goal The simple objective is to win 2 total bets in any 3-wager stretch of a Series.

The Series 11-22-33-55-88-143-231-374.

The Formula For those who find the betting amounts in the Series

11-22-33-55-88-143-231-374

too high or low for your betting habits and Bankroll, you can easily raise or lower the amounts according to your tastes. The Formula for setting the 8 Series Amounts in The 2-3 Straight Bet System is

a, 2a, 3a, 5a, 8a, 13a, 21a, 34a.

In the Series above, a = 11 or $11. If you find this too conservative, try a larger multiple of 11 for the value of a, for example 22. If you pick 22 for the starting bet, your Series would be calculated as 22, 2 x 22 = 44, 3 x 22 = 66, 5 x 22 = 110, 8 x 22 = 176, 13 x 22 = 286, 21 x 22 = 462, 34 x 22 = 748, or

22-44-66-110-176-286-462-748.

On the other hand, if the prospect of having to risk $374 to make $340 should you go 1-6 or 0-7 in your first 7 bets makes you cringe, you can start with a $5.50 bet, or a Series of

$5.50-11-16.50-27.50-44-71.50-115.50-187.

For our purposes here, however, we will stick with the original Series Amounts for examples. Again, as a guide to setting your Series Amounts, you can add up the 8 wager amounts in your Series and make sure they don’t substantially exceed the dollar figure of each of your 4 Betting Blocks. Don’t become alarmed if this Series seems to take up the better part of 2 Betting Blocks, since because you move “up and down” the Series it is unlikely you’ll regularly reach the highest amounts in the Series. Still, the total of all 8 Series Amounts probably shouldn’t ever near or exceed 50% of your Bankroll, just to ensure you have an adequate betting reserve should a bad losing streak come along.

The Rules 1) To start, make 1 wager in the predetermined amount of $11, to use our example Series figure. 2) Regardless of whether you win the first wager, move up 1 amount in the Series and make your second bet, for $22 in this case. (Note that you can start by making 2 wagers, 1 for $11 and the other for $22.) 3) If you win your first 2 bets, your goal of winning 2 total bets among any 3 wagers is achieved, and you may start over with a new Series, or begin another Series in a different Program. 4) After you make your second bet, for $22 in our example, you will move up 1 Series Amount following each loss and down 1 Series Amount following each win. So if you lose your second bet, your third will be for $33. If you win your second bet, your third will be for $11. 5) Keep moving up 1 Series Amount after each loss and down 1 Series Amount after each win, until you win 2 total bets out of any 3 wagers. Once that goal is reached, you may start over with a new Series, or begin another Series in a different Program.

6) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

7) Make sure you track every single bet with the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

The Proof By putting The 2-3 Straight Bet System to the test, you’ll quickly be convinced of its power to increase your betting income, since it guarantees you a profit if you can hit 40% or better winners. But don’t just take my word for it. Below is the evidence.

First, let’s look at an example where you pick just 2 of 5 (or 40%) winners.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

#1

11

lose

-11

-11

#2

22

lose

-22

-33

#3

33

win

+30

-3

#4

22

lose

-22

-25

#5

33

win

+30

+5

Normally, a 2-3 losing streak can leave you down in the dumps -- not to mention down more than a few bucks. But the 2-3 System puts you in the money by picking just 40% winners. Since you achieve your goal of winning 2 bets in a span of 3 wagers, your Series is over and you add $5 to your Bankroll. Someone betting $11 every game, meanwhile, would be -$13. To further prove the point, let’s assume that it takes you 10 bets to hit 2 of 3 winners. Let’s also assume that, once again, you hit just 40% winners, or 4 of 10 picks.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

#1

11

win

+10

+10

#2

22

lose

-22

-12

#3

33

lose

-33

-45

#4

55

lose

-55

-100

#5

88

win

+80

-20

#6

55

lose

-55

-75

#7

88

lose

-88

-163

#8

143

win

+130

-33

#9

88

lose

-88

-121

#10

143

win

+130

+9

Amazing. While betting straight $11 bets would make you -$26 after going 4-6, you’re up $9. Now, you’re not going to get rich by picking 40% winners, but isn’t it great to know you actually

make a little money with such a mediocre track record, even after paying the bookie his “vig” (or commission)? In our next example, let’s look at a month’s worth of bets in which you win 15 of 30 (or 50%) of your bets.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#1

11

win

+10

+10

+10

#2

22

lose

-22

-12

-12

#3

33

lose

-33

-45

-45

#4

55

win

+50

+5

+5

#5

33

lose

-33

-28

-28

#6

55

win

+50

+22

+22

Since you win 2 bets in a 3-wager stretch, your Series is over. Add $22 to your Bankroll after a so-so 3-3 start, and begin another Series. Note that you’re $25 richer than a bettor who laid $11 on every wager rather than set his wager amounts in response to previous outcomes and would now be -$3.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#7

11

lose

-11

-11

+11

#8

22

lose

-22

-33

-11

#9

33

win

+30

-31

+19

# 10

22

win

+20

+17

+39

By going just 2-2 in your next 4 bets, you finished another Series and can add $17 to your Bankroll, giving you $39 for picking 5 winners out of 10 wagers. A bettor putting $11 on every game, on the other hand, would now be -$5, thanks to the juice extracted by bookies.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#11

11

win

+10

+10

+49

#12

22

lose

-22

-12

+27

#13

33

lose

-33

-45

-6

#14

55

lose

-55

-100

-61

#15

88

win

+80

-20

+19

#16 #17

55 88

lose lose

-55 -88

-75 -163

-36 -124

#18

143

win

+130

-33

+6

#19

88

lose

-88

-121

-82

#20

143

lose

-143

-264

-225

#21

231

win

+210

-54

-15

#22

143

win

+130

+76

+115

Again, you see the power of the 2-3 System as you go 5-7 yet add a remarkable $76 to your bankroll to give you $115. At the same time, the traditional bettor laying $11 per game loses another $27 to drop to -$32.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#23

11

win

+10

+10

+125

#24

22

lose

-22

-12

+103

#25

33

win

+30

+18

+133

With a quick 2-1 streak, you boost your Bankroll by $18 to $133, while your counterpart, betting the “old” way, adds $9 and still hasn’t broken even, at -$23.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Net Profit

#26

11

win

+10

+10

+143

#27

22

lose

-22

-12

+121

#28

33

lose

-33

-45

+88

#29

55

win

+50

+5

+138

#30

33

win

+30

+35

+168

By ending 3-2 and adding $35 to your Bankroll, you finish the month up $168 despite picking just 50% winners. On the other hand, the player who bets $11 per game ends the month -$15.

So, remarkably, you’ve turned a $15 loss into a $186 profit by staying disciplined and betting according to The 2-3 Straight Bet System.

Tips 1) If you wish, you may open your first Series in the 2-3 System with 2 bets at once, of $11 and $22, since the goal is to achieve 2 total wins. After this, however, you must bet 1 game at a time, since you must move up or down the Series according to whether you win or lose the previous wager. 2) If you suffer an unfortunate losing streak of 0-7, it is impossible for you to reach your goal of 2 total wins, so do not feel obligated to make the eighth wager. You may at this point cut your losses and start over on a new Series, or pick another of my 12 Money-Management Programs to win with. 3) The 2-3 Straight Bet System works ideally with your personal “best bets” of the day. 4) If you are betting against the moneyline and/or with odds worse than 11-10, make sure you wager enough to win the payouts associated with your Series Amounts. In other words, if you are betting on the Yankees -150, instead of wagering $11 to win $10, you must wager $15 to win $10. 5) Related to Tip #4, for any wager with odds worse than 11-10 that you lose, you must add the additional losses, in this case $4 ($15 - $11 = $4), to the payout of what would be your next normal Series Amount, in this case making your next Series amount $26 ($20 + $4 = $24 payout so the next Series amount at 11-10 odds would be $26 to win $24), so that a win can not only recoup your losses but post a profit. 6) Don’t forget to also add any money paid to a professional handicapper for his picks to your Series Amounts in the same way you add losses at worse than 11-10 odds (as explained in Tip #4). Keep in mind that if you pay $25 for 5 picks, you must add only $5 to each Series Amount, assuming you run 5 Series that day. In other words, divide the handicapper’s fee among the total number of picks you play that day. 7) If your Bankroll allows it, try running 2 or more Series at once, which can boost your monthly profits to $500 or more on this System alone. 8) Don’t forget to keep strict track of your 2-3 Straight Bet System bets using copies of the Chart provided at the end of this chapter

Crunching the Numbers Because the 2-3 System involves moving up and down the Series, it has dozens of possible outcomes -- too numerous to list all of them here. As you’ve seen in the examples above, however, you’re guaranteed to turn a small profit while hitting just 40% winners and can make a tidy sum while picking 50% winners. Even the best of bettors have bad streaks, however, so let’s take a look at some of the other possible scenarios.

Unlike with the 2-6 System, which can go a maximum of 6 bets with its Series, the 2-3 System can continue for up to 22 bets as you move up and down the Series. For curiosity’s sake, let’s take a look at the longest possible outcome, in which you finish with either an 8-14 or 7-15 record.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

#1

11

lose

-11

-11

#2

22

win

+20

+9

#3

11

lose

-11

-2

#4

22

lose

-22

-24

#5

33

win

+30

+6

#6

22

lose

-22

-16

#7

33

lose

-33

-49

#8

55

win

+50

+1

#9

33

lose

-33

-32

#10

55

lose

-55

-87

#11

88

win

+80

-7

#12

55

lose

-55

-62

#13

88

lose

-88

-150

#14

143

win

+130

-20

#15

88

lose

-88

-108

#16

143

lose

-143

-251

#17

231

win

+210

-41

#18

143

lose

-143

-184

#19

231

lose

-231

-415

#20

374

win

+340

-75

#21

231

lose

-231

-306

#22

374

win

+340

+34

As you can see, the 2-3 System protects you against big losses, even when you go a sub par 8 wins and 14 losses (or 36%). Yes, it is possible to make a profit hitting fewer than 40% winners with this System, but it’s not guaranteed. Betting straight $11 bets with the above record of 8-14, meanwhile, would leave your Bankroll at -$74.

Crunching the Numbers (Even Further) Falling below the 36% mark with the 2-3 System can hit your Personal Betting Bankroll hard, though thanks to the mathematical certainties behind the System, the blow won’t be fatal. For example, if you lose rather than win Bet #22 in the example above, your Bankroll stands at -$680 after 7 wins and 15 losses (or a winning percentage of 32%). The good news is that even after such an extended losing streak, your Personal Betting Bankroll is still nearly 60% intact. Despite using The 2-3 Straight Bet System to play your best bets, what happens if you hit a brick wall and not merely a bad skid? Let’s work at the worst-case scenario. If you start off the Series with 0 wins and 7 losses, your Bankroll stands at -$583, which represents just about a one-third hit to your reserves. At this point, you have a decision to make. Let’s assume you elect to forge ahead. If you lose the ninth bet, for $374, you’d be -$957, or down more than half your Bankroll. Keep in mind that of the dozens and dozens of possibilities, this is the single, absolute worst scenario. On the flip side, after an 0-7 start let’s say you instead win that eighth bet and cut your losses to $243. At this point, you can elect to play out the Series, hoping for a win with either of your 2 final bets, limiting your total losses to either -$33 or -$134. Bet $ Wagered Result $ W/L Series Profit #9

231

win

+210

-33

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

#9

231

loss

-231

-474

#10

374

win

+340

-134

or

Of course, in the latter scenario above, if you lose Bet #10, you are -$848 with a 1-9 record. Even down this much, luckily you still have more than $700 in reserves in your Personal Betting Bankroll. That’s what it’s there for -- bad stretches like these. Please note that I’m including these disappointing scenarios in the interest of full disclosure. Even though I can guarantee you’ll profit by hitting 40% winners with this System, it isn’t going to turn long-term bad calls into cash. No Program can. But if you do your homework and your teams win 4 out of 10 times over the short run, you’ll be smiling all the way to the bank.

Summing It All Up

The simple goal of The 2-3 Straight Bet System, which guarantees a profit if you can pick at least 40% winners, is to win 2 of any 3 wagers in a Series. Here’s a quick overview of the System, which I recommend you use to play your best bets every day:

1) To start, make 1 wager in the predetermined amount of $11, to use our example Series figure. 2) Regardless of whether you win the first wager, move up 1 amount in the Series and make your second bet, for $22 in this case. (Note that you can start by making 2 wagers, 1 for $11 and the other for $22.) 3) If you win your first 2 bets, your goal of winning 2 total bets among any 3 wagers is achieved, and you may start over with a new Series, or begin another Series in a different Program. 4) After you make your second bet, for $22 in our example, you will move up 1 Series Amount following each loss and down 1 Series Amount following each win. So if you lose your second bet, your third will be for $33. If you win your second bet, your third will be for $11. 5) Keep moving up 1 Series Amount after each loss and down 1 Series Amount after each win, until you win 2 total bets out of any 3 wagers. Once that goal is reached, you may start over with a new Series, or begin another Series in a different Program.

6) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

7) Make sure you track every single bet with the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

Chapter 5

Program #3

THE 4-LEVEL ACCUMULATION SYSTEM

The Long Road With No Turning

Smart gamblers -- I’m including you in this exclusive group since I presume you’ve already made the commitment to use one or more of my 12 Money-Management Programs -- don’t bet for the rush of instant gratification that comes with any single victory.

In fact, to win consistently you must be in it for the long haul, taking just as much gratification and pride in limiting your occasional losses as in building steady profits.

For every Jennifer Lopez who plunks down $400,000 on a Super Bowl underdog and hits pay dirt, like the actress-singer reportedly did in Las Vegas before the 2003 NFL championship game between the favored Oakland Raiders and the undervalued Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there are millions of bettors who make the periodic bet on a big game and come up empty-handed.

Of course, you never hear about those losers. Unless you work at a casino sportsbook, like I did for 10 years. Then you know just how few winners there are out there.

The Daily Grind Can Be Fun (and Profitable)

Most winning gamblers -- and by that I mean those such as you, who are employing moneymanagement techniques -- are like pro-football fullbacks. They keep pounding away, day after day, week after week, game after game.

If they suffer a loss or two, it’s not the end of the world. They pick themselves up, dust themselves off, put the momentary setback out of their minds, and come back with another attempt.

At the end of the year, much like a fullback who quietly gains 3.2 yards per carry en route to a 1,000-yard season, money-management gamblers look up and realize they’ve substantially increased their Personal Betting Bankrolls. They’ve worked hard and it’s paid off. They’re winners.

Leveling With You: Winning Can Take Time

While my first 2 Programs are about achieving and repeating short-term betting goals -- such as winning 2 bets in a Series of 6 wagers, or picking 2 winners among any 3 bets -- Program #3 is truly meant for the long haul.

Instead of potentially lasting a single day or week, The 4-Level Accumulation System can help you grind out profits for months or even years with just 1 Series.

I discovered this System like I did almost all of my Programs, by taking note of a gambler at my sportsbook who was making consistent money over the long term.

Tommy came in to the Desert Inn every day and hung out with the other regulars. He never bet a lot of money -- you could tell he was “comfortable” yet no millionaire -- but he cheered on his teams like he had a million bucks riding on them. For Tommy, the $50 he plunked down on the Jets was a lot to risk. But he never seemed to take it personally when he lost, like a lot of gamblers do. One day I asked him why.

He told me that for him gambling was his hobby, and the sportsbook was his club. He came for the camaraderie as much as for the betting. And as a retired guy on a fixed income, he literally

couldn’t afford to lose. So he wagered conservatively, using a technique he’d learned from an old-time gambler.

When I left the Desert Inn, Tommy had been using The 4-Level Accumulation System for more than 16 months without losing his current Series.

I’m now going to share it with you, and if you’re smart you’ll use it to churn out regular revenue for the rest of your life.

The Set-Up Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are either predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a Formula I’ll provide you. For the purposes of the examples in this chapter, all bets are straight bets on which we will be laying $11 to win $10 (or multiples thereof), such as against the spread on basketball and football, unless otherwise noted.

The Program

The 4-Level Accumulation System is substantially different from my first couple of Programs, in that you’ll be betting the same dollar figure for long stretches at a time on each of 4 Levels. For that reason, it’s perfect for both everyday gamblers who like to bet on more than a single game at a time, or for weekend bettors who want to be virtually guaranteed they can make it through an entire football, basketball, baseball or hockey season without depleting their entire Bankrolls. In The 4-Level Accumulation System, you make a Series of at least 22 bets (but hopefully dozens and dozens more) on 4 Levels in the pre-calculated amounts of $11, $22, $44 or $66, moving gradually from 1 Level to the next and back again according to your accumulated Bankroll at any given time. You start on Level 1 by betting $11 on every play, rolling all your winnings back into your Bankroll, and move up to the Level 2 amount of $22 per wager only when you lose a predetermined number of units or dollars (in this case, 7 units or $77). From now on, we’ll refer to these preset units and dollars that alert you to move up a Level as “Trigger Numbers.” When your Series of $22 wagers wins you enough to erase your losses and show a 20% profit (about $100 total), you return to making $11 bets on Level 1 because you achieved your “Recoup Numbers.” However, should you lose another $132 or 12 units (your Trigger Numbers)

on Level 2, you move up to Level 3 and raise your bets to $44, trying to erase your Level 2 losses and add 20% profit by winning $160 or 15 units (your Recoup Numbers). Only if you lose yet another $220 or 20 units (your Trigger Numbers) on Level 3 do you proceed to Level 4 and up your bets to $66 each. On Level 4, your goal is to erase your Level 3 losses plus add 20% profit by winning $264 or 24 units (your Recoup Numbers). Losing $264 or 26 units (your Trigger Numbers) ends your Series Note that once you raise your wager amounts, whether from Level 1 to 2, Level 2 to 3, or Level 3 to 4, you’re trying to win back only your losses from the 1 previous Level, plus a profit of about 20%. At that point, you move back down to the previous Level and continue betting. Because your Series Amounts are preset on each Level, there’s no agonizing over how much to lay on any single game. And there’s likewise no mystery regarding when to raise your bets to the next highest Level, or when to lower them back again, because of the pre-calculated Trigger Numbers and Recoup Numbers. The Series doesn’t end until you’ve lost all 4 Levels -- or a total of $693 or 63 units -- the chances of which are very slim. How slim? Well, you’d have to pick 0 winners and 22 losers right off the bat to lose less than half your Bankroll. And by picking just 5 winners and 12 losers (or 29%), as shown in the example below, you’ll lose only 7 units, and still not have made your first bet on Level 2. The Goal The simple objective is to amass steady profits over a long period by gradually raising and lowering wager amounts according to 4 preset Levels. When losses build up, you strategically raise your bet amounts in order to erase them plus post a 20% profit, then return to your previous wager amounts.

The 4 Levels 11-11-11-11-11-11-11 22-22-22-22-22-22 44-44-44-44-44 66-66-66-66.

The Trigger and Recoup Numbers Remember, you bet the same amount on every wager until you hit the Trigger Numbers of losses (in dollars or units) for any Level, at which point you move up to the next Level. Likewise, you earn you way back down to the previous Level by hitting the Recoup Numbers of winnings (in dollars or units) for any Level.

Level Bets # Amount

Trigger # In Units*

Trigger # in Dollars*

Recoup # in Units**

Recoup # in Dollars**

1

$11

-7

-$77

NA

NA

2

$22

-12

-$132

9

$100

3

$44

-20

-$220

15

$160

4

$66

-24

-$264

24

$264

* When you lose this number of dollars or units in any 1 Level, this “triggers” your move up to the next Level. ** You must win back (or “recoup”) this number of units or dollars (including 20% profit) before earning your way back to the previous Level.

The Formula For those who find the Series Amounts of the 4 Levels too low, you can increase your wagers according to your Personal Betting Bankroll and individual situation. The Formula for setting the Series Amounts in The 4-Level Accumulation System is

a, 2a, 4a, 6a.

In the Series above, a = 11 or $11. If you find this too conservative, try a larger value of a, for example 22. If you pick 22 for the starting bet, your Series would be calculated as 22, 2 x 22 = 44, 4 x 22 = 88, 6 x 22 = 132, or

22-22-22-22-22-22-22 44-44-44-44-44-44 88-88-88-88-88 132-132-132-132.

For our purposes here, however, we will stick with the original Series Amounts for examples. As a guide to setting your Series Amounts, you can add up the 22 wager amounts in your Series (7 on Level 1, 6 on Level 2, 5 on Level 3 and 4 on Level 4) and make sure they don’t account for more than 50% of your Personal Betting Bankroll. Normally, you’ll remember, your Personal Betting Bankroll is made up of 4 Betting Blocks, but if you prefer, you can split it into just 2 Betting Blocks with The 4-Level Accumulation System, since this Series is designed and adjusted for long-term play.

Of course, you still may want to split your Personal Betting Bankroll into 4 Betting Blocks, so you can play this Program simultaneously along with 2 or 3 of my other Systems and not put your betting reserves in any kind of jeopardy.

The Rules 1) To start this Series, make 1 or more wagers in the predetermined Level 1 amount of $11, to use our example Series Amount. 2) Keep betting $11 on games and rolling the profits back into your Bankroll until you lose $77, or 7 units, the Trigger Numbers for Level 1. 3) If you lose $77 or 7 units, up your wagers to the Level 2 amount of $22 apiece and keep betting, rolling your winnings back into your Bankroll. 4) Once you have reached your Recoup Numbers on Level 2, meaning you have erased your $77 in losses and added a profit of about 20% by winning $100 or 9 units, reduce your wagers back to the Level 1 amount of $11 apiece. 5) Should you hit the Trigger Numbers of -$132 or -12 units while betting $22 per play on Level 2, raise your wagers to the Level 3 amount of $44, and keep betting, rolling your winnings back into your Bankroll. 6) When you reach your Recoup Numbers on Level 3, meaning you have erased your $132 in losses and added a profit of about 20% by winning $160 or 15 units, reduce your wagers back to the Level 2 amount of $22 apiece. Or, if you hit the Trigger Numbers on Level 3 by losing yet another $220 or 20 units, raise your bets to the Level 4 amount of $66 apiece. 7) Should you continue an unlikely extended losing streak and reach your Trigger Numbers on Level 4 of -$264 or -24 units, your Series is over. 8) Otherwise, keep betting on each Level until your preset Trigger Numbers prompt you to move up a Level and bet a higher wager amount, or until your Recoup Numbers prompt you to move back down to the previous Level and lower your wagers. 9) Be sure to track all your bets carefully using the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

10) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Level amounts if you feel comfortable doing so.

The Proof The 4-Level Accumulation System has virtually an infinite number of possible outcomes, so many that I could fill up an entire book just with examples. Instead, I’ll show you only a couple to let you know how successful it is in keeping you in the money for weeks and months at a time, or perhaps indefinitely.

Then, later on this chapter, I’ll provide you with the key Trigger and Recoup Numbers for several higher Series Amounts so you’ll know when to move from 1 Level to the next and back again. First, let’s look at that example where you pick just 5 of 17 (or 29%) winners while betting $11 a game on Level 1. Keep in mind that you always bet the same amount until you reach your Trigger Numbers of -$77 or -7 units, at which point you must move to Level 2 and begin wagering $22.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

Units W/L

#1

11

lose

-11

-11

-1

#2

11

lose

-11

-22

-2

#3

11

lose

-11

-33

-3

#4

11

win

+10

-23

-2

#5

11

lose

-11

-34

-3

#6

11

win

+10

-24

-2

#7

11

lose

-11

-35

-3

#8

11

win

+10

-25

-2

#9

11

lose

-11

-36

-3

#10

11

lose

-11

-47

-4

#11

11

lose

-11

-58

-5

#12

11

lose

-11

-69

-6

#13

11

win

+10

-59

-5

#14

11

lose

-11

-70

-6

#15

11

win

+10

-60

-5

#16

11

lose

-11

-71

-6

#17

11

lose

-11

-82

-7

Because you lose $81, which breaks the -7 units barrier, you now must move up to Level 2 and bump up your bets to $22 each. At this point, you try to win back only your losses, plus 20%, or a total of $100 or 9 units, the Recoup Numbers for Level 2.

A recap of your play on Level 1, with 5 wins and 12 losses:

Level

Bets

W-L

$ Profit

Units $ Total

Units Total

Level 1

$11

5-12

-82

-7

-7

-82

Now, betting $22 a game, you put together a healthy string of 38 wins and 30 losses. This achieves your Recoup Numbers, erasing your losses from Level 1 and posting a profit of about 20%, or $18. So, overall, you are 43-42 (or 51%) with a positive Bankroll after 85 wagers, and you earn your way back down to Level 1. Just so you know, had you been betting a straight $11 per wager and gone 43 wins and 42 losses, you’d be -$32. A recap of your play on Levels 1 and 2 picking 43 winners and 42 losers:

Level

Bets

W-L

$ Profit

Units $ Total

Units Total

Level 1

$11

5-12

-82

-7

-82

-7

Level 2

$22

38-30 +100

+9

+18

+2

For argument’s sake, let’s say you don’t do as well on Level 2, winning 4 bets and losing 10. That puts you down another $140, which goes over the Level 2 Trigger Numbers of -$132 or -12 units, so you must go up to Level 3 and begin betting $44 a game. Hopefully you won’t suffer through many losing streaks of 9 wins and 22 losses, but let’s see how much of a hole that puts you in. A recap of your play on Levels 1 and 2, picking 9 winners and 22 losers:

Level

Bets

W-L

$ Profit

Units $ Total

Units Total

Level 1

$11

5-12

-82

-7+

-82

-7

Level 2

$22

4-10

-140

-12+

-222

-20

Keep in mind that since you’re now on Level 3 making $44 bets, your Recoup Numbers are $160 or 15 units, meaning your goal is to win back your $140 in losses plus a 20% profit, not to try and win back all $222 you’ve lost at once. By going a respectable 12 wins and 7 losses, you net $172 in profit, earning your way back to Level 2. A recap of your play on Levels 1, 2 and 3, picking 20 winners and 33 losers: Level Bets W-L $ Profit Units $ Total Units Total Level 1

$11

5-12

-82

-7+

-82

-7+

Level 2

$22

4-10

-140

-12+

-222

-20+

Level 3

$44

12-7

+172

+15+ -50

-5+

Now, with a record of 21 wins and 29 losses, you’re at just -$50 and about -5 units. Your goal once again on Level 2 is to achieve your Recoup Numbers of $100 or 9 units, enough to win back your $82 in losses, plus 20%, and earn your way back to Level 1.

Tips 1) The 4-Level Accumulation System works for those “action” players looking to play every day, grinding out steady but modest profits over the long haul. 2) Your actual running Bankroll totals won’t always divide evenly into Trigger Numbers or Recoup Numbers, so I find it best to wait until you go slightly OVER Trigger Numbers in units before moving up to the next Level (in our first example above, for instance, you moved up after losing $82, which is slightly more than 7 units yet fewer than 8). As for Recoup Numbers, you may choose to move down to the previous Level even though you are slightly UNDER the preset unit total, as long as you’ve recouped your dollar losses are happy with your small profit. 3) Remember, track your units and winnings separately for every Level, not cumulatively. 4) If you are betting against the moneyline and/or with odds worse than 11-10, make sure you wager enough to win the payouts associated with your Series Amounts. In other words, if you are betting on the Yankees -150, instead of wagering $11 to win $10, you must wager $15 to win $10. 5) Related to Tip #4, for any wager with odds worse than 11-10 that you lose, you must add the additional losses, in this case $4 ($15 - $11 = $4), to the payout of what would be your next normal Series Amount, in this case making your next Series amount $15 ($11 + $4 = $15 payout so the next Series amount at 11-10 odds would be $15). 6) Don’t forget to also add any money paid to a professional handicapper for his picks to your Series Amounts in the same way you add losses at worse than 11-10 odds (as explained in Tip #4). Keep in mind that if you pay $25 for 5 picks, you must add only $5 to each Series Amount, assuming you run 5 Series that day. In other words, divide the handicapper’s fee among the total number of picks you play that day. 7) As always, it’s imperative to keep strict track of your 4-Level Accumulation System bets using copies of the Chart provided at the end of this chapter.

The Trigger and Recoup Numbers For those whose Personal Betting Bankrolls make them comfortable wagering larger amounts, I’m including several other Series Amounts, with their corresponding Trigger and Recoup Numbers, to aid you in knowing when to move from 1 Level to the next. Upon inspection, you’ll notice a trend: No matter what Series you are playing, your Trigger Number for Level 1 is always 7 units; your Trigger Number for Level 2 is always 12 units and your Recoup Number is always 9 units; your Trigger Number for Level 3 is always 20 units and

your Recoup Number is always 15 units; and your Trigger Number for Level 4 is always 24 units and your Recoup Number is always 24 units. Here are several more Series:

22-22-22-22-22-22-22 44-44-44-44-44-44 88-88-88-88-88 132-132-132-132.

Level Bets # Amount

Trigger # In Units*

Trigger # in Dollars*

Recoup # in Units**

Recoup # in Dollars**

1

$22

-7

-$154

NA

NA

2

$44

-12

-$264

9

$185

3

$88

-20

-$440

15

$317

4

$132

-24

-$528

24

$528

* When you lose this number of dollars or units in any 1 Level, this “triggers” your move up to the next Level. ** You must win back (or “recoup”) this number of units or dollars (including 20% profit) before earning your way back to the previous Level. 33-33-33-33-33-33-33 66-66-66-66-66-66 132-132-132-132-132 198-198-198-198.

Level Bets # Amount

Trigger # In Units*

Trigger # in Dollars*

Recoup # in Units**

Recoup # in Dollars**

1

$33

-7

-$231

NA

NA

2

$66

-12

-$396

9

$277

3

$132

-20

-$660

15

$475

4

$198

-24

-$792

24

$792

* When you lose this number of dollars or units in any 1 Level, this “triggers” your move up to the next Level. ** You must win back (or “recoup”) this number of units or dollars (including 20% profit) before earning your way back to the previous Level.

55-55-55-55-55-55-55 110-110-110-110-110-110 220-220-220-220-220 330-330-330-330.

