Squares and Sharps, Suckers and Sharks

People have been gambling, in one form or another, for as long as history itself. Why? Money, entertainment, escape and a desire to win are all traditional explanations. Arguably, however, these are secondary considerations to a higher order purpose: a craving for control. Gambling offers a means of gaining authority over the unknown, granting us a sense of control over uncertainty. Almost always that sense is illusory - gambling, including betting and investing, is essentially random - yet for many it is nonetheless profoundly rewarding. This book attempts to explore the reasons why. Along the way, it examines: - The science of probability and uncertainty - Why gambling is often condemned - The difference between expectation and utility - The irrationality of human beings - Evolutionary perspectives on gambling - Luck and skill - Market efficiency and the wisdom of crowds - Why winners take all - Cheating - Why the process matters more than the outcome

For 20 years, Joseph Buchdahl has worked as a betting analyst, providing historical sports data and betting odds through his websites Football-Data.co.uk and Tennis-Data.co.uk. He is the author of Fixed Odds Sports Betting, How to Find a Black Cat in a Coal Cellar, Squares & Sharps, Suckers and Sharks and Monte Carlo or Bust published by High Stakes Publishing, and has been a regular contributor for the online sportsbook Pinnacle, with over 60 betting-related articles. He continues to tweet regularly via 12Xpert.