Evening star., 1938-01-04
RATESU. s. AS TOP
GAMBL|NGNAT|ON
Bridge and Golf Have Made
1t SO, Declares Doyle,
Wizard Bookie.
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

n YEW YORK, Jan. Jack Doyle.
nj who by sort of divine right
" sets the betting odds for every
important sports event in the
country. says golf and contract bridge
have made America the greatest Ma
ton of gamblers in the worldd.
Mostly because of golf and con-
tract, he says, more money will be
bet on the outcome of next summers
heavyweight brawl between Joe Louis
and Max Schmeling than on any
single event in sports history. Mr..
Doyle likes to take in plenty OF ter
rltory when he talks.
Il haven't got the time" he said.
but somebody could write a book on
the growth of gambling in this coun-
try IN my time. 1t has been phenom-
enal, and golf and contract bridge are
responsible. Not, you understand,
that I'm complaining.
Back 80 or 40 years ago the only
ones who did any real gambling
around this town were professionals,
or what was known at that time as
hot sports. Now the fathers and
sons are out playing golf for dollar
hole and mama is dug in at bridge
table at a cent a point. Everybody
bets on something or other"
Makes Schmeling Favorite.
DOYLE. who retired recently from
the active operation Of his famous
billiard academy in order to devote
himself to more important things,
isn't guessing about the magnitude of
the money that will be wagered on
Joe and Max. He's already being
asked for prices, and he makes the
German slight favorite to regain the
title.
Il picked him to knock out Louis
between the tenth and fifteenth
rounds the last time. and I don't
see any reason for changing it," he
said. He looks as safe as the
Yankees and Don Bulge to me-
When Doyle, after a little quick
mental calculation, sets the prices on
a dozen varieties of sports that will
be accepted as gospel from Browns
vile to Bangor, he isn't taking any,
oodys word for it, incidentally. He
doesn't rely on the sports pages for
his information. He goes out and
gets it himself, and at 81 he is per-
haps the countrys top sports fan.
Il love every kind of sport there is,v
he admits. Il guess I've seen more
sports events than any man living.
and I get just as much kick out of
boat race as do big boxing match.
Now that I'm out Of the poolroom
entirely, won't miss anything much"
Wrong on One Bowl Game.
A NV one with aspirations to become
a betting commissioner could do
no better than sit at Doyle's feet. All
at once the cloak of mystery slides
off the whole business. In order to
call them right with at least a profit
able degree of consistency. it's only
necessary to know everything, per-
sonally, and to remember 1t.
Doyle's amazing capacity in this
respect was revealed in a discussion
of the approaching baseball cam
paigns. Seemingly he knows the rec
ords and characteristics of every player
in the major leagues. Such Is his
reputation for honesty that the man
ayers are not afraid to be his close
friends publicly. He Is no stranger to
the players benches.
The only time Doyle can recall hav-
ing been seriously caught out on a
limb was when he established poor
old Primo Camera, then the heavy
weight champion. sterling favorite
over Maximilian Baer. Max knocked
Primo loose from his ankles.
Don't let that give you any ideas,
though. One Of the surest methods
Of not growing rich. Broadway has
discovered, is to buck Doyle's pre-
dictions. He went wrong on only one
Of the bowl games-Santa Claras 60
win over Louisiana State.