The Swamp

I am going all in in Luge and Windsurfing
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ol ... /24087019/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Officially March and im headed to Vegas for first tourney weekend. Intent is to turn $1500 into five stacks in the sportsbooks or go broke trying. Lemme know if anyone has any insights. Not gonna be able to watch enough hoops to out pick anyone. Just need a solid strategy to ride.

Just go with Brian

I usually do the 'coolest mascot' algorithm. That usually does the trick for me. By the way, is a 'stack' composed of ten one-dollar bills?

DC47 wrote:I usually do the 'coolest mascot' algorithm. That usually does the trick for me. By the way, is a 'stack' composed of ten one-dollar bills?

Yes, although often confused with "fat stackz" which is fifteen 5 dollar bills.

I humble myself and kindly beg for advice. Im just gonna ride the best idea that comes from this thread.

The mascot thing is a proven winner. But bribing refs has been proven as well. Probably better than bribing players as they are less mature and thus have trouble not blowing up point shaving schemes.

DC47 wrote:The mascot thing is a proven winner. But bribing refs has been proven as well. Probably better than bribing players as they are less mature and thus have trouble not blowing up point shaving schemes.

Shit, the swamp had intimate knowledge of ref-bribing!

HaulCitgo wrote:I humble myself and kindly beg for advice. Im just gonna ride the best idea that comes from this thread.

Citgo, a handful of us will be posting our picks (as discussed here, but we'll start a new thread for this year).

I also plan on being in Vegas next week. Where are you staying? Maybe we can meet up to slam some cold ones and watch hoops.

I'm in a crappy days inn wild west cause it was $20. So I'll be out and about. Definitely down for brews and hoops. I'm in Thurs night.

Wish I was joining you guys. I was in Vegas for the first weekend of the tourney a few years back. As I recall, it was hell getting a place to sit in any of the sports books. On the second day, we settled in at one of the small bars scattered among the gaming tables at Bally's. There were about 8 barstools. My two friends and I got there early and took up residence at three stools for the entire day. The other five stools were manned by others that did the same thing. By the end of the day, we all really knew each other well. (And, given that we had to keep drinking to justify our space at the bar, we got pretty lubricated, too.) Good times.

It's a bucket lister for me.

Keg wrote:

HaulCitgo wrote:I humble myself and kindly beg for advice. Im just gonna ride the best idea that comes from this thread.

Citgo, a handful of us will be posting our picks (as discussed here, but we'll start a new thread for this year).

I also plan on being in Vegas next week. Where are you staying? Maybe we can meet up to slam some cold ones and watch hoops.

I think Rams Fanny and I are planning on going down there first Saturday of the tournament. Might be the first time we've had 4 Swampers in Las Vegas together ever.

brian wrote:Might be the first time we've had 4 Swampers in Las Vegas together ever.

Ploooo-Leeze.

We had four out of towners, plus you. For a boxing match (Floyd/Oscar? I'm not sure it wasn't a different fight.) Keg, Hood, Tommyboy and moi.

eta: might've been Cotto/Margarito loaded gloves fight.

howard wrote:

brian wrote:Might be the first time we've had 4 Swampers in Las Vegas together ever.

Ploooo-Leeze.

We had four out of towners, plus you. For a boxing match (Floyd/Oscar? I'm not sure it wasn't a different fight.) Keg, Hood, Tommyboy and moi.

That's right. I forgot about that. The relay race we did out here too had myself, Steve, SpongeLike and Johnnie. Don't remember who was fighting that trip, but it was Kentucky Derby weekend too. That was a fun day.

First time I met Brian was in Vegas, keg and howard were out there at the same time for a fight (I was there for work) on Kentucky Derby weekend in 2007. Did not meet up with the other two at that time.

Ah. Oscar/Floyd then. And the count is up to six swampers (but I think four in the same room is the top.)

howard wrote:Ah. Oscar/Floyd then. And the count is up to six swampers (but I think four in the same room is the top.)

Oiler, TT, dsafe and I all had a few beers together when dsafe was in town for the super bowl.

Wasn't there a fantasy baseball draft a looooooong time ago?

In Vegas?

In Vegas?

mister d wrote:Wasn't there a fantasy baseball draft a looooooong time ago?

Yes. Oiler has attended a few of these, I believe.

Im in for Saturday. Just let me know.

HaulCitgo wrote:Im in for Saturday. Just let me know.

You guys still do the Excalibur, keg? I gotta run 12 miles Saturday morning, but I can try to get that in as early as possible and get down there around 8:30 a.m. or so to try and keep seat saving time to a minimum.

Those baseball drafts had more ex-swampers than current swampers. Clark, Ed, The Intern, Jpops, when did Oiler last post?

howard wrote:Those baseball drafts had more ex-swampers than current swampers. Clark, Ed, The Intern, Jpops, when did Oiler last post?

