Story Archive

Take Five: Ultimate Fighting Championship 86, Jackson vs. Griffin

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Quinton "Rampage" Griffin, who figures to attack Jackson relentlessly and work his straight right hands and high kicks, said he likes the way the fight shapes up stylewise.

Jeff Haney glimpses a World Series ‘Big One’ that’s sure to be high on drama, attendance

Friday, July 4, 2008

A festival atmosphere greeted thousands of poker players, spectators and curiosity seekers at the opening day of the main event of the 39th annual World Series of Poker Thursday at the Rio.

Jeff Haney on the ‘prince of poker,’ Scotty Nguyen, who finished first in the game’s ultimate test of skill and who stops at nothing to accommodate fans

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

At 4 o’clock in the morning on the biggest day of the World Series of Poker’s summer session, Scotty Nguyen was steaming.

New class of lightweight division

Pacquiao continues progression up boxing ladder with decisive title win

Monday, June 30, 2008

From the moment he decided to leave behind boxing’s super featherweight division to take on the sport’s best lightweights, Manny Pacquiao encountered myriad variations on the same question.
Would he retain his signature combination of speed and power in the heavier weight class, or would something become lost in the translation?

Take Five: Manny Pacquiao vs. David Diaz

Saturday, June 28, 2008

In his 14th year as a pro at age 29, Manny Pacquiao is fighting at lightweight for the first time.

Bettors drive up price on already favored Pacquiao

Friday, June 27, 2008

Manny Pacquiao is a minus-550 favorite (risk $5.50 to net $1) against David Diaz in Saturday’s lightweight championship fight at Mandalay Bay, according to MGM Mirage odds. Diaz is a plus-400 underdog (risk $1 to net $4).

Using Phil Steele's guide to pick out a few attractive bets

Monday, June 23, 2008

Phil Steele’s 2008 College Football Preview, the first of the major annuals, has arrived, prompting bettors to delve into some early-season and season-long handicapping.

Jeff Haney shows why baseball bettors should pay attention to pitchers’ tendencies and how they match up with ballparks

Friday, June 13, 2008

A popular theory among baseball bettors suggests backing starting pitchers who are known as ground-ball specialists when they are pitching in ballparks that typically yield a lot of home runs.

No-limit hold ’em continues to be a young man’s fancy

Jeff Haney on the interest level in two versions of Texas: One growing, the other, well, limited

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

If the size of the fields at the World Series of Poker is an indication, interest in no-limit Texas hold ’em tournaments continues to run high.

Most profitable period for putting down a Triple Crown bet might have elapsed

Friday, June 6, 2008

Bettors can still wager on or against Big Brown in his bid to make Thoroughbred racing history Saturday, but the deadline for the optimal way to play the Triple Crown in Las Vegas might have passed.

Much ado about prime-time MMA

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Mixed martial arts made its prime-time network TV debut without the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but with plenty of bluster and ballyhoo.

NBA legends return to betting boards for Lakers-Celtics series

Jeff Haney explains how nostalgic fans can bet on old-school stars vis-a-vis Kobe, Pierce

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Almost 20 years after his retirement from the NBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made an appearance on a betting board in a Las Vegas sports book this week.

Undaunted by early losses, Raymer counts on skill

Jeff Haney learns a true poker champ is in it for the long haul, and has no use for ‘luck’

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

The first two events of the 2008 World Series of Poker did not go as well as expected for Greg Raymer.

Jeff Haney discovers the ‘Big Three’ prop, an attractive bet for gamblers who think one of the favored teams in the NFL or college football will win the title

Friday, May 30, 2008

Football bettors who expect this year’s NFL and college seasons to play out fairly true to form, with few surprises and a favored team taking the title, should consider an innovative proposition available at MGM Mirage sports books.

Jeff Haney discovers razz isn’t a ‘miserable’ poker game, and finds an expert who says it can be the best way for many players to consistently make money

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Many recent converts to poker fandom had a dubious introduction to the game of razz, thanks to the televised final table of the 2004 World Series of Poker razz tournament at Binion’s.

A cage match, literary style

How these two books — one classic and one not so classic — compare. The answers might surprise you. Or not.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Rather than pen a traditional review of Tito Ortiz's new book "This Is Gonna Hurt," we opted to compare “This Is Gonna Hurt” with another of our favorite — albeit slightly more established — world literature classics.

Fighters relish throwing their weight around

Saturday UFC wins spark talk of shifts

Monday, May 26, 2008

Ultimate Fighting Championship fans have a special fascination with elite fighters who have the ability to navigate up and down between weight divisions, chasing the most exciting title bouts, B.J. Penn said after stopping Sean Sherk in the headliner of UFC 84 Saturday night.

