Ed Hawkins grew up around gambling. Instead of going to school, he followed his father, a horseracing journalist, around the courses of the UK. The frantic betting ring was his maths class and the press box, thick with the fug of cigarette smoke and expletives, his English lesson. While dad filed copy late on in to the night from some obscure racing outpost, the young Hawkins trawled the empty bookmaker pitches, searching for the errant fiver. From an early age he learnt that bookies never gave anything away. So when he found himself out of work after taking a misguided gamble on his career, he took another: by deciding to wager his way around the globe. Initially gambling his way across Australia meeting triumph and disaster - selling possessions when cash got tight in Melbourne after a disastrous night in one of the largest casinos in the world - with witty self-deprecation, Hawkins returns home relatively unscathed. However, the life of the Ordinary Joe soon has him twitching for the road again. Setting himself three challenges to see if he can get that life-changing win, the fun never runs out - unlike the funds. He embarrasses himself playing poker with Hollywood's finest at the World Series in Las Vegas, challenges world champion Phil Taylor to a game of darts, wastes dollars on rooster fighting with Britney Spears' babysitter in Louisiana and fleeces pensioners on planes. Hawkins tries anything to stay afloat, culminating in a trip to a Glasgow bingo hall to try to land the odds that stare back at him in the mirror after being diagnosed with a rare illness.
Sporting Chancer: One Man's Journey to Take On the World
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**Shortlisted for the Best New Writer at the 2012 British Sports Book Awards**
"Ed Hawkins, the raffish gambling "expert", if there is such a thing, and sometime contributor to this newspaper, has a book out. Shock news: it's not at all bad." --Evening Standard
"A hilarious solo journey of a dry-humoured Englishman trying to come to terms with the Australian psyche, out-of-control English cricket fans and the unique characteristics of the different places he visits whilst doing his best to reach his pre-trip target of betting winnings. This is a superb book and as ever with Ed, I'm anything but surprised." --Betfair
"Ed Hawkins, the raffish gambling "expert", if there is such a thing, and sometime contributor to this newspaper, has a book out. Shock news: it's not at all bad." --Evening Standard
"A hilarious solo journey of a dry-humoured Englishman trying to come to terms with the Australian psyche, out-of-control English cricket fans and the unique characteristics of the different places he visits whilst doing his best to reach his pre-trip target of betting winnings. This is a superb book and as ever with Ed, I'm anything but surprised." --Betfair
About the Author
Ed Hawkins has been a sportswriter for 14 years. He won the SJA Sports Betting Writer of the Year in 2011 and 2012, and has written for The Times, Guardian and Racing Post. He is best known for his work as a gambling journalist, sometimes making television and radio appearances, and is regarded as the best cricket tipster around. This is his third book having previously ghosted the autobiography of West Indies cricket legend Michael Holding, who he now pesters for racing tips. He lives in north London.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Mr Todd
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I found this to be a really interesting book on sports betting. The author is not only funny in recounting his travel tales but also informative about the specifics of betting. He goes into detail about spread betting in cricket which I also found interesting. Despite being a cricket fan from a young age I was unaware of this type of bet and thought naively that all you could bet on was whether a team won, lost or drew and who would be top run scorer/wicket taker.
I also enjoyed the book as it is about something I knew about namely the disasterous 2006-2007 Ashes series where Australia whitewashed England 5-0. However there are also bits about poker playing in Las Vegas, Cock Fighting in New Orleans and a visit to a Glaswegian Bingo Hall.
Another good thing about the book is that the author despite being a betting man differentiates between the hopeless souls you find in the bookmakers who have to have a bet on anything and everything and those who research the sport, trying to gain whatever edge they can over the bookmaker. He also talks about the perils of gambling and shows that behind every success story there are those people whose lives have been destroyed by it.
A good read for anyone interested in sports betting.
I also enjoyed the book as it is about something I knew about namely the disasterous 2006-2007 Ashes series where Australia whitewashed England 5-0. However there are also bits about poker playing in Las Vegas, Cock Fighting in New Orleans and a visit to a Glaswegian Bingo Hall.
Another good thing about the book is that the author despite being a betting man differentiates between the hopeless souls you find in the bookmakers who have to have a bet on anything and everything and those who research the sport, trying to gain whatever edge they can over the bookmaker. He also talks about the perils of gambling and shows that behind every success story there are those people whose lives have been destroyed by it.
A good read for anyone interested in sports betting.
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Anyone who has spent years trying to make a living out of betting will love reading this. The author tells a very amusing
tale of his travels in pursuit of the elusive big win, describing in detail some of his friends and acquaintances on the way.
One of the best value-for-money books I have purchased recently.
tale of his travels in pursuit of the elusive big win, describing in detail some of his friends and acquaintances on the way.
One of the best value-for-money books I have purchased recently.
By Les Beyan
Format:Paperback
spot on descriptions in this book. especially when he meets some bogan aussie guy. wow that guy sounds really racist, a drunk and quite possible mildly retarded. oh i bet he is fat too. spoooooner!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
embarrassingly bad
you're probably like me. i bought this book because i wanted to read about someone bucking the long-term odds by living by their wits, and somehow getting along by their sporting... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Biffer Spice
2.0 out of 5 stars
It's just not very interesting.
I've not got anything constructive to say. I found it a bit boring and found myself starting at the end of each chapter in an attempt to see if he won anything. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mr. Peter Davies
5.0 out of 5 stars
entertaining and funny throughout
Found this very entertaining and funny, a great account of what is a very ballsy idea, to live off gambling profits even for a few months, and Hawkins description of the ups and... Read more
Published 15 months ago by ADK1984
5.0 out of 5 stars
great concept
Just a great concept for a travel book. The demands Hawkins places on himself means he travels in the purest sense. Read more
Published 22 months ago by travelo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read for gamblers and non gamblers alike
I have long since been fascinated with everything to do with gambling: the industry, the psychology, the excitement and even the inevitable bouts of dispair. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Nick
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cracking read
I'm no gambler - my personality is way too addictive - but I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. Really enlightening on a world I knew little or nothing about. Read more
Published 22 months ago by simonh
5.0 out of 5 stars
fantastic read
This book is a great look into a life of gaming I wish I knew more about.
It is written in a casual manner which makes it easily accessible to someone like me, as well as, I'm... Read more
It is written in a casual manner which makes it easily accessible to someone like me, as well as, I'm... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mr Monty Monteith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cricket shops, video poker and thugs
Hats off to Ed Hawkins and Know The Score for writing and publishing this very off-beat book.
The story in brief: Ed Hawkins loses his job as a racing tipster. Read more
The story in brief: Ed Hawkins loses his job as a racing tipster. Read more
Published 23 months ago by P. S. Eade
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read!!
Loved this book, right from the start when he places the first bet on a greyhound at the Stow, to Singapore (try reading the "its more exciting with horses" article without... Read more
Published 23 months ago by gambling_man
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top Notch
The book was everything I thought it would be...plus more. Very well written with a fair bit of humour in it. Top work mate, Loved it.
Published 23 months ago by Andrew Fraser
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