...

howard wrote:Those baseball drafts had more ex-swampers than current swampers. Clark, Ed, The Intern, Jpops, when did Oiler last post?

He posted recently about switching the swamp to a different platform: viewtopic.php?p=62565" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

brian wrote:

HaulCitgo wrote:Im in for Saturday. Just let me know.

You guys still do the Excalibur, keg? I gotta run 12 miles Saturday morning, but I can try to get that in as early as possible and get down there around 8:30 a.m. or so to try and keep seat saving time to a minimum.

Yup, we will be at the Excalibur.

Citgo, I will PM you my info so that we can set something up.

Keg wrote:

brian wrote:

HaulCitgo wrote:Im in for Saturday. Just let me know.

You guys still do the Excalibur, keg? I gotta run 12 miles Saturday morning, but I can try to get that in as early as possible and get down there around 8:30 a.m. or so to try and keep seat saving time to a minimum.

Yup, we will be at the Excalibur.

Citgo, I will PM you my info so that we can set something up.

If I may be so bold as to invite myself, I should also be able to get there for the 8:30-9:00 window as well.

Rams Fanny wrote:

Keg wrote:

brian wrote:

HaulCitgo wrote:Im in for Saturday. Just let me know.

You guys still do the Excalibur, keg? I gotta run 12 miles Saturday morning, but I can try to get that in as early as possible and get down there around 8:30 a.m. or so to try and keep seat saving time to a minimum.

Yup, we will be at the Excalibur.

Citgo, I will PM you my info so that we can set something up.

If I may be so bold as to invite myself, I should also be able to get there for the 8:30-9:00 window as well.

You were already invited. I mentioned you upthread. We're pretty much all imposing on keg and his buddies anyway, but it's nice to have a central place to meet.

I remember a good time in NYC where Hood, Oiler, Howard and I had drinks (of course howard's drinks didn't contain alcohol).

Or so everyone thought.

Actually just got comped three free nights from MGM, so we're going to be staying at Excalibur too. I asked for a room next to someone named "keg" or "kegtron". They said they didn't know what the hell I was talking about.

Nice! Will you be using all three nights during March Madness? Or are you still only planning on Saturday?

Keg wrote:Nice! Will you be using all three nights during March Madness? Or are you still only planning on Saturday?

Friday through Monday. Unfortunately I have to work until like about 4 p.m. or so on Friday but I'll probably try to get in touch with you for a drink or two for Friday evening's games. I know you guys all take off on Sunday, but I'm supposed to be meeting a couple of townie friends on Sunday for the games that day anyway and Excalibur or some place around there is as good as anywhere.

You can now bet college lacrosse online..well if you can get your money to the Latvian site.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/ ... first-time" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nevada Gaming Commission just approved skill-based slots today. It's kind of a big deal. It's just like it sounds. Instead of pure games of chance you can improve your chances of winning money based on your skill level at the particular game. Wouldn't expect to see the first ones rolled out for a few months, but they're trying to do something to appeal to those damn millennials.

brian wrote:Nevada Gaming Commission just approved skill-based slots today. It's kind of a big deal. It's just like it sounds. Instead of pure games of chance you can improve your chances of winning money based on your skill level at the particular game. Wouldn't expect to see the first ones rolled out for a few months, but they're trying to do something to appeal to those damn millennials.

Reminded me of something I've though about often: I have never gambled in any form in my life, and I think it's directly related to having lived entirely within the era of video games. I just can't fathom how someone could consider pulling a slot machine handle over and over again, with no other sort of interaction, to be an entertaining activity. I'd consider some of the more involved things like card games to be mildly interesting, but for the strategic decision-making processes they involved rather than the prospect of winning money from them.

Johnny Carwash wrote:

brian wrote:Nevada Gaming Commission just approved skill-based slots today. It's kind of a big deal. It's just like it sounds. Instead of pure games of chance you can improve your chances of winning money based on your skill level at the particular game. Wouldn't expect to see the first ones rolled out for a few months, but they're trying to do something to appeal to those damn millennials.

Reminded me of something I've though about often: I have never gambled in any form in my life, and I think it's directly related to having lived entirely within the era of video games. I just can't fathom how someone could consider pulling a slot machine handle over and over again, with no other sort of interaction, to be an entertaining activity. I'd consider some of the more involved things like card games to be mildly interesting, but for the strategic decision-making processes they involved rather than the prospect of winning money from them.

Have you ever played Solitaire?

Steve of phpBB wrote:Have you ever played Solitaire?

Yes, but not for money.

Johnny Carwash wrote:

Steve of phpBB wrote:Have you ever played Solitaire?

Yes, but not for money.

I think the entertainment factor is similar. You're doing something kind-of mindless to see how it turns out. Only with solitaire, if you "win" you get nothing. With slots, you get something, and it just *might* be something big.