Ultimate Fighting Championship 84, ‘Ill Will’

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Sean Sherk sees tonight’s title fight as a big step in rebuilding his reputation after testing positive for anabolic steroids in July, especially after a vicious of wars with his slated opponent, B.J. Penn, who suggestined Sherk had to "cheat" to win his belt.

Jeff Haney finds strong evidence the disgraced former NBA ref ensnared in a betting scandal was exerting major influence over games he officiated

Friday, May 23, 2008

No one knows whether the vague allegations made by disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy regarding secret information supposedly passed between refs and coaches will turn out to be accurate or unfounded.

Jeff Haney, at an IRS seminar, explores the debate over expanding legal sports betting

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Two days before Delaware’s House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow betting in the state on pro and college sports, Howard Schwartz of the Gambler’s Book Shop told a gathering of IRS workers they were leaving money on the table by not supporting the expansion of sports betting.

Stratosphere’s refusal to honor expired ticket gives sports books another black eye

Friday, May 16, 2008

It has been an unwritten rule in Nevada sports betting for decades: A sports book will virtually always cash a winning ticket even if the bettor redeems it after its expiration date.
For one thing, it’s good customer relations, plain and simple.

Jeff Haney on New England’s unprecedented over/under line for season wins at one sports book, and why there are worthy arguments for each side

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Oddsmakers have attached an over/under figure of 13 1/2 regular-season victories to the New England Patriots this NFL season, a projection that invites two disparate perspectives.

One man’s theories on Vegas’ economy, then and now

Monday, May 12, 2008

News item: The Nevada casino industry reports a significant decline in gambling revenue for a third consecutive month, blaming weakness in the national economy.

Bringing players back into game

Jeff Haney says the final-table delay this year is a bet that should pay off

Friday, May 9, 2008

Jeff Haney isn't quite ready to turn in his membership card to the poker purists’ club. But he break ranks with the purists in his reaction to the announcement that this year’s World Series of Poker main event will include a 117-day hiatus.

Better baseball betting

Jeff Haney says gamblers can mine a lot of knowledge from books that disprove baseball hokum such as hot streaks

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Sometimes the best books for bettors contain virtually no information on point spreads, money lines or anything else to do with gambling.

Sorry, Oscar, you’re wrong

Jeff Haney appreciates that boxers are among the few athletes who speak their minds, but this time he disagrees

Friday, May 2, 2008

Dear Oscar De La Hoya,
You recently suggested that Las Vegas boxing judges are in a conspiracy against fighters with your company, Golden Boy Promotions.

Baseball lines not created equal

Jeff Haney examines bettor-friendly dime lines: What they are and where you can find them

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

This baseball season, 13 of the 20 distinct sports books in the Las Vegas Valley are employing some form of a 10-cent line, or “dime line,” the most competitive and sought-after wagering structure in baseball betting.

One wild ride on the river

Jeff Haney details the ascent of David Chiu, who made up a $15 million deficit at the final table to win one of poker’s most prestigious prizes

Monday, April 28, 2008

If it wasn’t clear as he was staring across the poker table at a mountain of chips, knowing that behind the mountain lurked Gus Hansen, one of the game’s trickiest and most aggressive players, David Chiu might have sensed he was in trouble when the announcer solemnly read the official chip count to the crowd at the World Poker Tour Championship.

Jeff Haney finds reasons to put your money on NBA teams other than odds-on-favorite Boston

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Like a horseplayer who discounts a heavy favorite when analyzing a 1 1/8-mile route race, sports handicapper Joe D’Amico is trying to beat the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs.

Jeff Haney is encouraged to find that his criticism of a sports book’s actions has caught the attention of the Gaming Control Board

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

The state Gaming Control Board is investigating an incident at Harrah’s sports book on the Strip detailed in this column last week.

Calzaghe-Hopkins rivalry settled with a score

Monday, April 21, 2008

Two distinct catchphrases ran through the undercurrent of the entire Joe Calzaghe-Bernard Hopkins promotion that ended with the undefeated Welshman’s split-decision victory at the Thomas & Mack Center. “At the end of the day” was one. “White boy” was the other.

Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe

Saturday, April 19, 2008

It’s an intriguing matchup with the makings of a superb fight, but Hopkins, a defense-oriented technician, and Calzaghe, who has fought exclusively in Europe, could carry limited appeal outside the insular world of boxing.

Hopkins an underdog in this fight

Jeff Haney runs down the options for picking your favorite in the light heavyweight title bout

Friday, April 18, 2008

Bernard Hopkins touts himself as the ultimate underdog, and he means it in both a literal and more poetic sense.

