I opened a phone account at the Orleans as a request by a friend whose software is in the middle of getting approved by Gaming on a trial basis right now.
I took it on as a challenge to try and find some flaws in the system. Back in the day, I was the guy who tried to bust holes into a system I was getting approved by Gaming when working for a large locals company, which still has that system running with thousands of happy customers across the valley.
So I took it as a challenge, going into the Orleans and opening an account for $300 in their BConnected Sports system. My goal was to find flaws with a variation of plays, mixing sports and types of bets, and hopefully finding something for all parties involved that would help them better their Version 1 system.
What I found over the entire journey is that I fell in love with the software, particularly the ease of being able to make multiple parlays on the same screen. This was a complete change from what I have seen with most modern phone accounts.
Instead of running through each individual menu of sports for a single parlay, I could choose all the games I thought I might link together and put them on their own menu and then choose what combinations I might want to play.
It may not seem like a big deal, but for 90 percent of the local bettors, it is. Parlay bettors are what makes the sports book world go around. In other words, the books win the most money from bettors trying to win a lot for betting a little. But if that process is streamlined, like the Orleans and Coast Resorts have done, and people want to bet that way, then this is a nice system for them.
Along the way, I bet just about every parlay imaginable, including halftimes, mixing sports, etc., and in the long run, I didn’t have enough winners to show a profit for the weekend. But knowing speed of wager accepted was the major issue with every customer I ever dealt with, the Orleans passed with flying colors.
I don’t know if it was my Verizon service, or a lack of a huge clientele betting simultaneously as I was, which can sometimes bog down a system, but all my bets were taken in very quickly, accepted, and left me very impressed for an initial Version 1 new system.
Now just like most bettors playing exclusively parlays and betting the entire menu, as I did, my profit margin was extremely weak, but that wasn’t the point of the exercise. I tried to hit it with as many variables as I could to trick it, and to my delight – or dismay – I found nothing in the service to make me believe this thing isn’t going to be a terrific success.
Best of all for everyone, this is another out when looking for the best line. Because Coast Resorts is a local property, bettors are bound to find some juicy numbers on a side the public has influenced greatly the other way. Between Station, William Hill, Cantor, South Point and now Coasts, a bettor should have the pick of the litter for the best number available.
In a way, I don’t necessarily like the ease in how we’re able to get everything at our fingertips. I liked the era when I started in the Las Vegas sports book business, when my main man Jerry Zimny was called “Shoes” because he walked from sports book to sports book finding the best number.
Since it’s available to us all and so much easier – but burns less calories, there is nothing wrong with now being able to have five different phone apps to get instant access to the best line available.
I don’t have an official grade for phone apps, but let’s just say the service provided by the Orleans is a good one that should be sampled and enjoyed, and most of all, allow you to get the best line possible at your own leisure.
Fake Scucci Twitter account: I was pleasantly surprised to see Coast Resorts sports book director Bob Scucci was a new Twitter account holder and immediately followed him. I even sent him a Direct Message and told him how awesome it was that he was now on the Twitterverse, and I might even be able to get hold of him easier now.
But when I ran into him at the Orleans sports book counter Saturday, his office, while signing up for one their new phone accounts, he told me the account was fake.
“No, it’s not me,” said Scooch, as he’s affectionately called by most. “I saw you followed me when I looked up the account up on Twitter. I’ve been doing the weekly podcast with Chad Millman (ESPN the Magazine) and there are a lot of people who like the show, and the guy who started the account even tweeted back (when called out on it by someone) that he’d be glad to hand it over to me.”
Scucci wasn’t upset, but was actually appreciative of the attention, especially the nice picture they posted of him when asked.
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, at least they used a nice picture of me.”
My hope is Scooch will take over the account just because he’s such an articulate individual with so many great bookmaking philosophies. However, if he doesn’t, it is quite understandable, just because he represents a respected company full-time.
Wynn Oscars odds: John Avello has posted his odds to win the Oscar for six major categories, and even though you can’t bet on them. For 20 years it’s been fun watching who Johnny thinks will win. He’s pretty good with his opinions and has great sources to get a vibe for what the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is thinking.
For best picture, Avello has “12 Years a Slave” as the prohibitive 7-to-5 favorite over “Captain Phillips” (4-1) and “American Hustle”(7-1). The favorite in most of the major categories is “12 Years a Slave,” including best actor, supporting actor and director.
Sports Books win again: The Vegas books gave bettors a little hope this week when the 49ers and Seahawks covered early on, but when the Saints and Eagles lost outright and the Panthers didn’t cover -10½ on the parlay cards, the books had taken control of the day.
And when the Steelers upset the Bengals last Sunday night, the books scooped all the chips and have now unofficially gone 11-1-3 against the public on the NFL Sundays through 15 weeks.
Seattle home through Feb.: LVH has moved the Seahawks to 3-to-2 favorites to win the Super Bowl and has even moved the NFC to -2½ in their Super Bowl line.
The Broncos, who have been favorites for most of the year, are 5-to-2, and not having many bettors feeling too confident about them after their 27-20 home loss to the Chargers. Seattle is also 5-to-8 to win the NFC.
With their final two games at home, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, no Seattle player will have to leave home until February. The Super Bowl total posted at the LVH is 49½.
Micah Roberts is a former Las Vegas race and sports book director, one of The Linemakers on SportingNews.com , and longtime motorsports columnist and sports analyst at GamingToday. Follow Micah on Twitter @MicahRoberts7 Contact Micah at [email protected].