It was a Monday afternoon in the spring of 1988. I was a 20-something-year-old sports gambler learning the ropes at the now-defunct Stardust Race and Sports Book in Las Vegas.
Many of my fellow gamblers seemed clueless. To follow the advice heard in the sports book at the Stardust was a perilous prospect, at best. Years before, I learned the same thing about advice from fellow horseplayers. The misinformation was rampant, so the concept of "instructive error" was something to embrace.
Instead of betting favorites or playing "overs," like most others at the Stardust, I gravitated to the underdogs and "unders." I understood the value of being a contrarian. Most recreational players talked about grandiose parlays and the ability to bet a little to win a lot, while I preferred straight bets and the occasional play on the money-line favorite (betting a lot to win a little) when value presented itself. Many players openly rooted for their wagers by wearing their emotions on their sleeve; therefore, I adopted the opposite style: the strong, silent type who cared only about the bet and cut all allegiances to favorite teams or favorite players.
Very few serious players in the late 1980s were talking about the "do's" of being a winning sports bettor. However, by listening to average gamblers talk, I quickly built an important and invaluable collection of gambling "dont's." Though I could not figure how to win, I knew why the losers were losing.
Most gamblers learn by trial and error. After many trials and countless errors, I was confidently building a solid foundation for my gambling education. The evening's main event would teach me a few more lessons to add to my notebook of sports betting knowledge.
Tipoff for the NCAA men's Division I basketball championship between Big Eight representatives Oklahoma and Kansas was coming up in two hours. The high-scoring Sooners, a No. 1 seed from the Southeast Region, were 8.5-point favorites over the Jayhawks, a No. 6 seed from the Midwest.
OU entered the game with a 35-3 record, including a pair of eight-point victories over Kansas in conference play. It was no surprise the Sooners -- coached by the relentless Billy Tubbs -- were solidly favored in the championship game. The run-and-gun Sooner team averaged an amazing 102 points per game and sported an average margin of victory of nearly 22 points per contest.
Oklahoma, led by three future NBA players in Stacey King, Harvey Grant and Mookie Blaylock, stole all the headlines before the big game. Many television commentators did not ask if OU could win, but rather by what margin the Sooners would capture the national title. Kansas was seen as a darkhorse, lucky to reach the Final Four, let alone win the whole thing. KU's 11 regular-season losses were evidence of the team's shortcomings.
Enter Danny Manning. The selfless 6'10" do-everything superstar forward led Kansas on an improbable postseason run that ended in glory when the Jayhawks upset the Sooners, 83-79. Manning scored 31 points and pulled down 18 rebounds in one of the greatest performances in NCAA championship game history.
The Jayhawks saved their best for last with a brilliant effort on the game's biggest stage. Manning carried fellow frontline players Chris Piper (8 points) and Jeff Gueldner (2 points) to a championship title, inspiring the immortal nickname for the '87-88 Kansas team of "Danny and the Miracles." Truth be told, KU's guard play was above-average featuring the likes of Milt Newton, Kevin Pritchard and Scooter Barry. Make no mistake, however, Manning was the key to the memorable upset.
Here are three sports betting lessons I learned from the KU-OU title game that took place nearly 23 years ago:
1) Support the team with the best player on the court in the role of an underdog of six points (two possessions) or more. Though King, Grant and Blaylock would later be first-round NBA draft choices, Manning was the number one overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft.
2) Study the coaches. Larry Brown versus Billy Tubbs gave Kansas a colossal edge on the sidelines and in the locker room. Most basketball games are won between the lines, but some contests are decided before the players step on the floor. The Jayhawks ran with the Sooners in the first half (game was tied at 50 at halftime), but then slowed the tempo dramatically in the second half. Brown preached to his team to stay competitive until the final five minutes of the game, at which time, the Sooners would panic in a close game, unfamiliar territory for OU. Imagine Brown's detailed halftime instructions and adjustments compared to what typically came from the mouth of the free-wheeling Tubbs.
