Jeff Haney

Story Archive

Barry Greenstein, Tom Dwan clash in huge poker hand: Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Manny Pacquiao: A good guy and a bad man: Pacquiao’s popularity outside the ring goes beyond his skill inside it. For his fans, it’s personal; Wednesday, April 8, 2009; To watch Manny Pacquiao interact with his fans is to witness something special. Sure, some want an autograph or a conventional handshake. Others, though, prefer to touch Pacquiao’s arm or rub their fingers against his sleeve, as if he were a religious figure or a living, breathing statue of a saint. “It’s because that’s exactly the way they look at him,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao.
Tiger Woods tops betting props on the Masters: Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Another way to bet your team: Game-by-game approach more profitable for fans such as Michigan State’s; Monday, April 6, 2009; The broad story line of today’s NCAA Tournament championship game has North Carolina — the juggernaut, the powerhouse, the team that was “supposed” to make the title game — facing upstart Michigan State, the underdog trying to pull off a nearly impossible mission.
Betting props for North Carolina-Michigan State title game: Sunday, April 5, 2009
A tall order for the Spartans: As they look to stop UConn’s 7-3 center, an intriguing prop bet unfolds; Friday, April 3, 2009; When Michigan State coach Tom Izzo addressed members of the media this week, a sizable portion of the discussion centered on how he plans to handle Connecticut’s 7-foot-3 center, Hasheem Thabeet, when the teams meet Saturday in the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament.
Pacquiao vs. Hatton: Stars align for major match: Wednesday, April 1, 2009; Twilight on Hollywood Boulevard, and Bob Arum was in rare form.
Tiger Woods: The odds on his roaring back from injury: Monday, March 30, 2009; When the 2009 Masters begins April 9, it will mark the start of betting action on several season-long golf wagering propositions linked to Tiger Woods’ performance in the sport’s major tournaments.
Feared, respected and often avoided: Thursday, March 26, 2009; Boxing promoter Richard Schaeffer slipped into hyperbole when discussing the April 11 middleweight fight between Winky Wright and Paul Williams, describing them as the most feared fighters not in the sport but “on the planet.”
The effect of overworked arms: Tuesday, March 24, 2009; Only recently has Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci joined Christian Doppler, Pygmalion and Martha Beall Mitchell in the starting rotation of people who have had an “Effect” named for them.
For both Dawson and Tarver, it's personal, again: Dawson: Fall’s insults overkill; Tarver: All part of the game, and oh, the judges slighted me; Saturday, March 21, 2009; Coming up through the ranks, Chad Dawson always respected and even admired Antonio Tarver from afar. Then, as Dawson tells it, he met Tarver in an up-close-and-personal manner, only to come away disillusioned.
NCAA tourney field’s top seeds ﬁrmly planted: Representatives of power conferences should stick around awhile in tourney; Thursday, March 19, 2009; Of all the conferences that have sent basketball teams to the NCAA Tournament, the Big East is expected to win the most games, collectively, in the event.
Tips for filling out your NCAA bracket: Let history — and betting lines — be your tourney guides; Tuesday, March 17, 2009; The typical NCAA basketball tournament office pool involves a bracket but no point spreads, so participating in one demands a special strategy.
Did Sinatra, Escobar rendezvous in Las Vegas?: Monday, March 16, 2009; Pablo Escobar and Frank Sinatra had dinner in a private room at Caesars Palace, then took a scenic helicopter tour together, according to a new book written by Escobar's brother.Pablo Escobar and Frank Sinatra had dinner in a private room at Caesars Palace, then took a scenic helicopter tour together, according to a new book written by Escobar's brother.
North Carolina, Louisville top NCAA betting odds: Sunday, March 15, 2009
Bout in Tijuana has drug war backdrop: Violence in Mexico raises alarm; fight booster touts safety; Saturday, March 14, 2009; The image of Las Vegas as a tourist destination has taken a hit of late, with corporate executives wondering whether the city has become too frivolous for their business getaways given the dismal economy.
