1. #1
    DwightShrute
    I don't believe you ... please continue
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    barista wins $900K Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest

    http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id...s-supercontest

    Starbucks barista wins $900K Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest

    9:10 PM CT

    • Dave Tuley ESPN Staff Writer


    LAS VEGAS -- A 32-year-old Starbucks barista won more than $900,000 in the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, the most prestigious football handicapping contest in the world.

    Yes, you could say a regular Joe beat the Vegas wiseguys.

    The SuperContest, which costs $1,500 to enter, is a Vegas institution and has exploded in recent years, going from 345 entries in 2010 to a record 1,854 this season.

    It often draws comparisons as the sports betting equivalent to the World Series of Poker's Main Event, and in the same way that established pros were more likely to win the Main Event before the poker boom of a decade ago, the SuperContest's growth has seen more amateurs win in recent years.

    The champion won under the contest alias "pops2008." His real name is Damon G. (though he says he doesn't want to spill the beans on his full name until the obligatory "picture with the big check" gets published) and he went 5-0 against the Westgate's contest spread in Week 17 to finish with an overall record of 54-28-3 (65.8 percent).

    First place was worth $895,482, and he added $10,000 for sharing a mini-contest title by going 13-2 ATS (86.7 percent) over the last three weeks of the season. He actually had two entries in this year's SuperContest, with the other one -- actually his "main" entry -- named pops3284. He said he got the nickname Pops from a resemblance to a character by that name on "The Wayans Bros." show.

    The name stuck and the 3284 stands for his birthday (March 2, 1984). The winning entry, pops2008, came from the year he moved to Las Vegas from Maryland. The pops3284 entry finished tied for 40th, worth an additional $2,217.38 for a grand total of $907,699.38 in earnings from his $3,000 investment.

    Damon enjoys sports betting but doesn't claim to be a big bettor. He admits to being a grinder and says he had entered the SuperContest the past three years with one entry and finished only above or right around .500 each year.

    This year, he decided to go with the maximum two entries but was in the middle of the huge pack for a good portion of the season before finally breaking into the Top 50 (that's how many places cash) after Week 12. Even then, he was 3.5 games out of the lead with his top entry and 5.5 games back with the eventual winning entry.

    His big move came in Week 15 when he went 5-0 with the pops2008 entry and 4-0-1 with the pops3284 entry to move both into a tie for eighth place.


    The craziest part of Damon's victory was that both of his entries were tied for fourth place entering Week 17. He decided to go with opposite sides of five different games. His five best bets on the card were Houston +3 at Tennessee, Buffalo -3.5 at New York, Baltimore +2 at Cincinnati, Dallas +4 at Philadelphia, and Miami +9.5 at New England. He put the opposite plays on his pops2008 card, and that one went 5-0 in the early games on Sunday.

    "I've never been happier to be wrong about anything in my whole life," he said.

    After watching those games end -- though he says he intentionally slept in and watched only the fourth quarters -- he had to go to work. He sweated out his nearest competitors' plays on a nearby TV.

    Asked how he could afford the $3,000 for the two SuperContest entries, Damon replied, "I decided last year, after just having one entry, that I wanted to give two a try. I just saved my money by cutting expenses and making sacrifices in my social life. I worked and just got ready for the football season."

  2. #2
    rm18
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    It seems unreal that hitting under 66% will win and give you a 600X return on your money.

  3. #3
    thetrinity
    penetrate me to tears
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    Guy sounds like a fukkin square with those week 17 picks, that sums up the NFL season.

  4. #4
    eidolon
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    65.8%? that is very low.
    I think the winner usually is around 70%

  5. #5
    Hu$tle
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    i dont believe it


    part time profess gambler

  6. #6
    GunShard
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    If he doesn't make it in the top rankings next season, he was just a lucky gambler.

  7. #7
    rockmvp1209
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    Do you have to live in Vegas to play this? I would sign up at the LVH but can I place my weekly picks from Cali

  8. #8
    Da Manster!
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    them chumps are lucky I wasn't there!.......and I would have used the alias "SBR's Finest"!...Representin' fam!....

  9. #9
    ApricotSinner32
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    This is the dream right here. From a peasant worker to financial independence.

  10. #10
    tony_come
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    My chubby exgirlfriend knows him at Starbucks
    Nomination(s):
    This post was nominated 1 time . To view the nominated thread please click here. People who nominated: DiggityDaggityDo

  11. #11
    Otters27
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    Is he an br poster? Hope he does not blow it all.

  12. #12
    19th Hole
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    Damon parlays a foamy latte into 900K for the New Year.
    That puts him in the Auto-Donk League.

  13. #13
    jjgold
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    guys it is all random once you figure that out you will have more money in your pocket

    Anyone can win a contest zero skill

  14. #14
    Regul8er
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    Quote Originally Posted by thetrinity View Post
    Guy sounds like a fukkin square with those week 17 picks, that sums up the NFL season.
    He went the opposite on 5 games with his two entries since they were tied for 4th heading into the week. I'd say he made a pretty frigging good decision......not sure what's square about that.

