"Welcome to the crazy world of the Reality TV gambler."
Chuckling my way through the early chapters of Rob Furber’s The Gambler, I was on the lookout for warnings of terrible things to come: a sobering tale of addiction, loneliness, the inevitable downfall of a chancer. Not at all. What unravelled instead was a love story fuelled by the rollercoaster career of a trader — except in this story the trader isn’t playing the stock exchange, he’s turning up at, among other things, Eurovision Song Contest rehearsals. And the rollercoaster he’s riding sounds like a whole load of fun… if you know what you’re doing.
Furber rides the wave of TV gambling that surged when reality shows took off, coinciding neatly with the rise of online platforms such as Betfair — the mechanics of which he explains in great detail. He’s a genius, basically, at analysing the scraps of information available to those willing to dig: back stories, public opinions, journey patterns. All the tiny tells that make up contestants funnelled through the machines of X Factor, Strictly, Big Brother and the like. But it is Eurovision where he really makes his money, and the strange gambling underbelly that surrounds this annual extravaganza is as fascinating as it is unexpected.
Of course, the loneliness of the long-odds fixer eventually creeps in. Furber reaches out to Russia, of all places, in an effort to find love. This, too, is a gamble — and it takes him on an extraordinary detour to Moscow, where he meets Anya and embarks on a culture-clash romance that might, just might, alter the odds of his life.
In the end, The Gambler isn’t a playbook for how to get rich on reality TV betting (thank goodness). It’s an autobiography, told through the lens of odds and wagers, with enough honesty to show both the highs and the duvet-over-the-head lows. Gambling remains a risky, volatile way to make a living, but Furber proves that with self-control, sharp analysis and sheer nerve, it can be as rewarding — if not quite as ordinary — as any other form of self-employment. And what makes his story so compelling is that it plays out in a world we all recognise: the glow of our TV screens, the shows we half-watch on a Saturday night, and the dramas we never imagined could carry such high stakes.
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
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The weird, wacky and wonderful betting exploits of an unconventional gambler who takes the biggest risk of his life to give up his day job and try to make a living on chance.
The Gambler reveals the highs and lows, the joy and despair, and the sheer lunacy of someone willing to risk it all on the most outlandish outcomes, from betting on the winner of Eurovision and Strictly to whether a pair of pandas might mate.
As a pioneer in the field of TV betting, Rob thinks he has uncovered the path to untold riches, winning big on Strictly Come Dancing, X Factor, Eurovision – you name it.
While millions sat on their sofas watching and wondering who might win or who’d be evicted from their favourite shows that week, Rob would be working out the odds, checking his formulas and gambling big.
With similarities to international bestseller Moneyball and Harry Findlay’s Gambling For Life: The Man Who Won Millions And Spent Every Penny, Rob’s book takes readers into the fascinating world of TV gambling and beyond.
Surviving the nerve-jangling moments waiting and watching to see if his luck was in or if he’d be on the breadline that week, Rob honed his skills over years to seem almost psychic.
And he didn’t stop at TV, branching out to take a chance gambling on everything from the mating habits of pandas in a zoo to whether a superstar will sing with their top off on stage.
But he soon discovers that cleaning up with the bookies comes at a huge cost. With his trading exploits taking over his every waking thought, and creating a life of desolate solitude
Robinson Crusoe would be proud of, he fears his obsessive pursuit of the golden ticket is poised to end unhappily, in lonely bachelorhood.
So he decides to take his longest shot yet – heading off into the wilds of provincial Russia, with dreams of a James Bond-style tryst with a mystery woman who could yet turn out to be a vodka-drinking scammer aiming to fleece him out of house and home.
Detailing the often weird and downright wacky investments Rob makes over two decades of betting, The Gambler reveals the roller coaster world of someone willing to risk it all on the most outlandish outcomes, including when it comes to seeking romance.
Quirky, irreverent and authentic, this is a deeper tale about adventure, taking a leap of faith, and seeking to beat the odds.
The Gambler features in the following genres: Biographies & Autobiographies, Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure, Biography: arts and entertainment, Gambling: theories and methods, Biography, Literature and Literary studies, Biography: general, Biography: arts and entertainment, Hobbies, quizzes and games, Gambling: theories and methods
The Gambler is available in Paperback
The Gambler was written by Rob Furber and published by Reach plc
The Gambler has 288 pages
£8.99