3) Respect the late money, especially against a popular team. Oklahoma was the media darling in the '87-88 season, a so-called public team, in betting terms. Recreational bettors flocked to support the high-scoring Sooners, but something interesting happened in the final hour of wagering at the Stardust. OU was an 8.5-point favorite for most of the day, but as the players began warming up at Kemper Arena, Richard Saber, an assistant to Scotty Schettler at the Stardust, came on the in-house public address system and announced OU was an 8-point favorite. Fifteen minutes later, Saber made another announcement saying OU was now a 7.5-point favorite. Five minutes before gametime, Saber came on the microphone one last time to report OU was only a 7-point choice. Oohs and aahs were heard from the Stardust crowd as most players had already backed Oklahoma at more expensive prices. Some of the recreational players wondered aloud if there was an injury to a key player for the Sooners. The only injury came later that night when OU bettors were carted out as losers in a game that highlighted the brilliance of Danny Manning and Larry Brown.
QUESTIONS FOR VD.....Viejo Dinosaur has been on a whirlwind tour of late. The Jersey native, now living in Thailand, spent the month of February in the beautiful country of Costa Rica, the online sports gambling capitol of the world. "Viejo" is a veteran of the offshore sports betting industry, having been instrumental in the opening of CRIS and currently serving as the veteran overseer of Eye On Gambling. He's currently in transit between the U.S. (Los Angeles) and Thailand. My planned interview with "VD" has been put on hold, but here are my notes for the question-and-answer session:
1. Describe your background in the gambling game.
2. What's the purpose of a sports gambling forum?
3. Which sports forums do you visit and why?
4. Are you pleased with the current direction of Eye On Gambling?
5. What do you like most/least about EOG's online community of sports gamblers?
6. Name the three most respected sports books in the world.
7. Name the three sharpest gamblers you know.
8. Compare life in the U.S. with life in foreign lands like Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Thailand.
9. Handicap the upcoming Masters, providing us the golfer to beat and more importantly, a golfer or two to bet.
10. The sexiest/most beautiful women in the world are from _______.
FRIDAY'S BEST BET.....809 Cleveland Cavaliers +12.5 over the New York Knicks. Cavs lose Jamison, but Samuels looked great (23 and 10) in his first-ever NBA start. Cavs add Baron Davis, who will back-up Ramon Sessions at the point-guard spot. Knicks are likely to be without Chauncey Billups. He's listed as doubtful for tonight's game.
COMING MONDAY.....A preview of the best conference tournament in NCAAB, the Big East tourney.
Many of my fellow gamblers seemed clueless. To follow the advice heard in the sports book at the Stardust was a perilous prospect, at best. Years before, I learned the same thing about advice from fellow horseplayers. The misinformation was rampant, so the concept of "instructive error" was something to embrace.
Instead of betting favorites or playing "overs," like most others at the Stardust, I gravitated to the underdogs and "unders." I understood the value of being a contrarian. Most recreational players talked about grandiose parlays and the ability to bet a little to win a lot, while I preferred straight bets and the occasional play on the money-line favorite (betting a lot to win a little) when value presented itself. Many players openly rooted for their wagers by wearing their emotions on their sleeve; therefore, I adopted the opposite style: the strong, silent type who cared only about the bet and cut all allegiances to favorite teams or favorite players.
Very few serious players in the late 1980s were talking about the "do's" of being a winning sports bettor. However, by listening to average gamblers talk, I quickly built an important and invaluable collection of gambling "dont's." Though I could not figure how to win, I knew why the losers were losing.
Most gamblers learn by trial and error. After many trials and countless errors, I was confidently building a solid foundation for my gambling education. The evening's main event would teach me a few more lessons to add to my notebook of sports betting knowledge.
Tipoff for the NCAA men's Division I basketball championship between Big Eight representatives Oklahoma and Kansas was coming up in two hours. The high-scoring Sooners, a No. 1 seed from the Southeast Region, were 8.5-point favorites over the Jayhawks, a No. 6 seed from the Midwest.
OU entered the game with a 35-3 record, including a pair of eight-point victories over Kansas in conference play. It was no surprise the Sooners -- coached by the relentless Billy Tubbs -- were solidly favored in the championship game. The run-and-gun Sooner team averaged an amazing 102 points per game and sported an average margin of victory of nearly 22 points per contest.
Oklahoma, led by three future NBA players in Stacey King, Harvey Grant and Mookie Blaylock, stole all the headlines before the big game. Many television commentators did not ask if OU could win, but rather by what margin the Sooners would capture the national title. Kansas was seen as a darkhorse, lucky to reach the Final Four, let alone win the whole thing. KU's 11 regular-season losses were evidence of the team's shortcomings.
