While I've touched upon the idea of playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) against a weaker player as a form of odds-giving, and even included some information on the practice (see "Jerome Gambit For Dummies (1)"), for a much better understanding of the subject – a real tour de force – it is best to read Sarah Beth Cohen's remarkable essay "The Romance of Chess - A Perspective on the Art of Odds-giving".
While you're at her site, wander around a bit and appreciate her sense of, and dedication to, chess history.
(For the record, Ms. Cohen has played the Jerome Gambit at least once.)