Level Bets # Amount

Trigger # In Units*

Trigger # in Dollars*

Recoup # in Units**

Recoup # in Dollars**

1

$55

-7

-$385

NA

NA

2

$110

-12

-$660

9

$462

3

$220

-20

-$1,100

15

$792

4 $330 -24 -$1,320 24 $1,320 * When you lose this number of dollars or units in any 1 Level, this “triggers” your move up to the next Level. ** You must win back (or “recoup”) this number of units or dollars (including 20% profit) before earning your way back to the previous Level.

Crunching the Numbers Because a single Series in The 4-Level Accumulation System can go on for weeks, months or even years, there’s little point in taking up 50 pages proving that it’s extremely hard to lose all your money with this Program. Suffice to say that you must lose a whopping cumulative total of $693 or 63 units to end the Series. Remember, since you add dollars and units for every win, your Bankroll should stay intact for a long time, perhaps indefinitely. For example, if you pick 0 winners and 22 losers and end your first Series without a win, you still have $907 left of your Personal Betting Bankroll. This means you can go another 0 wins and 22 losses and still not go bust after picking not 1 winner in 44 tries. Getting the idea of how hard it is to lose your whole Bankroll with this Program? In fact, you must go 0 wins and 58 losses to lose all your money. If you ever hit a streak like that, perhaps it’s time to pick a different diversion than sports gambling.

Summing It All Up

The simple goal of The 4-Level Accumulation System is to amass steady profits over a long period of time by gradually raising and lowering wager amounts according to your current Bankroll. When losses build up, you raise your bet amounts in order to erase them plus post a 20% profit, then return to the previous wager amounts. This allows you to accrue small but steady profits for weeks, months and even years while putting even a portion of your Bankroll in little jeopardy. Here’s a quick overview of The 4-Level Accumulation System, which I recommend you use to play everyday “action” bets or to protect a modest Bankroll over long periods: 1) To start this Series, make 1 or more wagers in the predetermined Level 1 amount of $11, to use our example Series Amount. 2) Keep betting $11 on games and rolling the profits back into your Bankroll until you lose $77, or 7 units, the Trigger Numbers for Level 1. 3) If you lose $77 or 7 units, up your wagers to the Level 2 amount of $22 apiece and keep betting, rolling your winnings back into your Bankroll. 4) Once you have reached your Recoup Numbers on Level 2, meaning you have erased your $77 in losses and added a profit of about 20% by winning $100 or 9 units, reduce your wagers back to the Level 1 amount of $11 apiece. 5) Should you hit the Trigger Numbers of -$132 or -12 units while betting $22 per play on Level 2, raise your wagers to the Level 3 amount of $44, and keep betting, rolling your winnings back into your Bankroll. 6) When you reach your Recoup Numbers on Level 3, meaning you have erased your $132 in losses and added a profit of about 20% by winning $160 or 15 units, reduce your wagers back to the Level 2 amount of $22 apiece. Or, if you hit the Trigger Numbers on Level 3 by losing yet another $220 or 20 units, raise your bets to the Level 4 amount of $66 apiece. 7) Should you continue an unlikely extended losing streak and reach your Trigger Numbers on Level 4 of -$264 or -24 units, your Series is over. 8) Otherwise, keep betting on each Level until your preset Trigger Numbers prompt you to move up a Level and bet a higher wager amount, or until your Recoup Numbers prompt you to move back down to the previous Level and lower your wagers. 9) Be sure to track all your bets carefully using the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

10) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Level amounts if you feel comfortable doing so.

Chapter 6

Program #4

THE 2-16 CONSECUTIVE WINS SYSTEM

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Despite the fact that baseball and hockey offer the better values for savvy gamblers, 8 out of every 10 bettors put their money primarily on pro and college football. The U.S. is crazy for the sport, which is faster and more exciting than baseball, more high-scoring than hockey, and more of a social event than basketball since virtually all games are played on weekends.

College football remains an arguably easier game than pro football on which to gamble successfully, since there is a great divide between the 50 great teams and the hundreds of mediocre to poor ones in the country, and values can be found. Pro football is the definition of parity, on the other hand, with a last-place team often able to score an outright win over a Super Bowl contender, much less cover the spread.

As a result, even the best pro and college football handicappers proudly boast of picking 55% winners. So it’s not hard to figure out how literally billions of dollars are lost to sportsbooks and neighborhood bookies each season.

Still, I won’t try to dissuade you from betting on football. I know you will anyway.

Fortunately, you will be following one of my 12 Money-Management Programs, so you must pick only 25% winners to make a potential profit.

Pick a Pair, Any Pair

Most weekends during the NFL season, there are 16 pro football games. Let’s assume you rule out 75% of them as too incredibly close to call and decide to bet on your 4 strongest games a week. What if I told you that, on average, you have to pick as few as 2 consecutive winners anywhere among 16 games over a 1-month period to make a profit?

It’s true. I call it The 2-16 Consecutive Wins System, and I’ll explain it to you in detail in a moment. But first let me tell you how I came across it, and how it can make you up to $60,000 a season or more in straight profit.

Among my 50 or so regulars at the Desert Inn sportsbook was a guy named Lefty, who was one of the sharpest bettors I’ve ever met. During baseball and basketball season, he was nowhere to be found, but he didn’t miss a day during football season. He gambled on both college and pro games, laying no less than $550 a game on an average of just 4 or 5 games a weekend.

I noticed he was picking a decent number of winners, but I couldn’t believe it when another regular told me Lefty made about $80,000 a season betting on football, and lived on his winnings the rest of the year. Intrigued, I befriended Lefty, who did indeed confess he held no “real” job. He just bet on football.

But you seem to pick only about 50% winners, I pointed out to him. He took the bait, unable to keep to himself his secret method of turning a modest number of winning picks into big-time profits. Like most money-management bettors, Lefty had picked up his technique from a fellow “professional gambler” years before.

Now, I’m now going to teach it to you, so you can exponentially increase your odds of winning at football (and other sports) gambling.

The Set-Up Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are either predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a Formula I’ll provide you. For the purposes of our examples in this chapter, all bets are straight wagers against the spread on which you will be laying $11 to win $10 (or multiples thereof), unless otherwise noted.

The Program

The 2-16 Consecutive Wins System guarantees you a profit if you can pick 2 consecutive winners anywhere in a Series of up to 16 bets. The moment you pick 2 winners in a row, you roll your winnings into your Personal Betting Bankroll and start over. In The 2-16 Consecutive Wins System, you are going to make a Series of between 2 and 16 wagers in the pre-calculated amounts of $5.50 ($10.50), $11 ($21), $16.50 ($31.50), $22 ($42), $33 ($63), $44 ($84), $66 ($126) or $88 ($168). Why is every other Series Amount above in parentheses? Because wagers are made in those amounts only if you win a bet in the previous amount in the Series, also known as the “Primary Series Amount.” The reason behind this is that when you win a wager, you are going to parlay the original bet plus the profits into a second wager (shown in parentheses), known as the “Follow-up Parlay Bet.” So, to get started, you make a bet in the amount of $5.50. If you lose that bet, you move up to the next Primary Series Amount, $11. However, if you win that first wager, you parlay the original bet amount ($5.50) plus your profits ($5) into a Follow-Up Parlay Bet of $10.50, in an attempt to win 2 consecutive bets and close out the Series. By winning any 2 consecutive wagers, you recoup all previous losses, plus score a nice profit. As in all my Programs, your Series Amounts in The 2-16 Consecutive Wins System are preset, so you never lay a bet in an arbitrary amount on any game. The Series doesn’t end until you win 2 consecutive bets or reach the eighth Primary Series Amount without doing so. In either case, you start over and continue building your Personal Betting Bankroll.

The Goal The simple objective is to win 2 consecutive bets anywhere in a Series of between 2 and 16 wagers.

The Series 5.50 (10.50)-11 (21)-16.50 (31.50)-22 (42)-33 (63)-44 (84)-66 (126)-88 (168).

The Formula If you find the Series Amounts in this Series too conservative for your Personal Betting Bankroll, you can raise your wagers proportionately. The Formula for setting the Primary Series Amounts in The 2-16 Consecutive Wins System is

a, 2a, 3a, 4a, 6a, 8a, 12a, 16a.

In the Series above, a = 5.50 or $5.50. If you find this too low, try a larger value of a, for example 11. If you pick 11 for the starting bet, your Series would be calculated as 11, 2 x 11 = 22, 3 x 11 = 33, 4 x 11 = 44, 6 x 11 = 66, 8 x 11 = 88, 12 x 11 = 132, 16 x 11 = 176, or

11 (21)-22 (42)-33 (63)-44 (84)-66 (126)-88 (168)-132 (252)-176 (336).

Note that I’ve included in parentheses the Series Amounts of the Follow-up Parlay Bets that kick in only if you win the wagers in the Primary Series Amounts that precede them. To save you the time of doing the math yourself, if you want the starting bet in your Series to be 22, your Series would be

22 (42)-44 (84)-66 (126)-88 (168)-132 (252)-176 (336)-264 (504)-352 (672).

As I’ll show you below, these Series will allow you to make substantial profits, but to make the kind of money Lefty does, your Series would look like this:

$550 ($1,050)-$1,100 ($2,100)-$1,650 ($3,150)-$2,200 ($4,200)-$3,300 ($6,300)-$4,400 ($8,400)-$6,600 ($12,600)-$8,800 ($16,800).

For our purposes here, however, we will stick with the original Series Amounts for examples. As a guide to selecting which Series to play, you can add up the 8 Primary Series Amounts in the Series you’re considering and make sure the combined total doesn’t represent more than 25% of your Personal Betting Bankroll.

The Rules 1) To start this Series, make 1 straight wager in the predetermined Primary Series Amount of $5.50, to use our example Series figure. 2) If you win your first bet of $5.50, parlay it and your winnings of $5 into a Follow-up Parlay Bet in the amount of $10.50. Should you win that bet (or any second bet), your Series is over, so you can roll your profits into your Bankroll and start over. 3) If you lose your first bet of $5.50, move on to the next Primary Series Amount and make a wager in the amount of $11. 4) Continue betting, moving along to the next Primary Series Amount in the Series after any loss, and parlaying your bet amount and profits into a Follow-up Parlay Bet (the amount shown in parentheses) after any win.

5) Your Series is over once you win 2 consecutive bets, or make it through all 8 Primary Series Amounts without winning 2 wagers in a row. 6) Be sure to track all your bets carefully using the accompanying Chart at the end of this chapter.

7) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

The Proof The 2-16 Consecutive Wins System guarantees that you make a profit by winning 2 bets in a row anywhere in a Series of between 2 and 16 wagers. To help you fully understand how the betting process works, let’s first look at an example of the longest possible winning outcome of the Series.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

#1

5.50

win

+5

+5

#2

10.50

lose

-10.50

-5.50

#3

11

win

+10

+4.50

#4

21

lose

-21

-16.50

#5

16.50

win

+15

-1.50

#6

31.50

lose

-31.50

-33

#7

22

win

+20

-13

#8

42

lose

-42

-55

#9

33

win

+30

-25

#10

63

lose

-63

-88

#11

44

win

+40

-48

#12

84

lose

-84

-132

#13

66

win

+60

-72

#14

126

lose

-126

-198

#15

88

win

+80

-118

#16

168

win

+153

+35

As you see, you win $35 with a record of 9 wins and 7 losses. That same record betting a straight $5.50 per game would put you up just $6.50, so The 2-16 Consecutive Wins System has increased your profits by 538%. Imagine how your winnings will add up if your starting Primary Series Amount is more than $5.50. Lefty, for example, would have made $3,500 on this modest winning streak by starting his betting at $550 a game. Since there are only 8 ways to win this Series, I won’t waste space detailing each scenario bet by bet. Instead, I will show you how much you profit by winning at each possible juncture in the Series, rounded to the nearest dollar.

Scenario

Last Wager* Series Profit $

#1

10.50

+14

#2

21

+24

#3

31.50

+27

#4

42

+25

#5

63

+32

#6

84

+28

#7

126

+43

#8

168

+35

* The last wager in all winning 2-16 System Series will be a Follow-up Parlay Bet.

Again, keep in mind that these profits are based on the minimum suggested Primary Series Amounts. If your Bankroll allows you to bet a Series beginning at $55 instead of $5.50, you can make as much as $430 for simply picking 2 consecutive winners.

Tips 1) The 2-16 Consecutive Wins System brings the most profits when you use it to play your “best bets” each day, since it relies on your winning 2 consecutive wagers. 2) Bankroll permitting, you may want to run 2 or more Series at once, allowing you to bet several “early games” each Sunday during football season, for example, and then to bet several more games in the afternoon.

3) If you are betting against the moneyline and/or with odds worse than 11-10, make sure you wager enough to win the payouts associated with your Series Amounts. In other words, if you are betting on the Yankees -150, instead of wagering $11 to win $10, you must wager $15 to win $10. 4) Related to Tip #3, for any wager with odds worse than 11-10 that you lose, you must add the additional losses, in this case $4 ($15 - $11 = $4), to the payout of what would be your next Primary Series Amount. 5) Don’t forget to also add any money paid to a professional handicapper for his picks to your Primary Series Amounts in the same way you add losses at worse than 11-10 odds (as explained in Tip #4). Keep in mind that if you pay $25 for 5 picks, you must add only $5 to each Series Amount, assuming you run 5 Series that day. In other words, divide the handicapper’s fee among the total number of picks you play that day. 6) As always, it’s imperative to keep strict track of your bets using copies of the Chart provided at the end of this chapter.

Crunching the Numbers In the interest of full disclosure, I want you to be aware of how much of your Personal Betting Bankroll you’re risking in any given Series. Should you go a dismal 0-8 with your best bets in this Series, you will lose only $286, or less than 18% of your Personal Betting Bankroll of $1,600. That means you could lose 5 consecutive Series, going 0 wins and 40 losses, and still have $170 in your reserves.

Even more amazing is that you can go 0 wins and 6 losses and win the last 2 bets of the Series and earn a profit by picking just 25% winners.

Summing It All Up

The 2-16 Consecutive Wins System guarantees you a profit by picking just 2 consecutive winners in a Series of 2 to 16 wagers. In fact, as you’ve seen above, you can pick as few as 25% winners and still add to your Bankroll. Here’s a quick overview of The 2-16 Consecutive Wins System, which I recommend you use to bet your strongest 1 or 2 picks every day: 1) To start this Series, make 1 straight wager in the predetermined Primary Series Amount of $5.50, to use our example Series figure. 2) If you win your first bet of $5.50, parlay it and your winnings of $5 into a Follow-up Parlay Bet in the amount of $10.50. Should you win that bet (or any second bet), your Series is over, so you can roll your profits into your Bankroll and begin again.

3) If you lose your first bet of $5.50, move on to the next Primary Series Amount and make a wager in the amount of $11. 4) Continue betting, moving along to the next Primary Series Amount in the Series after any loss, and parlaying your bet amount and profits into a Follow-up Parlay Bet (the amount shown in parentheses) after any win. 5) Your Series is over once you win 2 consecutive bets, or make it through all 8 Primary Series Amounts without winning 2 wagers in a row. 6) Be sure to track all your bets carefully using the accompanying Chart at the end of this chapter.

7) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

Chapter 7

Program #5

THE 2-18 CONSECUTIVE WINS SYSTEM

Tried and (Mostly) True

If you hang around casinos long enough, you’ll hear old-timers talking about “the 31.” They’re referring to perhaps the oldest of all money-management gambling techniques.

For decades, countless players have sworn by “the 31,” insisting it keeps them in the money playing in the casino and in the sportsbook. And it does work ... most of the time. The trouble is, there are some “cracks” in its armor when put to the test against traditional 11-10 gambling odds that make “the 31” vulnerable on occasion.

So I’ve altered “the 31” slightly -- making it a System for use with your best-bet underdogs and other even-money or better wagers. I call it The 2-18 Consecutive Wins System, since the goal is to win 2 consecutive bets in a Series of up to 18 wagers.

By using the 2-18 System only with even-money or better odds, it rivals the 2-16 System in the previous chapter, since it guarantees you a profit for picking just 2 consecutive winners in any Series between 2 and 18 bets.

Going on a Roll in the Casino and Sportsbook

I’d known about “the 31” for years, but I’d never seen anyone as devoted to it as Jake, a regular at the Desert Inn. Every day, Monday through Friday, he came into the casino at 9 a.m., like it was his place of business. And, in a real way, it was.

Every morning, he’d head straight to the craps tables. There, Jake would play for anywhere between 30 minutes and 8 hours. Then, with his winnings in hand, he’d come over to my sportsbook and lay his bets for the night games. It went on like this for years.

After a year or two, as I got to know Jake, I dropped into conversation that I’d noticed he was using “the 31” on his sports bets. He didn’t deny it. In fact, Jake explained that his modus operandi was to use the strategy at craps each day until he won $200. No matter how long it took, the minute he broke the $200 barrier, he’d scoop up his winnings and lay them on 2 or 3 games at my sportsbook.

Then he’d leave, not even waiting to see how the games turned out. In a sense, it didn’t matter. His work for the day was done. The “31” was going to take care of the rest. All Jake had to do was hit 2 consecutive winners over the course of a week, and he’d have turned a profit in my sportsbook. This, of course, was gravy on the $200 a day he won in craps.

Now, I’m going to show you the technique that Jake used to make more than $75,000 a year.

The Set-Up

Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are either predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a Formula I’ll provide you. For the purposes of our examples in this chapter, unlike most in this book, all bets are evenmoney bets, such as can be found on some totals or slight moneyline underdogs, unless otherwise noted.

The Program

The 2-18 Consecutive Wins System is a variation on the 2-16 System, with the goal of picking 2 consecutive winners anywhere along a Series of up to 18 bets. The moment you pick 2 winners in a row, you roll your winnings into your Personal Betting Bankroll and start over. In The 2-18 Consecutive Wins System, you are going to make a Series of between 2 and 18 wagers in the pre-calculated amounts of $10 ($20)-$10 ($20)-$10 ($20)-$20 ($40)-$20 ($40)-$40 ($80)-$40 ($80)-$80 ($160)-$80 ($160). In case you skipped last chapter on the 2-16 System, every other Series Amount above is in parentheses because wagers are made in those amounts only if you win a bet in the previous amount in the Series, known as a “Primary Series Amount.” The reason behind this is that when you win a wager, you are going to parlay the original bet plus the profits into a second wager (shown in parentheses), known as a “Follow-up Parlay Bet.” So, to get started, you make a bet in the Primary Series Amount of $10. If you lose that bet, you move up to the next Primary Series Amount, also $10. However, if you win that first wager, you parlay the original bet amount ($10) plus your profits ($10) into a Follow-up Parlay Bet of $20, in an attempt to win 2 consecutive bets and close out the Series. By winning any 2 consecutive wagers, you recoup all previous losses, plus score a nice profit. As in all my Programs, your Primary Series Amounts in The 2-18 Consecutive Wins System are preset, so you never lay a bet in an arbitrary amount on any game. The Series doesn’t end until you win 2 consecutive bets or reach the eighth Primary Series Amount without doing so. In either case, you start over and continue building your Personal Betting Bankroll.

The Goal The simple objective is to win 2 consecutive bets anywhere in a Series of between 2 and 18 wagers.

The Series 10 (20)-10 (20)-10 (20)-20 (40)-20 (40)-40 (80)-40 (80)-80 (160)-80 (160).

The Formula If you find the Series Amounts in this Series too low for your Personal Betting Bankrolls, you can raise your wagers. The Formula for setting the Primary Series Amounts in The 2-18 Consecutive Wins System is

a, a, a, 2a, 2a, 4a, 4a, 8a, 8a.

In the Series above, a = 10 or $10. If you find this too low, try a larger value of a, for example 20. If you pick $20 for the starting bet, your Series would be calculated as 20, 2 x 20 = 40, 4 x 20 = 80, 8 x 20 = 160, or

20 (40)-20 (40)-20 (40)-40 (80)-40 (80)-80 (160)-80 (160)-160 (320)-160 (320).

Note that I’ve included in parentheses the Follow-up Parlay Bets that kick in only if you win the wager in the Primary Series Amount that precedes it. For our purposes here, however, we will stick with the original Series Amounts for examples. As a guide to selecting which Series to play, you can add up the 9 Primary Series Amounts in the Series you’re considering and make sure the combined total doesn’t represent more than 25% of your Personal Betting Bankroll. The Rules 1) To start this Series, make 1 straight wager in the predetermined Primary Series Amount of $10, to use our example Series figure. 2) If you win your first bet of $10, parlay it and your winnings of $10 into a Follow-up Parlay Bet in the amount of $20. Should you win that bet (or any second bet), your Series is over, so you can roll your profits into your Bankroll and begin again. 3) If you lose your first bet of $10, move on to the next Primary Series Amount and again make a wager in the amount of $10. 4) Continue betting, moving along to the next Primary Series Amount in the Series after any loss, and parlaying your bet amount and profits into a Follow-up Parlay Bet (the amount shown in parentheses) after any win. 5) Your Series is over once you win 2 consecutive bets, or make it through all 9 Primary Series Amounts without winning 2 wagers in a row. 6) Be sure to track all your bets carefully using the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

7) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

The Proof The 2-18 Consecutive Wins System guarantees that you make a profit by winning 2 consecutive bets anywhere in a Series of between 2 and 18 wagers. To provide you an example of how the 218 System works, let’s look at an example of a Series in which you pick 3 winners and 5 losers.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit $

#1

10

lose

-10

-10

#2

10

lose

-10

-20

#3

10

win

+10

-10

#4

20

lose

-20

-30

#5

20

lose

-20

-50

#6 #7

20 40

lose win

-20 +40

-70 -30

#8

80

win

+80

+50

You actually win $50 by picking fewer than 38% winners. That same record of 3-5 betting a straight $10 per wager would put you at -$20, so The 2-18 Consecutive Wins System has earned you $70. It isn’t hard to see how your winnings will accumulate if your starting Primary Series Amount is more than $10. For example, a $100 player would be up $500 after this opening 3-5 losing streak. There are dozens and dozens of possibilities for how this Series can play out, so there obviously is not enough room to detail them all here. Let’s just look at another example to see how powerful the 2-18 System can be in making you money even when your luck at picking winners isn’t running hot.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

#1

10

lose

-10

-10

#2

10

lose

-10

-20

#3

10

lose

-10

-30

#4

20

lose

-20

-50

#5

20

lose

-20

-70

#6

40

lose

-40

-110

#7

40

lose

-40

-150

#8

80

win

+80

-70

#9

160

win

+160

+90

This time, you go a measly 2-7, yet your Bankroll increases by a startling $90. Had you been making straight $10 bets, you would be -$50.

Also, keep in mind that these profits are based on the minimum suggested Primary Series Amounts. If your Bankroll allows you to bet a Series beginning at $200 rather than $10, you can make as much as $1,800 for simply picking 2 winners out of 9 (or 22%). Tips 1) The 2-18 Consecutive Wins System should be used to play even-money or better bets, since it can’t otherwise guarantee a profit on 2 consecutive wagers in all situations. 2) Use the System in the previous chapter, the 2-16 System, for games involving traditional 1110 betting odds. 3) Use this 2-18 System for your strongest plays of the day, since 2 consecutive wins are required to turn a profit. 4) Although I encourage you to use the 2-16 System (in the previous chapter) for games with worse than even-money odds, if you elect to use this System, the 2-18, for such bets, make sure that you wager enough to win the payouts associated with your Series Amounts. In other words, if you are betting on the Yankees -150, instead of wagering $10 to win $10, you must wager $15 to win $10. 5) Related to Tip #4, for any wager with odds worse than even money that you lose, you must add the additional losses, in this case $5 ($15 - $10 = $5), to the payout of what would be your next Series Amount. 6) Don’t forget to also add any money paid to a professional handicapper for his picks to your Series Amounts in the same way you add losses at worse than even-money odds (as explained in Tip #4). Keep in mind that if you pay $25 for 5 picks, you must add only $5 to each Series Amount, assuming you run 5 Series that day. In other words, divide the handicapper’s fee among the total number of picks you play that day. 7) If your Bankroll permits, you may want to run 2 or more Series simultaneously. 8) Don’t forget, it’s imperative to keep strict track of your bets using copies of the Chart provided at the end of this chapter.

‘Even Money’ Bets Make You Even More Money Some of you are staunch believers in the “31.” For those of you who in this camp (or who are interested in why I felt the need to alter it for inclusion among my 12 Money-Management Programs), I wanted to include the 2 examples below. In the first, let’s look at how “the 31” fares when you pick 6 winners and 8 losers laying bets with traditional 11-10 gambling odds, such as those against the spread in football and basketball.

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

#1

11

win

+10

+10

#2

21

lose

-21

-11

#3

10

win

+10

-1

#4

21

lose

-21

-22

#5

10

win

+10

-12

#6

21

lose

-21

-33

#7

22

lose

-22

-55

#8

22

lose

-22

-77

#9

44

win

+40

-37

#10

84

lose

-84

-121

#11

44

lose

-44

-165

#12

88

lose

-88

-253

#13

88

win

+80

-173

#14

168

win

+153

-20

As you can see, you pick a marginally respectable 43% winners, yet you lose money. Because this doesn’t stack up to the kinds of winnings my other Systems generally provide for similar winning percentages, I felt the need to make the 2-18 System an even-money System, altering it dramatically from the traditional “31.” Now, let’s look at the same wins and losses, using my 2-18 System with even-money picks instead of 11-10 odds like in the “31.”

Bet

$ Wagered

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

#1

10

win

+10

+10

#2

20

lose

-20

-10

#3

10

win

+10

0

#4

20

lose

-20

-20

#5

10

win

+10

-10

#6

20

lose

-20

-30

#7

20

lose

-20

-50

#8

20

lose

-20

-70

#9

40

win

+40

-30

#10

80

lose

-80

-110

#11

40

lose

-40

-150

#12

80

lose

-80

-230

#13

80

win

+80

-150

#14

160

win

+160

+10

By using my 2-18 System for even-money games, you’ve averted a $20 loss and cashed in a $10 winner. So, even when this System is most vulnerable, by betting even-money games you’re still guaranteed to profit with 2 consecutive wins, no matter what the circumstances.

Crunching the Numbers Much like with the 2-16 System in the previous chapter, you must go through a very distressing losing streak with this 2-18 System to do much damage to your Personal Betting Bankroll. But I do want you to be aware of how much you’re risking in any given Series. Should you go a disappointing 0-9 with your best bets in a Series using the 2-16 System, you lose only $310, or less than 20% of your Personal Betting Bankroll of $1,600. That means you could lose 5 consecutive Series, going 0 wins and 40 losses, and still not deplete your entire reserves.

Summing It All Up

The 2-18 Consecutive Wins System guarantees you a profit by picking just 2 consecutive winners in a Series of 2 to 18 wagers. In fact, as you’ve seen above, you can pick as few as 22% winners and still add to your Bankroll. Here’s a quick overview of The 2-18 Consecutive Wins System, which I recommend you use to play your strongest 1 or 2 even-money or better bets every day:

1) To start this Series, make 1 straight wager in the predetermined Primary Series Amount of $10, to use our example Series figure. 2) If you win your first bet of $10, parlay it and your winnings of $10 into a Follow-up Parlay Bet in the amount of $20. Should you win that bet (or any second bet), your Series is over, so you can roll your profits into your Bankroll and begin again.

3) If you lose your first bet of $10, move on to the next Primary Series Amount and again make a wager in the amount of $10. 4) Continue betting, moving along to the next Primary Series Amount in the Series after any loss, and parlaying your bet amount and profits into a Follow-up Parlay Bet (the amount shown in parentheses) after any win. 5) Your Series is over once you win 2 consecutive bets, or make it through all 9 Primary Series Amounts without winning 2 wagers in a row. 6) Be sure to track all your bets carefully using the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

7) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

Chapter 8

Program #6

THE STRAIGHT + SAVER SYSTEM

Buying Into or Bucking the Trends

A lot of sports handicappers stake their entire reputations -- not to mention their Bankrolls -- on trends. You know the types. They’ll give out the Lakers, for example, as their “pick of the week” because LA is coming off 4 games in which it’s scored 100 points or more and committed 12 turnovers or fewer, and in those situations it covers the spread 87% of the time in a Friday night home playoff game.

Just like accountants, though, handicappers can make numbers say anything. Another handicapper just as easily could make a case with other trends that the Lakers were going to lose that Friday night home playoff game.

If you listen long enough to some trends-happy handicappers, you can’t see the foes for the trends. In other words, you lose sight of the actual match-up amid all the mumbo jumbo.

My philosophy on trends is the same as with shoes. They may look nice, but I make sure they fit before I waste money on them. If a trend doesn’t complement and confirm what my other research indicates the outcome will be, I don’t let it sway me.

Betting in the Information Age

Just because I don’t rely most heavily on trends when making my picks doesn’t mean I don’t do my homework. The more you know about a game, its players, its situation and its setting, the better.

I learned the importance of hard work from my mentor, the legendary Sonny Reizner, who in addition to being a great handicapper was my boss at the Rio and Desert Inn Sportsbooks. Every morning at 7:30 a.m., before we did anything else, he’d have me check the weather reports around the country. Sonny was always looking for that extra edge, like a gusty wind that could turn a fly-ball pitcher into a home-run pitcher.

In the old days, before ESPN, USA Today and the Internet, Sonny would actually send kids to the airport to go through garbage cans in search of out-of-town newspapers discarded by tourists. Once upon a time, that was the only way to get local sports information on teams outside your area.

Nowadays, a bettor’s best friend -- other than my 12 Money-Management Programs, of course -is the World Wide Web. In 15 minutes, you can find more information about a game on the Internet than the most diligent handicapper could in 15 hours of going through newspapers and outdated reference books 25 years ago.

CYA So You’re Not SOL

One of the most literally colorful characters I met while manager of the Desert Inn Sportsbook was a guy named Larry. He was from LA but would come to Vegas about 5 times a month with pockets stuffed with cash and his arms loaded with color-coded charts.

You had to see it to believe it. For any game he was considering betting on, Larry had a legalsized page with every statistic imaginable on both teams. To make stats easy to find, Larry coded his charts with every color of the rainbow. For instance, a team’s record against opponents with a winning percentage over .500 was in red, its record against opponents with a .500 mark was in green and its record against sub-.500 foes was in black.

