I’ve always admired Dave Nevison.
In fact, he was one of the first modern-day professional gamblers I found interesting. That was much to do with his publications which told of incredible stories of gambling illustrated with wisdom, humour and living life on the edge.
Nevison, originally from Halifax, West Yorkshire, got the gambling bug from his grandfather.
If you haven’t read any of his books then you will be delighted at the stories told.
A Bloody Good Winner: Life as a Professional Gambler was published by Highdown in June 2008. It was written in association with award winning writer David Ashworth who helped crafted a touch of magic within these prose.
It tells the story of Nevison taking the plunge as a professional gambler in 1993. In fact, it was his wife who encouraged him to follow his dream after becoming disillusioned working in the City specialising in foreign exchange and futures trading. With a redundancy package and savings, he had a betting bank of £50,000 to take on the bookmakers. His journey of backing horses for a living was ultimately a roller-coaster ride full of highs and lows. This book is a delightful mix of gambling, humour and a frank account of a betting man who beat the bookies at their own game.
His second book No Easy Money: A Gambler’s Diary published later that year by the Racing Post (2008) detailed a contrasting story of gambling with a no holds barred account of his life on the road travelling to racecourses around the country. The story begins at the start of the 2008 Cheltenham Festival and concludes with the final Flat meeting of the year, the St Leger. His aim was to make 1 million. But did he win or lose? It’s a story of high emotion and ups and downs. A gritty read.
After almost two decades of professional gambling, Nevison started work with Racing TV in 2005 as a Horseracing Television Presenter, Pundit & Columnist. His expert knowledge, relaxed approach and humour, has made him one of the leading hosts on the show.
In recent years, he has suffered from ill health related to diabetes which has seen him wheelchair bound.
He continues his work and very much a punter’s pal.
Other gambling books worth a read include:
Alex Bird: The Life and Secrets of a Professional Punter (1986)
Be A Successful Punter: With Fineform as Your Guide (1988)
Bull: The Biography (1995)
Against The Crowd: The Methods of a Modern Backer (1995)
Enemy Number One: The Secret of the UK’s Most Feared Professional Punter (2010)
The Sure Thing: The Greatest Coup in Horse Racing History (2015)
Gambling for Life: Harry Findlay (2017)
Dave’s twitter account: https://twitter.com/nevisondave