Oh, say can you see: I
obviously couldn't
9 February 2004
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
A few years ago, you recommended in your column
that at least once we should make the pilgrimage
to Nevada and watch the Superbowl in a
sportsbook. I had the pleasure of doing that
this year in Reno. I never had so much fun
watching the game, and, I ended up a winner
betting Carolina and getting the points (7).
Anyhow, one thing I had no idea of was that you
could make different types of bets, like, a
wager who would win the coin toss. Have you ever
made any of these wagers? I didn't make one; but
what is the cost (casino take) of such a bet? Ty
G.
Ah yes, Ty, I have been known to dabble
(squander hard-earned money) on a few
"proposition" bets as they're called. With so
many proposition bets to choose from--I saw one
website offering 618 of the little darlin's--and
so little money, I decided this year to make
just one wager inspired by a 1931 Act of
Congress.
I bet that Beyonce Knowles would sing the
National Anthem in under 1:50. And why would I
do that?
Well, I found in my local library seven
recordings of the National Anthem all timing out
at well under 1:50. I also reckoned that they
choreographed the aircraft flyover for a precise
time: just as Knowles would finish "O'er the
land of the free and the home of the brave!"
"Got Œem by the short hairs," I figured, and
laid down what looked like the proverbial "lock"
bet.
What I did not handicap was that the retractable
roof at Reliant Stadium happened to be closed
for inclement weather. I also overlooked Jose
Feliciano's unorthodox rendition of the
Star-Spangled Banner when he strummed a slow,
bluesy rendition of the national anthem before
Game 5 of the World Series between Detroit and
St. Louis that rambled on for what seemed like
15 minutes. No, he didn't sing all four
verses--yep, there are four--but the minor
concert was so long that it threw Detroit's
starting pitcher Mickey Lolich pregame
preparations completely off. Miss Knowles, aka
Speedy, brought it home in a scorching 2:08:12.
Another losing ticket for my collection.
I'll bet if a honed handicapper had gone to the
film library and timed preceding Super Bowl
National Anthem performers like Diana Ross, Neil
Diamond, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, Harry
Connick, Jr., Garth Brooks, Natalie Cole,
Vanessa Williams, Luther Vandross, Jewel, Cher,
Faith Hill, the Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey
and last year's group the Dixie Chicks, most, if
not all of them, would be more than 1:50.
Generally, Ty, when you place a proposition
wager, you lay 11 to win 10, though the stretch
can be even higher. That means for you to win
$100, you have to wager $110, no matter which
side of the coin toss you are betting on. If you
bet tails and it is tails, you collect $210 --
your $110 initial wager plus your $100 winnings.
This 10% commission, also called a vigorish (aka
vig), is the compensation taken by the house on
every proposition bet wagered.
My biggest score, i.e. greenbacks moving my way,
was when a 300-pound lineman (small by today's
standards) named Refrigerator Perry scored a
touchdown for the Chicago Bears in Superbowl XX.
Yay! though my lifetime record for proposition
betting is as follows: I win some, lose more.
Gambling quote of the week: "When you're in a
hole, stop digging." --Anonymous
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