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Tout Controversy Is Prompted By Root Joining & Culver Leaving Vegas Insider

With the fat cats of baseball yapping to the media as they try to justify their impending strike, and the desultory exhibition football schedule priming the pump for the NFL season, sports bettors are slouching through the summer doldrums looking for a distraction to pique their interest.

Thanks to Vegas Insider, we have a flap that should hold our attention just long enough to make the dog days of August pass by quickly.

As announced by V.I. and Wayne Root’s company, Global Sports & Entertainment, the two are embarking on a joint venture in which Root’s picks will be available for sale at Vegas Insider’s website.

This development occurred without acquiescence by the man in charge of its handicapping staff, Russ Culver. Presented with the addition of Root to his roster of ‘cappers as a fait accompli, Culver promptly resigned from V.I.

As quoted in the local papers, Culver said, “It’s important for me to keep my standards and not be lumped with the Wayne Roots of the world … I had no choice but to quit.”

What Culver did was predictable, and in keeping with his well established policies regarding handicappers. He has a bias towards low-keyed ‘cappers and he was adamant that records be kept publicly at the site, so bettors could monitor for themselves just how well each tout was doing.

Meanwhile, V.I. was also predictable in pursuing an affiliation with Root, a marketing wunderkind who is perceived by many as a killer salesman. Obviously, V.I. feels Root will bring a great deal of revenue to the party.

We don’t begrudge V.I. the right to add whomever it wishes to its tout roster. Apparently whatever baggage Root has within the sports gaming community – and he does have quite a bit of negative baggage – it is assumed the vast market of squares that handicapping services and sportsbooks alike all wish to capture, will be more than receptive to Root’s spiel.

However, where we feel that V.I. erred is in the way it arbitrarily cut Culver out of the loop, by superceding his responsibility for managing his own department. The corporate honchos simply did an end run around him.

That is standard practice among corporations, but it doesn’t make it right or productive. Why not give Culver the right to veto the move, then override him, and then let him resign?

Why is it that corporate suits invariably choose the low road? The end result would have been the same, but the method in which it would have been reached would have been more professional.
But of course, there is more to the saga.

Root’s nose was decidedly out of joint after hearing Culver’s reason for leaving. So he responded with an utterly ridiculous suggestion that only a jaded spinmeister could originate.

He accused Culver of resigning because of “a lack of faith on his part that he could compete with Wayne Root,” according to a quote in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Of course, Root couldn’t resist adding that his is “the most recognizable name in the sports handicapping industry.”

That self-serving assertion regarding Culver is graphic proof of the contempt Root has for the public, and his assumption that he can sell anything, even a fallacious, bankrupt point of view.

Vegas Insider has never emphasized competition among its handicappers. None of their ‘cappers ever made points at another’s expense. Using the standard technique of blowhards, Root challenged Culver to a handicapping contest.

Culver displayed his ability to go for the jugular as he dismissed Wayne’s challenge by saying when Root wins the Hilton Super Contest, which Culver did two years ago, “I’ll accept his challenge.”

Culver also threw down the gauntlet to Root to publicly post all his selections at Vegas Insider, so bettors could track his record.

Root’s lame response was that his picks are already monitored by the Oklahoma Sports Monitor.
We doubt that Root will put up or shut up, as Culver challenged.

If it sounds like we are anti-Wayne Root, we beg to differ. We are anti the b.s., hype and snake oil claims that are so evident in Root’s statements.

If you’re so damned good, Wayne, don’t hide behind a smoke screen. Post your plays so everyone can see them after the games kick off. And please don’t insult our intelligence with rhetoric about your monitor.

We remember when Root was in the Stardust Handicapping Tournament and went 1-6.

Of course, Culver has had his disasters also. And we don’t mean to imply that he is pure as the driven snow. As a bookmaker at Vegas bet shops, and the head tout at V.I., he has had his share of critics.

We should mention that two years ago, in our annual magazine, Players’ Guide to Sports Books, we did extensive coverage of Root and his new (at that time) TV show and Internet website. In retrospect, the space we allotted was probably a bit much, although we’ll stand by it since we focused on news coverage and scrubbed out all the grandiose claims about his handicapping prowess.

Nonetheless, we took a fair amount of static for our coverage of Root.

It turns out that the most virulent criticism of Root comes from other touts, not from his so-called victims. Apparently, his competition is livid at Root’s success in obtaining funding and in attracting clients.

As a postscript, it should be noted that one of the ‘cappers at V.I. for whom we have the utmost respect, Dave Malinsky, reportedly also resigned from V.I. due to Root’s association with it. Subsequently, we learned that Mike Lee and Tim Trushel also abandoned ship.

This little contretemps is peaking, and soon will flare out like a Fourth of July sky rocket. But it is an interesting prelude to the coming football season.

Major Event. In an age of excessive hype, with which we all must endure the inevitable disappointment of ballyhooed events that simply lay an egg, it was a genuine delight to attend an affair recently that not only lived up to its advance notices, but exceeded them by a huge degree.