Larry didn’t rely solely on stats and trends, however. Once he’d gone through all his stacks of color-coded charts, Larry would bet his 3 strongest plays. And then he’d bet a parlay on the

opposite outcomes, just in case. His motto was, “Cover your ass (CYA) so you’re not shit out of luck (SOL).”

Of course, there’s another popular adage that’s often heard in and around sportsbooks: “Real men don’t hedge.” But I watched Larry make great money doing it. And now I’m going to show you how to as well.

The Set-Up

Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are either predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a Formula I’ll provide you. For the purposes of our examples in this chapter, like in most of this book, all bets are at 11-10 odds, unless otherwise noted.

The Program

The simple brilliance of The Straight + Saver System, which is ideal for gamblers who like to hedge their bets, is that it gives everyday gamblers who prefer a lot of action a 75% chance of winning or breaking even virtually every day they place bets. It also ensures that those gamblers who can pick 3 winners and 0 losers at least once every 5 days can not only make a nice profit but also recoup all their previous losses from earlier in the week.

In The Straight + Saver System, you make 3 straight wagers daily plus a parlay bet on the 3 opposite outcomes (an “Opposite Saver Parlay. Each day, there are only 4 possible outcomes of your bets, and 3 of them (or 75%) are good for you.

By going 0 wins and 3 losses on your straight wagers, you break even or make a tiny profit because of the Opposite Saver Parlay bet. By going 2 wins and 1 loss, you make a small profit. By going 3 wins and 0 losses, you make a big score. The only “losing” day you can possibly have is by picking 1 winner and 2 losers.

In The Straight + Saver System, you make a Series of 3 straight bets a day in the increasing amounts of $11, $22, $44, $88 or $165. Each day, you also make Opposite Saver Parlay bets on the opposite outcomes in the amounts of $6, $11, $22, $44 or $83.

For example, on Day 1, you make 3 straight bets in the amount of $11 each. You also make an Opposite Saver Parlay bet on the 3 opposite outcomes for $6. That way, if you pick 0 winners and 3 losers, you actually make $3. If you pick 2 winners and 1 loser, you also profit $3. And if you achieve your goal of winning all 3 games, you make a $25 profit, which includes the bookies’ juice and the amount of the Opposite Saver Parlay bet. Only if you pick 1 winner and 2 losers do you lose any money (in this case, $18).

If you don’t have a perfect day on Day 1, on Day 2 you make 3 straight bets of $22 each and an Opposite Saver Parlay bet of $11. You proceed day by day until you go 3-0 on your straight bets, which gives you a nice profit and recoups all your previous losses.

At that point, you roll your profits back into your Personal Betting Bankroll and start over. If you should go 5 days without achieving a 3-0 day on your straight bets, you cut your losses and start over.

As always, your Series Amounts are pre-calculated, so there’s no wracking your brain to decide how much to lay on each game.

And because you’ve broken down your Personal Betting Bankroll into several Betting Blocks, even if you go 5 days in which you achieve the worst possible outcome every day, you’ve still depleted your reserves by less than 33%.

The Goal The simple objective is to make 3 straight bets daily with an Opposite Saver Parlay on the opposite outcomes to achieve 3 wins and 0 losses at least once every 5 days. The Series 11-22-44-88-165 (for your straight bets). 6-11-22-44-83 (for your Opposite Saver Parlay).

The Formulas

The Formula for setting your straight wager Series Amounts in The Straight + Saver System is

a, 2a, 4a, 8a, 15a.

In the Series above, a = 11 or $11. If you find this too low, try a larger value of a, for example 22. If you pick $22 for the starting bet, your Series would be calculated as 22, 2 x 22 = 44, 4 x 22 = 88, 8 x 22 = 176 and 15 x 22 = 330, or

22-44-88-176-330.

There are a couple of ways to determine the Series Amounts of your Opposite Saver Parlays using The Straight + Saver System. First, since 3-team parlays at 11-10 odds generally pay 6-to1, simply add up the total dollar amount of your 3 straight bets and divide by 6, or

Combined total of 3 straight bets divided by 6 = amount of Opposite Saver Parlay.

So if you make 3 straight bets in the amount of $22, that’s $66 total, divided by 6 is 11, or $11. So your Opposite Saver Parlay should be $11, which would pay off at $66 should you go 0 wins and 3 losses on the day, allowing you to break even. In my examples in this chapter, I have made sure that the Opposite Saver Parlays don’t leave you even $1 in the hole should you go 0-3 on any given day. That requires you to occasionally round up your Opposite Saver Parlay bet to the nearest dollar. For instance, if your starting straight bets are $11, then their combined total is $33, divided by 6 is 5.5, so you round up your Opposite Saver Parlay bet to $6. If you don’t wish to do the math yourself, many sportsbook Web sites feature parlay calculators. If your favorite sportsbook doesn’t include a parlay calculator, or you can’t figure out how to use it, there is an easy-to-use version at

http://www.sportbet.com/calc/index.asp

that can be used for free. Note that for our purposes here, we will stick with the original Series Amounts for our examples. As a guide to selecting which Series to play, you can quickly calculate how much you would lose if you went 1 win and 2 losses each day for 5 days and make sure the combined total doesn’t represent more than 33% of your Personal Betting Bankroll. In our example Series of 11-22-4488-165, your losses could be no more than $526, or less than 33% of your $1,600 Bankroll.

The Rules

1) To start this Series, make 3 straight bets in the predetermined amount of $11 each with an Opposite Saver Parlay in the preset amount of $6, to use our example Series figures. 2) If you win all 3 of your straight wagers on your first day, add your $24 profit to your Bankroll and start over with another Series. 3) If you go 2 wins and 1 loss on your first day, add your $3 profit to your Bankroll and move up to the next Series Amounts, making 3 straight wagers of $22 apiece and an Opposite Saver Parlay wager of $11. 4) If you go 0 wins and 3 losses on your first day, add your $3 profit from your Opposite Saver Parlay to your Bankroll and move up to the next Series Amounts, making 3 straight wagers of $22 apiece and an Opposite Saver Parlay wager of $11. 5) If you go 1 win and 2 losses on your first day, move up to the next Series Amounts, making 3 straight wagers of $22 apiece and an Opposite Saver Parlay wager of $11. 6) Continue moving up the Series each day until you either go 3 wins and 0 losses for the day or you complete 5 days of wagering without going 3-0. Either add your profits to your Personal Betting Bankroll and start a new Series, or cut your losses and start a new Series. 7) Be sure to track all your bets carefully using the Chart at the end of this chapter. 8) Every 3 weeks or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

The Proof The Straight + Saver System guarantees you a 75% chance of winning or breaking even on 3 straight wagers by incorporating an Opposite Saver Parlay. It’s perfect for bettors who feel they have several strong plays daily but still like to hedge their bets, just in case all their favorites decide to lose at the same time. Let’s first examine how you’re guaranteed that 3 of every 4 outcomes result in your either winning or breaking even. To do that, we’ll look at our example Series’ first day of wagers:

$11 Straight Bets + $6 Saver Parlay

0-3

1-2

2-1

3-0

L -11

L -11

W +10

W +10

L -11

L -11

W +10

W +10

L -11

W +10

L - 11

W +10

W +36

Profit +3

L-6

L -6

L -6

-18

+3

+24

The first column represents 0 wins and 3 losses on your straight wagers and shows that you end the day with a $3 profit, because your $6 Opposite Saver Parlay bet paid off $36, eclipsing your $33 in losses incurred by 3 bets of $11 apiece.

The second column represents 1 win and 2 losses, the worst possible outcome in The Straight + Saver System. In this case, you lose $18.

The third column represents 2 wins and 1 loss, with a profit of $3.

The fourth column represents 3 wins and 0 losses, your Series goal, with a profit of $24.

Note that of the 4 possible outcomes, only a 1-2 record for the day results in a net loss. Even an 0-3 day earns you $3 profit, thanks to your Opposite Saver Parlay.

Now, let’s quickly look at all the remaining possible outcomes for each set of Series Amounts:

$22 Straight Bets + $11 Saver Parlay

0-3

1-2

2-1

3-0

L -22

L -22

W +20

W +20

L -22

L -22

W +20

W +20

L -22

W +20

L - 22

W +20

W +66

L -11

L -11

L -11

-35

+7

+49

Profit 0

$44 Straight Bets + $22 Saver Parlay

0-3

1-2

2-1

3-0

L -44

L -44

W +40

W +40

L -44

L -44

W +40

W +40

L -44

W +40

L -44

W +40

W +132

L -22

L -22

L -22

-70

+14

+98

Profit 0

$88 Straight Bets + $44 Saver Parlay

0-3

1-2

2-1

3-0

L -88

L -88

W +80

W +80

L -88

L -88

W +80

W +80

L -88

W +80

L -88

W +80

W +264

L -44

L -44

L -44

Profit 0

-140

+28

+196

$165 Straight Bets + $83 Saver Parlay

0-3

1-2

2-1

3-0

L -165

L -165

W +150

W +150

L -165

L -165

W +150

W +150

L -165

W +150

L -165

W +150

W +498

L -83

L -83

L –83

Profit +3

-263

+52

+367

As we’ve discussed, the moment you go 3 wins and 0 losses on any given day, you roll your profits into your Bankroll and start a new Series. Let’s look at an example of a possible 5-day Series in which you achieve your goal on the final day. Remember, you are making 3 straight wagers a day, plus an Opposite Saver Parlay: Straight Bets

Parlay

Result

$ W/L

Series Profit

$11

$6

WWL

+3

+3

$22

$11

LLL

0

+3

$44

$22

LWL

-70

-67

$88

$44

LLW

-140

-207

$165

$83

WWW

+367

+160

Looking at the big picture, you profit $160 by picking just 7 winners and 8 losers (or 47% winners). This is possible partly because of Day 2, when despite losing all 3 picks you break even by virtue of the Opposite Saver Parlay. Note that on Days 3 and 4, you come up with the worst possible record in The Straight + Saver System, 1 win and 2 losses, yet the resulting $210 in losses is obliterated by Day 5’s $367 in profit, which you earn by finally picking 3 winners and 0 losers. This example shows the power of The Straight + Saver System. It gives you a 75% chance every day to be a winner or at least break even. It protects you from “0-fer” days with its Opposite Saver Parlay. It also rewards you handsomely for “perfect” days of 3 wins and 0 losses by not only earning you profits for that day but by recouping all previous days’ losses. For gamblers who like to hedge their bets, there’s no better program than The Straight + Saver System.

Tips 1) Use The Straight + Saver System with 3 of your strongest daily picks, since your goal is to get 3 winners and 0 losers at least once every 5 days. 2) If you’re not confident enough in your picks that you can routinely go 3-0 at least once a week, you can still use this System to your advantage by occasionally making an Opposite Saver Parlay bet when you’re laying a substantial amount of money on several games while using other Systems of mine. 3) When betting on games with worse than 11-10 odds, make sure you wager enough to win the payouts associated with your Series Amounts. In other words, if you are betting on the Yankees 150, instead of wagering $11 to win $10, you must wager $15 to win $10. 4) Related to Tip #3, for any wager with odds worse than even money that you lose, you must add the additional losses, in this case $4 ($15 - $11 = $4), to the payout of what would be your next Series Amount. 5) Don’t forget to also add any money paid to a professional handicapper for his picks to your Series Amounts in the same way you add losses at worse than even-money odds (as explained in Tip #3). Keep in mind that if you pay $25 for 5 picks, you must add only $5 to each Series Amount, assuming you run 5 Series that day. In other words, divide the handicapper’s fee among the total number of picks you play that day. 6) If your Bankroll permits, you may want to run 2 or more Series simultaneously. 7) Remember, it’s a must to track all your bets using copies of the Chart provided at the end of this chapter.

Crunching the Numbers The Straight + Saver System is unique in that the worst thing that can happen by making 3 straight wagers is that you end up with 1 winner and 2 losers, not an 0-3 day, thanks to the Opposite Saver Parlay.

Just how much can you lose if you go on a terrible streak of 1-win, 2-loss days, though? Because I always want followers of my Systems to be “betting wise,” I’m including the table below, which shows you how much you can lose -- and recoup -- at each stop along the Series of up to 5 days (or 15 straight wagers):

Straight Bets 1-2 Losses

Total Losses 3-0 Profit

Total Profit

$11

-18

-18

+24

+24

$22

-35

-53

+49

+31

$44

-70

-123

+98

+45

$88

-140

-263

+196

+73

$165

-263

-526

+367

+104

You’ll notice that the most you can lose by failing to go 3-0 on any day during the Series is $526, which as I’ve explained is less than 33% of your Bankroll. To do this, you must have the bad fortune of going 1-2 every day for 5 days in a row. Also note that the Series Amounts for your straight wagers are preset so that a 3-0 day anytime in the Series will not only recoup your losses but show a profit. For example, if you did the worst you could through 3 days -- going 1-2 every day -- you would rack up $123 in losses. A 3-0 record on Day 4 would net you $196, however, erasing your losses and giving you a net profit of $73. This profit is the very least you can make, since in our example you’ve done as poorly as possible up to that point. As you can see, The Straight + Saver System limits your profits, but it also severely limits your losses. That’s why this System is for those gamblers who like to hedge their bets, because they refuse to let a 0-win day seriously dent their Bankrolls. In the 5-day example above in which you went 7-8, for instance, you bet a total of $1,156. Spread over 15 wagers, that’s an average of $77 per bet. So if you went 7-8 on straight wagers of that amount, you’d be -$126, not +$160 like you are by using The Straight + Saver System. On the flip side, if you use The Straight + Saver System and pick just 1 winner and 2 losers for 15 straight days -- or 3 complete Series -- your Personal Betting Bankroll will be virtually wiped out. Under “normal” circumstances, in which you’ll have your share of 0-3, 1-2, 2-1 and 3-0 days, The Straight + Saver System guarantees you a 75% chance of winning or breaking even every single day.

Summing It All Up

The Straight + Saver System isn’t for everyone, but if you’re the type of gambler who doesn’t mind hedging his bets so he doesn’t have to deal with the depression that an “0-fer” day can bring, it might be for you. The Straight + Saver System gives you a 75% chance every day to be a winner or at least break even. It protects you from “0-fer” days with its Opposite Saver Parlay. It also rewards you handsomely for “perfect” days of 3 wins and 0 losses by not only earning you profits for that day but by recouping all recent days’ losses. Here’s a quick overview of The Straight + Saver System, which I recommend you use to play 3 of your strongest picks every day:

1) To start this Series, make 3 straight bets in the predetermined amount of $11 each with an Opposite Saver Parlay in the preset amount of $6, to use our example Series figures. 2) If you win all 3 of your straight wagers on your first day, add your $24 profit to your Bankroll and start over with another Series. 3) If you go 2 wins and 1 loss on your first day, add your $3 profit to your Bankroll and move up to the next Series Amounts, making 3 straight wagers of $22 apiece and an Opposite Saver Parlay wager of $11. 4) If you go 0 wins and 3 losses on your first day, add your $3 profit from your Opposite Saver Parlay to your Bankroll and move up to the next Series Amounts, making 3 straight wagers of $22 apiece and an Opposite Saver Parlay wager of $11. 5) If you go 1 win and 2 losses on your first day, move up to the next Series Amounts, making 3 straight wagers of $22 apiece and an Opposite Saver Parlay wager of $11. 6) Continue moving up the Series each day until you either go 3 wins and 0 losses for the day or you complete 5 days of wagering without going 3-0. Either add your profits to your Personal Betting Bankroll and start a new Series, or cut your losses and start a new Series. 7) Be sure to track all your bets carefully using the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

8) Every 3 weeks or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

Chapter 9

Program #7

THE BASEBALL STREAKS SYSTEM

Baseball Has Been Very, Very Good to Me

Many sportsbooks would prefer to close their doors during baseball season. It’s not just that business slows after the football and basketball seasons end -- because it does, dramatically -- it’s that the smart gamblers hit the bookmakers up for a lot of money.

So how come you’re not betting on baseball every day? (And I know you’re probably not.) Perhaps for many of the same reasons you’re not betting regularly on hockey, another sport with great value for gamblers. Believe me, I’ve heard all the excuses. “Baseball and hockey are boring.” “I can’t get with any sport in which a 2-1 score reflects a great game.” “I can’t watch a pro baseball without falling asleep.” “I’ve never even seen a pro hockey game.”

My question to you is, Are you betting for entertainment or to make money?

Granted, most U.S. gamblers aren’t nearly as familiar with hockey as they are with the 3 other major American sports: football, basketball and baseball. And, admittedly, baseball lags far behind football and basketball in mass appeal. But both baseball and hockey have traditionally provided great values for savvy gamblers. Not only that, their seasons span virtually the entire year, with Major League Baseball’s first pitch overlapping neatly with the push toward the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup playoffs.

Most important, both baseball and hockey differ from football and basketball in that the most common form of betting is on the moneyline (which team is going to win, straight up), not against the run-line or puck-line (in other words, the point spread, almost always 1.5 runs or goals). This provides an opportunity for great values when you follow the sports closely.

Baseball features another unique dynamic in that even though it’s a team sport, it’s really about a single player, the pitcher, against another individual player, the batter. In the age of the Internet, it isn’t hard to determine how a particular pitcher does against a specific lineup, or at a particular ballpark. Hockey’s sort of the same way, only it’s the goalie against the opponent’s entire offense, more or less 1 man at a time. No wonder bookies hate hockey and baseball -- the latter of which is the only game going in the dead of summer.

At the Desert Inn sportsbook, in fact, we felt fortunate to finish pro baseball season with 1% or less in losses on the books. When do you think we made up those millions of dollars? On “losers” blowing their yearly bankrolls in 17 quick weeks of pro football, and 1 long weekend of Final Four basketball, that’s when.

So start “betting wise.” Use my 12 Money-Management Programs, and don’t take a gambling vacation during baseball and hockey seasons -- it could be costing you thousands of dollars a year.

Play Only When Your Team’s Winning

I learned my first money-management technique before I ever stepped foot in Las Vegas. I was working on Wall Street and a colleague of mine, Dave, couldn’t contain himself about all the money he was making betting on pro baseball. I was just a kid of 19 years old and Dave was in his mid-30s, so he loved playing mentor to my protégé. It didn’t take long for him to outline the whole process for me.

It also didn’t take long for Dave to realize he could be making a full-time living off this process of his, which he’d learned from a friend, who had learned it from a friend, who’d learned it from a friend. So, one day, he simply quit his 6-figure Wall Street job and moved to Vegas.

Twenty years later, when I was manager at the Desert Inn, Dave strolled into the sportsbook to lay a bet on, what else, baseball. I happily took it, and handed over his winnings 3 hours later. I hadn’t seen him in 2 decades, but he was happy to confirm that he made his living using his same old process of riding teams’ winning streaks and sitting on the sidelines during their losing streaks.

I didn’t tell Dave, but I’d made a few adjustments to the process since I’d begun using it, improving it a bit to make it even more profitable. Now I’m going to share it with you. I think you’ll find those 3-hour baseball games so much more interesting when you’re winning a lot of money on them.

The Set-Up

Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are either predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a Formula I’ll provide you. For the purposes of our examples in this chapter, all bets are at varying moneyline and run-line odds, which will be explained with each scenario.

The Program

The Baseball Streaks System sounds almost too good to be true. You bet on teams only while they’re on winning streaks, and watch from the sidelines as they suffer through all of their losing streaks during the long season. It’s so simple it’s genius. It also works in the opposite fashion, in that you can bet against lousy teams, riding their losing streaks to big money, and sitting out while they string together a few wins. At the beginning of the season, or even after it’s started, pick several teams that you think will have either great or horrible years. When selecting “winners,” resist the urge to automatically pick dynasty teams like the Yankees, since bookmakers have long since grown weary of paying out on them and the odds will be stacked against you. For instance, the Yankees, A’s and Braves were the 3 best teams in baseball in 2002. Each had a winning percentage of between .627 and 629 and went on winning streaks of 3 or more games 16 or 17 times. Yet the Braves and A’s were much better values with oddsmakers. Remember, odds are all about public perception, and right now the Yankees are perceived as everyday winners. So look for teams with better value, perhaps those due for their first 600 season in a while, or (conversely) their first .400 season in a long time. Once you have your teams, start tracking the results of all their games. You’re waiting for a “Signal Result,” which if you’re tracking a “winner” is a victory and if you’re tracking a “loser” is a defeat. When a Signal Result occurs, that’s when you start betting. This allows you to catch each team as it enters either a winning or a losing streak. Series end when “winners” finally lose a game or “losers” finally win a game. For example, in The Baseball Streaks System, you wait for a team on your “winners” list to win a game, then you make a bet on it the next game and keep doing so until it wins 3 in a row for you or loses any 1 game. In this way, you will make a Series of between 1 and 3 wagers on the moneyline in amounts necessary to win the pre-calculated Series Amounts of $50, $50 or $25.

(In this chapter and elsewhere, I will refer to the dollar figure you wager to win a moneyline bet the “Actual Wager Amount.”) The Series doesn’t end until you win 3 consecutive bets or you lose any 1 bet. In either case, you roll your profits into your Personal Betting Bankroll and start the Series over when you get another Signal Game. Of course, The Baseball Streaks System also works for betting against poor ball clubs, in which case you wait for a team on your “losers” list to lose a game, then you make a bet against it the next game and keep doing so until it loses 3 in a row for you or wins any 1 game. In this way, you will make a Series of between 1 and 3 wagers on the moneyline in amounts necessary to win the pre-calculated Series Amounts of $50, $50 or $25.

The Goal The simple objective is to cash in on good teams’ winning streaks and poor teams’ losing streaks by riding them to 3 consecutive winning bets as many times as possible during a season.

The Series 50-50-25.

The Formula The Formula for setting the Series Amounts in The Baseball Streaks System is

a, a, 1/2a.

In the Series above, a = 50 or $50. If you find this too low, try a larger value of a, for example 100. If you pick $100 for the starting bet, your Series would be calculated as 100, 100, .5 x 100 = 50, or

100-100-50.

For our purposes here, however, we will stick with the original Series Amounts for examples. As a guide to selecting which Series to play, you can add up the 3 Series Amounts in the Series you’re considering and make sure the combined total doesn’t represent more than 25% of your Personal Betting Bankroll.

The Rules

1) To start this Series, wait until your selected “winning” team wins a game and then make a moneyline wager in the amount necessary to earn you the predetermined Series Amount of $50 (or an Actual Wager Amount) on its next game. 2) If your team wins, add your winnings to your Bankroll and make another bet on its next game, again in an amount enough to win the Series Amount of $50. 3) If you lose your first wager, cut your losses and start over the Series, going back to Rule 1, waiting for another Signal Result. 4) Continue betting as your team wins (or loses, if you’re betting on a “loser”), setting your Actual Wager Amounts according to the moneyline, until you win 3 wagers in a row (and your team wins 4 games in a row overall). Add your profits to your Bankroll and start over on a new Series. 5) Be sure to track all your bets carefully using the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

6) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

The Proof To show you just how well The Baseball Streaks System works, I’m going to use the worst possible example, the Yankees. As you’ll see below by the moneyline odds on each game, the bookmakers are wise to bettors trying to make it rich on baseball’s “best” team, so you routinely have to lay $2 or more to win $1. Still, using these actual moneyline odds and results from the first third of the 2002 Major League Baseball season, you’ll get a comprehensive idea of not only how to play the System but how extraordinarily well it works, even when the odds are stacked against you and your team.

Game Line

Bet

1

-1.85

2

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Series Profit $

-

lose

0-1

-

-

-1.75

-

win

1-0

-

-

3

-2.20

110

50

win

2-0

+50

+50

4

-2.40

120

50

win

3-0

+50

+100

5

-2.30

54

25

win

4-0

+25

+125

You start the season waiting for your Signal Result, a win by the Yankees. It comes in Game 2, so you bet starting with the next game, wagering $110 to win $50. The bet pays off and you ride the Yankees’ winning streak for 2 more games, pocketing $125 in profit, since your Series ends

when you win 3 bets in a row. Note that you must lay a combined $284 to win a total of $125, which is why I suggest you pick a team other than the current MLB “dynasty.”

Game Line

Bet

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Net Profit $

6

-2.80

-

-

win

5-0

-

+125

7

-1.70

85

50

win

6-0

+50

+175

8

-1.70

85

50

win

7-0

+50

+225

9

-1.90

47

25

lose

0-1

-47

+178

The very next game, the Yankees’ sixth of the season, is a victory and therefore a Signal Result for you. So you wager $85 to win $50 on Game 7 and do the same on Game 8. Note that Game 9 ends your Series either way, since you will either get your goal of 3 consecutive wins or your first loss. As it turns out, you lose $47 trying to win $25, and start all over again. You are up $178 overall after a 5-1 record.

Game Line

Bet

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Net Profit $

10

-1.90

-

-

lose

0-2

-

+178

11

-1.40

-

-

lose

0-3

-

+178

12

+140

-

-

lose

0-4

-

+178

13

-1.90

-

-

win

1-0

-

+178

14

-1.55

77

50

lose

0-1

-77

+101

See the amazing thing that happens during Games 10-12? You sit out while the Yankees go on literally their longest losing streak of the entire 2002 season. Then you get a Signal Result when they win Game 13, and wager on Game 14. Unfortunately, it’s a loss. Still, you watch from the sidelines, risking none of your Bankroll, as the Yankees lose. Sheer beauty. You stand at $101 with a 5-2 record, while the Yankees are 8-6. Had you bet on every game, you’d be at -$103, a loss of $204 after the first 2 weeks of the season.

Game Line

Bet

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Net Profit $

15

-2.50

-

-

lose

0-2

-

+101

16

-2.40

-

-

win

1-0

-

+101

17

-2.40

120

50

win

2-0

+50

$151

18

-2.60

130

50

win

3-0

+50

$201

19

-1.50

37

25

lose

0-1

-37

$164

Did you wonder why the Series Amounts in this Series actually decrease after you get 2 wins in a row? I’ve chosen to hedge my bets in this System, because statistics show that even great teams going for their fourth win in a row win less than half the time, and you don’t want to give back all your profits from your first 2 wins. So far, it works out well, since the Yankees are now 1-2 when going for 4 consecutive wins, meaning you are 1-2 when going for 3 consecutive wins (since you sit out the first win waiting for your Signal Result). Still, you pick up $63 more in total profit, adding a total of $164 to your Bankroll with a 7-3 record.

Game Line

Bet

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Net Profit $

20

-2.30

-

-

win

1-0

-

$164

21

+1.10

47

50

win

2-0

+50

$214

22

-1.35

67

50

win

3-0

+50

$264

23

-1.30

32

25

lose

0-1

-32

$232

Again, the Yankees lose going for an elusive 4 wins in a row, but you still pick up another $68, giving you $232 with a 9-4 record. Notice that, for a change, the Yankees are getting decent odds.

Game Line

Bet

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Net Profit $

24

-1.25

-

-

win

1-0

-

$232

25

+1.35

37

50

lose

0-1

-37

$195

As you see, your Series can last just 1 bet if your team follows up a win with an immediate loss. You drop $37 to give you $195 with a 9-5 record.

Game Line

Bet

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Net Profit $

26

+1.10

-

-

win

1-0

-

$195

27

-1.50

75

50

win

2-0

+50

$245

28

-2.00

100

50

lose

0-1

-100

$145

Ouch. See why you want to stay away from such bad odds? To merely break even, you’ve got to win 2 games for every 1 loss when the moneyline is -2.00. That means your team can go .667 for

the year, an amazing feat, and you make nothing if their moneyline odds are set at -2.00 every game. In this case, you go 1-1 yet drop $50, giving you $145 in profit with a 10-6 record.

Game Line

Bet

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Net Profit $

29

-1.80

-

-

win

1-0

-

$145

30

-1.20

60

50

lose

0-1

-60

$85

When choosing a team to bet on in this System, try to stay away from teams that “back and forth it” like the Yankees do on this stretch. Like the name says, in The Baseball Streaks System, you’re looking for “streaky” teams, both good and bad. This loss costs you $60, which depletes your profits to $85 with a 10-7 overall record.

Game Line

Bet

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Net Profit $

31

-1.40

-

-

lose

0-2

-

$85

32

-1.40

-

-

lose

0-3

-

$85

33

-2.20

-

-

win

1-0

-

$85

34

-2.30

115

50

win

2-0

+50

$135

35

-2.20

110

50

win

3-0

+50

$185

36

-1.20

30

25

win

4-0

+25

$210

Again, you achieve your goal of 3 consecutive wins, though the odds on Games 34 and 35 are ridiculously high, so you may want to consider playing the run-line in situations like these, betting that your team will win by at least 2 runs. However, you add $125 to your profits, putting you up $210 with a 13-7 record. Game Line Bet To Win Result Streak Profit $ Net Profit $ 37

-1.20

-

-

win

5-0

-

$210

38

-1.65

41

50

win

6-0

+50

$260

39

-3.20

160

50

win

7-0

+50

$310

40

-2.70

67

25

lose

0-1

-67

$243

Note that you are forced to sit out 1 game of the Yankees’ 7-game overall win streak while waiting for your Signal Result, yet you still profit handsomely from it, adding another $33 to give you a $243 profit with a 15-8 record.

Game Line

Bet

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Net Profit $

41

-2.80

-

-

win

1-0

-

$243

42

-2.20

110

50

win

2-0

+50

$293

43

-1.85

93

50

win

3-0

+50

$343

44

-2.60

65

25

win

4-0

+25

$368

The Yankees pay off for you again, achieving your goal of 3 consecutive wins for the third time in the first 44 games of the season. You add $125 more to your profits, giving you $368 with an 18-8 record.

Game Line

Bet

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Net Profit $

45

-2.00

-

-

win

5-0

-

$368

46

-2.40

120

50

win

6-0

+50

$418

47

-1.40

70

50

lose

0-1

-70

$348

It can be frustrating in situations like these to sit out a game while your team continues to win, but the numbers show it pays off in the long run. Consider that by betting on the A’s in 2002, their 20-game win streak alone brings you 5 complete Series’ goals and a profit of $875, even though you sit out 5 games of their amazing run. Here, you go 1-1 and drop $20, but you are still up $348 with a 19-9 record.

