'King of Vegas' looking for 'decathlon' gambler
By Jerry Fink <jerry@lasvegassun.com>
[size=-2]Las Vegas Sun[/size]
Internationally renowned sports handicapper Wayne Allyn Root says he does his best thinking early in the morning when he is walking his dog.
Two years ago, after returning from a stroll at an Anthem Country Club park, he jotted down two ideas -- one for a book, the other for a TV series.
At 7 p.m. Friday, Root will be at Borders Books & Music, 2190 N. Rainbow Blvd., to sign copies of his best seller "Millionaire Republican: Why Rich Republicans Get Rich -- and How You Can Too!"
Monday he begins taping for Spike TV his reality series, "King of Vegas," which features professional and amateur gamblers competing for a $1 million prize.
The winner takes all. The losers go home empty handed.
The hourlong series debuts at 10 p.m. on Jan. 17 and will air on Tuesdays for the next 10 weeks.
"Basically, the show is 'American Idol' for gamblers," Root said.
Following a nationwide search in October and November, 12 contestants were chosen to compete for the crown of the greatest casino gambler in the United States.
A contestant will be eliminated in each show.
"They have to compete in every game on the casino floor," Root said. "Blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, poker -- everything."
He describes it as a "decathlon."
"You may be the world's greatest poker player, but you must be good at it all to win," Root said.
Thousands of gamblers and aspiring gamblers tried out at auditions around the country.
"Since I'm host of the show, I stayed away from the auditions," Root said. "I had nothing to do with that part of it. I didn't want to know any of the contestants beforehand."
Root has been a professional gambler most of his adult life.
The son of a Mount Vernon, N.Y., butcher, Root was still in high school when he discovered he had an uncanny ability to pick winners in sports competitions, a talent he has parlayed into a wide range of businesses.
He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of GWIN Inc., America's only publicly traded sports handicapping company.
He also is the executive producer and host of "The WinningEDGE," which can be seen at 10 a.m. Saturdays on Superstation WGN (Cox cable channel 16).
Root has written four books, including "Root on Risk: Betting to Win on Sports," "The Joy of Failure," "Positive Addictions" and his latest, "Millionaire Republican."
"Millionaire Republican" is a product of his varied background.
"I'm an odd guy," Root said. "I'm in the gambling world, I'm Jewish, I'm from New York and I'm a Republican."
He said his Republican philosophy came from his father.
"Dad was a rabid Jewish Republican butcher, who, after 20 years of slaving, owned his own store," Root said. "He never got rich, but he owned his own business, and that's the whole point of the Republican Party -- to own something.
"My dad owned a tiny two-man butcher shop. That made him happy, not rich -- but to him ownership was the key to life. He lectured me 12 times day on that issue."
Root, too, is a rabid Republican, even though he disagrees on a number of issues with the party.
He describes his new book, which was released in October, as a "self-help book combined with a Republican political book."
He says he identifies 18 simple rules to become more successful.
"One of them is to move to a Republican-rich state like Nevada, which has no state income taxes," he said. "Without that incentive, people would not be moving here in such great numbers. It's the reason I moved here, and it's the reason my mother-in-law and father-in-law moved here."
His position on Republicanism apparently has reached the White House.
President Bush has invited Root and his wife, Debra, to Washington for a Hanukkah party on Tuesday. "This will be the first time I have ever met the president and Mrs. Bush, and the first time I have ever been to the White House," he said. "It's a great honor."
By Jerry Fink <jerry@lasvegassun.com>
[size=-2]Las Vegas Sun[/size]
Internationally renowned sports handicapper Wayne Allyn Root says he does his best thinking early in the morning when he is walking his dog.
Two years ago, after returning from a stroll at an Anthem Country Club park, he jotted down two ideas -- one for a book, the other for a TV series.
At 7 p.m. Friday, Root will be at Borders Books & Music, 2190 N. Rainbow Blvd., to sign copies of his best seller "Millionaire Republican: Why Rich Republicans Get Rich -- and How You Can Too!"
Monday he begins taping for Spike TV his reality series, "King of Vegas," which features professional and amateur gamblers competing for a $1 million prize.
The winner takes all. The losers go home empty handed.
The hourlong series debuts at 10 p.m. on Jan. 17 and will air on Tuesdays for the next 10 weeks.
"Basically, the show is 'American Idol' for gamblers," Root said.
Following a nationwide search in October and November, 12 contestants were chosen to compete for the crown of the greatest casino gambler in the United States.
A contestant will be eliminated in each show.
"They have to compete in every game on the casino floor," Root said. "Blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, poker -- everything."
He describes it as a "decathlon."
"You may be the world's greatest poker player, but you must be good at it all to win," Root said.
Thousands of gamblers and aspiring gamblers tried out at auditions around the country.
"Since I'm host of the show, I stayed away from the auditions," Root said. "I had nothing to do with that part of it. I didn't want to know any of the contestants beforehand."
Root has been a professional gambler most of his adult life.
The son of a Mount Vernon, N.Y., butcher, Root was still in high school when he discovered he had an uncanny ability to pick winners in sports competitions, a talent he has parlayed into a wide range of businesses.
He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of GWIN Inc., America's only publicly traded sports handicapping company.
He also is the executive producer and host of "The WinningEDGE," which can be seen at 10 a.m. Saturdays on Superstation WGN (Cox cable channel 16).
Root has written four books, including "Root on Risk: Betting to Win on Sports," "The Joy of Failure," "Positive Addictions" and his latest, "Millionaire Republican."
"Millionaire Republican" is a product of his varied background.
"I'm an odd guy," Root said. "I'm in the gambling world, I'm Jewish, I'm from New York and I'm a Republican."
He said his Republican philosophy came from his father.
"Dad was a rabid Jewish Republican butcher, who, after 20 years of slaving, owned his own store," Root said. "He never got rich, but he owned his own business, and that's the whole point of the Republican Party -- to own something.
"My dad owned a tiny two-man butcher shop. That made him happy, not rich -- but to him ownership was the key to life. He lectured me 12 times day on that issue."
Root, too, is a rabid Republican, even though he disagrees on a number of issues with the party.
He describes his new book, which was released in October, as a "self-help book combined with a Republican political book."
He says he identifies 18 simple rules to become more successful.
"One of them is to move to a Republican-rich state like Nevada, which has no state income taxes," he said. "Without that incentive, people would not be moving here in such great numbers. It's the reason I moved here, and it's the reason my mother-in-law and father-in-law moved here."
His position on Republicanism apparently has reached the White House.
President Bush has invited Root and his wife, Debra, to Washington for a Hanukkah party on Tuesday. "This will be the first time I have ever met the president and Mrs. Bush, and the first time I have ever been to the White House," he said. "It's a great honor."
