Each week we will present the selections of some of the nation's leading handicapers
as they compete for cash prizes and handicapping acclaim. Three such contests have
attracted national notoriety. Two of the contests, those sponsored by the Las
Vegas Hilton and the Sunset Station Hotel and Casino, are season-long
contests with the same contestants making selections each week against the Las Vegas
pointspread. The third contest, sponsored by the the Stardust Race & Sports
Book, is an invitational tournament with 16 invited handicappers participating
in a one-on-one elimination format that runs for 15 weeks with just one of the 16
contestants surviving.
Out of respect for the handicappers who participate
in the season-long contests, and thereby provide selections each week, we will not
reveal the names of the individuals, many of whom have their own consulting servies
for which they charge a fee for selections. The identities are known to those of
us who reside in, or travel weekly to, Las Vegas. Clients of Logical Approach may
telephone our offices if they would like further details on the contestants and/or
selections.
We will be identifying the participants in the Stardust Invitational
because of its unique head-to-head format and because the successful participants
will only appear a handful of times over the course of the season, with the winner
advancing and the loser being eliminated.
Contest Format -- 16 nationally prominent handicappers have been invited
by the management of the Stardust Race & Sports Book to compete for a winner-take-all
$10,000 prize. Each week two contestants are matched against each other in a head
to head meeting with each handicapper making 7 selections against the pointspread
at the Stardust using the line at approximately 8:30 PM (the contest airs over radio
station KDWN (AM 720) at 9:00 PM). One of the 7 selections is designated as a Best
Bet. The winner is determined by the handicapper having the greater winning percentage
with all selections rated equally. The Best Bet is used only as a tie breaker in
the event both handicappers have the same record on all 7 selections. Pushes are
ignored (thus 5-2 would lose to 4-1-2). The winner will be the handicapper who successfully
wins a total of 4 matches with the finals to be held in week 16, December 18, 1998.
The weekly contest is held in the Race & Sports Book at the Stardust at 9:00
PM on Fridays and is open to the public.
PETER BROWN's SELECTIONS --
Atlanta Falcons - 6 1/2 WIN
Seattle Seahawks
- 7 LOSS
Dallas Cowboys - 11 LOSS
St Louis/Carolina UNDER 44 WIN
Green Bay
Packers - 6 1/2 WIN
Denver Broncos - 4 LOSS
San Francisco - 7 (BEST BET)
LOSS
KEN WHITE'S SELECTIONS
Cincinnati/Pittsburgh OVER 40 WIN
St
Louis Rams + 3 LOSS
St Louis/Carolina OVER LOSS44
Oakland Raiders + 3 WIN
Seattle
Seahawks - 7 LOSS
Denver Broncos - 4 LOSS
N Y Jets/Buffalo OVER 42 (BEST
BET) LOSS
Results of Previous Matches
Round 1
Richard Witt defeated 'Papa
Joe' Chevalier
Kelso Sturgeon defeated Phil Steele
Ken White defeated Dana
Corbo
Johnny Avello defeated Jimmy Vaccaro
Donn Wagner defeated Mike Lee
Russ
Culver defeated Norm Hitzges
Wayne Root defeated Marc Lawrence
Peter Brown
defeated Dave Cokin in a playoff
Round 2
Kelso Sturgeon defeated
Donn Wagner
Ken White defeated Wayne Root
John Avello defeated Richard Witt
Peter
Brown defeated Russ Culver
Semi Finals
Ken White defeated John
Avello
Peter Brown defeated Kelso Sturgeon
Next match -- None -- Contest
Ends December 19
Through the fifteen weeks of the contest, the handicappers
have
combined to go 119-113-6 for 51.3% with Best Bets going 17-14-1 for 54.8%
Contest Format -- Ten reputable and natinally or regionally prominent
handicappers have been invited to participate in the contest. Each contestant makes
6 selections against the pointspread (generally Wednesday noon lines are used),
designating one selection as a Best Bet. Each regular winner is worth 2 points; a
Best Bet winner is worth 3 points, all pushes (including Best Bets) are worth 1 points;
losers are worth 0 points. The top four contestants after 15 weeks advance to the
semi-final with the top two advancing to a head-to-head final in week 17. With 13
points available to be won each week, through 15 weeks a 'perfect score' would be
195 points.
In week 16 the top four finishers from the first fifteen weeks
will compete according the same rules except that this phase of the contest runs
just one week. The top two finishers in week 16 will compete head-to-head in week
17 for the 1998 Sunset Station Handicapping Championship and $5,000 winner-take-all
first prize.