Game Line

Bet

To Win

Result Streak Profit $

Net Profit $

48

+2.00

-

-

lose

0-2

-

$348

49

-1.35

-

-

lose

0-3

-

$348

50

+1.35

-

-

win

1-0

-

$348

51

-1.60

80

50

win

2-0

+50

$398

52

+1.15

44

50

win

3-0

+50

$448

53

-1.25

31

25

win

4-0

+25

$473

The Yankees finish the first third of the season by bringing you your fourth completed 3-game Series win, pushing your profits to $473 and your record to a remarkable 22-9 (for a .710 winning percentage). Meanwhile, overall the Yankees are 35-18 (for a 660 winning percentage), proving the System’s power to help you “sit out” their losing streaks.

We’ll stop following the team here, since the oddsmakers set the moneyline of a mind-blowing 65 of the Yankees’ final 114 games (or 57%) at -2.00 or higher, and there’s no money in it for you as a savvy bettor. A good rule of thumb is that you want to bet on a team that wins at a .600 or better clip yet whose moneyline doesn’t go over -.200 more than 1 in every 5 games (or 20% of the time). For instance, the Braves and A’s of 2002 both fall into this category, proving to be a much better value than the Yankees. Seek out the opposite when betting against “losers.” For instance, the Brewers of 2002, who finished at a .346 winning percentage, faced +2.00 or worse moneyline odds in only 28 of 162 games (or 17%) and went on no fewer than 18 losing streaks of 3 games or more, making them a smart team to pick against all year long.

Tips 1) Always have more than one bookmaker, whether “live” or online, at your disposal, especially when betting on the moneyline, so you can get the best possible odds. The difference between a 1.20 and -1.30 moneyline every game can mean hundreds of dollars over the course of a 162game season. 2) When the moneyline goes above -2.00, consider playing the run-line (-1.5 runs) on favorites or pick another team to bet on. Do your homework, however, before betting on the run-line, carefully analyzing the pitcher and his past history against the opposing batters. Also check your team’s recent run production and margin of victory history. Some teams live and die by 1-run games, while other clubs habitually play comparatively few 1-run games. 3) Don’t be afraid to switch teams in mid-season. You can begin a new Series any time a team wins or loses a game, depending on whether you’re banking on them going on a winning or losing streak. By following the entire league closely, you can catch so-so teams on a hot streak, like the Red Sox opening the 2002 season or the Royals opening the 2003 season. 4) End your Series early if you wish. For instance, if you’ve won 2 games in a row with a team and the moneyline odds jump to -2.80 on the next game and you don’t like its chances of winning by 2 runs (so you don’t want to bet the run-line of -1.5), don’t throw away $70 trying to win $25 on the moneyline. 5) If you feel very strongly about your team’s chances, consider making your Series 50-50-75 instead of 50-50-25. Do some homework on your teams and determine their current record when going for their fifth win in a row (which would be 4 consecutive wins in the System). 6) Although I don’t implement it in the System’s Rules or the Yankees example above, this Program benefits by adding any additional losses above and beyond 11-10 odds to the payout of what would be your next Series Amount. In other words, when you lose a moneyline wager, add the difference between what you had to lay on the favorite to what you would have had to lay with traditional 11-10 odds (at Yankees -120, that’s $120 to win $100, instead of $110 to win $100, so you would add $10 to your next payout). 7) Don’t forget to also add any money paid to a professional handicapper for his picks to your Series Amounts. Keep in mind that if you pay $25 for 5 picks, you must add only $5 to each

Series Amount, assuming you run 5 Series that day. In other words, divide the handicapper’s fee among the total number of picks you play that day. 8) If your Bankroll permits, you may want to run several Series simultaneously. 9) Consider combining The Baseball Streaks System with the parlay version of The Monthly Income System, which you’ll learn about in Chapter 15. 10) As always, keep strict track of your bets using copies of the Chart provided at the end of this chapter.

Crunching the Numbers Again, with winners you’re looking for a team that wins about 60% of its games but doesn’t face moneylines of -2.00 or more too often. With losers, you’re seeking out teams that win no more than 40% of the time and don’t get moneylines of +2.00 a lot. Needless to say, it would have been much more profitable to bet on the Braves or A’s in 2002 than on the Yankees, who had an astounding 85 of their 166 regular and postseason games (or 51%) in 2002 with moneyline odds of -2.00 or worse. By contrast, only 37 of the A’s 167 games (or 22%) and only 29 of the Braves’ 167 games (or 17%) had moneyline odds of -2.00 or worse in 2002. So you can see how the perception of the odds is so much different than the reality of 3 teams with virtually identical records. During 2002, the Braves went on win streaks of 3 or more games 17 times and the A’s accomplished the same thing 16 times. There’s no way these kind of streaks (and the teams’ attractive odds) could result in anything but even bigger profits for you when using The Baseball Streaks System than the Yankees showed in the example above. It’s important to note that it takes the oddsmakers a while to “catch on” that a team’s a winner. Consider that only 3 of the Braves’ first 81 games in 2002 came with a moneyline at -2.00 or higher. Likewise, you would have had to lay $2 or more to win $1 on only 3 A’s games before the All-Star Break in 2002. For this reason, you’ll want to seriously consider switching teams in the second half of the season, perhaps more than once, since first-place teams will be risky investments. Instead, look to cash in on No. 2 or No. 3 teams going on streaks, either hot or cold. How hard do the oddsmakers make it on favorites in baseball’s second half? Consider that over the last 23 regular-season games in 2002 the moneyline odds on the Yankees fluctuated between a whopping -2.40 and a stratospheric -4.00. Despite the fact that the Yankees went a red-hot 17-6 (or .739) to finish the year, you would have lost $182 using even this powerful System, which allows you to sit out losing streaks. The moral, of course, is to run like Alfonso Soriano in the opposite direction of ludicrous moneyline odds in baseball (or hockey).

Summing It All Up

The Baseball Streaks System is a unique way to bet on teams when they’re winning and sit and watch while they’re losing. The key is to find teams that win often (60% of the time) and yet don’t come with big moneylines (-2.00 or higher) more than 1 game in 5. Conversely, you can bet against bad teams, banking that they’ll lose. Again, just make sure they seldom win (40% of the time or less) and that their moneylines aren’t worse than +2.00 more than 1 game in 5. Because oddsmakers make it tough during the second half of the season, don’t hesitate to jump from one team to the next in search of 3 consecutive wins or losses, as attractive odds make themselves available to the right teams. Here’s a quick overview of The Baseball Streaks System: 1) To start this Series, wait until your selected “winning” team wins a game and then make a moneyline wager in the amount necessary to earn you the predetermined Series Amount of $50 (or an Actual Wager Amount) on its next game. 2) If your team wins, add your winnings to your Bankroll and make another bet on its next game, again in an amount enough to win the Series Amount of $50. 3) If you lose your first wager, cut your losses and start over the Series, going back to Rule 1, waiting for another Signal Result. 4) Continue betting as your team wins (or loses, if you’re betting on a “loser”), setting your Actual Wager Amounts according to the moneyline, until you win 3 wagers in a row (and your team wins 4 games in a row overall). Add your profits to your Bankroll and start over on a new Series. 5) Be sure to track all your bets carefully using the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

6) Every month or so, evaluate your Personal Betting Bankroll, and increase your 4 Betting Blocks if you feel comfortable doing so.

Chapter 10

Program #8 THE BASEBALL UNDERDOG SYSTEM

Spreading the Truth About Point Spreads Gamblers love their favorites. Oddsmakers set a point spread on a game, and the natural tendency of even many longtime bettors is to think this represents how much a team is “favored” over another to win the game. Of course, it often has little to do with that, since oddsmakers set the spreads based on public perception with the sole goal of getting 50% of bettors to wager on each team, so “the house” comes out ahead no matter whether the favorite or the underdog triumphs. A prime example is the 2003 Super Bowl, on which oddsmakers all across the country made the aging yet offensive-oriented Oakland Raiders 4.5-point favorites over the young, defense-minded Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Avid followers of football saw great value in this spread, knowing that defense most often wins big contests. But fans love offense, not defense, and fans who gamble love favorites. So, many bettors stuck their heads in the sand and plunked down their money on the Raiders. Some sportsbooks reported bets on Oakland -4.5 outweighing those on Tampa Bay +4.5 by an astounding 9-1 ratio. In the end, the Buccaneers blasted the Raiders, and most books made out like bandits, because too few gamblers put enough stock in the value of underdogs. At +4.5, Tampa Bay virtually settled the affair before halftime, mounting a 17-point lead, since the only time a Super Bowl team has rallied from a 10-point deficit to win was in 1988, when Washington scored the final six touchdowns in a 42-10 trouncing of Denver. Of course, sports fans and gamblers can be forgiven if they have a deeply ingrained misconception of what point spreads represent. Remember, the media -- especially TV and radio broadcasters -- must tap-dance around the issue of gambling, since it’s illegal in 99% of the U.S. In fact, if broadcasters mention the point spread at all, it may be in passing, such as, “The Vikings are favored by a touchdown over the Packers.” The big hypocrisy is that point spreads, especially on football and basketball, can be found in almost every newspaper in the country, even those hundreds of miles from the nearest legal casino or sportsbook.

Shopping For Baseball Bargains When I was extolling the virtues of gambling on baseball (and hockey) in the previous chapter, I intentionally neglected to mention that much of the value on betting moneylines comes from the financial upside of going with underdogs. I waited to get into this until now, knowing that this chapter is devoted entirely to the topic.

I never fully understood the power of underdogs until I met Andrew in Vegas. He’s a professional gambler but “works” only 6 months a year, during baseball season. Andrew lives -and lives well -- on the money he makes during the season, averaging about $20,000 profit per month. Remarkably enough, he doesn’t even work that hard on making money during baseball season. All told, it takes Andrew about 15 minutes each morning to make his picks for the day, then he goes and plays a round of golf and is home with the wife and kids by mid-afternoon. Once I saw the kind of money he was making and how effortless he seemed to be doing it, I told Andrew I had to know his method. At first he was reluctant, like a grandmother with her secret, prize-winning peach pie recipe. But, like most people with a great secret, he eventually spilled the beans. It turns out, he bets only on baseball and he bets only on underdogs. And, like I said, it takes him less time to determine who he’s betting each day than it does for him to get from the first tee to the second hole on the golf course. Much less time, in fact, since he’s not much of a golfer. Now I’m going to teach you his secret, which I’ve modified slightly to maximize profits. I call it, fittingly, The Baseball Underdog System.

The Set-Up Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are either predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a Formula I’ll provide you. For the purposes of our examples in this chapter, all bets are at varying moneyline odds, which will be explained with each scenario.

The Program The Baseball Underdog System is based on a law of averages showing that, over the long term, MLB underdogs beat favorites about 4 games out of 9 (or 44% of the time). Even with moneyline odds on underdogs earning you better than even money -- meaning that at +130 you lay $10 to win $13 -- you need to rack up better than a record of 4 wins and 5 losses every day to make substantial profits. For example, let’s assume you bet $10 on each of 9 underdogs today, with each getting +130 moneyline odds. If you win 4 games, you profit $13 each or $52 total. But the $50 you lose when 5 favorites win gives you a slim $2 profit overall. So instead of simply betting on the underdogs in every game, you must weed out about two-thirds of the games by following my 3 simple criteria: First, eliminate games in which the underdog has lost 3 or more games in a row and/or the favorite has won 3 or more games in a row. This prevents you from throwing away money on an underdog on a bad skid or an underdog facing a red-hot offensive team whose bats may more than make up for its own mediocre pitching.

Second, eliminate games in which the moneyline odds on the underdog are greater than +150 or so. If the odds are any higher than this, there’s undoubtedly a good reason, most probably that the underdogs are seriously out-manned. So scratch such games and move on. Third, eliminate games in which the underdog is facing one of the Top 20 pitchers in the league, according to earned-run average (ERA). While various newspapers and Internet Web sites can provide you with ERA statistics, I strongly encourage you to use the adjusted (or “normalized”) ERA rankings compiled by Jeff Sagarin(R) and displayed on USA Today’s Web site at

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin.htm

in which Sagarin uses somewhat complicated data to assign each pitcher in the league a number for what his ERA “should be.” He determines an ERA for every pitcher as compared to other pitchers’ performances from 1946-1999, resulting in a stat he has dubbed an NPERA (or “normalized predicted earned-run average”). When you go the USA Today’s site, you’ll notice that it lists the American and National Leagues separately, and also that it breaks pitchers into categories according to number of innings pitched. For each pitcher ranked, there is much information included, but you’re primarily interested in the first 5 columns, which list the pitcher’s rank in the entire league, his name, his team, whether he’s a righty or a lefty, and his NPERA:

Rank Name

Team

R/L

NPERA

#1

NYY

R

1.99

Mike Mussina

Because ranked pitchers are broken into categories according to number of innings pitched, make sure you don’t overlook a pitcher who’s been injured or just moved from a reliever to a starter role or otherwise hasn’t racked up enough innings to make the primary list. He still could be among the league’s better pitchers yet is ranked highly in a category of lesser innings pitched further down the screen. This applies mostly early in the season. Following the 3 primary criteria, on a day with a full slate of as many as 15 games, you should be left with between 3 and 9 underdogs on which to wager. Using our example Formula, you will put $20 on each game’s moneyline. Don’t forget that all bettors should have access to more than one sportsbook -- local bookies and/or online gambling sites -- and it’s never more important than when betting on the moneyline. Odds can vary wildly from one bookie or site to the next, and you should shop around for the ones giving you the best possible odds on any particular game. For instance, if you’re betting 5 games on a particular day, you may want to spread those wagers over 2 Web sites and 3 local bookies, depending on who’s giving the best odds on each underdog.

The Goal The simple objective is to bet only on baseball underdogs that haven’t lost 3 or more games in a row and are playing against favorites that haven’t won 3 or more games in a row and are starting mediocre pitchers.

The Series Unlike in most of my Programs, there is no set Series for this System. Instead, your bets will be based on a percentage of your Personal Betting Bankroll, the Formula for which is below. Of course, the percentage will increase as your Bankroll builds.

The Formula The simple Formula for setting the Series Amounts in The Baseball Underdog System is

.0125 x your Bankroll = Series Amount.

This means you bet 1.25% of your Bankroll on every game. So, if your Bankroll is $1,600, you would bet $20 on every game. By playing an average of 5 games per day, that means you’ll be betting $100 a day. This protects your Personal Betting Bankroll in the same way as dividing it into 4 Betting Blocks. In fact, you would have to go 0 wins and 80 losses -- or 16 days without a win -- to entirely deplete your Bankroll. If you think this starting Series Amount is too low -- and, frankly, with a $1,600 Bankroll, it may be -- you can raise it to 2.5% of your Bankroll. This means you would have to go 0 wins and 40 losses -- or 8 days without a win -- to go through your whole Bankroll.

The Rules 1) Each day, check the American and National League schedules and automatically eliminate any games in which the moneyline odds on the underdogs are greater than +150 or so. 2) Of the games that remain, eliminate any games in which the underdogs have lost 3 or more games in a row or the favorites have won 3 or more games in a row. (This information is included in almost all newspapers’ daily MLB standings.) 3) Of the games that are left, eliminate any games in which the favored team’s pitcher is among the Top 20 of the AL or NL in ERA, or NPERA, as determined by Jeff Sagarin(R) on USA Today’s Web site (see above for a further explanation). 4) On a day with a full slate of games, you should be left with 3 to 9 games to bet on between the AL and NL. Make $20 wagers (according to our example Bankroll) on the underdog in each game, shopping around at all your favorite bookmakers for the best possible moneyline odds. 6) Before making the next day’s bets, roll your profits into your Personal Betting Bankroll and increase your wagers accordingly, putting 1.25% of your Bankroll on each game.

Under the Gun (and the Total) With Two Great Pitchers

When betting on The Baseball Underdog System, I always incorporate a second set of plays every day on games in which both pitchers are ranked in the Top 20 in the league -- always on the “under” total set by oddsmakers. As you might expect, these “pitchers duels” often go under the total set by oddsmakers, usually somewhere between 7.5 and 9 runs. To help you see how this works, I’ve included them in the real-life examples below, which feature an entire week from an actual MLB season using The Baseball Underdog System. The Proof Rather than merely give you hypothetical examples of how to win using The Baseball Underdog System, I am including actual examples of a full week of bets on MLB play from Monday, May 12, 2003, to Sunday, May 18, 2003. Note that this week was chosen entirely at random as my collaborator, Nelson Williams, and I finalized this book for publication, not because it proved the System any better or worse than any other week might have. For the sake of tallying profits, all moneyline wagers on underdogs are $20 and all “totals” bet on the “under” are $22 (to win $20). You’ll see that for Day 1, a Monday with a light MLB slate, I’ve included all the scheduled games, with explanations of why each game was either wagered on or eliminated, to help you get a complete understanding of how to determine if games meet the System’s criteria. After Day 1, I’ve included only the games that were “plays,” and their results. Following each team in parentheses is its moneyline odds and starting pitcher.

DAY 1, Monday, May 12, 2003 Houston (-115, Lindenbrook) at Pittsburgh (+105, Torres) The underdog Pittsburgh had lost 3 in a row coming into this game, so there is no play. Result: Houston 9, Pittsburgh 4. Chicago Cubs (-240, Prior) at Milwaukee (+200, Rusch) Prior is in the Top 20 and the moneyline odds on Milwaukee are too high, so there is no play. Result: Chicago 11, Milwaukee 5. New York Mets (+105, Trachsel) at Colorado (-115, Young) Since neither team is on a streak, neither pitcher is in the Top 20, and the moneyline odds are +150 or below, there is a $20 play on New York +105. Result: New York 9, Colorado 6, for a $21 profit. Florida (+115, Phelps) at San Diego (-125, Condrey) Again, neither team is on a streak, neither pitcher is in the Top 20, and the moneyline odds aren’t too high, so the $20 play is Florida +115. Result: Florida 6, San Diego 1, for a $23 profit. Atlanta (+120, Reynolds) at Los Angeles (-130, Nomo) Once again, none of the excluding criteria has been met, so the $20 play is on Atlanta +120. Result: Atlanta 11, Los Angeles 4, for a $24 profit. Montreal (+130, Day) at San Francisco (-140, Moss)

Both pitchers are in the Top 20, which means it is not a traditional play. But I’d play it as a $22 “under” wager on the day’s total of 7.5. Result: Montreal 4, San Francisco 3, for a $20 profit. Kansas City (+135, Affeldt) at Minnesota (-145, May) As neither pitcher is in the Top 20 or on a streak, and the odds are favorable, the play is on Kansas City + 135. Result: Kansas City 3, Minnesota 2, for a $27 profit.

Day

Underdog Record

Profit

“Unders” Record

Profit

Total Profit

1

4-0

$95

1-0

$20

$115

This day couldn’t prove the System any better, as you go 4-0 on underdogs and 1-0 on unders. Not all days will be like this one, as you’ll see, but there are upsets almost every day in baseball, and with The Baseball Underdog System, you zero in on teams with the best chances to pull them off. Note that in the Pittsburgh and Milwaukee games, we stay away from potential losses because we stick with our criteria -- the Pirates were on a losing streak, and Milwaukee was too much of a long-shot underdog.

DAY 2, Tuesday, May 13, 2003 Houston (-120, Redding) at Pittsburgh (+100, Suppan) Result: Houston 6, Pittsburgh 3, for a $20 loss.

Chicago (-125, Estes) at Milwaukee (+115, Quevedo) Result: Chicago 7, Milwaukee 2, for a $20 loss. Cincinnati (+150, Wilson) at St. Louis (-160, Simontacchi) Result: Cincinnati 7, St. Louis 2, for a $30 profit. Montreal (+130, Ohka) at San Francisco (-140, Ainsworth) Result: Montreal 6, San Francisco 4, for a $26 profit. Atlanta (Ortiz) at Los Angeles (Ishii) Result: Atlanta 3, Los Angeles 1, for a profit of $20 on the under total of 7.5, since both pitchers were in the Top 20. Florida (+100, Penny) at San Diego (-110, Lawrence) Result: San Diego 6, Florida 5, for a $20 loss. Tampa Bay (+150, Kennedy) at Toronto (-160, Sturtze) Result: Tampa Bay 7, Toronto 5, for a $30 profit. Texas (+140, Thomson) at Boston (-150, Burkett) Result: Boston 5, Texas 4, for a $20 loss.

Day

Underdog Record

Profit “Unders” Record

Profit Today’s Profit

Total Profit

2

3-4

$6

$20

$141

1-0

$26

Note that even though you go 3-4 on Day 2, you still show a profit because of the favorable underdog odds. And the “under” pick also earns you a tidy profit.

DAY 3, Wednesday, May 14, 2003 New York Mets (+100, Seo) at Colorado (-120, Oliver) Result: Colorado 6, New York 5, for a $20 loss. Montreal (+140, Vargas) at San Francisco (-150, Foppert) Result: Montreal 6, San Francisco 3, for a $28 profit. Arizona (Schilling) at Philadelphia (Myers) Result: Arizona 2, Philadelphia 0, for a $20 profit on the under total of 7.5 since Myers was a Top 20 pitcher and Schilling was also highly ranked in a fewer-innings category after returning from an injury. Kansas City (+130, Hernandez) at Minnesota (-145, Reed) Result: Minnesota 7, Kansas City 0, for a $20 loss.

Day

Underdog Record

Profit “Unders” Record

Profit Today’s Profit

Total Profit

3

1-2

-$12

$20

$149

1-0

$8

You suffer what is only 1 of 3 losing days of the week on your main underdog wagers, yet the small loss is more than offset by the winning “under” pick.

DAY 4, Thursday, May 15, 2003 Houston (-150, Oswalt) at Pittsburgh (+140, Benson) Result: Houston 6, Pittsburgh 2, for a $20 loss. Kansas City (+150, Asencio) at Minnesota (-160, Rogers) Result: Kansas City 9, Minnesota 5, for a $30 profit.

Day

Underdog Record

Profit “Unders” Record

Profit Today’s Profit

Total Profit

4

1-1

$10

$0

$159

0-0

$10

Some days are light, like this one, when a lot of Top 20 pitchers are on the mound and all the major league teams seem to be on streaks, either winning or losing. If you’re like me, you’ll take a profit by going just 1-1 any day, though.

DAY 5, Friday, May 16, 2003 Atlanta (-160, Hampton) at San Diego (+140, Peavy) Result: Atlanta 6, San Diego 4, for a $20 loss. Pittsburgh (Wells) at Arizona (Batista) Result: Pirates 8, Arizona 5, for a $22 loss on a total of 8. Chicago Cubs (Clement) at St. Louis (Williams) Result: St. Louis 7, Chicago 4, for a $22 loss on a total of 8. Philadelphia (-115, Padilla) at Houston (+105, Robertson) Result: Houston 4, Philadelphia 2, for a $21 profit. Chicago White Sox (+110, Buehrle) at Minnesota (-120, Radke) Result: Minnesota 18, Chicago 3, for a $20 loss. Toronto (+105, Hendrickson) at Kansas City (-115, George) Result: Toronto 18, Kansas City 1, for a $21 profit. Oakland (Mulder) at Cleveland (Sabathia) Result: Cleveland 2, Oakland 1, for a $20 profit on a total of 7.5.

Day

Underdog Record

Profit “Unders” Record

Profit Today’s Profit

Total Profit

5 2-2 $2 1-2 -$24 -$22 $137 This is your worst day of the week, and you still post a small profit on your underdog wagers. Meanwhile, this is the 1 single day of the week with a losing record for picking “unders.” This is why I always combine those picks with my selections in The Baseball Underdog System, since great pitching almost always triumphs over good hitting, especially in the first two-thirds of the season, before starters’ arms begin to tire.

DAY 6, Saturday, May 17, 2003 Cincinnati (-130, Austin) at Milwaukee (+120, Rusch) Result: Milwaukee 8, Cincinnati 6, for a $24 profit. Philadelphia (+115, Duckworth) at Houston (-125, Linebank) Result: Philadelphia 9, Houston 4, for a $23 profit. Pittsburgh (+125, Torres) at Arizona (-130, Capuano) Pittsburgh 8, Arizona 5, for a $25 profit.

Tampa Bay (+140, Gonzalez) at Baltimore (-150, Hentgen) Result: Baltimore 2, Tampa Bay 0, for a $20 loss. Oakland (-160, Halama) at Cleveland (+150, Rodriguez) Occasionally, such as in this game, the underdog pitcher is ranked fairly high, in this case No. 28 in the AL. These games are usually particular bargains. Result: Cleveland 4, Oakland 2, for a $30 profit. Toronto (-120, Halladay) at Kansas City (+110, Affeldt) Result: Toronto 4, Kansas City 2, for a $20 loss. Anaheim (+110, Washburn) at Boston (-120, Lowe) This is yet another example of when an underdog pitcher is ranked, this time No. 14! Result: Anaheim 6, Boston 2, for a $22 profit. Chicago White Sox (+130, Garland) at Minnesota (-140, Mays) Because the favored pitcher is ranked No. 23, I’d pass on this pick but will include it for our example’s purposes. Result: Minnesota 3, Chicago 1, for a $20 loss. Texas (+215, Valdes) at New York Yankees (-235, Pettitte) As I mentioned in detail in the last chapter, oddsmakers go overboard in favoring the Yankees. At this point of the 2003 season, for example, the Yankees were playing uncharacteristically bad baseball and Pettitte was in the midst of the worst losing streak of his career, so this wasn’t a bad underdog play. Still, I will NOT include it in your profits, but show it here just so you realize that you should look beyond the numbers to the true game situations, because logic can occasionally overrule the “rules.” Result: Texas 5, New York Yankees 2. Day

Underdog Record

Profit “Unders” Record

Profit Today’s Profit

Total Profit

6

5-3

$54

$0

$191

0-0

$54

This is the kind of day you expect by selectively picking underdogs, and it could have been even better had I excluded the loss with Chicago and included the win with Texas, which didn’t quite meet our criteria. As you become comfortable with the System, you’ll undoubtedly get a good sense of when to stray slightly from the Rules.

DAY 7, Sunday, May 18, 2003 Chicago Cubs (+120, Estes) at St. Louis (-130, Simontacchi) Result: St. Louis 6, Chicago 3, for a $20 loss. Montreal (+120, Ohka) at Colorado (-130, Chacon). Again, Colorado’s pitcher was ranked No. 25, so this is an iffy play, but I’ll include it. Result: Colorado 4, Montreal 0, for a $20 loss. New York Mets (+130, Glavine) at San Francisco (-140, Ainsworth) Result: New York 5, San Francisco 1 for a $26 profit. Pittsburgh (Suppan) at Arizona (Webb)

Result: Arizona 8, Pittsburgh 6, for a $22 loss on a total of 8. Anaheim (+125, Lackey) at Boston (-135, Burkett) Result: Boston 5, Angels 3, for a $20 loss. Tampa Bay (+130, Kennedy) at Baltimore (-140, Daal) Result: Tampa Bay 9, Baltimore 8, for a $26 profit. Chicago White Sox (Loaiza) at Minnesota (Lohse) Result: Minnesota 3, Chicago 2, for a $20 profit on a total of 8.

Day

Underdog Record

Profit “Unders” Record

Profit Today’s Profit

Total Profit

7

2-3

-$8

-$2

$181

1-1

-$10

As I note above, I would stay away from the Montreal pick with the highly ranked Chacon on the mound, which would have given us a winning day overall, and only 2 losing underdog days among 7 in the System. Look for the games where a pitcher ranked right on the fringe of the Top 25 is pitching, and make sure there are additional reasons to bet on the underdog, other than the attractive odds. So, how have you done for the week?

Days Underdog Record

Profit “Unders” Record

Profit

Total Profit

1-7

$147

$34

$181

18-15

5-3

The 3 key criteria for selecting games in The Baseball Underdog System has helped you pick 18 winners in 33 games (for a .545 winning percentage), which is a distinct improvement on the overall average of underdogs winning 4 of every 9 games (or .444). Meanwhile, the 1 criteria for selecting “under” games -- 2 pitchers in the Top 20 ERA or NPERA list dueling it out -- has produced a .625 winning percentage.

Tips 1) Again, when playing moneylines, always use more than one bookmaker, whether you play with local bookies or on the Internet, so you can shop around for the best odds on every single game. 2) In addition to the 3 primary criteria of this System -- excluding games with a favored Top 20 pitcher, favored teams on 3-game winning streaks or underdogs on 3-game losing streaks, and underdogs with moneylines odds over +150 or so -- you may come up with more of your own to filter out other “bubble” games. Research may show an underdog pitcher has never won against his opponent, which would certainly red flag that game. You can never do too much homework.

And trust your gut. If your underdog team has a pitcher on a woeful losing streak playing against a hot offensive team with a pitcher ranked No. 24, your instincts are probably right to pass on that match-up. 3) You may want to consider excluding games with favorite pitchers ranking in the Top 30 of the league -- which would average out to the best 2 pitchers on each team. Also, if you wish to play even fewer games, you could lower your cutoff on underdogs to those with moneyline odds of +140 or so instead of +150. 4) If any games feature 2 pitchers that are both on his league’s Top 20 list, seriously consider playing the game’s total as an “under.” Again, do some homework and determine how each team has done against the other pitcher, and what their recent run productions are like. Teams, like individual players, go through slumps and streaks at the plate. 5) An ideal System to combine with The Baseball Underdog System is the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly-Income System (Chapter 15), which could end up making you incredible profits if you bet on baseball every day. 6) If your Bankroll permits, you may want to run several Series simultaneously. 7) As always, don’t forget to keep track of your bets using the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

Summing It All Up Baseball history shows that in 4 of 9 games, underdogs beat favorites. Alone, this doesn’t give you enough of an advantage over your bookmakers, but with the 3 key criteria in The Baseball Underdog System, you’ll have the edge you should need to consistently pick winners. Since you have better than even-money odds on your side, you don’t have to pick much better than 47% underdog winners to post a substantial profit. Taking the example week above, with your profits of $147, and multiplying that by 24 weeks of baseball, you can realistically expect to make up to $3,500 or more by betting just $20 a game during baseball season. Here’s a quick overview of The Baseball Underdog System: 1) Each day, check the American and National League schedules and automatically eliminate any games in which the moneyline odds on the underdogs are greater than +150 or so. 2) Of the games that remain, eliminate any games in which the underdogs have lost 3 or more games in a row or the favorites have won 3 or more games in a row. (This information is included in almost all newspapers’ daily MLB standings.) 3) Of the games that are left, eliminate any games in which the favored team’s pitcher is among the Top 20 of the AL or NL in ERA, or NPERA, as determined by Jeff Sagarin(R) on USA Today’s Web site (see above for a further explanation). 4) On a day with a full slate of games, you should be left with 3 to 9 games to bet on between the AL and NL. Make $20 wagers (according to our example Bankroll) on the underdog in each game, shopping around at all your favorite bookmakers for the best possible moneyline odds.

