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Getting Picky
Getting Picky
Haven't read the sports betting article that ran in The Athletic earlier this week, but with gambling/journalism in the spotlight here's a 2019 story from the The Ringer you may enjoy:
“Iam not a bookmaker,” Gadoon Kyrollos tells me as we walk through the Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City, playing penny slot machines. “I’m a sports bettor.” Kyrollos is actually one of the highest-rolling sports bettors in the United States. He bets millions of dollars each year on sporting events, from NFL games to the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. He’s known throughout the gambling world by the name Spanky, and in his hoodie, sweatpants, and backpack, he very much resembles a 40-year-old version of the Little Rascal. His backpack, however, isn’t carrying school books and snacks. It’s filled with bricks of cash, nearly $150,000 worth.
“Bookmakers hang a number,” he explains, as he pantomimes holding a gun sight up to his eye and pulling the trigger. “And I snipe ’em.”
Despite the bag full of money, Spanky is transfixed by the penny slot machine, pumping one bill after the next into it. On his cellphone he consults a spreadsheet that tells him how to play this particular machine so that it is “plus EV,” or positive expected value, meaning the player has an edge over the machine over time. “This is some real insider shit I’m showing you right here,” he tells me, referring to his spreadsheet, which has formulas for dozens of different slot machines plugged into it. “I mean, it’s probably an edge of, like, $12, but if you were walking down the street and saw $12, you’d bend down and pick it up, right?”
RBROWNBETS:
Three picks for you today:
Tennessee (+1.5) vs. Vanderbilt These in-state rivals split two regular season games this season. We'll take the points in what should be a tight matchup. You could certainly argue that the Volunteers should be the favorite.
Iowa State (+4.5) vs. Arizona The points seem a little rich here, since an outright Iowa State victory isn't out of the question.
UCLA (+5.5) vs. Michigan State The Spartans prevailed 82-59 when these teams met on Feb. 17, but Michigan State made 14 of its 27 3-point attempts that day and a repeat of that performance is unlikely. UCLA is 5-1 since that loss and is finally rebounding and playing defense. UCLA point guard Donovan Dent will be the best player of the floor if he turns in anything close to his performance in Thursday's win against Rutgers. This is not a great UCLA team, but expect the Bruins to turn in a top effort here. You'll probably be able to get +6 if you wait ...
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