I would describe Barry Meadow as a master of all crafts, particularly when it comes to wagering. Not only is he an exceptional horse race handicapper and blackjack expert, but he is also a renowned author who primarily writes about wagering.
Meadow has published scores of books based on his wagering experiences, for which he has received numerous accolades due to the exceptional insight and extraordinary advice that his books frequently provide. Meadow has over thirty years of experience as a professional gambler, and he continues to earn a living through wagering.
A Professional Gambler’s Life
Meadow served in the Vietnam War and, upon his return, began his professional wagering career in Las Alamitos, California. Little else is known about Meadow’s past. Because he specialized in wagering on harness races, he had the most success there. Meadow devoted five years of his life to learning about harness racing by traveling throughout Nevada to observe numerous harness races.
Following his discharge from the Navy, he worked as a harness handicapper for Armstrong Daily and then as the editor of American Turf Monthly.
Later, he taught tennis in New York for six years before relocating to California to become a television writer.
In the 1980s, Meadow began attending harness races at Hollywood Park and Los Alamitos and began to gamble professionally. After five years of harness racing, he converted to thoroughbreds, where he twice struck the select 6 for more than $100,000 (not slots) at the thoroughbred races. He played the thoroughbreds every day until his retirement in 2011.
During this time, he frequently traveled to Nevada to play blackjack in order to supplement his income, and he also participated in online casinos due to the generous incentives they used to offer.
Meadow would spend his free time on the weekends playing cash games and testing out all the new games available at nearby casinos. During his five-year journey, Meadow won the jackpot of one hundred thousand dollars not once, but twice while playing slot machines, demonstrating his extraordinary good fortune.
Meadow is the Writer
Meadow was now able to establish his own company, TR Publishing, which published The Trot Report, a weekly publication focused on harness racing. Meadow intended to use this organization to publish the novels he was currently composing.
In 1967, he published his first book, Success at the Harness Races.
In 1987, he penned “Professional Harness Betting,” which is often regarded as one of Barry Meadow’s finest works, and it is the first time he reveals specifics about the five years he spent watching harness races and betting exclusively. This book was written in the form of a journal in which he recounts his daily experiences and offers advice so that his readers can learn from his errors.
The following year, Meadow published “Money Secrets at the Racetrack,” a book that focuses on good money management while wagering on horseracing and provides a detailed look at the odds and overlays that one must comprehend to be a successful bettor.