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Originally Posted by Tom
What wild exaggerations?
Did Quinn make any in his books? Davidowitz? Beyer? Quirrin?
I would be hard pressed to name any books by reputable authors that make any such claims. I have found great value in ideas from these authors - and CJ and Dave and Niko - that I have taken and modified for my own style of play.
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Beyer exaggerated when he declared that his speed figures were "the way, the truth and the light". Quinn is the guy who, while unable to beat the game himself, states in his books that a 1.25 ROI is still possible for those who follow his handicapping advice. Dick Mitchell was the guy who considered the racetracks to be his own private ATM...where he could go to make a withdraw whenever he needed some extra money. I heard the words right out of his mouth...and I cringed. Of course...he subsequently gave up the game altogether...and went back to teaching math.
William L. Scott wrote three handicapping books, which were hailed for their profitability by some of the most popular handicapping authors of our game. Alas...those three books only enriched Mr. Scott. William Quirin was hired by a legendary gambler to do computer research on thoroughbred racing, to see if a computer system could be found to beat this game. The very same legendary gambler who hired Quirin has said in interviews that none of the systems that their research uncovered proved profitable after extensive testing...but this didn't stop Mr. Quirin from publishing his "highly profitable" findings on his own...while using scant testing. Not surprisingly...he too has given up on this game altogether.
In gambling...you can't take someone to a place where you've never been. You have to be a winning player YOURSELF...before you can presume to teach another player how to beat this game. And even then...you will probably not succeed in turning him into a winner. When it comes to gambling, the important things can't really be "taught" by another. They must be "self-taught"...in my opinion, at least.