6) Before making the next day’s bets, roll your profits into your Personal Betting Bankroll and increase your wagers accordingly, putting 1.25% of your Bankroll on each game.

Chapter 11

Program #9 THE 1-8 PARLAY SYSTEM

Betting to the Power of 6 Every year at the Desert Inn, we’d run a Super Bowl parlay card that featured 10 wagers, with bets ranging from which team would win the coin toss to how many passes would be picked off. In the unlikely event any gambler selected all 10 winners, and put $100 on the parlay card, he’d walk away with $100,000 on Super Bowl Sunday. Needless to say, the odds are astronomical on a 10-bet parlay, and nobody ever claimed the big prize during my years running the sportsbook. But one sweet older woman came so close that she had me sweating all through the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl one year. She was in Vegas visiting her grandson and didn’t know football from foot powder, but late in the second half one of my bet writers informed me she was 9 for 9 and needed only 1 more interception to hit the jackpot. Late in the game, on a “Hail Mary” pass, a defender appeared to pick off the pivotal throw. My heart was in my throat. But the officials huddled and ruled that he had made the interception out of bounds. The moral of the story is well known among gamblers, whether they’re betting on 4-, 5- or 6game parlays: Close doesn’t count. And we’ve all come close so many times. I hear it virtually every day from colleagues and clients: “I hit 5 of 6.” “If the Vikings had made that field goal, I’d have won 2 grand.” “The Nets giving up that garbage layup at the end gave me my only loss of the night.” Smart gamblers know that parlays are, for the most part, sucker bets. In fact, while “the house” at most sportsbooks relies on making 2% to 3% profit on all straight wagers, it can rake in as much as 25% profit on long-shot parlays of up to a half-dozen outcomes. Since most gamblers are lucky to win 50% of the time with single straight wagers, what makes them think they’ll go 6 for 6 in a single day any more often than A-Rod does in a single game at the plate? They won’t. Like A-Rod, once every season or so if they’re lucky. Yet most bettors can’t resist the siren call of the sensational payouts of parlays. For example, a 6game parlay generally pays off at about 47-1. To make matters worse, most gamblers have had the whiff of success hitting such paydays, which gives them a hint of hope and keeps many chasing the big score against even bigger odds. Looks Can Be Deceiving Parlay payouts look great on paper, until you start analyzing them. For instance, the traditional “granddaddy” of all everyday parlays, the 6-gamer, has actual odds of 63-1 yet pays out at only 47-1. So not only are you extremely unlikely to hit 6 plays rolled into 1 wager, if you do the house is ripping you off on the payout.

Just so you know what you’re giving up to the house when betting parlays, let’s take a look at that the actual odds and the true payouts:

Games in Parlay

Actual Odds

Average Payout

2

3-1

2.64-1

3

7-1

5.96-1

4

15-1

12.24-1

5

31-1

24.36-1

6

63-1

47.41-1

If you think these payouts are a scam, consider that some of them are comparatively generous. More than a few Las Vegas sportsbooks pay out only 10-1 on 4-game parlays when the actual odds are 15-1. And 6 winners can net you as little at $40 for a $1 bet -- more than 35% less than what you have coming to you at 63-1 odds. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Once again, how do you think casinos and sportsbooks make their millions? The simple rule of thumb is stay far away from parlays. Of course, there is an exception to every rule, and the exception to this rule can make you very rich.

Keep It Simple, Stupid As you can see from the table above, the more games you include in your parlay, the worse your payouts proportionately become. If you noted that the only parlay that seems worth the risk is the 2-team variety, you’re thinking like a smart gambler. Nobody making his living betting sports is throwing regular money at parlays of 3 or more teams, unless they’re opposite parlays to hedge his bets. The smart way to turn parlays to your advantage is to bet a combination of 2 moneyline favorites whose individual odds wouldn’t be worth wagering on, or to bet on a combination of strong underdogs whose payout is big. In fact, maybe the most popular money-management technique in Las Vegas is based on picking a very small percentage of 2-team parlays. I personally know 6 guys who make their living using this same method year-round, primarily on baseball and hockey. I quickly picked up this decades-old method when I moved to Vegas and began working at the Rio sportsbook. Over the years, I refined it to maximize profits, and now I’m going to share with you the most used money-management technique around.

The Set-Up Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are either predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a Formula I’ll provide you.

For the purposes of our examples in this chapter, all bets are calculated with 11-10 odds for individual wagers, with parlay payouts based on the above ratio of 2.64-1, rounded to the nearest dollar.

The Program

The remarkable 1-8 Parlay System guarantees that you turn a profit if you can pick just 1 winner in any Series of up to 8 parlays. That means you have to pick just 12% winners on 2-team parlays in order to make money. In The 1-8 Parlay System, you make a Series of 2-team parlay wagers in the pre-calculated Series Amounts of $5, $10, $15, $25, $40, $60, $90 or $125, with the intent of winning just 1 parlay along the way. Once both your picks in any 2-team wager win, this recoups all your previous losses plus gives you a substantial profit of up to $86, which you roll back into your Personal Betting Bankroll. At this point, you may begin again or start a Series using another of my Programs. As always, your Series Amounts are preset (assuming you’re betting on the point spread at 11-10 odds), so there’s no head-scratching over how much to lay on a particular game. And you’ll never be wagering more than a portion of your Bankroll, so there’s little chance of ever depleting your reserves. You begin by making a $5 parlay bet on 2 games. At standard 11-10 odds, the payout for a win is $13, so if you pick your first parlay correctly, you roll these profits into your Bankroll and begin again with another $5 bet. If you lose, you move up to the next Series Amount, or $10, and make another 2-team parlay wager, which will pay out $26, recouping your original $5 loss and giving you $21 in total profits. Continue in this manner, upping your parlay Series Amounts after each loss or starting over after each win. Note that because your Series Amounts are determined by the result of your previous wager, you must make only a single 2-team parlay pick at a time, unless you have several Series of this System running at once.

The Goal The simple objective is to win a single 2-team parlay wager in a Series of up to 8 total bets.

The Series 5-10-15-25-40-60-90-125.

The Formula For those who find the Series Amounts in the Series

5-10-15-25-40-60-90-125

too high or low for your Bankroll, you can easily lower or raise them. The Formula for setting the 8 Series Amounts in The 1-8 Parlay System is

a, 2a, 3a, 5a, 8a, 12a, 18a, 25a.

In the Series above, a = 5 or $5. If you find this too conservative, try a larger multiple of 5 for the value of a, for example 10. If you pick 10 for the starting bet, your Series would be calculated as 10, 2 x 10 = 20, 3 x 10 = 30, 5 x 10 = 50, 8 x 10 = 80, 12 x 10 = 120, 18 x 10 = 180, 25 x 10 = 250, or

10-20-30-50-80-120-180-250.

Note that if you are betting the moneyline at odds other than 11-10, you must calculate your Series Amounts by determining how much you need to recoup all previous losses plus post a substantial profit at each stage of the 8-bet Series. For our examples here, however, we will stick with the original Series Amounts, based on 11-10 odds. As a guide to setting the Series Amounts, you can add up the 8 wager amounts in your Series and make sure they don’t substantially exceed the dollar figure of each of your 4 Betting Blocks. Assuming your Personal Betting Bankroll is $1,600 and your starting bet is $5, then the most you are risking with an 0-8 losing streak is $370, or less than 24% of your Bankroll. So you could suffer through a hard-to-conceive skid of 0 wins and 32 losses and still not deplete all your funds.

The Rules 1) To start this Series, make 1 parlay bet on 2 games in the predetermined amount of $5, to use our example Series figure. 2) If you win that wager, you achieve your goal of winning 1 parlay, so you roll your $13 in winnings back into your Bankroll and begin again. 3) If you lose your first or any subsequent wager, move up to the next Series Amount and make another 2-team parlay bet, for $10 or $15 or $25, etc. 4) Continue betting in this manner until you either win 1 wager or lose all 8 bets in the Series, at which point you may start over or begin a Series using another of my 12 Money-Management Programs. 5) Don’t forget to keep strict track of all your bets using the Chart at the end of this chapter.

The Proof Like most of my 12 Money-Management Programs, The 1-8 Parlay System is based on mathematical certainties that guarantee you a profit, in this case if you can pick just a single 2team parlay winner in any Series of up to 8 wagers. That means you have to hit just 12% winners to not only recoup all your previous losses but turn a substantial profit as well. Let’s take a look at how much you profit by winning a parlay at any point along the way:

Bet

$ Wagered

$ Payout

Series Profit $

#1

5

+13

+13

#2 #3

10 15

+26 +40

+21 +25

#4

25

+66

+36

#5

40

+106

+51

#6

60

+158

+63

#7

90

+225

+70

#8

125

+331

+86

Can you imagine how much you’d be in the hole by picking just 1 winner and 7 losers while betting the same amount on each game? Don’t bother. I’ve done the math. Wagering $25 a game, you’d be -$116, but by using The 1-8 Parlay System you’re +$86 for picking just 12% winners. Now, to make sure you fully understand the System, let’s go through a hypothetical 2-week stretch in which you go through 3 Series while picking just 21% winners on 2-team parlays.

Bet

$ Wagered

W-L

$ Profit

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

#1

5

lose

-5

-5

-5

#2

10

lose

-10

-15

-15

#3

15

lose

-15

-30

-30

#4

25

lose

-25

-55

-55

#5

40

win

+106

+51

+51

As you see, you pick just 1 winner in 5 wagers (or 20%) and you still profit $51. You roll those winnings into your Bankroll and begin again.

Bet

$ Wagered

W-L

$ Profit

Series Profit $

Net Profit $

#1

5

lose

-5

-5

+46

#2

10

lose

-10

-15

+36

#3

15

lose

-15

-30

+21

#4

25

lose

-25

-55

-4

#5

40

lose

-40

-95

-44

#6

60

lose

-60

-155

-104

#7

90

win

+225

+70

+121

This Series, it takes you 7 days to achieve your goal of 1 win as you pick 14% winners. You add $70 profit to your Bankroll, giving you $121 in winnings with a record of 2 wins and 10 losses in 12 days. Again, you start a new Series.

Bet

$ Wagered

W-L

$ Profit

Series Profit $

Net Profit $

#1

5

lose

-5

-5

+116

#2

10

win

+26

+21

+142

Your finish your 2 weeks with a victory, giving you a record of 3 wins and 11 losses (or a winning percentage of .214) and profits of $142. Had you been betting $25 per 2-team parlay with this record, you’d be -$77. No wonder The 1-8 Parlay System is a variation on the most popular money-management technique used by winning gamblers in the sportsbooks of Las Vegas.

Tips 1) Should you use this System to bet on sports such as baseball or hockey, and are wagering on the moneyline, you’ll have to deviate from the Series’ preset Series Amounts. Simply make sure that after each loss you set your next Series Amount high enough to not only recoup your previous losses in the Series but post a substantial profit similar to the one listed. For example, this comes in handy for betting on 2 favorites that come with pricey odds individually but are easier to handle when combined in a 2-team parlay. 2) If you suffer an unfortunate losing streak of 0-8, you may carefully consider continuing to bet rather than cutting your losses and starting over. I would recommend this only if you are a

gambler who always does his homework and has simply hit an unfortunate stretch in which you’re winning only 1 game out of 2 on many of your 2-team parlays. If that’s the case, then odds are you’ll hit that magical 2-win pick soon. To continue betting, simply keep increasing your Series Amount enough to cover all your previous losses. However, once you near depleting 50% of your Bankroll without scoring the 2-team parlay win to end your Series, you should seriously weigh beginning again and winning back your losses steadily with a fresh start. 3) The 1-8 Parlay System works ideally with your 2 personal “best bets” of the day. 4) If your Bankroll allows it, try running 2 or more Series at once. 5) Don’t forget to keep careful track of your bets using copies of the accompanying Chart provided at the end of this chapter.

Crunching the Numbers As you’ve seen proven above, you are guaranteed to turn a profit by picking just 12% winners in 2-team parlays. Of course, by their very nature, 2-team parlays are harder to win than your average straight bet -- much more than twice as difficult, considering you must in effect pick 2 winners in a row (encompassed within the same wager). With each 2-game parlay bet you make, there are 4 possible outcomes:

LL (2 losses) WL (1 win, 1 loss) LW (1 win, 1 loss) WW (2 wins, 0 losses).

Although it’s impossible to foretell the dozens and dozens of variations on how the above 4 possibilities will play out over the long haul as you use The 1-8 Parlay System, let’s assume that of every 24 wagers:

1) You pick the necessary 2 winners (WW) just 3 times out of 24; 2) You pick 2 losers (LL) 3 times more often than 2 winners (WW), or 9 times out of 24; and 3) You pick 1 winner and 1 loser (WL or LW) 4 times more often than 2 winners (WW), or 12 times out of 24.

This means that out of 48 wagers overall making up your 2 dozen 2-team parlays, you post a decidedly mediocre record of 18 wins and 30 losses (or 37%). Remember, betting without a money-management method you must pick 53% winners just to post a profit.

But by using The 1-8 Parlay System, you must pick only about 1 in 3 straight-wager winners to be guaranteed a profit, providing you don’t go more than 8 wagers between hitting 2-team parlay winners.

Summing It All Up

The simple brilliance of The 1-8 Parlay System is that you must win just a single 2-team parlay wager in a Series of up to 8 total bets to make money. This requires you to pick only 12% parlay winners. The System is ideal for 2 of your best bets each day against the spread, especially during basketball and football seasons. It may also be used to great advantage during baseball and hockey seasons, though when used to wager on the moneyline you must calculate your own Actual Wager Amounts, ensuring that a win anywhere along the way will not only recoup your losses but provide you a tidy profit. Here’s a quick overview of the System, which I recommend you use to bet on your strongest plays every day: 1) To start this Series, make 1 parlay bet on 2 games in the predetermined amount of $5, to use our example Series figure. 2) If you win that wager, you achieve your goal of winning 1 parlay, so you roll your $13 in winnings back into your Bankroll and begin again. 3) If you lose your first or any subsequent wager, move up to the next Series Amount and make another 2-team parlay bet, for $10 or $15 or $25, etc. 4) Continue betting in this manner until you either win 1 wager or lose all 8 bets in the Series, at which point you may start over or begin a Series using another of my 12 Money-Management Programs. 5) Don’t forget to keep strict track of all your bets using the Chart at the end of this chapter.

Chapter 12

Program #10 THE 0% RISK SYSTEM

The Thing About Sure Things Everybody wants to believe in something, and many diehard bettors spend their whole lives in search of a “sure thing.” Cynics will tell you there is no such thing -- that that’s why they call it “gambling.” But they’re wrong. It’s not what you think, if you’re thinking that I’m talking about “fixed” events. I’ve been in and around the gambling industry for decades and have come across only 2 such situations in all my years. Both of those were on college games. Word on the street was the fix was in and, sure enough, both times the teams allegedly on the take tanked their games and a lot of people made a lot of money. But I wasn’t among them. First, I don’t believe in cheating (or going to jail). And, second, I don’t trust the average college kid to deliver a pizza, much less successfully affect the outcome of a football game. Another time, a very high-profile college football coach stayed at a casino hotel where I was working, and I treated him very well. Free suite, free food, free shows -- even free chips. All weekend long. When he left, he told me he’d thank me one day in a way I could appreciate. I’d almost forgotten about it when I got a call several years later, from this very same coach. After a few minutes of polite chitchat, he told me that his team’s game that next Saturday would be his “thank you” for my graciousness. I mentioned that his team happened to be favored by 40 points. In a matter of fact way, like he was speaking with a dimwitted sportswriter, he told me he was feeling very good about his football program at the moment. That Saturday, his team won by almost 60 points. I made a nice bit of money on the game and considered myself thanked. Now, was that game a fix? Not hardly. In fact, it wasn’t even a sure thing. The coach’s entire team could have come down with the flu or, God forbid, gone down with the plane. Or his star quarterback could have partied till dawn the night before and thrown 7 interceptions come game time. No, there’s only 1 sure thing in sports gambling. And it took some “wise guys” to teach me all about it.

Learning Something From Wise Guys When I was managing the sportsbook at the Desert Inn, I kept noticing this college kid sitting in the back, mumbling to himself. This went on for a week or two. Now, there’s no shortage of guys talking or shouting at the TVs, at one other or even at themselves in a sportsbook, but this was different. There he was in the back row, eyes on the odds board, his lips moving faster than a bad ventriloquist’s. Every once in a while, he’d come to the counter and make a huge bet, right up to the limit, in fact. Sometimes he won, sometimes he didn’t. Actually, it didn’t seem to matter that much to him either way.

Then it hit me. I called security, and they hauled him out. But not before frisking him and finding a wire on him. As I suspected, he was relaying the odds at my sportsbook to someone via a tiny microphone hidden in his clothing. But to whom? It turned out the guys on the other end of the line were “wise guys,” and by that I don’t mean just that they were smart, which of course they were. They also happened to punch the clock every day in the business of organized crime. When the authorities got to the bottom of the matter, they found these wise guys had 35 of these college kids working at sportsbooks all over Las Vegas, keeping them apprised of any shifts in the lines on games, and helping them lay millions of dollars in bets every year. It didn’t take me long to fill in the blanks and realize what they were doing. It’s not really illegal -- except the part about all those college kids violating the universal rule banning cell phones or any other communication devices in sportsbooks. But it is a sure thing. And now I’m going to share it with you, a simple little unbeatable program I like to call The 0% Risk System.

The Set-Up Each my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are either predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a Formula I’ll provide you. This System is different from the rest, in that it’s always played according to moneyline odds, and the Series is always 2 bets made on the same game. Read on.

The Program

The irresistible allure of The 0% Risk System is that, like the name suggests, you literally can’t lose. It’s impossible. You know when you lay your bets that you’re guaranteed to either make a profit -- in an amount of your choosing! -- or to break even. Those are the only 2 possible outcomes. Again, you cannot lose. How is this possible? Because, depending on the betting trends of their customers, different sportsbooks offer differing moneylines on the same games -- whether they be baseball, hockey, football or basketball. And if you’re sharp-eyed, you can spot the opportunities when they arise to take advantage in this disparity of odds among sportsbooks. Quite simply, all you need is an underdog whose moneyline odds at a sportsbook are greater than a favorite’s moneyline odds at another sportsbook. Then, by laying a bet at each sportsbook, 1 on the underdog and 1 on the favorite, you guarantee that you’ll either make money or break even. For example, let’s say the moneyline odds on today’s Dodgers at Mets game at 2 sportsbooks are the following:

Sportsbook A:

Dodgers -220

Mets +200

Sportsbook B:

Dodgers -180

Mets +170

Because the sole criteria of The 0% Risk System is to find an underdog whose moneyline odds are greater than a favorite’s at another sportsbook, this game presents itself as a play since the Mets +200 at Sportsbook A is greater than the Dodgers -180 at Sportsbook B. Remember, when betting on the moneyline, you’re wagering that either the favorite or the underdog is going to win “straight up” or outright, not cover the run-line, puck-line or point spread. Let’s analyze this game more closely:

Sportsbook

Favorite

Bet-To Win

Underdog

Bet-To Win

A

Dodgers -220

220-100

Mets +200

100-200

B

Dodgers -180

180-100

Mets +170

100-170

At Sportsbook A, you must bet $220 on the Dodgers to win $100, while you have to bet only $100 on the Mets to pocket $200. At Sportsbook B, you must bet $180 on the Dodgers to win $100, while a $100 bet on the Mets would bring you $170. After finding a qualifying game, you now determine how much to bet at each sportsbook. This comes down to simple math. Remember, underdogs pay out more than you risk, and favorites require you to lay more than you win. I’ll go over the Formula for setting your Series Amounts again below, but basically you: 1) Double the odds on the favorite and bet that amount or more on the favorite. 2) Determine the payout on the favorite according to your Series Amount and bet that exact amount on the underdog.

So your example game would look like this:

Team

Odds

Series Amount

Payout

Dodgers

-180

360

200

Mets

+200

200

400

If you set your bets correctly, your wager amounts will always meet the following rules:

1) The Series Amount on the underdog equals the Payout on the favorite. (The amounts are both $200.) 2) The Series Amount on the favorite is less than the Payout on the underdog. (You bet $360 on the Dodgers and the Payout on the Mets is $400.)

Now, let’s see how you make out when the game’s only 2 possible results occur:

1) The Dodgers win, and you profit $200. But because you also laid $200 on the Mets, you break even overall. Or ... 2) The Mets win, and you profit $400. When you subtract the $360 you laid on the Dodgers, you still come out $40 ahead. It’s that simple. You can only win or break even with this System. There really is 0% risk. All that you need is a keen eye and access to several sportsbooks, and you can cash in on guaranteed games all year long. If you find just 10 opportunities like the one above per month, you can pocket $400, enough for a car payment. And that’s by wagering a relatively modest amount. Think of the potential profits if you multiply those Series Amounts by 10, 20 or 50.

The Goal The simple objective is to find moneyline odds on an underdog at a sportsbook that are greater than the moneyline odds on the favorite at another sportsbook, and wager calculated amounts so that you can only win or break even, never lose.

The Series Unlike all my other Systems, there is no set Series in this Program, but your Series will always be made up of only 2 bets, 1 on the favorite and 1 on the underdog in the same game.

The Formula As described above, the Formula for setting the Series Amounts in The 0% Risk System is:

Series Amount on the Favorite = not less than 2 x the odds on the Favorite and Series Amount on the Underdog = Payout Amount on the Favorite.

Of course, if this Formula doesn’t produce enough profit for you, you can always multiply the odds on the favorite by a higher number. Just always make sure that the Series Amount on the underdog equals the Payout on the favorite, and you’ll be fine. To make $400 profit instead of $40 in the above example, you simply multiply the favorite’s odds by 20 instead of 2, to set the Series Amount on the favorite as $3,600. That would make the favorite Payout $2,000, so you set that as the Series Amount on the underdog.

The Rules 1) Make sure you have access to numerous live sportsbooks or accounts at several online sportsbooks so you can compare the moneyline odds on any sports that offer them. 2) Use the odds comparison Chart at the end of the chaper to help you keep track of varying moneyline odds on the same games at different sportsbooks. 3) When you spot a game in which the moneyline odds on the underdog at one sportsbook are greater than the moneyline odds on the favorite at another sportsbook, you have a play. 4) Wager at least 2 times the amount of the moneyline odds on the favorite at the first sportsbook, and bet the precise amount of the favorite payout on the underdog at the second sportsbook. 5) Collect your profits if the underdog wins, and gladly break even if the favorite triumphs.

The Proof The mathematical certainties behind The 0% Risk System couldn’t be any more simple or irrefutable. If the moneyline odds on an underdog at a sportsbook are greater than the moneyline odds on the favorite in the same game at another sportsbook, you can only win or break even providing you set your Series Amounts correctly. Skeptical that moneylines can differ so much at various sportsbooks? Don’t be. Sportsbooks must move their lines when betting is too heavy on any given side, because the key to the house making money is for wagering to be as even as possible on both teams. Although most sportsbooks reported wagering to be heavy on the Raiders in the 2003 Super Bowl, a few books, especially ones frequented by professional gamblers, had the majority of action on Tampa Bay. So their lines were moving in the opposite direction as the books that were getting big money on Oakland. Line changes happen every day, not just on Super Bow Sunday. For example, at the Desert Inn, there were several times when a customer of mine had $10,000 on a 4-team parlay and he’d already picked winners in the first 3 games. One time, his final game was between the Angels and the A’s, and my customer had his money on the Angels, so I had to entice other bettors to put money on the A’s, to recoup some of my losses if the Angels won and my customer cashed in to the tune of $125,000. So I’d swing the moneyline odds wildly in favor of the A’s. These are the kinds of moves you’re looking for, and they’re out there. Nowadays, I take advantage of a particular sportsbook in Las Vegas that doesn’t change its moneyline odds on the Web after it posts them in the morning, even though its lines in the actual sportsbook fluctuate normally in reaction to betting trends.

Meanwhile, other sportsbooks move their lines throughout the day, providing me with 0% risk situations rather frequently. Let’s look at another example, just to make sure you know a 0% risk opportunity when it presents itself. Say you go online in the morning and jot down these odds on the Red Sox at Royals game:

Online Sportsbook:

Red Sox -172

Royals +162

Then you go out to the casino sportsbook later in the day and find these odds on the board:

Casino Sportsbook:

Red Sox -200

Royals +185

Because you’re familiar with The 0% Risk System, you immediately spot that the moneyline odds on the underdog Royals +185 at the casino sportsbook are greater than the moneyline odds on the favorite Red Sox -172 at the online casino. So you have a play. You immediately go to the hotel casino’s business center, log on to the Internet and confirm that the online sportsbook’s odds are still the same. They are. You know that your wager amount on the favorite will be at least 2 times the odds, or in this case $350. You also know that your wager on the underdog must be equal to the payout of the favorite. So you bet $350 on the Red Sox -172 at the online casino, which gives you a payout of $203 if the Red Sox win. You then go to back into the casino sportsbook and put $203 on the Royals +185 to win.

Team

Odds

Series Amount

Sportsbook

Payout

Red Sox

-172

350

Online

203

Royals

+185

203

Casino

376

Let’s check to see if you set your bets correctly. If so, your wager amounts will meet the following rules:

1) The Series Amount on the underdog equals the payout on the favorite. (The amounts are both $203.) 2) The Series Amount on the favorite is less than the payout on the underdog. (You bet $350 on the Red Sox and the Payout on the Royals is $376.)

Now, let’s see how you make out when the game’s only 2 possible results occur:

1) The Red Sox win, and you profit $203. But because you also laid $203 on the Royals, you break even overall. 2) The Royals win, and you profit $376. When you subtract the $350 you laid on the Red Sox, you still come out $26 ahead.

It’s right there in black and white. A sure thing. A free lunch. A 0% risk bet. All those things you wanted to believe but thought were just myths. Well, believe it. And make it pay off for you.

Tips 1) Use this System to bet on any sport in which you can wager on the moneyline, such as baseball, hockey, football or basketball. 2) Gain access to as many sportsbooks as possible. This is smart no matter what System you’re betting on. You always want to shop around for the best odds, but with this Program it’s imperative. 3) Try to find a sportsbook that is either sluggish at moving its lines, or doesn’t move them at all. Believe me, they’re out there. 4) Bet as big as possible. The mob types making real money using this System spread $100,000 or more around town on a single game. While you likely can’t afford to do that, since there’s 0% risk, you can afford to lay more than on your average wager. 5) To help you keep track of odds on each game at different sportsbooks, use copies of the Chart provided at the end of this chapter.

Summing It All Up

By having access to various online and/or “live” sportsbooks, you will notice differing lines on games. When you spot a game in which the moneyline odds on the underdog at a particular sportsbook are greater than the moneyline odds on the favorite at another sportsbook, you have a 0% risk play. Put a wager on the favorite in an amount that’s at least double the odds on the favorite. Then, at the second sportsbook, put a wager on the underdog in the amount of the payout of the bet on the favorite. Then sit back and root for the underdog. If it wins, you win. If it doesn’t, you break even. You risked nothing but a little bit of your time. Here’s a quick overview of the System, which works with any sport on which you can bet on the moneyline, or which team will win outright (or “straight up”):

1) Make sure you have access to numerous live sportsbooks or accounts at several online sportsbooks so you can compare the moneyline odds on any sports that offer them. 2) Use the odds comparison Chart at the end of the chapter to help you keep track of varying moneyline odds on the same games at different sportsbooks. 3) When you spot a game in which the moneyline odds on the underdog at one sportsbook are greater than the moneyline odds on the favorite at another sportsbook, you have a play. 4) Wager at least 2 times the amount of the moneyline odds on the favorite at the first sportsbook, and bet the precise amount of the favorite payout on the underdog at the second sportsbook. 5) Collect your profits if the underdog wins, and gladly break even if the favorite triumphs.

Chapter 13

SUPERSTITIOUS, ANYONE?

You didn’t think I’d actually put a Chapter 13 in a book on gambling, did you? Please proceed to Chapter 14, The Set Monthly-Income System (Straight Bet Version), which shows you how to make up to $50,000 a month or more by intelligently managing your sports wagers.

