Odds posted on Stardust Invitational

ODDS POSTED ON STARDUST CONTEST 09/03/03 - Stephen Nover

For the first time, a sports book will be taking bets on the outcome of the Stardust Invitational football contest.

BetEuroSport (www.beteurosport.com) has posted future book odds on all 16 contestants in the Ninth Annual Stardust Invitational. The single-elimination contest begins Sept. 12 with a matchup of two-time champion radio personality Papa Joe Chevalier against professional bettor Dave Malinsky.

Also competing in the invitation-only contest are professional gambler Lem Banker, Gaming Today editor David Stratton, Las Vegas radio personality Ron Frazier, Caesars Palace sports book director Chuck Esposito and professional bettor Steve Fezzik.

Rounding out the field are handicappers Ken White, Jimmy Vaccaro, Andy Iskoe, Dave Cokin, Ted Sevransky, Bryan Leonard, Lee Sterling, Bob Donahue and Kevin O'Neill.

"I really feel this is the best lineup we've ever had," Stardust race and sports book director Bob Scucci said. "There are no lightweights here in the group. Getting Lem Banker in it was a real coup.

"Dave Malinsky has one of the sharpest minds in the country. I think many handicappers would agree."

Banker and Malinsky have the second and third shortest odds, respectively, according to BetEuroSport's opening numbers. White, a two-time champion, is the favorite at plus $2.25. Banker is plus $2.50 and Malinsky is plus $3.00. Chevalier is next at plus $3.50.

"We’re always striving to come up with unique ways for people to bet," said D.T. Colen, vice-president of marketing for BetEuroSport. "We want people to have tons of fun when they come to our site and have tons of wagering options.

"Sometimes when you look across the landscape you see some sickening things when sports books attempt to be unique. They put out idiotic things like war 'props' and death pools. This is something fun."

This could be the sharpest field the Stardust has ever assembled for the tournament. In the past, the contest has been a mixture of handicappers, entertainers, ex-jocks and even Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.

"Absolutely," Scucci said about turning the contest into more serious handicapping. "That's how it began. People come in to hear analysis. They want to hear analysis from people who make a living doing it."

The format is picking seven games against the spread, using Friday night’s numbers on the Stardust betting board. Both college and professional sides and totals can be utilized.

Theoretically, everybody should open with odds of 16/1, since this is a head-to-head format. However, the highest odds were plus $8.00 on Sterling, Stratton and Frazier.

Obviously, a lot of the contest is based on luck because half the result depends on the other person. Therefore, a contestant could advance with a 1-6 record, or be eliminated by going 6-1. The key for the listener is in the analysis.

People can decide for themselves if Banker - one of the more famous sports bettors in the country - really knows his stuff, or has been getting by just on reputation.

On the surface, those who handicap for a living should have an edge. But the contest format levels the field, especially if a professional handicapper competes on a week where he doesn't like the card.

I'm not familiar with Sterling or O'Neill, but I can tell you first-hand that Malinsky, White, Vaccaro, Iskoe, Cokin, Sevransky, Leonard, Donahue and Fezzik are sharp and have good opinions.

BetEuroSport has a $300 limit on this 'prop,' Colen said, adding his company hopes to make separate prices on each individual matchup.

BetEuroSport's opening odds on the 2003 Stardust Invitational, with my capsule comments, appear below:

1. Ken White - Odds: Plus $2.25. Comment: Tournament veteran who either seems to do very well or very poor.

2. Lem Banker - Odds: Plus $2.50. Comment: A 'dog player who goes strictly where he perceives the value.

3. Dave Malinsky - Odds: Plus $3.00. Comment: Scucci wasn't exaggerating when he said Malinsky is one of the sharpest minds in the country.

4. Papa Joe Chevalier - Odds: Plus $3.50. Comment: Probably the tournament's most popular attraction, but not in the handicapping class of the professionals.

5. Andy Iskoe - Odds: Plus $4.00. Comment: Versatile handicapper who always makes sense when he talks (and talks and talks).

6. Chuck Esposito - Odds: Plus $4.00. Comment: A conservative bookmaking protégé of Art Manteris and the contest's token bookmaker.

7. Dave Cokin - Odds: Plus $4.50. Comment: Gets unfairly knocked for being in the Feist stable of handicappers, but a real pro and an entertaining radio personality.

8. Bryan Leonard - Odds: Plus $5.00. Comment: A low-key solid handicapper who knows how to exploit some of the lesser known college conferences.

9. Jimmy Vaccaro - Odds: Plus $5.00. Comment: Former sports book manager at The Mirage has a million good stories, and also knows what games to avoid.