Selections of Contestant # 3 (finished in 2nd with 111 points; Best Bets 7-7-1)
(Went
3-3 for 6 Points in semi-finals)
Ohio State - 12 1/2
BYU + 7
Texas -
6 1/2
Southern Miss - 16
Tennessee + 5
North Carolina State + 7 (BEST
BET)
Selections of Contestant # 7 (finished in 1st with 112
points; Best Bets 9-6)(
(Went 5-1 for 11 Points in semi-finals)
Buffalo/New
Orleans UNDER 41
Tampa Bay/Cincinnati UNDER 42
Baltimore Ravens - 1
San
Diego Chargers + 7 1/2
Arkansas + 3
Southern Miss - 16 (BEST BET)
Contestant # 1 finished in 5th with 102 points; Best Bets 6-9)
Contestant
# 2 finished in 9th with 86 points; Best Bets 9-6)
Contestant # 3 finished
in 2nd with 111 points; Best Bets 7-7-1)
Contestant # 4 finished in 3rd
with 108 points; Best Bets 8-7)
Contestant # 5 finished in 7th with 90
points; Best Bets 11-4)
Contestant # 6 finished in 8th with 94 points;
Best Bets 9-6)
Contestant # 7 finished in 1st with 112 points; Best Bets
9-6)
Contestant # 8 finished in 10th with 84 points; Best Bets 8-7)
Contestant
# 9 finished in 4th with 107 points; Best Bets 9-6)
Contestant # 10 finished
in 6th with 101 points; Best Bets 5-7-3)
Contest Format -- The SuperContest is open to anyone who pays the entry
fee. Each entrant pays a $1500 entry fee with 90% of the fees being returned to the
winners. Only the top 20 places (and ties) are paid. Each contestant must make five
selections each week vs. the pointspread (generally the lines at the Hilton as of
noon on Tuesdays). Each winning selection counts 1 point; a push counts 1/2 point;
losses are 0 points.
Minnesota (16) - 7 1/2 vs. TENNESSEE (50)
OAKLAND (21) - 3 vs. Kansas
City (14)
Green Bay (15) - 6 1/2 vs. CHICAGO (35)
N Y JETS (39) - 6 1/2 vs.
New England (17)
BALTIMORE (38) - 1 1/2 vs. Detroit (10)
ATLANTA (42)
- 2 1/2 vs. Miami (30)
Tampa Bay (11) - 6 1/2 vs. CINCINNATI (46)
INDIANAPOLIS
(65) - 4 1/2 vs. Carolina (15)
Buffalo (29) - 3 vs. NEW ORLEANS (33)
N
Y Giants (30) - 3 1/2 vs. PHILADELPHIA (36)
SAN FRANCISCO (31) - 12 1/2 vs. St
Louis (16)
DENVER (30) - 9 1/2 vs. Seattle (20)
ARIZONA (28) - 7 1/2 vs. San
Diego (39)
Washington (34) - 1 vs. DALLAS (43)
JACKSONVILLE (17) - 3
1/2 vs. Pittsburgh (30)
Top 5 selections are in Bold type
#
in parentheses indicates contestants selecting that team
(i.e. 16 contestants
took Minnesota -7 1/2 over Tennessee)
Minnesota (0) - 7 1/2 vs. TENNESSEE (2)
OAKLAND (2) - 3 vs. Kansas City
(0)
Green Bay (1) - 6 1/2 vs. CHICAGO (0)
N Y JETS (4) - 6 1/2 vs. New
England (0)
BALTIMORE (4) - 1 1/2 vs. Detroit (0)
ATLANTA (1) - 2 1/2
vs. Miami (1)
Tampa Bay (1) - 6 1/2 vs. CINCINNATI (0)
INDIANAPOLIS (2) - 4
1/2 vs. Carolina (0)
Buffalo (2) - 3 vs. NEW ORLEANS (2)
N Y Giants (1) - 3
1/2 vs. PHILADELPHIA (0)
SAN FRANCISCO (1) - 12 1/2 vs. St Louis (0)
DENVER
(0) - 9 1/2 vs. Seattle (0)
ARIZONA (2) - 7 1/2 vs. San Diego (1)
Washington
(0) - 1 vs. DALLAS (0)
JACKSONVILLE (0) - 3 1/2 vs. Pittsburgh (3)
Top
3 selections are in Bold type