Product Description

Who's going to win the next UK general election? Who's going to be the next US president? The next president of France? You probably have an opinion, but are you willing to put money on it? In this unique new book, Mike Smithson, the man behind politicalbetting.com, takes a detailed look at the world of political gambling - from the basics of how and where to gamble to the characteristics of the main markets and the forms of betting available. The hard fact that usually only the bookmakers win in the end and the gamblers usually lose applies to the body of all punters, but it is clear that over time the performance of some punters is greater than others and those with good political skills and an understanding of how betting markets operate can and do make money. The objective of this book is to assist readers to become part of that group and to enjoy themselves at the same time! The latter is an important element. For many the great satisfaction of betting on political outcomes is not just the money but the pleasure of being proved right. Anybody can have an opinion about a political outcome. The gambler has put money behind it and winning is a way of validating your judgment. For those who already bet on political matters, the book includes a number of case histories where it is hoped that the lessons of the past might be helpful for the future. The explanations of the mechanics of different forms of betting and a wide range of betting options should also make you feel more confident to try new things. For non-gamblers with a keen interest in politics, the book will provide enough background to allow you to dabble a bit and to get a better feel about possible political outcomes by understanding how those who are backing their opinions with cash are actually thinking. For people who gamble and would like to know more about political betting, the book will provide an information platform so that you can be more confident about risking your money in a new arena. Covering everything from the basic mechanics of the betting process, through the critical decision making processes required to make those bets and the best places to look for information, this is a must-read for anyone wanting to take a punt on politics.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #160414 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 200 pages

Review
"Mike Smithson is the God of Political Betting. His disciples scan his website every day hoping for a juicy morsel from the Great Man. This book brings political betting to the masses. Maybe even betting virgins like me will be able to benefit from it." -- Iain Dale "Iain Dale Blog"

About the Author
Mike Smithson is the founder of the highly regarded blog, www.politicalbetting.com For 13 years, he was a journalist with BBC News, and was part of the team in the mid-1970s that handled the first Broadcasting of Parliament experiment. This was followed by regular stints at Westminster. In 1977, Mike ousted Denis McShane (who went on to become a Labour Foreign Office Minister), as National Executive member for the UK's Radio and TV journalists at the National Union of Journalists. Mike was a founder member of the Liberal Democrats and stood for Parliament at the 1992 General Election. He was elected twice as a County Councillor in Bedfordshire and has also been a Borough Councillor in Bedford. For the last fifteen years, he has worked as a university fundraiser and was the Director of Development at the LSE, Cambridge, and Oxford universities - and now has the same role at the University of York. In April 2007, he moves to the Open University.

Customer Reviews

An excellent guide for beginner and expert
As a former Parliamentary candidate now running the website Political Betting, Mike Smithson knows a thing or too about betting on politics. This informative guide covers a wide remit, from the history of betting on politics in the early days, some famous incidents bet upon, what markets are available and how the various ways of betting operate. Drawing on his own experience of betting, Smithson is able to highlight some tips for success in this unique area of gambling. The book is up to the minute too, with sections on the US Presidential election, and the next UK General Election.

If you are interested in politics, it's a great and incisive read, and if you are a punter, either novice or experienced, it's a wonderful, and utterly unique textbook.

Not bad, but not much substance for seasoned punters.
The Good:

* Entertaining and informative anecdotes about betting market developments in previous elections and leadership contests.
* Analysis of the various pollsters, highlighting their stengths, weaknesses and accuracy.


The Bad:

* The book is quite short, and given this limited space, too much is devoted to explaining the various means of placing a bet. This is basic factual information to which nothing is added, it would have been better just to refer readers to the Betfair help guide for example.
* Despite showing a good deal of knowledge on critically evaluating the various information sources, when it comes to advice for leadership elections for a given party for example, it is far too simplistic - along the lines of "bet on the favourite, they always seem to win the race for this party".

The author seems very much to be someone who is interested in politics that has moved into betting, rather than the other way round. If you wish to do the same then this book is probably a good buy. However if you are already familiar with betting exhanges, spread betting and bookmakers you may feel there's not enough new information for you.