How many will ballclubs win?: Yanks, BoSox top sports book lines; Thursday, March 12, 2009; Take a look at the regular-season-victory over/under figures for the Tampa Bay Rays as they were posted in Las Vegas sports books for the past four seasons. In 2005 the number was 71 1/2.
BYU betting favorite to win Mountain West tourney: Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Seed, the champ, ‘really has this down’: Tuesday, March 10, 2009; Mori Eskandani, a producer with the TV broadcast team of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, was reflecting on how much the poker landscape in Las Vegas has changed in recent years.
Huck Seed wins National Heads-Up Poker Championship: Monday, March 9, 2009
Huck Seed, Sam Farha advance in poker tournament: Sunday, March 8, 2009
Hatton’s got confidence cornered: Saturday, March 7, 2009; Ricky Hatton makes a convincing case for his prospects against Manny Pacquiao in their May 2 junior welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand.
Full house at Caesars for heads-up poker tournament: Friday, March 6, 2009
Poker’s diamond in the rough?: Pro says a tour modeled on golf’s would use star power to revive game; Thursday, March 5, 2009; With many of poker’s most recognizable figures packed into a relatively small space, this weekend’s National Heads-Up Poker Championship commands perhaps the most star power in the game.
These two contests are better for the bettor: Tuesday, March 3, 2009; Two betting contests based on the NCAA basketball tournament have opened for registration at competing sports books in Nevada, and both will return at least 100 percent of the entry fees in prize money.
'High Stakes Poker' true to game’s rhythms: Friday, Feb. 27, 2009; A video clip from the forthcoming fifth season of “High Stakes Poker” illustrates, in precis, the appeal of the only show that taps into the natural ebb and flow of a big no-limit cash poker game.
NASCAR: Riding with Kenseth rewards bettors: Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009; In December, when odds on which driver would win the Daytona 500 first appeared in Las Vegas, Matt Kenseth of the Roush Fenway Racing team was listed at 22-1. After going off at a price of 20-1 on race day, Kenseth won the traditional season opener of the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule. A week later Kenseth went off at odds of 9-1 before winning the Auto Club Speedway 500 at Fontana, Calif., completing a two-leg parlay of sorts that paid off at 189-1 for any bettors who were riding with him from the start.
In video poker, you’ve got to know what to hold: Expert’s book helps readers learn how to beat the house; Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009; In the fine poker novel “Shut Up and Deal,” author Jesse May describes a fictional writer of instructional books named Larry Sandtrap, who appears as a disembodied voice in the mind of the main character, Mickey.
Offensive efﬁciency analysis: Metric to aid college hoops bettors is a winner at top; Friday, Feb. 20, 2009; When Pittsburgh beat Connecticut in a Big East basketball clash Monday night, it was considered an upset vis-a-vis the point spread.
In search of bracket’s best bets: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009; College basketball fans of an empirical bent often rely, at least in part, on the bracket odds compiled by the crew at TeamRankings.com in forecasting the results of the annual NCAA Tournament.
Loss of license might not keep Margarito from ring: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009; Whether it’s fair to him or not, boxing fans could not help looking back at several of Antonio Margarito’s fights after the Mexican welterweight’s boxing license was revoked by the California State Athletic Commission this week.
Prop payoff is in the details: Super Bowl safety kick complicates betting on kickoffs; Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009; When the Arizona Cardinals scored two points on a safety in the Super Bowl, the play figured to resonate with gamblers, especially bettors who focus on propositions, or “props” — the sometimes offbeat wagers on various facets of the game.
Like war games, but for poker: Students in two-day seminar on no-limit cash games learn strategy by going to battle, then analyzing it; Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009; In the dealer’s perch for once, rather than in his familiar position in a player’s seat, Mark Seif was shuffling a deck of cards and holding court at a poker table in a Caesars Palace ballroom.
