Until
Jack Molinas, Ralph Beard and Alex Groza were the only players ever
to be banned from pro basketball for gambling. So goes the story of
Molinas, in Charley Rosen's new book on the athlete, murdered in the
1970s. Titled THE WIZARD OF ODDS (428 pages, hardbound,
$27.95), it is one of three new arrivals of interest to gamblers at
Gambler's Book Shop. (The other two are SPORTS TALK
(A Journey Inside the World of Sports Talk Radio) by Alan Eisenstock
(265 pages, hardbound, $25) and DICE ILLUSTRATED by
Thomas Michaels (187 pages, paperbound, $19.95).
 Molinas,
a world-class athlete, lawyer, and stock market expert was also a
big-time gambler and fixer, a double and triple-crosser and a loan
shark.
The book's opening sets the pace:
"Jack Molinas was at the top of his game. Only a rookie with
the Fort Wayne Pistons, he was already a certified NBA All-Star who
could score whenever he wanted to. Moreover, he was an Ivy League
graduate with a genius-level 175 IQ. Rich, handsome, young charismatic,
Molinas was irresistible to women. Ah, but Molinas could also lie
with a sweet, buoyant smile, and he had a flair for larceny-he'd much
rather swindle two bits from somebody than earn an honest dollar.
Not even Molinas could guess how much money he'd gained by conspiring
with gamblers to fix ballgames in high school, college and in the
pros."
There have been other books about Molinas, but this one draws on numerous
first-person accounts (including Molinas' own journal), trial transcripts
and more than 100 interviews.
Too, this is a history of college and pro basketball in its years
of innocence-the 1940s and 50s, when Molinas, an extraordinary player
with skills beyond most opponents, played against the likes of Sandy
Koufax, who went on to star as a super hurler for the Dodgers and
Lou Gossett, of Hollywood fame on the half courts of Brooklyn schoolyards.
 Eisenstock's
SPORTS TALK offers the reader a front-row seat, behind-the-scenes
look at a dozen sports talk show hosts and their unique "shtick"
at home, in the studio and paints a picture the fans never see. One
section focuses on Las Vegan "Papa Joe" Chevalier. His real
first name is Armand and he was 52 when the author interviewed him.
Papa Joe is a former surveillance person in a Las Vegas casino (12
years on the job). He explains how he got his nickname (keyed to a
song by a group called the Dixie Belles).
Other featured include Arnie Spanier; Eddie Andelman; Mike North;
Mike and the Mad Dog; John Renshaw; JT The Brick. The book is not
illustrated, something that would have helped identify these unique,
energetic individuals. |
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DICE ILLUSTRATED, author Tom Michaels, offers the
beginner an intricate and well illustrated (many examples) of the
game. His focus is on gradually explaining the game to the beginner
with a multitude of questions. The various bets are shown, keyed
to the layout, with odds, percentages explained.
There are, for
example, sections devoted to propositions, hardways, number bets,"
odds to flat ratios" and virtually every conceivable wager.
The book is indexed and there's a valuable glossary of terms used
in the industry to help the novice comprehend the inside language
of dealers and players.
Any book mentioned is available
from Gambler's Book Shop (Gambler's Book Club), located at 630 South
11th St., Las Vegas NV 89101. Call 1-800-522-1777 from 9 to 5 Pacific
time Mon.-Sat to order and use MasterCard, VISA or Discover card.
No American Express. Or order via the store's web site at www.gamblersbook.com,
where the entire store catalog can be viewed. There are 1,000 books,
videos and computer software programs listed in 30 different categories.
You may ask for a hard copy of the 80-page catalog via the website
or by calling or writing.
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