Lay the Favorite is a highly entertaining gambling memoir by Beth Raymer. Beth moved to Las Vegas hoping to become a scriptwriter, but then became a bookie instead.
The story in this one begins in Las Vegas, where Beth is waiting tables at a Thai restaurant. One of her customers tells her get a job at Dink Inc., so she goes there and meets the owner, Dink, who is a mathematical genius.
Dink shows Beth how to be a bookie, and the rest is history. She starts making good money, and even goes to places like San Diego and Costa Rica for business field trips.
Lay the Favorite details the ups, downs, and mechanics behind gambling. I like how it dives headfirst into Beth’s story about being a bookie without giving us unnecessary boring details about her childhood, upbringing, etc. I also like how it gets into the workings of the underground gambling scene.
Lay the Favorite was made into a movie, which came out in 2012 and stars Rebecca Hall as Beth.
Other books by Beth Raymer include:
What did you think about Lay the Favorite, did you like it?
Last Updated on February 9, 2026 by Sarah Ann
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