Chapter 14

Program #11 THE SET MONTHLY-INCOME SYSTEM (STRAIGHT BET VERSION)

Going Pro or Betting For Fun and Profit Every casual sports bettor has entertained the idea. Usually after a big score or while on a hot streak. “Hey, I could do this for a living.” Most never try it, remaining content to risk only their “mad money” by betting online or with their favorite local bookie. They get the thrill of gambling, the entertainment value of following their games on TV and the camaraderie of commiserating with other bettors over a beer. It’s sort of like baseball, in that there are countless guys who play Little League, but only a small number of them have the ambition or the talent to go on to play high-school ball, and a tinier fraction of them earn a scholarship to play for a college team, and an even smaller percentage of them get drafted to play in the minor leagues, and only the best and luckiest of them ever make it to the big leagues. Similarly, tens of millions of people bet on the Super Bowl and Final Four, but only a fraction of them have the Bankroll or the ambition to bet every weekend during football and basketball seasons, and an even tinier number of them make enough money to begin betting every day yearround on those and other sports, and only the best and luckiest of them ever make it to the betting big time, or to the point at which they make their entire living from it. If you’ve made it this far into my book, you’re likely a legitimate prospect in the world of professional sports gambling. Unfortunately, there are no scouts in this profession to “discover” you. You make or break yourself by turning picks into profits, week in and week out, for months and years. You now know that to make consistent money by betting on sports you must set and build a Bankroll by showing unwavering discipline -- and using money-management techniques like the 12 proven Programs I share with you in this book. Consider this chapter and the next a kind of trial run. They’ll tell the tale of whether you’ve got the mettle to make it as a pro gambler. Even if you don’t want to “go pro” and make your entire living by gambling, The Set MonthlyIncome System will allow you to make a predetermined amount of money each and every month from gambling, be it $400 or $4,000, or even more. And whether you’re doing it to make next month’s mortgage or merely enough for a family vacation, gambling for a set income is not only satisfying, it’s downright fun. 2 Systems That Can Earn You 6 Figures When most people think of John and Paul, they think of the Beatles. I think of the bettors -- two of the best I’ve ever known. I met them in 1989 while working at the Rio Sportsbook. They came in every day to check my lines, never lingering too long. Later, I found out why -- mine was only 1 of 20 sportsbooks they hit every single day.

This was just a single sign of their incredible discipline and work ethic. They also used a moneymanagement technique that they shared with me, which I’ve modified and named The Set Monthly-Income System. Back then, more than 2 decades ago, John and Paul were making $15,000 a month each betting on sports. During football and basketball seasons, they used the Straight Bet Version of the System, which I detail in this chapter. For baseball and hockey bets, they used the Parlay Version of the System, which I cover in the next chapter. I just ran into John and Paul at the Stardust several weeks ago, and they are still grinding out the profits. It’s been a quarter-century, and the same System continues to bring them a 6-figure yearly income. They’re living proof that a comfortable living can be made from only betting on sports. Now, I am going to show you how to achieve this incredible lifestyle too.

The Set-Up Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are either predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a Formula I’ll provide you. For the purposes of our examples in this System, all bets are straight wagers on which you will lay $11 to win $10 (or multiples thereof), unless otherwise noted.

The Program

The unique allure of The Set Monthly-Income System is that is allows you to set a “salary” for yourself that you’d like to make entirely by gambling on sports each and every month. Because of the mathematical certainties on which the Straight Bet Version of The Set Monthly-Income System is based, you must pick just 26% winners in order to earn your “salary” -- or MonthlyIncome Goal. Even more so than usual in my 12 Money-Management Programs, possessing the necessary discipline and Bankroll are virtually as important as picking the winners. The Set Monthly-Income System is perhaps the most complicated among my 12 MoneyManagement Programs, so I’ll first give you an overview before detailing every single step in the System. Of course, in a few days, this will all be second nature to you. In The Set Monthly-Income System, the first thing to do is set your Monthly-Income Goal. This can be any dollar figure you want, from $100 to $10,000 or more, but is obviously limited by your Personal Betting Bankroll. Once you have your Monthly-Income Goal, you set your own 3number Series based on this goal. It then takes just 2 winning wagers to eliminate each 3-number Series, at which point you start over. So you must eliminate just 4 Series with 8 winning wagers to earn your desired profits over the course of a month or 30 bets. Assuming you bet 1 game a day, you can pick just 8 winners and 22 losers (for a winning percentage of only .266) in any given month and still achieve your Monthly-Income Goal.

Let’s assume that you have a modest Bankroll of $1,600 to wager with, as we have throughout this book. A simple rule of thumb to determine your Monthly-Income Goal is to divide your Personal Betting Bankroll by 4, which in this example means your goal is to win $400 the first month.

Monthly-Income Goal = Personal Betting Bankroll divided by 4.

Now, based on your Monthly-Income Goal, you set a Series Total from which you will in turn set a 3-number Series. Because you need to win just 4 Series over the course of a month to achieve 8 total wins and the subsequent profits you desire, divide your Monthly-Income Goal (in this example, $400) by 4 and get a Series Total (in this example, $100).

Series Total = Monthly-Income Goal divided by 4.

Now that you have a Series Total, break it into 3 numbers (or Series Amounts) so that the first and third numbers are equal to each other and are twice the amount of the second number. In this case, then, your Series would be 40-20-40, since $40 + $20 + $40 = $100, with $40, the first and third numbers, being twice the value of $20, the second number.

Series = Series Total broken into 3 numbers -- or Series Amounts -- so that Nos. 1 and 3 are equal and twice the amount of No. 2.

The object is now to eliminate your Series (in this case, 40-20-40) with 2 winning wagers. With the first winning wager, you eliminate the “outside” numbers, 40 + 40 (or 80, Nos. 1 and 3 combined). With the second winning wager, you eliminate the “inside” number, 20 (or No. 2). You do this by betting enough to first win $80, then by betting enough to win $20. It’s important to understand that whenever you lose a wager trying to eliminate either the outside 2 numbers or the inside 1 number, you always move up to a new Series that features higher wagers. In other words, whenever you lose a wager in an attempt to eliminate the 2 outside numbers, you immediately move up to a new, higher 3-number Series without worrying about eliminating the 1 inside number. Likewise, if you ever lose a wager trying to eliminate the 1 inside number, you automatically move up to a new, higher 1-number Series. After any loss, you determine these new, higher Series by dividing the amount of the previous wager evenly among the number(s) -- or Series Amount(s) -- in the previous Series. In order to win any Series Amount, you will lay a dollar figure known as an Actual Wager Amount.

Actual Wager Amount = the dollar figure you lay to win a Series Amount (or a combination of 2 Series Amounts) in your Series.

To help you get the hang of it, let’s look at our example Series of 40-20-40. To eliminate the 2 outside numbers, you lay an Actual Wager Amount of $88 to win $80, the profit of $80

representing the combined value of the outside numbers (or Nos. 1 and 3, 40 + 40). Remember, in our examples, we’re assuming both teams are given standard 11-10 odds. If you win this first wager, the outside 2 numbers are eliminated, and you are left with just 1 “inside” number (or No. 2) to achieve your Series goal (in this case, 20). So a second wager is made to eliminate this 1 inside number, meaning you lay an Actual Wager Amount of $22 to win the Series Amount of $20. Hopefully, you win this wager and, having eliminated the Series entirely, you achieve your goal and start over with another, new Series (in this case, 40-20-40, meaning you make another $88 bet to win $80). If you lose a wager, you continue betting with a higher Series -- a 3-number Series if the loss came as you were betting to eliminate the outside 2 numbers, or a 1-number Series if the loss came as you were betting to eliminate the 1 inside number. To determine the Series Amount(s) for the new Series, take the previous Actual Wager Amount and break it evenly over the remaining Series Amount(s) in the Series. For example, if you lose the first wager in our example (in this case, $88 to win $80), you divide the previous Actual Wager Amount by 3, rounding to the nearest dollar (in this case, 88 divided by 3 = 29), and add that figure (in this case, 29) to each of the numbers in your 3-number Series (in this case, the new Series Amounts would be 69-49-69, since 40 + 29 = 69, 20 + 29 = 49 and 40 + 29 = 69). Similarly, if you lose the second wager (in this case $22 to win $20), you add the previous Actual Wager Amount (in this case, 22) to the only number in your 1-number Series (in this case, the new Series Amount would be 42, since 20 + 22 = 42). Continue betting to eliminate first the 2 outside numbers then the 1 inside number until you go through an entire month’s worth of wagers, presumably 30 or 31 bets and/or days. Of course, you may make 1 wager on an early NFL game on Sunday and then follow it up with a second bet on an afternoon game, so your “month” may end before 30 days are up. Or, if you wish, you may extend your month beyond 30 wagers to a full calendar month, regardless of the number of wagers. Or, like me, you may use this System year-round, and use calendar months only to keep track of how much you’re making as you go. As long as you eliminate a minimum of 4 Series -- totaling 8 winning bets -- every 30 days or 30 wagers, you should reach or exceed your Monthly-Income Goal. After your first month, roll your $400 in profits into your Personal Betting Bankroll and set a new Monthly-Income Goal. Using our Formula, you would divide your new Personal Betting Bankroll of $2,000 by 4 and get $500, giving you a new Series Total of $125 and a new Series 50-25-50. In this way, after a year, your Personal Betting Bankroll is $6,400, meaning your Series Total is $1,600 and your new Series is 160-80-160.

The Goal The objective is to earn a “salary” from gambling every month, the amount of which you preset, by winning as few as 26% of your straight wagers.

The Series

The 3-number Series in this is System set by you, depending on the amount you set as your Monthly-Income Goal, and is eliminated by 2 winning wagers, the first to eliminate the 2 outside numbers and the second to eliminate the remaining 1 inside number.

The Formulas There are, as you’ve learned above, several formulas relating to this System -- ones for determining your 1) Monthly-Income Goal, 2) Series Total, 3) Series, and 4) Actual Wager Amounts.

1) Monthly-Income Goal = Personal Betting Bankroll divided by 4. 2) Series Total = Monthly-Income Goal divided by 4. 3) Series = Series Total broken into 3 numbers or Series Amounts so that Nos. 1 and 3 are equal, and are twice the value of No. 2. Below find several examples of properly set Series and their corresponding wagers:

Monthly Income Goal in $

Series Total in $

Series

First Wager in $

Second Wager in $ If First Wager Is Won

400

100

40-20-40

88 to win 80

22 to win 20

500

125

50-25-50

110 to win 100

28 to win 25

800

200

80-40-80

176 to win 160

44 to win 40

1,000

250

100-50-100

220 to win 200

55 to win 50

1,600

400

160-80-160

352 to win 320

88 to win 80

2,000

500

200-100-200 440 to win $400

110 to win 100

4,000

1,000

400-200-400 880 to win 800

220 to win 200

5,000

1,250

500-250-500 1,100 to win 1,000

275 to win 250

10,000

2,500

1,000-5002,200 to win 2,000 1,000

550 to win 500

4) Actual Wager Amount = the dollar figure you lay in order to win a Series Amount, or a combination of Series Amounts, in your Series. Below find an example using your 40-20-40 Series, and the progression that takes place depending on winning and losing wagers:

Series

BetTo Win

If You Lose, If You Win, Move up to Bet-To Win

If You Win, Congrats,

If You Lose, Bet-To Win

40-20-40

88-80

Next Series

22-20

Start over

46-42

69-49-69

152-138

Next Series

54-49

Start over

113-103

120-100-120 264-240

Next Series

110-100

Start over

231-210

208-188-208 457-415

Next Series

207-188

Start over

435-395

360-340-360 792-720

Next Series

374-340

Start over

785-714

For more information or clarification, read “The Program” section above, and the rest of this chapter, especially “The Proof” and “Crunching the Numbers” sections, both below.

The Rules 1) Set your Monthly-Income Goal by dividing your Personal Betting Bankroll by 4, in this case $1,600 divided by 4 = $400. 2) Determine your Series Total by dividing your Monthly-Income Goal by 4, in this case $400 divided by 4 = $100. 3) Calculate your Series by breaking your Series Total into 3 numbers so that the first and third numbers are equal, and so that the second number is half the value of the first and third numbers, in this case 40-20-40. 4) Make a straight wager in an attempt to eliminate the combined total of the 2 “outside” numbers of the 3-number Series (or 40 + 40), in this case an $88 bet to win $80. 5) If you win the first wager, you eliminate the 2 outside numbers in the Series and are left with just the 1 “inside” number, in this case 20. Make a straight wager (in this case, $22 to win $20) in an attempt to eliminate it and achieve your goal, at which point you start over at the beginning with a new 40-20-40 Series. 6) If you lose a wager trying to eliminate these or any 2 outside numbers, divide the previous Actual Wager Amount evenly over the remaining Series Amounts in the Series. In this case, if you lose the 1st wager, divide 88 by 3 and add the resulting 29 to each amount in the 3-number Series, making your new 3-number Series 69-49-69, and your next Actual Wager Amount $152, in an attempt to win $138 (or 69 + 69). 7) If you lose a wager trying to eliminate your original (or any) 1 inside number, add the previous Actual Wager Amount to the previous Series Amount in the Series. In this case, add 22 to 20, making your new 1-number Series 42, and your next Actual Wager Amount $46, in an attempt to win $42 (or 22 + 20). 8) Continue betting, seeking to eliminate first the 2 outside numbers of any given Series with an initial wager, then the 1 inside number with another wager. Once you win 2 bets, eliminating both 2 outside numbers and 1 inside number, start over. 9) Bet a full month in this fashion, picking at least 26% winners to earn your Monthly-Income Goal.

10) At month’s end, roll your profits (in this case, at least $400) into your Personal Betting Bankroll and set a new Monthly-Income Goal. Using the Formula, you would divide your new Personal Betting Bankroll (in this case, $2,000) by 4 for your new Monthly-Income Goal ($500), which you divide again by 4 to get your new Series Total ($125), from which you calculate your new Series (50-25-50). 11) Remember to keep track of all your bets using the Chart at the end of this chapter.

The Proof As long as you follow the simple rules of The Set Monthly-Income System, you can make a regular monthly “paycheck” by betting on sports if you can pick at least 26% winners. All you need to do is stay disciplined, don’t over-bet your Bankroll and do your homework on all the games. But, let’s face it, if you pick 26% winners on a regular basis, you’re not much of a gambler. Hopefully, you pick up to 50% or more winners. Still, in the “Crunching the Numbers” section below, there is proof in black and white that you can indeed profit by picking just a little better than 1 in 4 winners. Here, however, let’s look at the kind of profit you can make by picking a more reasonable -- and expected -- number of winners, say 14 of 30 (for a winning percentage of .466). At the same time, it gives you the chance to make sure you understand how the System works, step by step.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

1

40-20-40

88-80

lose

-88

-88

2

69-49-69

152-138

win

+138

+50

3

49

54-49

lose

-54

-4

4

103

113-103

win

+103

+99

Because you lose your first wager in an attempt to eliminate the 2 outside numbers in the 40-2040 Series, you move up to the next Series, 69-49-69, and wager $152 to win $138. This pick is a winner, netting you an overall profit of $50, even though your record is just 1-1 (or 500). Now you try to eliminate the remaining 1 inside number, but lose in your first wager attempt before winning the second wager, adding $99 to your Bankroll for picking just 2 winners and 2 losers (again, .500). Because your goal is achieved, you start over at the beginning with another Series of 40-20-40. Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

5

40-20-40

88-80

win

+80

+179

6

20

22-20

lose

-22

+157

7

42

46-42

lose

-46

+111

8

88

97-88

lose

-97

+14

9

185

204-185

win

+185

+199

You score an immediate win with your first wager, eliminating the 2 outside numbers, but then it takes you 4 bets to eliminate the remaining 1 inside number, which grows from 20 to 185. Still, your $204 wager wins you $185, which puts you up $199 after 9 bets and a mediocre record of 4 wins and 5 losses. At this pace, picking less than 50%, you’ll still make about $800 for the month. Again, you start over with a Series of 40-20-40, your goal of 2 wins achieved.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

10

40-20-40

88-80

lose

-88

+111

11

69-49-69

152-138

lose

-152

-41

12

120-100-120 264-240

win

+240

$199

13

100

110-100

lose

-110

+89

14

210

231-210

win

+210

+299

Despite losing 2 wagers in a row to start the new Series, you win every penny back with the win on Wager #12. Then it takes just 2 bets to eliminate the inside number and put your Bankroll up $299 with a 6-8 record (or .428) about halfway through the month. Your goal achieved, you start over.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

15

40-20-40

88-80

lose

-88

+211

16 17

69-49-69 152-138 120-100-120 264-240

lose win

-152 +240

+59 +299

18

100

win

+100

+399

110-100

As you notice once again, a win after 2 consecutive incorrect picks recoups all your losses, and in this case a follow-up win adds another $100 to your Bankroll, putting you ahead by $399 after picking 8 winners and 10 losers (or 444). Again, start over.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

19

88-80

win

+80

40-20-40

+479

20

20

22-20

win

+20

+499

This is the ideal outcome, when you eliminate the 2 outside numbers and the 1 inside number with just 2 total bets. Add another $100 to your Bankroll, giving you a whopping $499 profit for the month despite picking just 10 winners in 20 picks (or 500). Note that by betting the same amount on each wager, say $88, you would be -$80 now, a staggering difference of -$579. Again, therein lies of the power of money-management in general, and The Set Monthly-Income System in particular. Let’s keep going.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

21

40-20-40

88-80

win

+80

+579

22

20

22-20

lose

-22

+557

23

42

46-42

lose

-46

+511

24

88

97-88

lose

-97

+414

25

185

203-185

lose

-203

+211

26

388

427-388

win

+388

+599

After winning your first wager and eliminating the 2 outside numbers, you suffer an 0-4 skid, but then right yourself with a big win on Bet #26. This adds $388 to your Bankroll and puts you up $599 for the month so far, after picking 12 winners and 14 losers (or .462). Let’s play out the month and see how much profit you make.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

27

40-20-40

88-80

win

+80

+679

28

20

22-20

lose

-22

+657

29

42

46-42

lose

-46

+611

30

88

97-88

win

+88

+699

Finishing a respectable 2-2, you add $100 to your Bankroll for an overall profit of $699 for the month after picking 14 winners and 16 losers (or .466). At this point, you add the $699 to your Personal Betting Bankroll, making it $2,299. That means your new Monthly-Income Goal is $575, your new Series Total is $140, and your new Series can be either 50-25-50 (to play it conservative) or 60-30-60 (to risk a little more). Whichever you choose, you must admit the power behind The Set Monthly-Income System is astonishing -- in what other line of work can you name your own salary and expect to get paid so well for being right less than half the time?

Tips 1) Use this System to bet primarily against the spread on football, basketball and any other sports for which the odds will be 11-10. 2) Because Actual Wager Amounts can become big in a hurry if you go on a losing streak, make sure you set your Series realistically and use this System with your best bet(s) of the day. 3) If your Bankroll permits, run several Series simultaneously. If you regularly have 3 strong picks a day, for example, by running 3 modest Series of 40-20-40, you can make $1,200 in profit per month by picking just 26% winners. 4) If you like betting on baseball and hockey -- or any sports in which the moneyline is available -- you can use the Parlay Version of this same System. Read the next chapter for all the details. 5) If the potentially high Actual Wager Amounts in this System worry you, then you can also use the Parlay Version of this same System, which requires you to risk less money and pays off more handsomely. Just make sure you wager using your best bets of the day, since the Parlay Version requires you to hit 2 consecutive games in the same wager, so in effect you must win 4 bets to eliminate each Series, not just 2 bets. Again, read the next chapter for more information. 6) Don’t forget to religiously track your bets using the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

Crunching the Numbers

Sure, you say, I see I can make great money by picking 14 winners in a month, but what about that promise that I can profit by picking just 8 winners out of 30 picks? Just so you have no doubts about being able to pick slightly better than 1 in 4 winners and still make money using this System, let’s go through an entire hypothetical month in which you wager just 1 game a day, picking just 8 winners in an entire month. Note that the Actual Wager Amounts can begin to get large, but then again that’s the only way your few winning picks can not only recoup your losses but net you substantial profits.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

1

40-20-40

88-80

win

+80

+80

2

20

22-20

lose

-22

+58

3

42

46-42

lose

-46

+12

4

88

97-88

lose

-97

-85

5

185

203-185

lose

-203

-288

6

388

427-388

lose

-427

-715

7

815

897-815

win

+815

+100

As you see, you quickly eliminate the outside 2 numbers with an immediate win, yet it takes you 6 wagers to post your next win and eliminate that elusive 1 inside number. Still, after going 2 wins and 5 losses, you are already up $100. If you can maintain this winning percentage of 286, you’ll collect more than $400 profit in just 1 month. You now start over at the beginning with a new Series of 40-20-40 since your goal’s achieved.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

8

40-20-40

88-80

lose

-88

+12

9

69-49-69

152-138

lose

-152

-140

10

120-100-120 264-240

lose

-264

-404

11

208-188-208 457-415

win

+415

+11

12

188

207-188

lose

-207

-196

13

395

435-395

lose

-435

-631

14

830

913-830

lose

-913

-1,544

15

1,743

1,917-1,743

win

+1,743

+199

This Series, you start with 3 consecutive losses before finally eliminating the outside 2 numbers. Then it takes you 4 more picks to eliminate the inside 1 number. Somehow, by going 2 wins and 6 losses, you add $1,743 to your Bankroll and are now up $199 by posting a record of just 4 wins and 11 losses (or 266, the precise minimum percentage required to meet your Monthly-Income Goal).

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

16

40-20-40

88-80

lose

-88

+111

17

69-49-69

152-138

lose

-152

-41

18

120-100-120 264-240

lose

-264

-305

19

208-188-208 457-415

lose

-457

-762

20

360-340-360 792-720

win

+792

+30

21

340

lose

-374

-344

374-340

22

714

785-714

lose

-785

-1129

23

1,499

1,649-1,499

win

+1,499

+370

This time, you go 0 wins and 4 losses before picking up a crucial win on Bet #20 to eliminate your 2 outside numbers. Two losses later, you eliminate the inside number with a big win, cashing in for $1,499, which leaves you ahead $370 after picking just 6 winners in 23 tries (for a winning percentage of 261).

Bet # Series 24 40-20-40

Bet-To Win 88-80

W-L lose

Series Profit $ Net Profit $ -88 +282

25

69-49-69

152-138

lose

-152

+130

26

120-100-120 264-240

win

+240

+370

27

100

110-100

lose

-110

+260

28

210

231-210

lose

-231

+29

29

441

485-441

lose

-485

-456

30

926

1,019-926

win

+926

+470

What surely is one of your worst gambling months is over -- you pick just 8 games correctly out of 30 for a winning percentage of .266 -- but you still make more than $470. That’s the power of The Set Monthly-Income System. Make it work for you, maybe even eliminating your need to work a “real job” for a living.

Summing It All Up

Wouldn’t it be nice to know that you can have $400 extra each month to dine out, go on weekend getaways or even make your car payment, just by being able to pick a decidedly sub par 26% winners on sporting events? The Set Monthly-Income System can enable you to do that. The mathematical laws behind it guarantee that if you can pick just 8 winners in 30 games, you can walk away with a $400 profit. All you need is to follow the System and show discipline in setting your Bankroll and Series Amounts.

While the Program may seem complicated at first, you’ll be doing it without thinking in just a few days. Here’s a quick overview of the System that could bring you up to $15,000 a month or more in gambling profits, like it does me and my professional gambling colleagues:

1) Set your Monthly-Income Goal by dividing your Personal Betting Bankroll by 4, in this case $1,600 divided by 4 = $400. 2) Determine your Series Total by dividing your Monthly-Income Goal by 4, in this case $400 divided by 4 = $100. 3) Calculate your Series by breaking your Series Total into 3 numbers so that the first and third numbers are equal, and so that the second number is half the value of the first and third numbers, in this case 40-20-40. 4) Make a straight wager in an attempt to eliminate the combined total of the 2 “outside” numbers of the 3-number Series (or 40 + 40), in this case an $88 bet to win $80. 5) If you win the first wager, you eliminate the 2 outside numbers in the Series and are left with just the 1 “inside” number, in this case 20. Make a straight wager (in this case, $22 to win $20) in an attempt to eliminate it and achieve your goal, at which point you start over at the beginning with a new 40-20-40 Series. 6) If you lose a wager trying to eliminate these or any 2 outside numbers, divide the previous Actual Wager Amount evenly over the remaining Series Amounts in the Series. In this case, if you lose the 1st wager, divide 88 by 3 and add the resulting 29 to each amount in the 3-number Series, making your new 3-number Series 69-49-69, and your next Actual Wager Amount $152, in an attempt to win $138 (or 69 + 69). 7) If you lose a wager trying to eliminate your original (or any) 1 inside number, add the previous Actual Wager Amount to the previous Series Amount in the Series. In this case, add 22 to 20, making your new 1-number Series 42, and your next Actual Wager Amount $46, in an attempt to win $42 (or 22 + 20). 8) Continue betting, seeking to eliminate first the 2 outside numbers of any given Series with an initial wager, then the 1 inside number with another wager. Once you win 2 bets, eliminating both 2 outside numbers and 1 inside number, start over. 9) Bet a full month in this fashion, picking at least 26% winners to earn your Monthly-Income Goal. 10) At month’s end, roll your profits (in this case, at least $400) into your Personal Betting Bankroll and set a new Monthly-Income Goal. Using the Formula, you would divide your new Personal Betting Bankroll (in this case, $2,000) by 4 for your new Monthly-Income Goal ($500), which you divide again by 4 to get your new Series Total ($125), from which you calculate your new Series (50-25-50). 11) Remember to keep track of all your bets using the Chart at the end of this chapter.

Chapter 15

Program #12 THE SET MONTHLY-INCOME SYSTEM (PARLAY VERSION)

Money Management Beats Unit Play Straight Up You notice that in this book, I don’t write about setting your wager amounts according to “units,” like most handicappers and bettors do. Why? Because units can work against even the best gamblers. How? First, let’s see how setting your Series Amounts according to an “expert” handicapper’s suggested unit plays can backfire on you. To start with, check your favorite professional handicapper’s overall picks record against his record on “best-bet” picks -- if his selections are even documented by a reputable monitoring service. If he’s among the top handicappers in the world, his overall record could approach or slightly exceed 56% lifetime and his best-bets record could be as good as 58% or higher (though probably isn’t). However, many handicappers actually do worse on their best bets than on overall picks. So when an “expert” comes out with a 5-unit play, can you see how illogical is it for you to wager 5 times your normal “action” (or 1-unit) bet amount just because he has a 2% better history at calling such games (or perhaps even a worse record on best-bet games)? To illustrate the point, let’s assume your handicapper comes out with 2 plays on Sunday’s early NFL games, a 5-unit best bet and a 1-unit action play. Following his advice, you put $500 on the best bet and $100 on the action play. Not surprisingly, he goes 1 win and 1 loss in the 2 games -after all, he averages just a little better than 50% overall -- but, lo and behold, it’s the action game that wins. Playing standard 11-10 odds against the spread, you are -$450 after going a respectable 1-1. See how unit plays can work against building your Bankroll? Second, let’s see how determining your own Series Amounts according to whims, hunches or even tenacious homework can burn you. Say you generally pick 55% winners during NFL season, which is a very respectable percentage. Knowing that you must pick 53% winners to make the first penny in profit (because of the “juice” or commission taken by bookmakers), you risk thousands of dollars to make just a few hundred in profit if you bet the same amount on every game every week. To illustrate this point, let’s assume you bet $100 a game on 5 NFL games per week for each of the regular season’s 17 weeks, and pick 55% winners in those 85 games. In this scenario, you spend $8,800 to win just $520. That represents just a 5.8% profit, and your winnings are just $20 more than the total money you lay on 1 week’s slate of 5 games. Before reading this book, you may have been confused by what I’ve just told you. To recap, I don’t want you to bet according to some handicapper’s hyped “unit” system, but I also don’t want you bet the same amount on every game. Now, I’m sure you know why. Because both strategies can put your Bankroll in jeopardy. What I do suggest -- and hope that by now you agree with -- is that you should bet according to a money-management technique. Hopefully 1 of my 12 Money-Management Programs, which include Formulas for setting your Series Amounts that are based on the results of your previous

bets, so that a win in today’s game usually will not only show you a profit but also recoup your recent losses.

Parlaying Baseball and Hockey Into a Steady Income Like in my other Programs, the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly-Income System can turn a string of losses into an overall profit with a single win. But what about the advice I’ve given you that parlays are sucker bets? Most of the time, they are. In fact, gamblers who make anything other than straight wagers are immediately pegged as “amateurs” by pros and employees alike at sportsbooks. Those in the industry know that anyone betting parlays, teasers, props or futures are throwing away their money. The one exception, as I mentioned in The 1-8 Parlay System chapter, is the 2-team parlay. This wager can be used to both offset high “chalk” (or the price required to bet on favorites) and to cash in on undervalued “dogs” (or underdogs), especially during baseball and hockey seasons. The 2-team parlay can also be used with your best bets against the spread during football and basketball seasons, when you get more traditional 11-10 odds. As I explained in the previous chapter, I was introduced to The Set Monthly-Income System by 2 career gamblers, John and Paul, who to this day employ it year-round to make a 6-figure living by exclusively betting on sports. They do their homework on games, they seek out the best lines possible, and they set their wager amounts with strict discipline. They’re winners. You can be too. To give you an idea how much of a moneymaker a 2-team parlay can be, especially when paired with this System, let’s look at the payouts of several different games. Say the Braves and the Yankees each have their best pitchers taking the mound in separate games on the same afternoon. Betting them individually on the moneyline at -200 each would require you to lay $400 to win $200. However, wagering on them together as a 2-team parlay, you must lay only $160 to win $200. When you figure that each of these teams will win nearly 7 of 10 games with its best pitcher on the mound, it’s a smart bet. What’s more, if you do your homework and come up with an undervalued underdog whose moneyline odds are +170 and pair it with either the Yankees or Braves at -200, you must lay just $65 to win $200. For scenarios such as these, I use 2-team parlays to make virtually all my wagers during baseball and hockey seasons. These are the sports I specialize in, since they are the ones inexplicably ignored by the majority of gamblers, and sportsbooks often try to scare up business during these seasons with enticing odds. During football and basketball seasons, you can also mix and match favorites in 2-team parlays, laying $75 to win $200 when the odds for both teams are at -110. Of course, you win fewer 2-team parlays than straight wagers, so I advise only knowledgeable gamblers use the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly-Income System. If you’re not sure you fit into that category after thoroughly reading this chapter, I suggest you do a trial run with Program #9, The 1-8 Parlay System, which requires that you pick as few as 38% straight wager winners (or 12% parlay winners) to show a profit. That said, for veteran bettors who can spot mismatches on baseball and hockey underdogs, and know which teams to bet on during football and basketball seasons, the Parlay Version of The

Set Monthly-Income System can make you a lot of money. Hey, it keeps me from working a 9to-5 job.