10. Ted Sevransky - Odds: Plus $6.00. Comment: A young gun making a well-deserved mark in Las Vegas with his honesty and sharp opinions.

11. Kevin O'Neill - Odds: Plus $6.50. Comment: Veteran handicapper who seems to be respected.

12. Steve Fezzik - Odds: Plus $6.50. Comment: Math whiz who knows how to exploit soft lines.

13. Bob Donahue - Odds: Plus $7.00. Comment: An extremely bright guy who is a motor sports expert.

14. Lee Stirling - Odds: Plus $8.00. Comment: Runs a sports service in Miami and is a radio and TV personality.

15. Ron Frazier - Odds: Plus $8.00. Comment: Has a good opinion on college basketball.

16. David Stratton - Odds: Plus $8.00. Comment: One of Chuck DiRocco's slaves at Gaming Today who is more of an editor than handicapper.

LMFAO!

The odds are 15-1 on all 16 entrants. This is a total crap shoot and publicity stunt for the Stardust....not to mention the entrants themselves.

ps- actually a few of the entrants have a small edge based on thier sportsbetting savvy and would be good value on anything over 13.5-1 odds.

pss- Still a very nice courtesy by the offshore sportsbooks that will offer this.

1. Ken White - agree with what stephen said - white will either win it all or go out in round 1. at this price - not worth a play.

2. Lem Banker - see ken white.

3. Dave Malinsky - malinsky's only problem is at times he tends to suffer from "keith olbermann-itis" the dreaded "disease" in which people think they are so much smarter than everyone else and use words no else understands (this is also known as "todd christensen-itis"). again - at this price - not worth a play.

4. Papa Joe Chevalier - simply put - the luckiest S.O.B. in the history of the tourney. he goes down in week 1 to malinsky.

5. Andy Iskoe - solid and a live "dog" to win it all. i put an over/under of about 19.5 for the number of times the words "the logical approach (the name of iskoe's company) is used on air. i'll take the OVER - and i think it hits within the first 30 minutes of the show.

6. Chuck Esposito - NO SHOT! end of discussion!

7. Dave Cokin - by his OWN admission - better at handicapping the "covert" pros (college) than the overt pros (nfl). will do well as long as college is playing. if he makes it deep into the tourney will have trouble for the picks will all have to be nfl ones - his "waterloo."

8. Bryan Leonard - don't know anything about him - so no comment.

9. Jimmy Vaccaro - all fluff - no substance. has NO SHOT at getting to the F4 of this thing.

10. Ted Sevransky - don't know him all that well - so no comment.

11. Kevin O'Neill - see sevranksy.

12. Steve Fezzik - see o'neill and sevransky.

13. Bob Donahue - ditto the last 3.

14. Lee Stirling - ditto the last 4.

15. Ron Frazier - i hear him every sunday on the stardust show. comes across as the kind of guy you want to hang out with at a bar - but when he makes his picks it sounds as if he is flipping coins and whatever side comes up - he takes that side. if he gets hot - he can win it all. i sense he wins maybe a round, or two - at most. no threat to win it all.

16. David Stratton - ditto 5 of the last 5 guys.

These are RIPOFF odds.

You are kidding yourself if you say someone has no shot to win this or get to a certain round. Even the best cappers have 2-5 days and if it happens when the contest is on they could be out no matter if you think the guy is better than the other. This thing has little to do with real life betting, after all real bettors aren't forced into a specific number of plays and are allowed to shop and not just hit at one number. This is entertaining and the more talented bettors might have a slightly better chance than others, but every one of these guys has talent. Its not like the old ways where guys that were rank amateurs and betting on who they liked were in it. These guys won't put up plays for favoritism or play into really bad numbers, so I think you have to respect each and every one of them as at least having a chance to go all the way should they get lucky. After all guys have won it in the past with 2-5 weekends on their way to the championship because their opponents went 1-6.

Winky- It's going to be a much better contest than in the past. That much is for sure. Hard to gauge a contest like this but I don't know much about half of the field so I won't bet it. One guy I do know and respect a lot is Sterling. Not only did you and Nover mispell his name but he is a quality handicapper. I've heard him on the radio from time to time. Listen to him a few times and I think you will see he understands both the game and reading when teams are coming up or going down. I've also heard Frazier and give him very little chance. I go into the casino once or twice a year to hear these guys but this year will plan on making it in to hear them quite a few times. They finally brought in quality not a bunch of clowns.

thought it would be interesting to bump this up to the top and take a look back.