Enter Danny Manning. The selfless 6'10" do-everything superstar forward led Kansas on an improbable postseason run that ended in glory when the Jayhawks upset the Sooners, 83-79. Manning scored 31 points and pulled down 18 rebounds in one of the greatest performances in NCAA championship game history.
The Jayhawks saved their best for last with a brilliant effort on the game's biggest stage. Manning carried fellow frontline players Chris Piper (8 points) and Jeff Gueldner (2 points) to a championship title, inspiring the immortal nickname for the '87-88 Kansas team of "Danny and the Miracles." Truth be told, KU's guard play was above-average featuring the likes of Milt Newton, Kevin Pritchard and Scooter Barry. Make no mistake, however, Manning was the key to the memorable upset.
Here are three sports betting lessons I learned from the KU-OU title game that took place nearly 23 years ago:
1) Support the team with the best player on the court in the role of an underdog of six points (two possessions) or more. Though King, Grant and Blaylock would later be first-round NBA draft choices, Manning was the number one overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft.
2) Study the coaches. Larry Brown versus Billy Tubbs gave Kansas a colossal edge on the sidelines and in the locker room. Most basketball games are won between the lines, but some contests are decided before the players step on the floor. The Jayhawks ran with the Sooners in the first half (game was tied at 50 at halftime), but then slowed the tempo dramatically in the second half. Brown preached to his team to stay competitive until the final five minutes of the game, at which time, the Sooners would panic in a close game, unfamiliar territory for OU. Imagine Brown's detailed halftime instructions and adjustments compared to what typically came from the mouth of the free-wheeling Tubbs.
3) Respect the late money, especially against a popular team. Oklahoma was the media darling in the '87-88 season, a so-called public team, in betting terms. Recreational bettors flocked to support the high-scoring Sooners, but something interesting happened in the final hour of wagering at the Stardust. OU was an 8.5-point favorite for most of the day, but as the players began warming up at Kemper Arena, Richard Saber, an assistant to Scotty Schettler at the Stardust, came on the in-house public address system and announced OU was an 8-point favorite. Fifteen minutes later, Saber made another announcement saying OU was now a 7.5-point favorite. Five minutes before gametime, Saber came on the microphone one last time to report OU was only a 7-point choice. Oohs and aahs were heard from the Stardust crowd as most players had already backed Oklahoma at more expensive prices. Some of the recreational players wondered aloud if there was an injury to a key player for the Sooners. The only injury came later that night when OU bettors were carted out as losers in a game that highlighted the brilliance of Danny Manning and Larry Brown.
QUESTIONS FOR VD.....Viejo Dinosaur has been on a whirlwind tour of late. The Jersey native, now living in Thailand, spent the month of February in the beautiful country of Costa Rica, the online sports gambling capitol of the world. "Viejo" is a veteran of the offshore sports betting industry, having been instrumental in the opening of CRIS and currently serving as the veteran overseer of Eye On Gambling. He's currently in transit between the U.S. (Los Angeles) and Thailand. My planned interview with "VD" has been put on hold, but here are my notes for the question-and-answer session:
1. Describe your background in the gambling game.
2. What's the purpose of a sports gambling forum?
3. Which sports forums do you visit and why?
4. Are you pleased with the current direction of Eye On Gambling?
5. What do you like most/least about EOG's online community of sports gamblers?
6. Name the three most respected sports books in the world.
7. Name the three sharpest gamblers you know.
8. Compare life in the U.S. with life in foreign lands like Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Thailand.
9. Handicap the upcoming Masters, providing us the golfer to beat and more importantly, a golfer or two to bet.
10. The sexiest/most beautiful women in the world are from _______.
FRIDAY'S BEST BET.....809 Cleveland Cavaliers +12.5 over the New York Knicks. Cavs lose Jamison, but Samuels looked great (23 and 10) in his first-ever NBA start. Cavs add Baron Davis, who will back-up Ramon Sessions at the point-guard spot. Knicks are likely to be without Chauncey Billups. He's listed as doubtful for tonight's game.
COMING MONDAY.....A preview of the best conference tournament in NCAAB, the Big East tourney.
