Guidant Question.

Does anyone know what Guidant's market cap was before the merger. Yes, Boston Scientific's stent business is in free fall. But is the market cap of BSX below the combined market cap of the two companies before the merger?

Toppe? Anyone?

When you are running good....

http://www.pokerhand.org/?236234

I got smacked on pretty hard after this hand. "How can you call?"

-Well I couldnt put him on a 10, maybe 9-9. And I saw him make some weird plays earlier.

A miraculous bad beat. The two outer always hurts.

Matt

http://www.gametheory.net/dictionary/TitforTat.html

I think this is a good web site to research game theory in general.


Matt

The trade of a lifetime

New England Patriots at 12.5 on Tradesports. I believe this to be a no-brainer. Normally expert handicappers will tell you that if you lose your offensive and defensive coordinator that there is no way that you can win the next year. See Chuck Sipple in Card Player last football season. Well, I believe that that the NEP should be priced a little bit higher than 12.5. There are probably 5 teams that can win the super bowl this year, and granted most of those teams are in the AFC. This price assumes that New England is one of the worst of that bunch. This team reloads. Buy at 12.5 sell at 20 after week 2.

Also check out the new sponser. Apparently, Phil Ivey plays at FullTilt.com so hey thats where we play. I have one tip for Phil though, slow down, you cannot win every tournament. Focus on perfecting your crap game (try not to hit the lights on the toss). Spend more time in the Light with Floyd Mayweather. Only play poker with Chip Reese, Barry Greenstein, Doyle Brunson, etc. I am sure those tournament wins keep you in the action. Look at other tournament champions they never go bust, right. No seriously your my boy Phil, aren't you?

Anyways, click on the Full Tilt add to sign up and check out the Penguin's post about the degenerate Omaha game that we played in last weekend.

Mattador out-

Tradesports long shot

The Oakland A's, one of the best 2nd half teams in recent baseball history were trading at $0.02 earlier this year for division winners. Why did I not load up on them? Billy Beane is god damn genius, and I knew that the current team was underrated, but absolutely no one knew that they would turn it around this quickly. I am long 10 contracts and I paid 12.5 before the start of he season, now they are at around 25 for a double. The most undervalued bet of all time could have been the 80 wins this season bet. Good job Soyka for betting this, you are my new hero and an amazing handicapper.

Book Review: Amarillo Slim: In a World Full of Fat People

I give this book the rating of pocket Kings (KK). This is a book that will not help you win a poker tournament or calculate reverse implied pot odds, but it is pure enjoyment and easy to read. The stories never get dull and the book is hard to put down. Greg Dinkin and Slim did a pretty amazing job of living up to Slim's image as a likeable gambler who shears sheep and never skins them. The stories cover slims exploits as a pool hustler, book maker, prop gambler, card player, and more. The best parts of the book are when Slim relates stories about his exploits with other famous gamblers including Titanic Thompson, Doyle and Sailor, Minnesota "New York" Fats, and Johnny Moss.

Overall if you enjoy gambling stories and you probably do if you are reading this blog, you will not be disappointed so roll off to your local library or book store and pick it up.

MK Mattador

Afleet Alex

I am no horse racing genius, but I did stay in a holiday inn express last night. Just to prove once again, how dumb you have to be to sports gamble, here is the anatomy of great sports bet:

1:00 PM I decide that Jaucomo is a steal at 10-1. He obviously won the derby, so he should win easily

2:00 PM My girlfriend who "likes horse racing" tells me that the favorite Afleet Alex should win, followed by the horse that is picked second. When I remind her that she is just telling me the odds, she does not seem deterred.

2:30 I bet 10 tradesport contracts on Jaucomo for 10$. I feel like a 100$ payoff and a taste on the race will be worth it. And now I have stake in it, because I do not think Jaucomo should be a 10-1

3:00 I start thinking that maybe Afleet Alex is not a bad bet. 1. because if he loses I have to hear I told you so. 2. Because everyone on TV is talking about Jaucomo. 3. Bob Costas is at the Pimlico and that would make him a "great story" being there

3:30 I get a gut feeling and sell my 10 contracts on Jaucomo and buy 30 contracts on Afleet alex at .21 so $63 to win $237.

The race was amazing. Afleet Alex and Jaucomo start slow and wind up in the back of the pack. Afleet takes the inside and at the halfway mark starts blowing every horse out of the water. Making them look like they are standing still. Just when he looks like he is going to crush the race and take it down, the lead front running horse cuts him off causing him to trip and the jock to nearly get throwin forward off the horse. This caused me to almost throw my remote through the television. Then Alex holds on in one of the most amazing recoveries I have ever seen and takes it down giving me a sports betting bankroll again.

Matt

Indianapolis regional in hindsight

Never, ever go to a NCAA tournament basketball game unless your team is in the tournament and you are an undergraduate or you get free tickets and are some how right outside the dome that is located in. Here are my comments.

1) Tickets are way overpriced. They charge 150$ for a book of tickets for 150$ you get to see 6 games which does not seem like that bad a deal, but the first round is mostly routes. Most fans only want to see their team play and most likely the small teams will be out after the first round so they will leave and go home, that leaves a bunch of tickets to be scalped and traded and a bunch of boring fucking fans.

2) Games are super boring. The only game I was at that was any fun was Eastern Kentucky vs Kentucky. And it was a route but the fans were raucous and they made it fun. Small scools were by far my favorite part of the opening rounds.

3) Here are my list of the best fans that I saw in Indianapolis:

Eastern Kentucky Colonels: These fans were truely amazing. Located about 3 hours from Indy, they brought everyone and filled the stands even though they were huge dawgs. Cheered hard until the very end and brought several hot undergrad coed fans.

Illinois: probably a good turnout because of expectations. Most fans were idiot cheering podunks, but had a good showing in pure numbers

Kentucky and Cincinnatti: About the same, Nick Lachey being there tied up Cincinnatti. Both school brought several hotties, icluding two Bearcat strippers who were seated next to me in sports bras.

Farliegh Dickenson and Nevada: I was just impressed that anyone showed up at all from these two schools. The two FD Knights fans that I actually met were two total douche bags, but I was impressed by the number of fans and the actual team was very good for a 16 seed. Nice showing FDU. Nevada had several fans there also, and they were very vocal when playing against Illinois which not surprisingly had a huge number of fans there. This was a great effort.

Iowa: By far the worst. Iowa and the big ten should be ashamed of themselves. There was maybe 10 fans in the whole dome. Worthless. Iowa should be kicked out of the big ten for this shitty showing.

So stay home watch the games on television it is much more exciting.