Join us for an all new episode of Wise Kracks sports betting podcast. I’m back home in Vegas, while Jon is joining us on video call from… a different part of Las Vegas. He’s over at the Rio for the World Series of Poker, playing one of the feeder events to try to qualify for the Main Event at the beginning of November.
World Series of Poker – Will Jon Win Big?
The World Series of Poker is a huge deal every year in Vegas, and we kick off the show by discussing the event and reminiscing about past experiences at the WSOP. I cashed around 177th in the Main Event back in 2004, which is extremely lucrative for a $10,000 tournament that attracts many thousands of entries. Jon has just realized he’s eligible to play the WSOP Seniors Championship at just 51, and I am considering staking part of his buy-in. Jon is fresh off a $5,000 win this week and made it to heads-up in the $10,000 first prize event. He decided to chop it up and share the money with his opponent – which I have some thoughts on.
Overall, Jon has really been enjoying soaking up the WSOP experience. He’s even got some pics and videos for us, which we share right here on the show.
Chatting about my old days of playing live poker – which I gave up long ago – gets me reminiscing about all the different ways I’ve seen people cheat over the years. From hidden ink to tinted contact lenses, you won’t believe some of the ingenious ways people came up with to try to get an illegal edge over the casino back in the day. So many experiences like this have even led me to have my suspicions over modern online poker. Despite all the external regulators and licenses that the top poker sites have, I just can’t get on board. There was no such thing as a Random Number Generator back when I was coming up in New Jersey.
MLB Postseason and Boxing – Our Picks
Everyone is talking about the MLB postseason, and this episode was actually recorded before the Dodgers officially booked their place against the San Francisco Giants by beating the St. Louis Cardinals. Jon and I discuss the Giants’ chances, look ahead to the next playoff games and speculate what kind of effect injuries might have on the competition.
We’ve got a big weekend coming up in Vegas. Well, it’s always a big weekend in Vegas, but in this case we’ve got a world championship heavyweight boxing fight to contend with. Tyson Fury is taking on Deontay Wilder for the third time, and as two huge boxing fans we are excited. Jon and I give a quick rundown of the history of the feud between the two heavyweights, and check out the odds in Vegas. I like Fury, but I’m not prepared to lay the price that’s currently on the table. Jon (big surprise) is considering something a little more creative, like Fury by KO in a specific round. I’m allergic to those kinds of bets though, precisely because there’s so much juice for the casino included.
Brady Returns to Boston and Our NFL Picks
As always, we’ve got some great NFL chat on this week’s episode starting with a look back at Tom Brady’s big return to New England. Brady and the Buccaneers wound up on top, but it wasn’t his greatest performance. I noticed the sharp sportsbooks were all looking to balance their action by taking bets on the Pats just before kickoff – and they were very nearly correct, with a last-minute missed field goal the difference between winning and losing. I see this as one of the most open NFL seasons in a while, with the likes of the Rams, Chiefs, Cowboys, Bucs and more all looking very capable early on.
There’s plenty of drama off the field too, with the recent controversial videos of Urban Meyer that have appeared. We share our views. The consensus is that, even if it’s not exactly something to be proud of, it’s all a little overblown.
Before we finish up, Jon and I take a look ahead at some specific lines for upcoming games. There are some interesting discrepancies between the look-ahead lines (which the set in advance of the game week) and the actual updated lines. There are some surprisingly big swings in the lines, and if you got in on the action at the right time you could be looking at some great value.
Between the WSOP and the Fury Wilder fight it’s a packed week in Vegas, which means it’s also another packed episode of Wise Kracks on WSN.
Make sure to send us your questions on Twitter @BillKrackMan, @JonOrlando and @WSNsports. We pick listener questions every week.
Listen to Bill on his Sports Betting Podcast Wise Kracks by WSN
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