Hopkins flashes usual hype before big bout with Calzaghe

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Preparing at Planet Hollywood for Saturday’s light heavyweight showdown with Joe Calzaghe at the Thomas & Mack Center, future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins made some distinctively Hopkinsesque predictions as to the outcome.

A little beer pong lightens the mood

Jeff Haney finds that even poker great Doyle Brunson can’t win at every game

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The most revered poker player of our time polished off a shot — yes, a shot — of Miller High Life from a red plastic cup, the kind you find at picnics or keggers.

Jeff Haney just can’t seem to get a fair shake at Harrah’s sports book

Monday, April 14, 2008

For some reason, I had always been a defender of the Las Vegas sports betting scene.

Jeff Haney likes the odds on some baseball long shots

Friday, April 11, 2008

Let’s not go overboard: Asking the Baltimore Orioles or the Kansas City Royals to maintain their early leads in the AL East and AL Central would be a bit much.

Jeff Haney sees rise of duplicate poker, a game in which luck loses out to brains

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

The timing was coincidental, but shortly after a reader from Henderson proposed a tournament based on duplicate poker in this column recently, an online poker site announced the inaugural Duplicate Poker World Championship with the finals set for this fall.

Back home in Uganda

Boxing left Joseph Kiwanuka penniless, nearly blind and stuck in the U.S. But his story ends happily, thanks to UNLV coach.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

As they were driving to the airport last week, Joseph Kiwanuka put his hand on Frank Slaughter’s shoulder and said he wanted to express his thanks.

A matchup of two of the sports books' hottest teams

Monday, April 7, 2008

When Kansas cruised past favored North Carolina in Saturday’s NCAA Tournament semifinals, it marked the fourth time in their five tournament games the Jayhawks had covered the point spread. Yet in its past three outings, Memphis, the Jayhawks’ opponent in today’s national championship game, has been even more impressive against the betting number.

Jeff Haney on one betting pro’s fury over what he sees as the NCAA’s blatant bias against Davidson and other mid-majors — all in the name of TV ratings

Friday, April 4, 2008

Of all the egregious errors committed by the tournament selection committee, veteran gambler Alan Boston said, the worst had to be making the Davidson Wildcats a No. 10 seed in the Midwest Regional, where they were matched against Gonzaga in the first round.

Jeff Haney reports that the legal fight over a law that virtually outlaws Internet gambling in the U.S. isn’t over

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

The lobbying group iMEGA (Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association) is proceeding with full force in its fight against the federal law that has shackled the growth of Internet poker and other forms of online gambling in the United States.

Other betting lines and propositions to watch throughout the baseball season

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

A sampling of offerings at various sports books.

Best bets in baseball

Jeff Haney crunches the numbers to help bettors pick the right casino

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

All other factors being equal, baseball bettors looking to invest a few dollars on their team to win the World Series this year will find the most value at the Las Vegas Hilton sports book.

The bookstore for gamblers has a hot seller

Monday, March 31, 2008

The opening of baseball season marks the 44th anniversary of the Gambler’s Book Shop at 630 South 11th St., but its best-selling product this spring is not a baseball betting book.

Melodramatic, but with a seal of approval

Jeff Haney isn’t surprised ‘21’ overdramatizes the MIT card-counting tale, but finds original guys kind of liked it

Friday, March 28, 2008

Dave Irvine and Mike Aponte — who risked, and won, big money in Las Vegas with the MIT team in the 1990s — had generally favorable impressions of “21” after a screening at New York University.

Dancing all over the odds

Jeff Haney recaps March surprises, including the high-stepping by spread-busting Washington State

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

When the odds were posted on teams to win the NCAA Tournament before the 65-team field began play last week, the line on the Washington State Cougars seemed accurate at 40-1. Since then, however, no team has exceeded the expectations of the oddsmakers and the betting public more than Washington State.

Confessions of a card counter

Sunday, March 23, 2008

I don’t know how many times I’ve been banned from playing blackjack in casinos. In the parlance of the game, I’ve “lost the count.”

Jeff Haney talks with a longtime sports bettor who says he’s finally reached the place where he can give up his obsession

Friday, March 21, 2008

When Alan Boston talks about how he came to find “a good place,” he does not mean his well-appointed house on a Las Vegas golf course or his summer home in Maine.

Bettors’ good old days are now

Jeff Haney talks with a top sports book executive about changes in the business

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Art Manteris appreciates the sentiment of the segment of the sports betting population, who, caught up in the romanticism and lore of the city’s history, tends to idealize the past. He just does not agree with them.