We are referring, of course, to the dinner at The Palm Restaurant in Las Vegas thrown by MajorWager.com, and sponsored by WSEX.com, with participation by two other offshore sportsbooks, Platinum and Bowman’s.

The dinner had been a topic of conversation on the M-W posting forums for several months. Freddie, a partner of M-W, aka The Devil, told us he originally envisioned a small gathering, perhaps a dozen or so, over bowls of spaghetti at a locals restaurant.

But when he mentioned it to Jay Cohen, the founder and former head of Antigua-based World Sports Exchange offered to pick up the tab at The Palm, one of Las Vegas’ most popular and prestigious steak houses. And so the wheels were set in motion in which posters and friends of M-W would enjoy face-to-face communication.

A private room in the Palm was set aside, and promptly at 9:15 p.m. the guests started arriving. There is always a risk that up close and personal contact among folks who have never met might not live up to happy expectations.

We can report that the 50 or so sports bettors who showed up for this gala were convivial, compatible as well as properly boisterous. The sartorial mode was decidedly dress down, with a few stalwarts, including The Devil, in sports jackets. Every fashion statement from preppie to biker was represented, with hairstyles running the gamut from shaved domes to pony tails.

Despite the visual variances, there was a common denominator: there were no phonies or loudmouths present. This gang bets on sports and is committed to getting their opinions out via the M-W posting forum. The top of the food chain showed up for this affair.

Freddie must be proud that he and The Major, aka Russ, have been able to attract such a strong representation of quality bettors to their site, and to have them attend a function like this. The best way to sum it up is that there was a whole lot of schmoosing going on. What we found extraordinary was the utter lack of commercialism by the host and sponsor.

Freddie worked the room like the pro he is, but never did he proselytize for his website. And Jay, who it was obvious everyone liked and respected, was the perfect low-key host, simply thanking everyone for coming, and then picking up the considerable tab.

In his pre-dinner remarks, Jay suggested that there would be another gathering next year.

Jay didn’t wish to publicly discuss his status as he awaits starting to serve his sentence, but noted that he still has several options which are being explored by his legal team. His fighting spirit is intact, and we can report that despite several years of being harassed by the government, they may have won their case in court, but the feds lost big time in trying to discredit Cohen. No one that we spoke to felt that Jay had anything to apologize for. Indeed, prevailing opinion was that the government drones who went after him are the ones with the black hats, while Jay is wearing a white hat.

We didn’t get a chance to speak with everyone who attended, but we’d like to acknowledge at least a few: Tax Man, Total Square, Pete K., Philosopher, and Unitas. We did get the opportunity to speak at length with Krackman, who lived up to our high opinion of him based on his posting style.

Our evening actually started about an hour before the dinner when we hooked up with D.T. Colen, who handles marketing chores for Betpci.com (Players Club International, based in the Dominican Republic), and Stephen Nover, who writes for Players’ Choice and The Prescription. We had drinks at Spago, which is just across from The Palm in the Forum Shops mall at Caesars Palace.

D.T., a native Vegan, rose to prominence at Las Vegas Sports Consultants and Vegas Insider. When the opportunity to move offshore and direct the marketing efforts of a major and well regarded book like Players Club came his way, he packed his bags and was off to the D.R.

Something of a local legend for his success in hanging out at the singles scene at the Hard Rock in Vegas, and rarely leaving solo, D.T. showed in a chance encounter with a lovely miss that in his time away he had not lost a step.

We will be hosting an Internet handicapping show sponsored by Betpci.com, featuring Nover’s NFL selections. The show will be streamed live over the ‘Net and also archived at AudioVegas.com.

More details as we get closer to the show’s debut, September 5.

Vegas Sucks. That’s the strong opinion of a regular visitor, a high roller of sorts, who thoroughly enjoys most aspects of gaming. However, despite being a card counter in black jack, he has a well paying day job and is hardly a professional. He is, in fact, a square.

But that didn’t stop security at a Strip casino from deciding that he was a threat based on surveillance of his play. It barred him from the tables. Not only from playing, but he was advised that he would be subject to arrest for trespassing if he sets foot on any of its properties.

The player is outraged. The casino’s ineptness, paranoid and presumptuousness is costing them good business: “Hell, I’m a net loser,” he asserted.

Apparently the casino’s decision was based on evidence gleaned from the eye in the sky. It turns out that not only are players watched, but their action is analyzed based on their play vis-à-vis the richness of the deck. The interpretation in this player’s case is that he is a threat to the casino. If they determine you’re a counter, security officers are authorized to take strong, irreversible action, he told us.

“So this is what Las Vegas has come to,” said the barred player. “What a shame the inmates have taken over the asylum. I enjoy black jack, but I am a frequent loser, and for them to make such a major mistake in my case … how far behind the curve must they be?”

Please send comments, questions, etc. to buzzdaly@aol.com.