Issue 59
October 23 - 29, 2001
Volume 2
page 3
 

Buzz Daly's Player's Guide To Sports Books
A Mighty Package of Information

By Howard Schwartz

For months people have been asking for it and when it finally arrived at Gambler's Book Club in mid-September, half the shipment was gone. BUZZ DALY'S PLAYER'S GUIDE TO SPORTS BOOKS (128 pages, magazine, $7.99) could have sold at twice the price with no griping by appreciative customers. I hope all players will recognize the time and effort Daly put into this eighth annual edition, so to elucidate for those who aren't familiar with this work, let's get down to business, see what it contains and you'll understand my enthusiasm for the product:

Daly lists (in alphabetical order) five dozen of the Las Vegas sports books and tells you their address, phone, the name of the director and the location of the facility in the casino. He follows with hours of operation, the number of betting windows, how many seats are available to players, whether there's a no-smoking section, how many TV screens there are and whether phone accounts are available. At what time are the lines posted? He lists betting limits for sides and totals for colleges and pros, what day parlays cards are available and whether Monday night game promotions exist. He also answers questions such as: Does the sports book offer halftime bets or first-half bets?

Hungry? Wonder where the nearest food is available or whether drinks are free or how far the nearest restroom is? Want to know where to park or whether to choose valet? Daly lists it all, including a final section where he comments on items such as catering to locals or if there's a particular "atmosphere" a player might enjoy; the "friendly" factor and other conveniences ("cash your winning ticket any ANY Leroy's location").

The hard-working Daly supplies the reader with a package of information on offshore gaming, profiling some operations while interviewing those who operate others. There's a nice tribute to the late great linemaker supreme Bob Martin who passed away in March.

Another marvelous one-of-a-kind section concentrates on offshore operations. Here, Daly and staff profile 47 operations, from ABC Islands to Wager World Wide, in the following categories: Licensed by whom (usually the country or countries listed), year founded, toll-free number, local number, whether live customer service is offered, their internet address and email address.

For each sportsbook, you can quickly see the account-opening procedures (including whether a credit card, bank check or Western Union wire is acceptable) and the payouts, which include minimum and maximum bets allowed by phone and via the Internet.

Are money lines, first half bets or halftime bets offered? What about "if" bets? Daly tells you if you can bet "reverses" and if "action points" are available. Next he tells if horse racing wagers are available, what kind of baseball line is established and what day football lines are posted. If special promotions exist (like 7-point teasers or signup bonuses for example), they're listed.

Those interested in "referral bonuses" will find out how they're rewarded, and the comments section can be enlightening if you wonder if an establishment merged with another of there's no "juice" certain days or even if "cross-sport" parlays are available.

A final section for each operation tells you if the establishment has an online casino and what games are offered, what the website is, if the casino and sportsbook are integrated, the category of software with the site involved and comments which include telling you "download not required."

As he's done in past editions, the tireless Daly supplies bettors with timesaving chart, designed for easy reference in alpha order from the Aladdin to the Wild Wild West in Las Vegas. These charts show for example, Off the Board Parlays offered by each sports book. What is the minimum bet and how many days do you have to collect (the deadline)? It varies from 30 days to 120 days believe it or not. What are the odds on 2/2

up to 8/8? There are no changes for two or three teamers, but variations show for four and five-teamers on up.

Of parlay cards, Daly tells you where ties win or lose, the minimum and maximum bets and how many days you have to collect should you bet an out of town visitor or a slow person to cash in. Daly lists payoffs from a three- team parlay card up to an 11-teamer, and here you'll find many variations from five teamers on up. Those who like to play 15-team parlays cards will also find "who pays off what."

The same type of information is available for those who enjoy off-the-board teasers and teaser cards plus super/mega teaser cards. There's a chart of reverse, mini and advantage teaser cards along with Sunday and Monday night parlays cards, with the types of betting props offered. On the latter cards, ties always lose. It's nice to know anyway, before making dozens of phone calls or running all over the city looking for an edge.

Daly includes a package of handicapping articles within the magazine, which should assist both the beginner and "new idea" seeker.

Overall, there is as much value in this magazine-reference guide as in any product I've seen in two decades at Gambler's Book Shop. It took much patience, many a phone call, fax, email and letters to compile this gem. Appreciate it and use it properly and you'll recognize what a quality product it is.

The magazine is available at Gambler's Book Shop, 630 South 11th St., Las Vegas, NV 89101. You may order it for $7.99 plus $6.50 postage for priority mail from the store by calling 1-800-522-1777 from 9 to 5 Pacific Time, Mon.-Sat. Use MasterCard, VISA or Discover cards only, no American Express. You may order online at www.gamblersbook.com anytime or mail a check or money order to the store or use a credit card, including your expiration date. The store has a free catalog of books, software and videos for you. Just ask and it will be sent. Or view the catalog online on the store's website.

Check Out The World's
Largest Online Casino -

Casino On Net!


They now offer a special 20% BONUS
on your first deposit !!


Survivor II Slot Tournament

Sands Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, NJ
November 30 - December 2, 2001
Registration: $1,000
Total prizes $500,000!

Call 800-257-8580 for more information

$50,000 Live Blackjack Tournament
Jackpot Junction, Morton, MO
October 27-28, 2001
Registration: $200
First place gets $10,000!

Call 507-644-3000 for more information


16th Annual VIP Slot Tournament
Casino at Bahamia, Grand Bahamia Island
November 1-4, 2001
Total prizes $20,000!

Call 888-432-2294 for more information

Twilight Zone Slot Tournament
Colorado Belle Casino, Laughlin, NV
November 15-16, 2001
Registration: $350
First place wins $10,000!

Call 877-480-2747 for more information

Tell us what you think about our newsletter.
Copyright © 2000-2001 Casino City. All rights reserved
Casino City is a trademark of CasinoPromote.com. Please read our Disclaimer of Warranty