LIVE FROM VEGAS: March Madness Sights, Sounds And Stories

The past 24 hours have been quite a whirlwind here in Las Vegas.

I arrived late on Wednesday from the Bay Area for the yearly March Madness pilgrimage to Sin City. My father had already been here for a few days, and our first day of four days together coincided with the tournament’s initial round.

Let’s be straightforward: For a significant part of Thursday, we were just like bugs on a windshield in Las Vegas.

Nevertheless, an extraordinary plot twist in the final hours of the day rectified numerous sports betting mistakes, which have accumulated in a manner only seasoned gamblers would instantly comprehend.

Here’s the first March Madness recap …

9 a.m.: Dad is still slightly resentful about Wednesday night’s events. He wanted Rutgers to triumph over Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish managed to secure a victory in double-overtime.

The quote he gave:

“I cannot stand Notre Dame. Their golden domes are not my favorite. Being a Catholic, it’s impossible for me to despise Touchdown Jesus, but I absolutely loathe the leprechaun!”

Okay, then.

At 9:15, the staff at Bally’s sportsbook are mocked for not displaying the Michigan-Colorado State game on a big screen as March Madness kicks off on Thursday. One particularly disgruntled spectator even sarcastically suggested they put on ‘The View’ instead of making the effort to find the game on his own desk television.

Firstly, avoid being this person. Your humor might not come across as intended and you may appear overindulged and privileged.

Additional Remark #2: It seems that Bally’s sportsbook is set to be completely revamped in the forthcoming rebranding to Horseshoe Las Vegas. It’s quite regrettable. Despite being slightly off the mainstream, it’s a lively spot with excellent staff.

At 9:40, Dad starts enthusiastically following the Providence-South Dakota State game. He’s rooting for the Friars and after they make an early run, he excitedly exclaims, “blow these guys out of the gym!”

9:42: The spirited Jackrabbits, arguably a top-five D1 mascot, make several successful shots, causing Dad’s mood to darken. He exclaims, “Can we play defense just ONCE?!?!”

At 9:50, the day’s first sighting of a drink server leads to this interaction.

Dad: “Is the coffee maker functioning?”

Server: “No, however, the Bloody Mary machine is available!”

Dad: “…you’ve encountered me previously.”

Eventually, the drink arrives. In one of the day’s more unexciting March Madness games, Providence triumphs and covers.

Things start falling apart

At 11 a.m., it’s clear that my father is smitten with Longwood. The Lancers, with an impressive track record of around 10-1 in the games where my father placed his bets on them, are preparing to face off against Tennessee. Prior to the game, he purchased a Longwood shirt from the school’s store, which he is now wearing with pride.

At 12 p.m., Tennessee starts to efficiently sink every shot they take. Despite Longwood’s energetic defense and their efforts to challenge each shot, the Vols continue to dominate them by continually making difficult shots. Though Tennessee ultimately won the game by a large margin, Dad managed to mitigate the impact with an over/under score.

At 12:30, following a swift lunch at Sbarro in the adjacent food court, your brave writer realizes a blunder. I mistakenly included a CBI game in my March Madness bets, favoring Middle Tennessee State with a -6.5 lead over Cal Baptist.

I examined if the spread had altered before what I assumed was a 2 p.m. kickoff. It was then that I spotted “3/19/2022” on the ticket. The match is scheduled for Saturday, and I inadvertently placed a bet two days in advance.

The story’s lesson is this: Sensory overload is a genuine phenomenon, boys and girls.

A buzz begins to build

At 3 p.m., Gonzaga faces a tough challenge from Georgia State. The game is evenly matched well into the second half, but then Gonzaga, the top-seeded team, quickly takes control. This is positive for many spectators who predicted Gonzaga to win by between 22 and 24 points. The rest of the game unfolds as expected…

At 3:30, Gonzaga increases their lead to a staggering 26 points. Many begin to hope for a miraculous turnaround, until Georgia State manages to score a few late points, effectively changing the against-the-spread outcome. Disappointment fills the air as the game ends with Gonzaga leading by 21 points.

