Geoff Zochodne, Covers
How is Billy Walters still going? That’s the question I kept asking myself while reading his autobiography, “Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk,” which was written with journalist Armen Keteyian and is officially out today.
Even if you don’t factor in his legal troubles and beatings both mental and physical, Walters put himself through the wringer regularly just by how he chose to make his living: betting on sports. There are a lot of examples to choose from in his book, but how’s this: Walters, arguably one of the greatest sports gamblers of all-time, lost $1.185 million on the 2009 Super Bowl — by halftime.
While millions were amazed by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison’s iconic interception return before the break, Walters had plunked down $850,000 on the Arizona Cardinals +4 for the first half (among other things) and was seeing that cash go up in smoke as the Steelers went ahead 17-7.
“As the record-setting one-hundred-yard interception return for a touchdown unfolded on the TV screen in our Las Vegas home, Susan [Billy’s wife] and I could not believe that a 243-pound linebacker was traversing the entire length of a football field with my pretty money in his arms,” Walters writes.
But this is Billy Walters we’re talking about here. Instead of reacting like most mortals — filing for bankruptcy, dying of shock, etc. — Walters’ handicapping (and he explains his methods in the book) had him expecting a tight game, and he’d wagered $1.5 million on the outcome accordingly. The 27-23 win for Pittsburgh netted him $315,000 for the day, even with the first-half massacre.
That’s just one of several “war stories” Walters tells in “Gambler,” which could have easily been titled “The Rise and Fall and Rise of Billy Walters (Ad Infinitum)” given its chronicling of his failures and successes, business, personal, and otherwise.
While he is now a certified legend of sports betting, Walters did not travel a straight line to get there. Billy’s book shows he was at times someone who could be flush by dinner, broke by breakfast, and on his way back up by lunchtime. That wagering happened at casinos, sports betting sites, the stock market, and golf courses.
“I gambled until I had all your money, or you had all of mine,” Walters writes.
Rest is here…