The Set-Up Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs are composed of a Series of bets that are either predetermined by me or can be quickly calculated by you using a Formula I’ll provide you. For the purposes of our examples in this chapter, all bets are calculated with 11-10 odds for individual wagers, with parlay payouts based on a standard payout ratio of 2.64-1, rounded to the nearest dollar.

The Program

The principles behind the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly-Income System are the same as behind the Straight Wager Version, with the added bonus that you must lay much less money to win the same profit. Of course, you must still win 8 parlays out of 30 to earn your desired “salary” from gambling profits each month. Because of the mathematical certainties on which the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly-Income System is based, you must pick as few as 26% winners in order to earn your “salary” -- or Monthly-Income Goal. Again, that’s not necessarily easy with parlays. But it’s definitely possible for those gamblers willing to do their homework, day in and day out. As I mentioned before, The Set Monthly-Income System is perhaps the most complicated among my 12 Money-Management Programs, so in case you didn’t read last chapter, I’ll again provide you a brief explanation before spelling out in detail every single step. In no time, you’ll be laying bets using this System without straining your brain. In The Set Monthly-Income System, you first set your Monthly-Income Goal, or how much you want to make as a gambling “salary” each month. This can be any amount but is, of course, limited by your Personal Betting Bankroll. Once you have your Monthly-Income Goal, you calculate your own 3-number Series based on this amount. It then requires just 2 winning wagers to eliminate each 3-number Series, at which point you start over. All told, you are required to eliminate just 4 Series with 8 winning parlay wagers to earn your desired profits for the month. Betting on just 2 games a day wagered as a single parlay, you can pick only 8 winners in 30 parlay bets (for a winning percentage of just .266) in any given month and still attain your Monthly-Income Goal. As always, let’s assume you have a modest bankroll of $1,600 with which to wager. To determine your Monthly-Income Goal, simply divide your Personal Betting Bankroll by 4, which in this case means your goal is to win $400 the first month.

Monthly-Income Goal = Personal Betting Bankroll divided by 4.

Next, based on your Monthly-Income Goal, you set a Series Total from which you will in turn set a 3-number Series. Since you need to win only 4 Series in a month to attain 8 total wins and the “salary” you want, divide your Monthly-Income Goal (in this case, $400) by 4 and get a Series Total (in this case, $100).

Series Total = Monthly-Income Goal divided by 4.

Now that you have a Series Total, break it into 3 numbers so that the first and third figures are equal and are twice the amount of the second number. In this case, then, your Series would be 40-20-40, since $40 + $20 + $40 = $100, with $40, the first and third numbers, being twice the value of $20, the second number.

Series = Series Total broken into 3 numbers -- or Series Amounts -- so that Nos. 1 and 3 are equal and twice the amount of No. 2.

The object is now to eliminate your Series (in this case, 40-20-40) with 2 winning wagers. With the first winning parlay wager, you eliminate the “outside” numbers, 40 + 40 (or 80, Nos. 1 and 3 combined). With the second winning parlay wager, you eliminate the “inside” number, 20 (or No. 2). You do this by betting enough to first win $80, then by betting enough to win $20. It’s important to grasp that whenever you lose a parlay wager trying to eliminate either the outside 2 numbers or the inside 1 number, you always move up to a new Series that features higher wagers. In other words, whenever you lose a wager in an attempt to eliminate the 2 outside numbers, you immediately move up to a new, higher 3-number Series without worrying about eliminating the 1 inside number. Likewise, if you ever lose a parlay wager trying to eliminate the 1 inside number, you automatically move up to a new, higher 1-number Series. After any loss, you determine your new, higher Series by dividing the amount of the previous Actual Wager Amount evenly among the number(s) -- or Series Amount(s) -- in the previous Series. Note that in The Set Monthly-Income System, I refer to the dollar figures you lay to win Series Amounts as Actual Wager Amounts.

Actual Wager Amount = the dollar figure you lay to win a Series Amount (or a combination of 2 Series Amounts) in your Series.

To help you understand, let’s look at our example Series of 40-20-40. To eliminate the 2 outside numbers, you wager $30 on a 2-team parlay to win $80, the profits representing the combined value of the outside numbers (or Nos. 1 and 3). Remember, in our examples, we’re assuming both teams are given 11-10 odds and our parlay pays out at a 2.64-1 ratio. If you win this first wager, the outside 2 numbers are eliminated, and you are left with just 1 “inside” number (or No. 2) to achieve your Series goal (in this case, 20). So a second wager is made to eliminate this 1 inside number, meaning you wager $7 on a 2-team parlay to win $20. Hopefully, you win this wager and, having eliminated the Series entirely, you achieve your goal and start over with another, new Series (in this case, 40-20-40, meaning you make another $30 bet to win $80)

If you lose a parlay wager, you continue betting with a higher Series -- a 3-number Series if the loss came as you were betting to eliminate the outside 2 numbers, or a 1-number Series if the loss came as you were betting to eliminate the 1 inside number To determine the Series Amount(s) for the new Series, take the previous Actual Wager Amount and break it evenly over the remaining Series Amount(s) in the Series. For example, if you lose the first wager in our example (in this case, $30 to win $80), you divide the previous Actual Wager Amount by 3, rounding to the nearest dollar (in this case, 30 divided by 3 = 10), and add that figure (in this case, 10) to each of the numbers in your 3-number Series (in this case, the new Series Amounts would be 50-30-50, since 40 + 10 = 50, 20 + 10 = 30 and 40 + 10 = 50). Similarly, if you lose the second wager (in this case $7 to win $20), you add the previous Actual Wager Amount (in this case, 7) to the only number in your 1-number Series (in this case, the new Series Amount would be 27, since 20 + 7= 27). Continue betting to eliminate first the 2 outside numbers then the 1 inside number until you go through an entire month’s worth of parlay wagers, presumably 30 or 31 bets and/or days. Of course, you may make 1 wager on an early NFL game on Sunday and then follow it up with a second bet on an afternoon game, so your “month” may end before 30 days are up. Or, if you wish, you may extend your month past 30 wagers to a full calendar month or beyond, regardless of how many bets you make. If you’re like me, you’ll use this System to wager yearround but will still Chart your progress by the calendar month, in order to determine your monthly profits and to reset your Monthly-Income Goal on a regular basis. As long as you eliminate a minimum of 4 Series -- totaling 8 winning parlay bets -- every 30 days or 30 parlay wagers, you should reach or exceed your Monthly-Income Goal. After your first month, you’ll want to roll your $400 in profits into your Personal Betting Bankroll and set a new Monthly-Income Goal. Using the Formula, you would divide your new Personal Betting Bankroll of $2,000 by 4 and get $500, giving you a new Series Total of $125, making your new Series 50-25-50. In this way, after a year, your Personal Betting Bankroll would stand at $6,400, meaning your Series Total would be $1,600, and your new Series would be 160-80-160.

The Goal The objective is to earn a “salary” from gambling every month, the amount of which you preset, by winning as few as 26% of your 2-team parlays.

The Series The 3-number Series in this is System set by you, depending on the amount you set as your Monthly-Income Goal, and is eliminated by 2 winning parlay wagers, the first to eliminate the 2 outside numbers and the second to eliminate the remaining 1 inside number.

The Formulas

There are, as you’ve learned above, several formulas relating to this System -- ones for determining your 1) Monthly-Income Goal, 2) Series Total, 3) Series, and 4) Actual Wager Amounts.

1) Monthly-Income Goal = Personal Betting Bankroll divided by 4. 2) Series Total = Monthly-Income Goal divided by 4. 3) Series = Series Total broken into 3 numbers so that Nos. 1 and 3 are equal, and are also twice the value of Nos. 1 and 3. Below find several examples of properly set Series and their corresponding wagers:

Monthly Income Goal in $

Series Total in $

Series

First Wager In $

Second Wager in $ If First Wager Is Won

400

100

40-20-40

30 to win 80

7 to win 20

500

125

50-25-50

38 to win 100

9 to win 25

800

200

80-40-80

60 to win 160

15 to win 40

1,000

250

100-50-100

76 to win 200

19 to win 50

1,600

400

160-80-160

121 to win 320

30 to win 80

2,000

500

200-100-200 151 to win $400

38 to win 100

4,000

1,000

400-200-400 302 to win 800

76 to win 200

5,000

1,250

500-250-500 378 to win 1,000

95 to win 250

10,000

2,500

1,000-500756 to win 2,000 1,000

189 to win 500

4) Actual Wager Amount = the dollar figure you lay to win a Series Amount, or a combination of Series Amounts, in your Series.

Below find an example using your 40-20-40 Series, and the progression that takes place depending on winner and losing wagers:

Series

BetTo Win

If You Lose, If You Win, Move up to Bet-To Win

If You Win, Congrats,

If You Lose, Bet-To Win

40-20-40

30-80

Next Series

7-20

Start over

10-27

50-30-50

38-100

Next Series

11-30

Start over

15-41

69-49-69

52-138

Next Series

19-49

Start over

26-68

86-66-86

65-172

Next Series

25-66

Start over

34-91

108-88-108

82-216

Next Series

33-88

Start over

46-121

135-115-135 102-270

Next Series

43-115

Start over

60-158

169-149-169 128-338

Next Series

56-149

Start over

78-205

For more information or clarification, read The Program section above, and the rest of this chapter, especially The Proof and Crunching the Numbers, both below.

The Rules 1) Set your Monthly-Income Goal by dividing your Personal Betting Bankroll by 4, in this case $1,600 divided by 4 = $400. 2) Determine your Series Total by dividing your Monthly-Income Goal by 4, in this case $400 divided by 4 = $100. 3) Calculate your Series by breaking your Series Total into 3 numbers so that the first and third numbers are equal, and so that they are twice the value of the second number, in this case 40-2040. 4) Make a straight wager in an attempt to eliminate the combined total of the 2 “outside” numbers of the 3-number Series (or 40 + 40), in this case a $30 bet to win $80. 5) If you win the first wager, you eliminate the 2 outside numbers in the Series and are left with just the 1 “inside” number, in this case 20. Make a straight wager (in this case, $7 to win $20) in an attempt to eliminate it and achieve your goal, at which point you start over at the beginning with a new 40-20-40 Series. 6) If you lose a wager trying to eliminate your original (or any) 2 outside numbers, divide the previous Actual Wager Amount evenly over the remaining Series Amounts in the Series. In this case, if you lose the first wager, divide 30 by 3 and add 10 to each amount in the 3-number Series, making your new 3-number Series 50-30-50, and your next Actual Wager Amount $38, in an attempt to win $100 (or 50 + 50). 7) If you lose a wager trying to eliminate your original (or any) 1 inside number, add the previous Actual Wager Amount to the previous Series Amount in the Series. In this case, add 7 to 20, making your new 1-number Series 27, and your next Actual Wager Amount $10, in an attempt to win $27 (or 7 + 20). 8) Continue betting, seeking to eliminate first the 2 outside numbers of any given Series with an initial wager, then the 1 inside number with another wager. Once you win 2 bets, eliminating both 2 outside numbers and 1 inside number, start over.

9) Bet a full month in this fashion, up to 31 wagers or more, picking at least 26% winners to earn your Monthly-Income Goal. 10) At month’s end, roll your profits (in this case, at least $400) into your Personal Betting Bankroll and set a new Monthly-Income Goal. Using the Formula, you would divide your new Personal Betting Bankroll (in this case, $2,000) by 4 for your new Monthly-Income Goal ($500), which you divide again by 4 to get your new Series Total ($125), from which you calculate your new Series (50-25-50). 11) Don’t forget to track all your bets using the Chart at the end of this chapter.

The Proof It doesn’t take much study of The Set Monthly-Income System to see that if you can pick 40% winners with 2-team parlays, you make out like a bandit. But what about the rest of us, and my boast that you can profit nicely by picking under 26% parlays? Below is a precise example of doing just that, picking 8 winners among 30 parlays. See for yourself how the System works from day to day, and how much you profit by winning just slightly more than 1 in 4 wagers.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

1

40-20-40

30-80

win

+80

+80

2

20

7-20

lose

-7

+73

3

27

10-27

lose

-10

+63

4

37

14-37

lose

-14

+49

5

51

19-51

lose

-19

+30

6

70

26-70

lose

-26

+4

7

96

36-96

lose

-36

-32

8

132

50-132

win

+132

+100

As you see, you quickly eliminate the outside 2 numbers with an immediate win, yet it takes you another 7 wagers to get your next win and eliminate that pesky 1 inside number. Still, after going 2 wins and 6 losses, you are up $100. If you can maintain this winning percentage of 250, you’ll collect more than that $400 profit you’re after in just 1 month. You now start over at the beginning with a new Series of 40-20-40 since your goal’s attained.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

9

30-80

lose

-30

40-20-40

+70

10

50-30-50

38-100

lose

-38

+32

11

69-49-69

52-138

win

+138

+170

12

49

19-49

lose

-19

+151

13

68

26-68

lose

-26

+125

14

94

35-94

lose

-35

+90

15

129

49-129

lose

-49

+41

16

178

67-178

lose

-67

-26

17

245

93-245

win

+245

+219

This Series, you start with 2 consecutive losses before eliminating the outside 2 numbers. Then it takes you 6 more picks to eliminate the inside 1 number. Yet by going just 2 wins and 7 losses, you add $245 to your Bankroll and are now up $219 by posting a record of just 4 wins and 13 losses (or .235, slightly over the minimum percentage required to meet your Monthly-Income Goal). Your goal achieved, you begin again.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

18

40-20-40

30-80

win

+80

+299

19

20

7-20

lose

-7

+292

20

27

10-27

lose

-10

+282

21

37

14-37

win

+37

+319

This time, you go 2 wins and 2 losses in eliminating both the outside and inside numbers. You ring up $37 in profit, giving you a total of $319 after picking 6 winners in 21 tries (for a respectable parlay winning percentage of .286).

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

22

40-20-40

30-80

lose

-30

+289

23

50-30-50

38-100

lose

-38

+251

24

69-49-69

52-138

lose

-52

+199

25

86-66-86

65-172

lose

-65

+134

26

108-88-108

82-216

win

+216

+350

27

88

33-88

lose

-33

+317

28

121

46-121

lose

-46

+271

29

167

63-167

lose

-63

+208

30

230

87-230

win

+230

+438

So you can see, by picking just 8 parlays correctly out of 30 for a winning percentage of .266, you add an impressive $438 to your Bankroll. If you can pick more than 1 in 4 parlay winners, the power of The Set Monthly-Income System will work for you every month -- so you don’t have to.

Tips 1) Use this System to bet on all 4 major sports, mixing and matching favorites, underdogs and totals with 2-team parlays. 2) Because you are betting on parlays and in effect need to go 2 wins and 0 losses to win 1 wager, make sure you use this System with your best bets of the day. 3) If you are betting on baseball and hockey, keep in mind that the moneyline odds are different than standard 11-10 odds against the spread, and must be taken into account when determining your Actual Wager Amounts. 4) If your Bankroll permits, run several Series simultaneously. If you regularly have 4 strong picks a day, for example, by running 2 modest Series of 40-20-40, you can make $800 in profit per month by picking just 26% winners. 5) If you aren’t sure of your ability to pick parlays, perhaps try out The 1-8 Parlay System first as trial run. 6) Don’t forget to religiously track your bets using the handy Chart at the end of this chapter.

Crunching the Numbers

After going through the example above, you may like the idea of the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly-Income System but remain skeptical that you can make the cut by consistently picking 26% winners. If so, you may want to get your feet wet by trying The 1-8 Parlay System, in which you are required to pick just 12% winners, for a few weeks and see how you do. In that case, refresh your memory by returning to Chapter 11.

But don’t discount this System too quickly, especially if you are a talented handicapper, because the profits can add up faster than with The 1-8 Parlay System. If you closely analyze the example above, you see that your first Betting Block -- which represents just 25% of your Bankroll -- is never in jeopardy, even though you rack up over 73% losses. However, don’t forget that you can pick a lot of winners without winning a single parlay, since every parlay is in effect made up of 2 bets. So it’s common to go on a tear in which you win just 1 of the 2 games in your parlay, which of course doesn’t ultimately count -- or earn you a penny. So you fully understand the math behind the System, for each 2-team parlay you bet, there are 4 possible outcomes:

LL (2 losses) WL (1 win, 1 loss) LW (1 win, 1 loss) WW (2 wins, 0 losses).

Over the course of a month, if you bet 1 game every day, there are 120 possible outcomes for those wagers, only 30 of which (or 25%) make you a winner. While it’s impossible to know how many games you will pick correctly, let’s assume for a moment while playing devil’s advocate that you don’t do well at all. Let’s assume that of your 30 parlays:

1) You pick the necessary 2 winners (WW) just 4 times out of 30, or half as often as the 8 times you hope for. 2) You pick 2 losers (LL) 3 times more often than 2 winners (WW), or 12 times out of 30. 3) You pick 1 winner and 1 loser (WL or LW) 3.5 times more often than 2 winners (WW), or 14 times out of 30.

This means that out of 60 games overall making up your 30 parlays, you post a dismal record of 22 wins and 38 losses (or a winning percentage of .367). More importantly, it means that you win just 13% of your parlays, one-half the target of 26% you want so you can meet your Monthly-Income Goal. Let’s see how this losing month affects your Personal Betting Bankroll.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

1

40-20-40

30-80

lose

-30

-30

2

50-30-50

38-100

lose

-38

-68

3

69-49-69

52-138

lose

-52

-120

4 5

86-66-86 108-88-108

6

65-172 82-216

lose lose

-65 -82

-185 -267

135-115-135 102-270

lose

-102

-369

7

169-149-169 128-338

win

+338

-31

8

149

56-149

lose

-56

-87

9

205

78-205

lose

-78

-165

10

283

107-283

lose

-107

-272

11 12

390 537

147-390 203-537

lose lose

-147 -203

-419 -622

13

740

280-740

lose

-280

-902

14

1,020

386-1,020

win

+1,020

+118

It took 14 days, but you did it. That may seem like a lot of work (and wagers) to make $118, but consider how much in the hole picking just 2 winners and 12 losers would put you if you weren’t using my System.

Bet # Series

Bet-To Win

W-L

Series Profit $ Net Profit $

15

40-20-40

30-80

lose

-30

+88

16

50-30-50

38-100

lose

-38

+50

17

69-49-69

52-138

lose

-52

-2

18

86-66-86

65-172

lose

-65

-67

19

108-88-108

82-216

lose

-82

-149

20

135-115-135 102-270

lose

-102

-251

21

169-149-169 128-338

lose

-128

-379

22

212-192-212 160-424

lose

-160

-539

23

265-245-265 200-530

lose

-200

-739

24

332-312-332 251-664

win

+664

-75

25

312

118-312

lose

-118

-193

26

430

163-430

lose

-163

-356

27

593

224-593

lose

-224

-580

28

817

309-817

win

+817

+237

Again, you go an abysmal 2-12, and again you add to your Bankroll, this time enough to put you $237 ahead. So as to keep the System “honest,” we end on 2 losses to see how it ultimately affects your Bankroll. Bet # Series Bet-To Win W-L Series Profit $ Net Profit $ 29

40-20-40

30-80

lose

-30

+207

30

50-30-50

38-100

lose

-38

+169

So there you have it. You pick a disappointing 38% winners overall and just 13% winners in parlays, going 4-26 for the entire month. And you still come out $169 in the black. Can you imagine you ever bet without using 1 of my 12 Money-Management Systems to protect and build your Bankroll?

Summing It All Up

Parlays aren’t for everybody. In fact, the only smart parlays for anybody are the 2-team variety. But if you’re a talented gambler who can often spot 2 games in a day that you can group together for 2 wins in 1 wager, the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly-Income System can safely and steadily build your Bankroll. Not only that, it allows you to set a monthly “salary” for yourself based on your sports gambling. So the next time your significant other gives you grief about always watching SportsCenter or checking scores on your pager or cell phone, you can tell her that your betting paid for her last vacation. Maybe the best thing about the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly-Income System is that it requires you to pick just slightly better than 1 in 4 winners to meet your Monthly-Income Goal. Don’t think you can call 26% winners on parlays? Well, the good news is that you can pick just 12% winners and post a tiny profit. While the Program may seem complicated at first, soon you’ll be doing it without thinking. Here’s a quick overview of the System that could bring you up to $15,000 a month or more in gambling profits, like it does me and my professional gambling colleagues:

1) Set your Monthly-Income Goal by dividing your Personal Betting Bankroll by 4, in this case $1,600 divided by 4 = $400. 2) Determine your Series Total by dividing your Monthly-Income Goal by 4, in this case $400 divided by 4 = $100.

3) Calculate your Series by breaking your Series Total into 3 numbers so that the first and third numbers are equal, and so that they are twice the value of the second number, in this case 40-2040. 4) Make a straight wager in an attempt to eliminate the combined total of the 2 “outside” numbers of the 3-number Series (or 40 + 40), in this case a $30 bet to win $80. 5) If you win the first wager, you eliminate the 2 outside numbers in the Series and are left with just the 1 “inside” number, in this case 20. Make a straight wager (in this case, $7 to win $20) in an attempt to eliminate it and achieve your goal, at which point you start over at the beginning with a new 40-20-40 Series. 6) If you lose a wager trying to eliminate your original (or any) 2 outside numbers, divide the previous Actual Wager Amount evenly over the remaining Series Amounts in the Series. In this case, if you lose the first wager, divide 30 by 3 and add 10 to each amount in the 3-number Series, making your new 3-number Series 50-30-50, and your next Actual Wager Amount $38, in an attempt to win $100 (or 50 + 50). 7) If you lose a wager trying to eliminate your original (or any) 1 inside number, add the previous Actual Wager Amount to the previous Series Amount in the Series. In this case, add 7 to 20, making your new 1-number Series 27, and your next Actual Wager Amount $10, in an attempt to win $27 (or 7 + 20). 8) Continue betting, seeking to eliminate first the 2 outside numbers of any given Series with an initial wager, then the 1 inside number with another wager. Once you win 2 bets, eliminating both 2 outside numbers and 1 inside number, start over. 9) Bet a full month in this fashion, up to 31 wagers or more, picking at least 26% winners to earn your Monthly-Income Goal. 10) At month’s end, roll your profits (in this case, at least $400) into your Personal Betting Bankroll and set a new Monthly-Income Goal. Using the Formula, you would divide your new Personal Betting Bankroll (in this case, $2,000) by 4 for your new Monthly-Income Goal ($500), which you divide again by 4 to get your new Series Total ($125), from which you calculate your new Series (50-25-50). 11) Don’t forget to track all your bets using the Chart at the end of this chapter.

Chapter 16

SPORT BY SPORT BETTING STRATEGIES

The Better the Picks, the Bigger the Payout For the first 15 chapters of this book, I have concentrated on providing you ways to maximize your profits by managing your Bankroll and setting your wager amounts according to proven money-management techniques. However, even the most brilliant Programs won’t help you protect and build your Bankroll if you can’t pick winners. The good news is that you can always “buy” winners by subscribing to picks released daily by expert handicappers like myself, which I’ll explain fully in the next chapter. In fact, if you’re just getting into sports gambling, I strongly recommend receiving picks from a professional handicapper, so you can learn from our expertise while observing which teams we bet on and why, week after week, month after month. Some players continue to subscribe to my picks even after they become full-time professionals, using them to supplement their own picks. Others like to “control their own destiny,” and eventually begin going with all their own selections. Either way, I thought you may be interested in some of the processes I use to come up with my daily picks in each of the 4 major American sports. There are 2 basic types of handicappers: “situational” handicappers and “trend” handicappers. I fall mostly into the former camp, believing that current situations largely affect the outcomes of today’s games, and remaining skeptical of long-term trends that can lead you to ignore recent factors that are more pertinent. Although my 12 Money-Management Programs teach you how to profit by picking as few as 12% winners, the higher the percentage you pick, the more money you make. To help you maximize your profits, for the rest of this chapter I am going to give you a peek into my year-round daily betting routine, alerting you to the signs and factors I look for while trying to isolate my best plays of the day. I’m also going to tell you which of my 12 Money-Management Programs I personally use to bet on each sport, and why. But it’s all a matter of personal preference, and I’ve won using each of my Systems, so don’t feel obligated to do it the precise way I do. Find your own favorite Programs, get comfortable with them, do your homework and/or buy expert picks, and start winning.

BASEBALL SEASON The 2 Systems I Personally Use Many sports fans can’t get into baseball because of its 162-game schedule and lengthy spring training and playoff periods. But this works in your favor. Perhaps no other sport offers the betting values that baseball does, and you will be gambling on it for more than 6 months of the year, preferably every day.

While many of my 12 Money-Management Programs can be utilized to make money betting on baseball, I personally rely on 2, The Baseball Underdog System for “dogs” and the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly Income System for favorites. I make 60% of my yearly income using The Baseball Underdog System to bet on an average of 5 games per day. On these straight wagers against the moneyline, I bet 2.5% of my Bankroll. If you do the same, you’ll be astounded how fast your Bankroll can build. As with all my suggestions in this chapter, be sure to go back and thoroughly read the chapter devoted to each System before beginning to bet. By simultaneously running 3 Series of the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly-Income System, I add another $3,000 a month in profit to my Bankroll on top of what I make from The Baseball Underdog System. Because favorites win 56% of the time in baseball, you will hit a surprisingly high number of 2-team parlays, likely more than the 12% required to post a profit or the 26% required to earn your desired “salary,” or Monthly-Income Goal.

The 4 Corners of Every Diamond Just as a diamond has 4 sides, there are 4 factors I closely examine in every game played on the baseball diamond before I bet my hard-earned money: 1) Pitchers: There are at least 9 guys in a game at a time for any given team (10 if you count the DH in the American League), but the 2 who effectively control the outcome of the game are the starting pitchers. No team proved this any better than the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, who with a good but not great supporting cast rode Cy Young pitchers Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson to a World Series Championship over the Yankees. A) Last 3 Starts: A pitcher’s past results are the most important factor in determining whether or not to gamble on him and his team on any given day. Almost every daily newspaper in the country lists the pitching match-ups for every day’s games, providing the pitchers’ pertinent statistics. Perhaps no stat is more key than the numbers encapsulating each pitcher’s last 3 starts. For example, Mike Mussina began the 2003 season for the Yankees 7-0 with an ERA under 2.00. But in the next 3 games he went 0-3 with an ERA over 5.00. Now, if you checked only his overall record, you may have been tempted to bet on him, based on his 7-3 record and 2.54 ERA. But by doing your homework, you knew he wasn’t in top form in recent outings. B) Record Against Opponent: For whatever reason, some pitchers perform remarkably well against some teams and dismally against others. Many times there is no rational explanation, but check this key stat when considering games. Most papers list a pitcher’s history the previous year against the team, which is most relevant, but sometimes a pitcher either has another club’s number over the long haul or they have his, and it’s worth taking into account. C) Bullpen Availability. Most bettors don’t evaluate this when making their daily picks, but it’s something I always consider. Here’s an example. The Astros had a great combo in 2003 of Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner to close out their games. When they were well-rested, I always considered Houston a strong play. But if they’d pitched in 2 consecutive games coming in, I stayed away, knowing that the Astros could give up some late runs if they weren’t available or well-rested.

D) ERA Rankings. As I fully explain in The Baseball Underdog System in Chapter 10, an easy way to weed out dubious “dogs” is if they are playing against a pitcher ranked among the league’s Top 20 in adjusted ERA. Believe it or not, you can conversely find several games a week in which the underdog pitcher is actually ranked in the Top 20, or is higher ranked than the guy on the mound for the favorite, and these games are must-plays. 2) Streaks: With such a long season, baseball is often a game of streaks. So be sure to look at the “L-10” stat in the standings that refers to a team’s last 10 games. You recall that a key criteria of The Baseball Underdog System is that a game is a no-play if an underdog has lost 3 or more in a row or a favorite has won 3 or more in a row. Additionally, look for favorites with a .600 or better record coming off a loss, since to earn that winning percentage then by definition they post very few consecutive losses. Betting on the top 5 or so teams in baseball after a loss is such a simple and strong play that I am considering honing it into a separate System for a future volume of this book. 3) Weather: This factor separates the pros from the amateurs. If you don’t check the weather before placing your bets, you are overlooking a huge “element” to the game. Wind blowing toward the outfield can turn a fly-ball pitcher into a home-run pitcher, and may make a smart play both against him and “over” the total. Information on the weather at the site of every pro football and baseball game can be found on several betting Web sites, or you can at least check the weather for the home team’s city on the Internet. 4) Intangibles: When seeking an edge on linesmakers and the betting public, look for any factor that can even subtly affect a game. A) Travel: Keep an eye out for teams that played a night game the day before and have to fly to their next game late in the evening or early morning. Early in the 2003 season, Baltimore played a night game in California and while Texas, the Orioles’ next opponent, was getting a good night’s sleep, Baltimore was on a plane, arriving at 5:30 a.m. Later that day, a well-rested Rangers team won easily over a tired Orioles club. B) Extended Travel: I always consider betting against a team that is coming off a long road trip and playing its first game back at home. In this situation, I feel it takes clubs a game or so to become acclimated once again to their home field after a tiring road swing. C) Emotion: Look for teams that are coming off tight series against heated rivals. A natural letdown occurs, especially when they are playing mediocre teams, and an upset might be in the making if you go with the “dog.”

FOOTBALL SEASON The Systems I Use and Recommend Betting on football isn’t easy. There is astounding parity in the NFL, and there are so many teams in college and such huge chalk to cover, it can be a crap shoot. So I tend to be frugal with my bets during football season, playing an average of 5 pro and 6 college games a week. On pro football, I bet 70% underdogs and 30% totals, using The 1-8 Parlay System and the Straight Wager Version of The Set Monthly-Income System. In 2002, I hit a documented 57% winners following my “10 Rules” below.

On college football, I bet differently, putting my money on 70% favorites and 30% underdogs, again using The 1-8 Parlay System and the Straight Wager Version of The Set Monthly-Income System. To select my plays, I implement a set of criteria I’ve developed known as “The Rushing Supremacy Rule,” which I include and explain below as an added bonus for buying my book. In addition to using The Rushing Supremacy Rule, I suggest you pick a major college football conference and concentrate on it, year in and year out, and bet only on it when values present themselves. That way, you won’t be merely an “above average” handicapper of college football, you’ll be an expert on a single conference.

