"Professional Play"

[grahors]

Just bought some oldish newsletters written by Bert Norman called "professional Play" on E Bay. They are kind of neat and interesting...useful..?????
Time will tell ( I will play with them).
There is one play I am looking for info on (the newsletters aren't a complete set). It is called the Excel X play. Can any Norman fans give me an idea on this one. The newsletter mentioned it and I am assuming it was discussed in an issue that wasn't in the set.
Thanks,
Cecil

[JackS]

I purchased a lot of Norman's stuff back in the early 80's and found the methods he used to be profitable.
The thing I really like about BN was the "now" implimentation of his methods versus other tomes that may be equally up to the task of succesful handicapping but leave the reader to design his own methods using this info.
For quick no nonsence how- to, Very tough to beat anything written by Bert Norman IMO.
I've probably read Excell-X but can't remember. The Professional Play publications are profitable and should be considered a minor treasure.
If you find anything in these little four or five page papers that seem to be slightly out-dated, you might attempt a personal upgrade or you could attempt to use them as-is. Great find.

[Lefty]

I remember Excel X being a software prgm and I bght it eons ago. Manual entry back then, and as I remember it didn't even use the finish call, but still did pretty good.

[andicap]

IF the Bert Norman books were profitable, why would anyone NOT use them?
Unless you're style of play is even more profitable. Man, I'd put that book in a safe deposit box.

I'm skeptical of anything titled "Professional Play ..." It's a marketing gimmick nothing more. Does Bert Norman (or rather DID) play the hroses professinally?
I had his QUick Key handicapping book a long time ago and it definitely wasn't profitable.

[JackS]

Andi- Norman never wrote a book to my knowledge, he had the typical spiral bound "method" publications which were of some value and which I would let the reader decide on their worth.
The "spirals" I would rank as only OK and in truth do not seem to even be written by Norman, at least much of the content seems to be written by someone else. Even the spiral "The Best of Bert Norman" does not seem to me to be total Bert Norman.
Norman, like other method sellers had several methods he sold and like other method sellers, was in this business to make money.
The real value in Norman's pubs came in his weekly(?) newsletters and his (by subscription only), Pro Play. Snipits of his methods do appear in his method books but seem to be much less co-hesive when intertwined with what some may call "junk".
Although I wouldn't describe anything in his pubs as junk, I do think much of this stuff had little or no value. But, this was my opinion, someone else may have a completly different view.
After all this said, I'm still going to reccommend anything wriiten or produced by Bert Norman.

[Jeep]

I've got a 1980 soft cover book called WINNING, Quick-Figure-Handicapping. 108 pages, author is Bert Norman

[JackS]

Jeep- Opps, forgot that one. I guess he did write a book or two. Small, soft cover I believe.
Something I didn't mention about Norman's math. He did make many mathimatical errors during his pen and paper calculations so these have got to be overlooked. Bert was a older man and his readers if reasonable, understood. Many of his calculations didn't impact the outcome, but some did.