  15. #15
    Sam Odom
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    Quote Originally Posted by DwightShrute View Post

    Damon replied, "I decided last year, after just having one entry, that I wanted to give two a try. I just saved my money by cutting expenses and making sacrifices in my social life. I worked and just got ready for the football season."

    good lesson there for 99% of us
    Points Awarded:

    PromiseLand gave Sam Odom 2 Betpoint(s) for this post.


  16. #16
    eidolon
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    I'm sure we will see this guy on SBR around August/September of 2017 touting his picks.

  17. #17
    DwightShrute
    I don't believe you ... please continue
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sam Odom View Post
    good lesson there for 99% of us

  18. #18
    jjgold
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    anyone can win

    a 6th grader

    all a guess week to week

  19. #19
    INVEGA MAN
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    $1500 will stop a 6th grader and you from entering this contest!!

  20. #20
    cash$bro91
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    Quote Originally Posted by rockmvp1209 View Post
    Do you have to live in Vegas to play this? I would sign up at the LVH but can I place my weekly picks from Cali
    You can use a proxy service if not in Vegas.

  21. #21
    moojoo
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    It would be great if SBR could organise next year top 5 guys to have paid entry for 2018 season with 50%/50% percent payout between poster and SBR. Heck it would be great if they organise some competition pre season and they pay entries for 2017 season.
    I am sure we have great cappers here at SBR.

  22. #22
    thetrinity
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    Quote Originally Posted by Regul8er View Post
    He went the opposite on 5 games with his two entries since they were tied for 4th heading into the week. I'd say he made a pretty frigging good decision......not sure what's square about that.
    Look who he wanted to take again

  23. #23
    cankid
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    So not to break site rules, I'll have the 2017 LAS VEGAS FOOTBALL CONTESTS INFORMATION IN THE PRIVATE ZONE ROOM DETAILING CONTEST RULES, REGULATIONS & PROXY

    Problem is I do not see an information room and I cannot post in the Private Zone
    Last edited by cankid; 06-28-17 at 01:14 PM.

  24. #24
    ManOfValue
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    No regular Joe putting up $1500 to enter an NFL contest is he?

  25. #25
    cankid
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    Well the Barista business must be good he put up 2 entries so $3000 with a sweet return.

  26. #26
    jjgold
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    $1500 is peanuts in today age

    It is like $100 compared to the older days

  27. #27
    cankid
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    Do you follow the contests JJ? Is there a contest you prefer or like the rules/format more than the other? Golden Nugget vs Supercontest

  28. #28
    Cuse0323
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    Figured you would have to hit higher than that, damn. Any of us could go on a run and hit that with that amount of plays. Hell, if I made picks, gave them out, then someone faded, they would hit 70% easily.

  29. #29
    maggiethebestdog
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    The difference between 65.8 and 70% is marginal.
    You must sign up for the contest in person. You can use a proxy once the season starts. I called about it a short time ago.
    I wanted to get into it but I live in NY State so I would have to pay for airfare and a proxy. That's 2500 after all of that.
    I won't say the name of the site, but another sports forum site has a contest that is run just like the Hilton contest. Not that expensive and still pays 5 figures. Played it only one year and won.
    Points Awarded:

    19th Hole gave maggiethebestdog 2 Betpoint(s) for this post.


  30. #30
    cankid
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    I help a few posters with contests, some like the $500 William Hill College Contest, been around close to 20 yrs, been fortunate to have 2 winners of the SUPERCONTEST, nice hit on the that contest Maggie

  31. #31
    GUMMO77
    Many bags of soup. Many.
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    32? Those some city years on him.

  32. #32
    tony_come
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    My ex girlfriend left me for this guy

  33. #33
    Regul8er
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    Quote Originally Posted by maggiethebestdog View Post
    The difference between 65.8 and 70% is marginal.
    You must sign up for the contest in person. You can use a proxy once the season starts. I called about it a short time ago.
    I wanted to get into it but I live in NY State so I would have to pay for airfare and a proxy. That's 2500 after all of that.
    I won't say the name of the site, but another sports forum site has a contest that is run just like the Hilton contest. Not that expensive and still pays 5 figures. Played it only one year and won.
    Crap, how much do you have to pay for the proxy, because you can get to Vegas this day for next to nothing out of almost every hub!

  34. #34
    7deuceoff$uit
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    65% will barely Crack the top 10 in Beat the prick. Just shows the high level of capping here at sbr. Keep up the good work boyz!!!

  35. #35
    jt315
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    Quote Originally Posted by Regul8er View Post
    Crap, how much do you have to pay for the proxy, because you can get to Vegas this day for next to nothing out of almost every hub!
    Some take flat fees , ($250-$300) others I believe take % of winning prize $ if your contestant cashes

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