A poker survival skill: Cash game play: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009; On the surface, the distinctions between poker tournaments and cash poker games are minimal. Yet the differences between the forms of poker run much deeper.
St. Pierre saw UFC 94 victory coming: ‘I knew I broke him mentally after the first round’; Monday, Feb. 2, 2009; Looking back on the night he described as the pinnacle of his splendid mixed martial arts career so far, Georges St. Pierre said he could pinpoint the moment he knew for certain he had victory within his fearsome grasp. It was at the end of the first round of his Ultimate Fighting Championship title fight with B.J. Penn at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, St. Pierre said Saturday night.
Take Five: Penn ﬁghts to be ﬁrst with second: Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009; "I don’t think there’s any question B.J. Penn can fight at 170."
Wagers that are best not allowed: Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009; Those lists of odds published by offshore gambling emporiums asking bettors to wager on which song Bruce Springsteen will sing to begin his Super Bowl halftime show leave me with mixed emotions.
Underdogs, by any measure: All along, the numbers have discounted Arizona’s chances; Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009; The dominant story line of Sunday’s Super Bowl revolves around the unlikely appearance of the Arizona Cardinals in pro football’s championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are widely viewed as a more suitable competitor.
Hype is fervent ahead of rematch: Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009; Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, typically likes to highlight the differences between his organization (innovative, forward-thinking) and the boxing business (hopelessly stuck in the past).
Flores seeks title shot after TKO at Plaza: Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009; Cruiserweight contender B.J. Flores handled journeyman heavyweight Matt Hicks in the headliner of Friday night's fight card at the Plaza hotel-casino, then turned his attention to setting up a potential world title bout against one of the current belt-holders in boxing's 200-pound division.
‘Dangerous’ Mormon headlines Plaza card: Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009; It has been a decade since B.J. Flores served as a Mormon missionary in Culiacan, Mexico, but he made quite an impression during his two years there.
Props spice big game betting: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009; In analyzing Super Bowl proposition wagers, or “props,” virtually everyone uses the same set of data, the same set of statistics, as a starting point.
Margarito-Mosley: The $25 world title fight: Margarito-Mosley in L.A. offers cheap seats, HBO access; Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009; In an event that’s being hyped — accurately — as the first “megafight” of the year, Antonio Margarito puts his welterweight world title belt on the line against former world champ Shane Mosley next Saturday in Los Angeles.
Upsets shake up NFL betting lines: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009; Two upsets in the NFC divisional playoffs this past weekend shook up the odds on the remaining teams to win the Super Bowl as well as the projected betting line in the big game itself, according to the latest odds from the Las Vegas Hilton sports book.
Like magic, toward illicit ends: Cheating at cards is the source of much of today’s repertoire of sleight of hand, author says; Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009; It carries the provocative title “52 Ways to Cheat at Poker,” but Allan Zola Kronzek’s latest book actually exists at the strange and often fascinating nexus of the worlds of magic and gambling on cards.
Pacquiao favored to beat Hatton in megabout: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009
Use caution betting road underdogs: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009; All four games in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs this weekend are rematches not only of regular-season games, but of close regular-season games.
Wit, wisdom in the highs and lows: Reviewing the gambling year that was in 2008, with an emphasis on events of great social and political import; Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009; Reviewing the gambling year that was in 2008, with an emphasis on events of great social and political import.
Bet Utah for the spread, not team’s record: Handicapper expects undefeated Utes to hang close to 12-1 Alabama; Friday, Jan. 2, 2009; Utah looks like an attractive play as an underdog in the Sugar Bowl today for one Las Vegas sports betting analyst, but not because of the Utes’ 12-0 record.
Humbler Mir in position to reclaim UFC crown: Monday, Dec. 29, 2008; An adage from the realm of bullfighting occurred to radio personality Ron Gerrard in the aftermath of Saturday night’s year-ending Ultimate Fighting Championship show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.