48 AMERICANWAY
NOVEMBER 15 2008
G A M B L I N G
advantageof themathematicalmismatch to
the tuneofmillions.Unlike inhorse racing,
odds in sportsbettingare locked in themo-
ment youplace awager; thus, the numbers
Walker posts are careful reflections ofwhat
heandhisanalysts, alongwithoutsideodds
consultants they employ, think reflect the
likely outcomes. They are like an invest-
mentbank, following teamsorsportsrather
than companies or industries, andmaking
informed bets through the odds they post.
“I’m like our customers, except I have ac-
tion on every single game,” says Walker.
This can open the sports book up to enor-
mous potential losses, as was the casewith
the last SuperBowl,whenNewYorkGiants
fanswonnot just on thefieldbut alsoat the
bettingwindows. “Ididn’t realizeuntil then
how many people despised the Patriots,”
Walker says. “They justhate them.Rightup
until kickoff, we were still waiting for six-
figure bets on them that never came.” This
was especially unusual because thePatriots
wereheavy favorites, and,Walker says, “The
public loves favorites. It’s human tendency
to like thebetter team.There’sa reason they
are called favorites.” The Giants’ win justi-
fies one of Walker’s tips, which is that the
underdogs are usually better bets, because
the favorites attractmore betting and casi-
nos tend to set an artificially high differen-
tial, knowing fanswill bet it anyway.
Walker also readily admits that enthusi-
astic fans may enjoy an advantage over his
staff, a small group desperately trying to
follow the entire spectrum of professional
Go Low:
Because lines are often set intention-
ally high, underdogs and the under in
the over/under bet almost always rep-
resent the better value.
Run with It:
In baseball, the run line (a spread)
often pays better odds than the more
popular straight-money wagers.
Straighten Out:
Fans love parlays, bets that involve
picking multiple teams in multiple
games, because they pay extremely
high odds (an 11-team parlay can pay
1,500 to one). But the reason they
pay so high is that they are nearly
impossible to win. Straight win/
lose or over/under bets give better
returns.
Robert Walker’s
TIPS FORWINNING BIG
Atlanta | Austin | Baltimore | BeverlyHills | Chicago | Dallas | Houston
Indianapolis | Minneapolis | Philadelphia | Washington, D.C.
SãoPaulo,Moema | SãoPaulo, SantoAmaro | SãoPaulo, VilaOlimpia | BeloHorizonte, Savassi | Brasilia | Salvador
fogo.com
We proudly serve
only the finest-quality
