Vol. 4, No.9, September 2008
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Reverse mob hit
How random and momentum-oriented is football handicapping? A book titled Gig highlights people who work various jobs throughout the United States. One interviewee was an anonymous mob leader who booked football bets and made about half a million dollars a year. He had all the angles covered, until facing the bettor who nearly broke him.
The novice better was slamming the bookie, hitting percentages like 8-of-9. The bookie was blasted for several weeks on expensive bets. The worried mob figure thought the games were fixed. They were not. He believed the novice bettor had inside information, which was untrue.
Then he found the answer. The “hot” bettor worked in a kitchen with a mentally disabled colleague. For some reason, perhaps a gesture of friendship, he let the friend make all his picks. Then he bankrolled the selections.
His friend became absurdly hot for one reason. He looked at a pre-printed NFL schedule, which carried the helmets of each team. All he did was point to the brightest one.
That’s how a streak of luck nearly bankrupted an illegal bookmaking operation. Who says this isn’t rocket science?