Parity + High Volume = Happy Bookmakers Much to the delight of sportsbooks and bookies everywhere, pro football is both the most highly wagered-on sport and the hardest sport to predict. That combination of big money and parity in the NFL results in a distinct advantage for the house. We loved football season at the Desert Inn during my years there. It made up for all the money we lost on baseball and hockey many times over. Americans love their football, and they continue to bet more and more every year. Mostly they lose in the long run. But there are ways to whittle down the house’s advantage when betting on the NFL. To squeeze some of the juice out of bookmakers, I use different methods with pro and college football, since they are radically different versions of the same sport.

10 Rules to Follow When Betting on the NFL 1) If you like a favorite for the coming Sunday, bet the game early in the week, preferably right when the lines are released. If you wait until the weekend, 7 times out of 10 you will be laying a higher number. 2) On the other hand, if you like an underdog for the coming Sunday, wait until the end of the week to make your bet. Most people love to bet favorites, and most of them inexplicably make their bets on Sunday. So by playing the waiting game, there’s a good chance you’ll be getting more points. 3) If you like a game to go “over” the total, bet early in the week. 4) If you like a game to “under” the total, bet later in the week. Much in the way people love to bet favorites, they also love to bet “overs.” So the longer you wait, the more points you’ll get. 5) Always check the weather report before you make your wager. It can make a huge difference to the sides, since football games are won in the trenches, and to the totals, since inclement weather can severely limit points. For example, I noted just before game time at the Meadowlands one year that winds were gusting at 40 mph. I knew that the Giants and Cowboys would run the ball when going into the wind, waiting to throw and kick with the wind at their backs. So I bet the “under” and they easily came in below the total of 44. Meanwhile, most bettors didn’t even know about the windy conditions until they turned on the TV, but by then it was too late for them to take advantage of this element of the game.

6) Key in on the team with the better rushing attack. In games that are “pick ’em” close, this is often the deciding factor. 7) Check for injuries on the offensive and defensive lines -- or in “the trenches” -- since this is where the game is many times won or lost. 8) When analyzing a match-up, if you find a team with better statistics in rushing, defense and turnover ratio, it is almost always a solid play. 9) Zero in on games with point spreads between 3.5 and 6.5 points with road underdogs. Most of the professional gamblers I know who make big money on the NFL do so in these situations. 10) Run like Marshall Faulk in the opposite direction of 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-team parlays. These are sucker bets that pay out at seemingly attractive but reduced odds and will drain your Bankroll.

Rushing to Judgment of College Teams For years I have turned a great profit on college football using a set of criteria I refer to as The Rushing Supremacy System, which I include here as a bonus. The System makes a game a play if it meets these 3 simple rules:

1) The favorite is giving away no more than 21 points. 2) One team averages 100 yards or more rushing coming in than its opponent does. 3) The team that holds a 100-yard rushing advantage also allows fewer yards rushing than its opponent, on average.

Here is an example of 3 games that meet the System’s rules:

Match-up

Average Yards Rushing

Average Yards Rushing Allowed

Boston College

67

176

West Virginia

243

78

Akron

284

165

Bowling Green

127

289

Michigan

178

73

Purdue

72

196

***

***

As you can see, West Virginia, Akron and Michigan are plays since they hold advantages in rushing and rushing defense (and were less than 3-touchdown favorites). You will average about 6 plays a week with The Rushing Supremacy System. Only about 3 in 10 will be underdogs.

BASKETBALL SEASON The 1 System I Use Although several of my Programs work well when betting on basketball, I personally use the Straight Wager Version of The Set Monthly-Income System to bet on hoops. It works nicely with pro basketball, in that there are games played every day. I run 3 Series of 100-50-100 simultaneously, which produce $3,000 per month in profit.

Trends and Teams on the Move When betting on pro basketball, there are 4 factors I check before laying any money: 1) Trends: As you know, I’m not a big fan of trends, but I do consider them with pro basketball. For whatever reason, history seems to repeat itself more often in this sport than any other. 2) Scheduling: Look for teams that must play back-to-back games on the road to bet against in the second of 2 games. This is 1 of my strongest criteria when betting on the NBA. 3) True West: I love to bet against teams on long West Coast road trips in the NBA. Using any of my Systems that recoup previous losses plus bring you a profit, bet against a road team until they lose, then move on to other picks. 4) Homeward Bound: I also like to bet against a home team in its first game back after a long road trip. This situation produces a lot of easy underdog winners.

HOCKEY SEASON The System I Use I’ve been making a bundle betting on hockey for 30 years, and I use the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly-Income System to earn over $50,000 annually just on hockey.

What the Puck ... It’s Easy Money Most Americans -- even gamblers -- don’t follow hockey, so it provides some of the best betting values, since sportsbooks don’t concentrate on it. Favorites win at a high rate, so you can hit a good number of 2-team parlays. Also, if you follow the sport as closely as I do, you know when a good underdog or total value presents itself. For instance, in the NHL conference finals in 2003, Anaheim had a series with Minnesota. They had played 4 times during the regular season, with just 1 game going over 4.5 goals. So they

were an obvious “under” choice for the entire series. Not surprisingly, the “under” won all 4 times in their 4-game series. Besides having a deep knowledge of the league and its teams, I rely heavily on a technique for betting NHL games that I informally call “The End of the Road System.” It’s very simple, and has just 1 rule:

1) If a team is playing 3 games in 4 days (or 4 games in 6 days) and the final game of that scenario is on the road, it’s a play against that team on the moneyline.

I can’t tell you how much money I’ve made following this simple trend. I hope you will too.

Chapter 17

THE BET YOU SHOULD NEVER MAKE

No BS: Gambling Has No Degree, But There’s Much to Learn If you want to be a doctor, you go to med school. A lawyer, law school. An electrician, trade school. But where do you go if you want to be a professional gambler? Unfortunately for bettors -- and fortunately, for bookies -- there is no “school” that teaches the art and science of betting. You, however, have found the next best thing. And it’s the book you’re holding in your hands. For the price of less than a modest wager, you’ve bought decades of gambling knowledge that I’ve picked up not only as an insider at several of the top casino sportsbooks in the country, but as a professional gambler and handicapper. For 5 years, I have been a professional gambler and handicapper, meaning that while you go to an office every day, I spend it studying the day’s sporting events and odds for the best betting values. I work hard to release the best picks possible each day, and back that up by betting on them myself. Most important, I use these very same Systems that I’m passing along to you in these pages to make my bets. My Systems aren’t gimmicks or “theories” that look good on paper yet fail to work when to put to the test. My bank account and leisurely lifestyle are living proof. If you need further evidence, check out the sections in every Program’s chapter called “The Proof” and “Crunching the Numbers.” That’s where I provide examples of how the mathematical certainties behind my Systems “guarantee” that you can make money as a gambler. I also point out the possible weaknesses, if any, in each particular System.

My Programs Help Even ‘Below Average’ Bettors Win I understand that you may not have the sports knowledge or Bankroll to be a professional gambler right away, but my incredible Systems make up for deficiencies in both areas. They teach you how to bet conservatively, according to your own unique financial situation, and intelligently, according to the laws of mathematics. For example, your average “amateur” gambler puts 90% of his time into deciding which team to bet on and 10% on how to bet on them. That ratio should be the exact opposite. Consider that even the best handicappers in the world would kill to pick 60% winners in any given season. Now consider that you must pick 53% winners just to turn a profit. How big must your Bankroll be to make real money at gambling if you’re betting the same amount on every game -- or are setting your wager amounts on whims and hunches, which creates the possibility that your $100 “action” wager is going to be a winner and your $500 “best bet” will be a bust, putting you more than $400 in the hole after going a respectable 1-1? The answer is, your Bankroll need not be all that big -- if you implement 1 or more of my 12 Money-Management Programs. While the average gambler bets $100 on each NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB game he plays, my “students” set their wagers according to the Formulas laid out in each of my Systems, and must win as few as 12% parlays and 26% straight wagers to turn a profit.

Even “below average” gamblers can come out ahead since my System’s Formulas are calculated so that a win in today’s game can not only show you a profit, it often recoups all your recent losses in your current Series.

A Final Lesson and Formula Those of you who have done your homework by carefully studying “12 Ways to Beat Your Bookie” can probably already come up with a Formula that encapsulates not only my book but its philosophy. If you guessed something along the lines of

Bankroll + Program + Picks + Discipline = Increased Profits,

then give yourself an “A” for your understanding of what it takes to be a winning sports gambler. As our last lesson, let’s take a final look at each of these all-important components of a successful bettor’s game plan: 1) Bankroll: This is the Total Disposable Income you set aside after paying all your living expenses. According to my Systems, you take just a portion of this to bet on any single game. And you roll all your profits back into your Bankroll after each win. For the first year, try not to take any profits out. That way, you quickly go from making $25 bets to making $250 bets. If you do that, you quickly are on your way to making a sizable yearly income -- perhaps even becoming a professional gambler. 2) Program: Before you even look at the sports schedule for the day, know how you’re going to bet, or which System of mine you’re going to use. Each of them has its strengths, some tailored specifically to certain sports. Read through the chapter on each several times and pick your favorite Programs to try out. Don’t hesitate to mix and match them. Get comfortable with them. Within days, it will be second nature to use them. 3) Picks: Just because my Systems make it possible for you to pick fewer than 50% winners and make money, don’t settle for that. As Gordon Gekko said in “Wall Street,” Greed is good! Especially when it puts food on your table or a vacation in your future. Find sports, games and bookmakers that give you an edge. Buy picks from an expert like me if you feel the need to -- if you pick 45% winners and I pick 55%, my picks will pay for themselves many times over. 4) Discipline: Never, ever, ever waver from the Programs. If you keep several Series running at all times, you’ll never feel like you missed an opportunity when a great value presents itself, because on any given day you’ll have bets of all sizes to make. In other words, don’t deviate from the System and bet 10 times your normal wager just because it’s Super Bowl Sunday just because you’re excited. That’s how bookies get rich. If your Series Amounts for that day are $25, $99 and $158, bet one of those amounts. In the long run, you’ll be glad you did. And always, always, always keep track of your bets using the Charts provided with this book. It takes only a few moments a day, but it keeps you focused on the task at hand -- making money -- and forces you to bet the right way.

The 1 Wager Never to Make

Congratulations, in a few more pages, you’ll have completed the “required reading” for my sports gambling “college.” Then it will be time to “graduate” by putting this incredible knowledge to work for you. After this crash course in re-learning how to bet, there’s no diploma, just the personal satisfaction that you’re now in possession of the hard-won knowledge that makes you smarter than 98% of all gamblers out there, with much better odds of winning over the long haul. From now on you should be betting smartly and effectively, seeking out the games that present the best values and wagering on them after locating the best odds. But there is 1 wager that I hope none of you makes today -- or ever again. Don’t gamble that everything you’ve read in this book either doesn’t work or requires too much discipline to pay off. In other words, don’t ever make another bet without using 1 of my 12 Money-Management Programs to set your wager amounts. If you do, you’re playing into the odds that are so heavily stacked against your winning in the long run. Believe me, my Systems will make you more money than you’ve ever made gambling if you simply follow them faithfully and combine them with a modest winning percentage based on well-researched picks. Remember, of all the millions of gamblers making bets today, you’re already in the top 2% of your “class,” because you know what it truly takes to win. Now do it. Good luck. Not that you need it, of course. You’ve got “12 Ways to Beat Your Bookie.” Pick 1 or more of them and start making money.

Chapter 18

RECEIVING TONY STOFFO’S EXPERT PICKS

To Buy or Not to Buy Now that you know how to bet by using my 12 Money-Management Programs, all you need to do now is to select the teams on which to wager. Fortunately for you, my Systems require you to pick as few as 12% parlay winners and 26% straight-wager winners in order to make a profit. Of course, the higher the percentage of winners you pick, the more money you put in your pocket. If you go an entire season in any sport picking 50% or better winners, you aren’t just lucky, you’re talented. And you’ve likely spent many hours doing your homework. If you’re not a professional gambler, you’re the equivalent of a weekend golfer with a handicap of 1 or 2 strokes. You’re “this close” to being as good as the pros. But just like there is a Grand Canyon-sized chasm between “scratch” golfers and the guys on the PGA Tour, there is a gargantuan gap between those gamblers who tease the 50% or better mark and those pro handicappers who routinely pick up to 60% or better winners year after year. It’s this gap that can mean hundreds or thousands of dollars in profits each week for everyday gamblers, which is why there have been “tout” and “handicapper” services for almost as long as there have been bookies. To buy or not to buy? That is the question when it comes to purchasing picks.

5 Questions to Weed Out Wannabe Handicappers Once upon a time, before the Internet, gamblers got “inside info” from tout services and handicappers by phone, using 900-numbers or credit cards. Even back then, most tout services were scams, especially the ones boasting of “sure things” or “locks” on games. The World Wide Web has created an even more dangerous monster, however, allowing any sports fan with several thousand dollars to start a Web site and pass himself off as a gambling expert with “professional” picks for sale. Because so few of the picks made by tout services and handicappers are documented, it’s sometimes tough to tell whether a service is legitimate or not. To help you steer clear of the amateurs, I’ve devised a few simple questions to ask yourself -- or a potential handicapper -- when trying to determine the credibility of an “expert” who wants you to buy his picks: 1) Record: Are his picks documented? Meaning, can you access his picks (either on his Web site or an independent third-party’s monitoring Web site) for the last week, month, season or 5 seasons? If not, then be leery from the get-go. Many sites brag about a handicapper’s 12-2 streak in the NBA but conveniently forget to mention that he was 3-18 before that impressive run. Also, beware of any site that brags about picking 70% winners over the course of any period longer than a couple of weeks. That’s impossible, so don’t believe or buy into it. 2) Reputation: What is this handicapper’s background? Has he ever won or placed in the famous Hilton handicapping contest? Is he himself a professional gambler? Have you read gambling

articles or books by him? Does he have an established radio or TV program about gambling? Does he live and work in Las Vegas? Does he go by his own name instead of some cutesy yet anonymous moniker? If the answer is no to more than 1 of the above, then be wary. He may be a wannabe in sharp’s clothing. 3) Selection: Do you get all his picks each day for 1 reasonable price? Before you ask, I’m not referring to handicappers who release and charge separately for NBA, NHL and MLB picks, for example. That makes sense. After all, why pay for picks in all 3 sports when you’re betting only on the NBA today? No, I’m talking about some well-known handicappers who sell “action” picks for $20, “premium” picks for $50 and “executive” picks for $75 per day or more. Remember, you get what you pay for. Who would want $20 picks when you know the same handicapper is selling his best bets for 5 times that amount? If his cheap picks lose, he has a built-in excuse: You didn’t buy his “real” picks. The truth is, even the best of professional handicappers pick only 50% to 60% winners on average, and their “best bets” are just as likely to post lower rather than higher winning percentages as their “action” plays. So go with someone with a 1-price-gets-all philosophy. 4) Integrity: Is he a stand-up guy who treats you fairly? Once he has your phone number or email address, does he have marketers incessantly contact you even after you ask them to stop? Does he answer your questions promptly and honestly, including those about his records, his resume and his picks? Does he put his money where his mouth is, betting on the games he suggests you do? Does he provide analysis with his picks or simply tell you who to bet on? Again, if you find yourself answering no to any of the above, you may want to look elsewhere for an opinion on tonight’s game. 5) Customer Service: Is there a phone number on this handicapper’s Web site? Or at least an email address where you can get in touch with him? If not, he’s probably out on the golf course laughing at those suckers buying his picks instead of sweating out the game with you.

Answering Those Questions With Quality Picks Of the hundreds of handicappers with picks available by phone and the Web, less than 10% will pass the test represented by the 5 questions above. I’m one of them. At the risk of sounding immodest, if there were a Ph.D. in gambling, I’d have one. I have spent my entire adult life associated with sports gambling, starting as a bet writer in New York City and eventually relocating to the mecca of gambling, Las Vegas. After spending 10 years working in the sportsbooks of several of the finest casinos in the world, including a long stint as manager of the renowned Desert Inn Sportsbook, I retired 5 years ago. Then I really began working. In other words, I haven’t held a “real” job in half a decade. I bet every day and I live off what I make on those games. Evidently, my reputation as a successful professional gambler spread around town, since in the last couple of years I have received offers to post my picks on Web sites as a professional handicapper. I finally agreed, and the response I’ve gotten has been overwhelming. It’s further proof that handicappers who actually win will earn and maintain a loyal following. Of course, anyone can boast great success as a professional handicapper in this day and age. Professional-looking Web sites hyping wildly high winning percentages provide more than enough smoke and mirrors to fool many gamblers desperate for any sort of edge.

That’s why I urge you to put your handicapper to the test with the 5 questions above. Now, I’ll answer them for you honestly and openly, without fear that doing so will reveal me to be anything other than a professional handicapper whose picks are among the highest rated in the industry. 1) Record: Since I became a bona fide professional handicapper, my picks, records and history have been available at www.vegasinsider.com. There’s also an endorsement below from the owner of the primary Web site where my picks can be found, stating my full-season winning percentages. 2) Reputation: You know my resume. As for the Hilton contest, I’ve never won it, but then again, I’ve never entered, because pro football isn’t necessarily my area of expertise. (I spend most of my efforts rooting out great baseball and hockey values) As for publishing works on the art and science of betting, you are holding a groundbreaking book that reveals for the first time a dozen time-tested money-management techniques, which is based on an earlier “self-published” version of mine that circulated around Vegas for a year, creating an incredible buzz. Which brings up the points that I do indeed live and work full-time in Vegas, and go by my legal name, not trying to hide behind some silly nickname so you don’t know whose picks you’re paying for. 3) Selection: Unlike so many handicappers, I release one set of picks per sport, per day. So you’re getting my best bets, day in and day out. I never “bait and switch” my customers by luring you in with inexpensive “action” picks and then trying to upgrade you to my “real” picks. 4) Integrity: I do indeed lay my own hard-won money on literally every baseball and hockey pick I release, and on virtually every basketball and football selection as well. And I briefly analyze the games, explaining why I’m risking my money and suggesting you do the same. (You’d be surprised how many “hacks” simply list their picks with no reasoning provided to their customers whatsoever.) So I feel the same sense of satisfaction you do when we win and the same sting you do when games don’t turn out the way my extensive research indicated they would. In fact, I take games’ results possibly even more to heart than my customers, since I know so many people’s profits depend on my ability to pick as many winners as humanly possible. 5) Customer Service: Although my wife would kill me if I listed our telephone number here, I answer literally every e-mail I receive that’s sent to me at [email protected]. The response I’ve gotten thus far has been overwhelmingly positive, from both new and lifelong gamblers who wish to thank me for writing this book that has forever altered for the better how they bet. The lion’s share of the constructive criticism I received about the early, 51-page version of this book dealt with clarifying the meaning and providing examples of the Systems, which I’ve done with my collaborator in this full-length volume.

Who Needs to Pay for Picks? OK, the question still remains: To buy or not to buy? Since I offer my picks for sale at www.10starpicks.com, it’s tempting to state emphatically that, yes, you need to purchase picks. But the truthful answer is that not everyone needs to buy advice from a professional handicapper such as me. However, experts’ picks can help, especially younger gamblers. I began buying picks in 1980 and am glad I did. It taught me what professional handicappers look for in games, and has helped

shape some of the Systems in this book. Nowadays, I don’t rely on paid picks, but I might if I weren’t friends and colleagues with some of the best gamblers and handicappers in the world, who share their insights into games with me daily and, in turn, ask my advice on which teams I like. In the end, I’ll answer the question of whether you should buy picks with another question: Are you happy with your winning percentage and profits? If your answer is no, then you probably should buy picks, and see if your winnings go up. Just remember to subtract the price of the picks from your profits, so you have an accurate picture of how much money you’re truly adding to your Bankroll. (For an example of how to do so, check out the Chart accompanying the Parlay Version of The Set Monthly-Income System at the end of Chapter 15.)

My Picks Can Make You a Bigger Winner If you’re convinced you should purchase picks but you’re not sure mine are the ones to buy, I suggest you check my recent and longtime record at www.vegasinsider.com and decide whether you think my assistance is worth it. Then, try my picks for a month or so and see how much your profits go up. I will tell you this: My picks aren’t intended to make you profits -- they’re intended to make you more profits. In other words, if I had to choose between your following 1 of my 12 MoneyManagement Programs or paying for my picks, I’d easily choose your implementing my Systems. Because I know that using my Systems faithfully will make you money, if you can pick even modest winners. After doing that, if you’re earning profits while picking under 50% winners, come on board with me and try to make even more money. Free Newsletter With Invaluable Tips As yet another added bonus with this book, you can receive my free daily e-mail newsletter simply by contacting me at [email protected], typing “Subscribe” in the subject line. By subscribing, you will receive my year-round daily e-mail newsletter that features sportsbetting articles, trends, daily weather conditions, updated-injury reports, and complimentary expert picks on the day’s football, baseball, basketball and/or hockey games from me and some of my most talented colleagues. Don’t pass up this chance to supplement what you’ve learned in these pages with insider information that can help you make better picks every day. It doesn’t cost you a penny but can help you make hundreds or thousands of extra income with your sports betting. Endorsement Tony Stoffo is a featured handicapper of the 10 Star Picks Club, which can be found at www.10starpicks.com. Since joining us in January of 2003, Tony has been unbelievable. During the 2002-2003 NFL season, Tony hit at a remarkable rate of 57% winners -- and this is what he calls his “worst” sport! All of his NFL customers went away extremely happy.

His 2002-2003 NHL picks picked up 69.15 units of profit. Meanwhile, his college and NBA basketball service picked up 45 units for 2002-2003. Through the first half of the 2003 MLB season, as this book was being finalized, Tony was up a staggering 223 units. As you can see, Tony excels in all sports. He combines proven money-management techniques with his own expertise in handicapping to provide an unbelievably successful service. We highly recommend Tony Stoffo as an honest and reputable professional handicapper. -- Jeff Hale, Founder of 10 Star Picks Club

Chapter 19

GLOSSARY OF TONY STOFFO’S GAMBLING TERMS By betting previously or reading this book, you should have a working or contextual knowledge of everyday gambling words and phrases. However, my unique Programs contain some betting terms that I coined myself for my Systems and this book. They are all listed below, and are crossreferenced with the chapters in which they appear, as well as with other relevant terms in this Glossary.

Actual Wager Amount In The Set Monthly-Income System and other Programs, the dollar figure wagered to win the Series Amount in the Series, given varying odds, either against the spread or moneyline. Read more about this in Chapters 14 and 15, the Straight Wager and Parlay Versions of “The Set Monthly Income System.” Related terms in this Glossary: Program, Series Amount, Series. Bankroll Synonymous with Personal Betting Bankroll. The amount of cash you have on hand or in an online account in which to wager with. Read more about this in Chapter 2, “Setting and Building Your Bankroll,” as well as in all other chapters on individual Systems. Related terms in this Glossary: Bankroll, Series Amount, Total Disposable Income. Betting Blocks The 4 equal parts in which you divide your Personal Betting Bankroll. In my 12 MoneyManagement Programs, your Betting Blocks generally represent 25% of your Bankroll so that you cannot deplete your available gambling funds during any single (or even any several) losing streaks. Read more about this in Chapter 2, “Setting and Building Your Bankroll,” as well as in the chapters on each System. Related terms in this Glossary: Bankroll, Personal Betting Bankroll, Series Amount, Total Disposable Income. Crunching the Numbers The section of each chapter on an individual System devoted to showing the weaknesses (if any) of the Program, including examples of how long it would take to lose your entire Bankroll during an extended losing streak. Read more about this in each chapter on an individual System. Related terms in this Glossary: Bankroll, Personal Betting Bankroll, Program, Proof, System. End of the Road System A simple System for betting NHL games that features just 1 rule: If a team is playing 3 games in 4 days (or 4 games in 6 days) and the final game of that scenario is on the road, then you bet against that team on the moneyline. Read more about this in Chapter 15, “Sport by Sport Betting Strategies.” Related terms in this Glossary: Program, System. Follow-up Parlay Bet After winning a bet in The 2-16 and 2-18 Consecutive Wins Systems, the subsequent wager you make by parlaying the original bet amount plus your profits into a second wager in an attempt to win 2 consecutive bets and close out the Series. Read more about this in Chapters 6 and 7. Related terms in this Glossary: Primary Series Amount, Program, System. Formula

In each of my Systems, the process used to set the individual Series Amounts that make up a Series. Read more about this in the chapter on each System. Related terms in this Glossary: Program, Series, Series Amounts, System. Goal The individual objective of each of my 12 Money-Management Programs. Read more about this in the chapter on each System. Related terms: Program, System. Level In The 4-Level Accumulation System, the 4 groups of wager amounts, which increase as you lose and decrease as you win back losses. Read more about this in Chapter 5. Related terms in this Glossary: Program, Recoup Numbers, System, Trigger Numbers. Monthly-Income Goal The total “salary” you desire to make in the Straight Wager and/or the Parlay Versions of The Set Monthly-Income System. Read more about this in Chapters 14 and 15. Related terms in this Glossary: Program, System. Opposite Saver Parlay The 3-team parlay wager you lay on the opposite outcomes of your daily plays in The Straight + Saver System, in order to cover any losses should you go 0 wins and 3 losses on any given day. Read more about this in Chapter 8. Related terms in this Glossary: Program, System.

Personal Betting Bankroll Synonymous with Bankroll. The amount of cash you have on hand, in the bank or in online sportsbook accounts with which to wager. Your Bankroll should be no more than 50% of your monthly Total Disposable Income after all bills are paid if you have it available in cash, or no more than 25% of your Total Disposable Income after all personal expenses are paid if you are betting every week with what’s left of your paycheck. Read more about this in Chapter 2, “Setting and Building Your Bankroll.” Related terms in this Glossary: Bankroll, Series Amount, Total Disposable Income. Primary Series Amount Each of the primary 8 or 9 wager amounts in a Series in The 2-16 or 2-18 Consecutive Wins Systems, followed up with a Follow-up Parlay Bet if you win the wager. Read more about this in Chapters 6 and 7. Related terms in this Glossary: Follow-up Parlay Bet, Program, System. Program Synonymous with System. Each of my dozen techniques -- based on proven mathematical certainties and carefully calculated Series -- for managing your gambling so that you not only build but protect your Personal Betting Bankroll. Read more about each Program in the chapters on each System. Related terms in this Glossary: Bankroll, Personal Betting Bankroll, Series, System. Proof The section of each chapter on an individual System devoted to proving the Program’s ability to build and protect your Bankroll by providing examples with actual wagers and outcomes. Read more about this is each chapter on an individual System. Related terms in this Glossary: Bankroll, Crunching the Numbers, Personal Betting Bankroll, Program, System.

Recoup Numbers In The 4-Level Accumulation System, the preset units or dollars that you win and thus alert you to move back down a Level to lower-priced bets. Read more about this in Chapter 5. Related terms in this Glossary: Level, Program, System, Trigger Numbers. Rules In each chapter on an individual System, the step-by-step instructions that explain in complete detail how to make wagers and manage your money using the Program. Read more about this in the chapter devoted to each System. Related terms in this Glossary: Crunching the Numbers, Program, Proof, System. Rushing Supremacy System A bonus Program I’ve included in this book for betting on college football games, which become a “play” if they meet 3 simple rules: The favorite is giving away no more than 21 points; one team averages 100 yards or more rushing than its opponent does; and the team that holds a 100yard rushing advantage also allows fewer yards rushing than its opponent, on average. Read more about this in Chapter 16, “Sport by Sport Betting Strategies.” Related terms in this Glossary: Program, System. Series The preset and/or pre-calculated numbers in each System that represent either the amounts you are wagering and/or the amounts you want to win. Each of your Series is either determined for you or by your using one of my Formulas unique to each of my 12 Money-Management Programs. Read more about this in the chapters on each System. Related terms in this Glossary: Actual Wager Amount, Formula, Program, Series Amount, Series Total, System. Series Amount A single dollar figure in any given Series that you either wager or wish to win, depending on the System. Each of your Series Amounts is generally pre-calculated for you or by you, using one of my Formulas, as part of a betting Series unique to each of my 12 Money-Management Programs. Read more about this in the chapters on each System. Related terms in this Glossary: Formula, Program, Series, Series Total, System. Series Total In The Set Monthly-Income System, the money you want to win at least 4 times in a month so that you meet or exceed your Monthly-Income Goal. Read more about this in Chapters 14 and 15. Related terms in this Glossary: Monthly-Income Goal, Program Series, Series Amount, System. Set-Up What you need to know about both the Series and odds used in each System chapter’s examples. Read more about this in the chapters on each of the individual Systems. Related terms in this Glossary: Program, Series, System. Signal Result In The Baseball Streaks System, either the first win after a loss for a team you’re looking to ride on long win streaks, or the first loss after a win for a team you’re looking to ride on long losing streaks. These Signal Results alert you to start betting, allowing you to catch a team as it enters either a winning or a losing streak. Read more about this in Chapter 9. Related terms in this Glossary: Program, System. System

Synonymous with Program. Each of my 12 Money-Management Programs -- based on proven mathematical certainties and carefully calculated Series -- for managing your gambling so that you not only build but protect your Personal Betting Bankroll Read more about each System in the chapters on each Program. Related terms in this Glossary: Bankroll, Personal Betting Bankroll, Program, Series. Tips Suggestions included with each System’s chapter to help you maximize your profits and manage your Series. Read each chapter on an individual Program to make sure you gain every advantage over your bookie. Related terms in this Glossary: Program, Rules, Series, System. Trigger Numbers In The 4-Level Accumulation System, the preset units or dollars that you must lose that alert you to move up a Level to higher-priced bets. Read more about this in Chapter 5. Related terms in this Glossary: Level, Program, Recoup Numbers, System. Total Disposable Income The amount of money you personally have left over each week or month after any and all conceivable personal expenses (from the mortgage to the kids’ college fund) have been paid. Read more about this in Chapter 2, “Setting and Building Your Bankroll.” Related terms in this Glossary: Bankroll, Betting Blocks, Personal Betting Bankroll, Series Total.