4: In quick succession, I find myself dealing with two obnoxious individuals. I’m waiting in line to place a bet on a horse race when a teller begins to organize things at his window. Suddenly, a diminutive man in a lofty green hat confronts me, insisting I move to a window I hadn’t been directed towards. I shrug off this inconvenience, only to find someone else encroaching on my desk space to sort out his own betting paperwork.

Again, don’t be like these people. The consequences of gambling are real and they will catch up to you.

Welcome to the madness

At 4:10 p.m., the game between Kentucky and Saint Peter’s began. Before I flew in, I had publicly stated that I was most likely to place my largest bet of the weekend on the Wildcats defeating the Peacocks. Based on Saint Peter’s previous offensive struggles in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, I presumed they would have no effective strategy to counter Oscar Tshiebwe on the inside.

At 5:30, Saint Peter’s shows no sign of backing down. Kentucky’s guards are effectively contained by the Peacocks. Although Tshiebwe is successful in his interior plays, uninspired performance from the backcourt keeps the competition fierce. The game seems to be heading towards overtime.

6: Saint Peter’s officially pulls off the upset. Kentucky is eliminated, rendering my most significant March Madness wager of the day unsuccessful.

At 6:20, a tweet was posted by @ZeroStarReviews showcasing a screen capture of my earlier game analysis. I wasn’t tagged in it and only became aware of the tweet when others tagged me in their responses. I’m a firm believer in accountability and I’m willing to accept any criticism for my analysis if it doesn’t hold up over time. However, I believe it’s fair to tag the person in question and give them an opportunity to respond.

Interesting information: Currently, the tweet criticizing me has 20 retweets and 208 likes. A comparable tweet criticizing the iconic Dick Vitale for forecasting that Kentucky would win the national championship has only three retweets and eight likes. It seems I have a significant impact. Who would have thought?

Rebounding from a March Madness disaster

At 7 p.m., my dad and I meet up at the Burger Brasserie, situated between Bally’s and Paris. As we devour two surprisingly delicious cheesesteaks, we decide to participate in an 8 p.m. poker tournament at Bally’s.

Though I’m no reincarnation of Stu Ungar, I take pleasure in card games and seek out reasonably-priced tournaments. Our choices were severely restricted during our two 2021 visits, and our preferred location, Flamingo, was sadly shut down. This situation has made Bally’s our go-to place for budget-friendly poker in the area, and that’s where we headed.

9: My father leaves abruptly and goes to the sportsbook to catch the final moments of the Murray State-San Francisco game. Surprisingly, we both bet on the Dons, who end up losing in overtime. Meanwhile, as he is engrossed in the game, I manage to win a few bets.

10: Among the last 30 players, I have the smallest stack of nine. The tables are consolidated into one, and I only manage to make it there because I split a pot with a straight I made on the river just before the consolidation.

At 10:15, with only seven players remaining, I manage to survive an all-in despite being the player with the shortest stack. My pocket 8’s get a significant advantage from a Q-8-Q flop, which puts me in a favorable position against a big stack’s A-K.

At 10:30, I find myself as one of the two players with the smallest number of chips, out of the remaining four. Only three of us will receive a payout. Before the flop, I go all-in with a pair of 4’s. The other player with a small stack calls my bet with an Ace and a Jack. I get lucky and pull a third 4, thereby eliminating him from the game.

10:45: Sadly, the tale doesn’t conclude with the desired fairy tale ending. I ended up in third place, my pocket jacks defeated by a pair of aces. However, I still walked away with a considerable amount of money. Before leaving, I quickly calculated my earnings.

It seemed unlikely that I would score at the poker table when I barely made it to the final table with about five big blinds. But I fought tooth and nail to get into the money, which balanced out my losses for the day.

All in all, it’s a happy recap

College basketball really took me for a ride, and gambling Twitter nearly followed suit. However, it was refreshing to return to Rio with my bankroll restored, gearing up for a weekend full of betting and quality time with my father. If you were under the impression that one incorrect game prediction would spoil my weekend, I hate to break it to you: it didn’t, and after a solid night’s rest, I’m eager to jump back in.

Interested in tracking the entire trip? Follow me at @AndrewChampagne on Twitter and check back on Play Innevada in a few days for a weekend recap.