Red Rock Resort director shares tips on how and what to bet for sportsbook novices
Stepping inside a sportsbook for the first time can be daunting.
All five senses are in play. The big-screen TVs and bright LED boards pop, cigar smoke fills the room while slightly tipsy fans cheer for the first touchdown of the day. Meanwhile, you’re trying to keep your breakfast down because the nerves of walking into such an environment doesn’t sit well with you — because you’ve gotten up early on a Sunday morning and have decided to make a trip to the sportsbook to place your first bet.
Don’t worry: It’s an appropriate reaction. There’s a good chance someone else is at another casino in Las Vegas looking at these pieces of paper and wondering to themselves, “What’s this -7 mean?” Or, “Why does this team have a +240 next to its name?”
There’s a misinterpreted notion that sports betting is meant for those who follow sports religiously, but Jason McCormick, sportsbook director at Red Rock Resort, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., has seen instances where the slightest hint of luck has resulted in a lucrative payday.
“We had a guy about four years ago that hit a 15-teamer (parlay card) for $100,000,” McCormick said. “And he just picked dates that were special to him.”
Betting on teams can be as much based on luck as skill. McCormick said bettors will choose teams based on mascots or colors. But to have the slightest grasp of betting knowledge is important, so it’s better to know what to play and what to learn now rather than later.
Parlay cards
If you’ve ever walked into a sportsbook, those colorful parlay cards sitting at the counter are hard to miss. These have an all-or-nothing approach. If you bet five teams, and all of them cover, you win the money. If one loses, it’s time to rip the ticket up.
But McCormick said parlays are more appropriate for those just starting out or who are afraid to go to the counter.
“That’s probably how most people start out, is the parlay cards,” McCormick said. “It’s the least intimidating when you walk into a book. They see the line of tellers across the counter, and it’s like, ‘I’m intimidated to walk up there.’ ”
Parlay cards are simple and self-explanatory: There are many types of cards with different implications, such as Ties Win (the objective is in the name) and ½ Point, where teams gain or lose half a point in the spread. Mega Teasers provide unique spreads, such as giving seven points to the favorite rather than the underdog, but they also come with a lower payout if you win.
Each parlay card displays which teams are home and away, the time of the game and the point spread. The teams are associated with a number that you circle in with a pencil at the bottom of the ticket. After selecting your teams and placing the bet, all that’s left is to hope and pray.
“It’s something you can look at and read and tackle at your own time,” McCormick said. “Really easy to fill out.”
Moneyline and straight bets
Once you’re familiar with playing the rainbow assortment of parlay cards, the next step is familiarizing yourself with the writers at the counter.
Don’t feel obligated to bet on multiple games like the parlay cards. You’re allowed to bet one game at a time.
But when doing such, it’s important to understand those +300 or -110 numbers that are on those giant LED boards. That’s the moneyline.
Here’s the best way to understand it: Say the Miami Dolphins are playing the New England Patriots, and the Dolphins have a +240 moneyline. If you bet $100 on the Dolphins to either cover the spread or win outright, you’d get back $240 and win $340 in total. If the Patriots are -110, you would have to bet $110 to win $100 and get $210 back.
Of course, you’re not required to put down $100 every time. If you throw down $10 on Miami to beat New England, and the Dolphins win, you win $24 and get $34 back. With the Patriots, you would bet $11 to win $10.
“I got so tired with parlays that I moved up to straight bets,” said southwest resident James Williams, 47. “Straight bets are so much easier and don’t take as long to make decisions on.”
Thankfully, you’re not required to figure out the math on potential winnings. The computers at the counter take care of that. This comes in handy if you’re on a budget but have the itch to bet.
“If you start at $5 to $10, you’re going to get more comfortable as time goes on,” McCormick added.
McCormick also said to not be afraid to take the underdogs. Upsets are bound to happen, and having those guaranteed points in your back pocket could be the difference to landing a few more dollars than betting the favorite.
“The NFL in Week 1 had 11 games, out of 15 (games), decided by seven points or less,” McCormick said. “Underdogs do come in.”
Altering the course of the bet
Sports betting continues to advance. No longer is it easy to go to the counter and definitively say, “Give me the Patriots for $10,000.”
Dare you bet $10,000 on a team without its top two quarterbacks as of Sept. 22? No, because things are always happening.
For example: The Dallas Cowboys, without star quarterback Tony Romo, played the New York Giants in Week 1. Dallas started rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, had a rookie running back in Ezekiel Elliott and a highly questionable defense. The line started with the Cowboys as three-point favorite, to the Giants closing as favorites, at -1 or -2, by kickoff on Sept. 11.
One injury, or suspension, can change the course of a bet. McCormick, also pointing to Week 1, used the Sunday night matchup between the Patriots and Arizona Cardinals as a prime example. New England was without quarterback Tom Brady — due to suspension — and tight end Rob Gronkowski due to injury, and the Patriots were on the road against an Arizona team that was one win away from a spot in the Super Bowl a year ago.
“The line went all the way to nine (in favor of Arizona) by the time the game kicked off,” McCormick said. “That was all influenced by money. People were saying, ‘The Patriots aren’t going to win this game.’ ”
New England won 23-21.
“I took New England that game,” Williams said. “Mainly because of the points, but I had a feeling the Patriots would keep it close. I should’ve taken the moneyline, dang it.”
The control room in the back of Red Rock Resort’s sportsbook is where the lines are created and are sent to all Station Casinos properties. They are the people who control how the spreads fluctuate throughout the week, and take everything into account from injuries and analytics, to how the weather is that week and how the wind is blowing.
“We had (the New England-Arizona game) at 5.5 or 6 because we thought that’s where the line should’ve been,” McCormick said. “That’s one of the most fun and exciting parts of my job.”
Above all, have fun
McCormick realizes there are times intimidation can sink in, but it’s the writer’s job to make the bettor’s experience as simple and enjoyable as possible.
“Once they take the time and teach you how to bet, they really only have to do that once, and you’ll understand and be much more comfortable,” McCormick said. “The next time you come up, you’ll be more professional about it.
“When you walk into a restaurant, we’ve all learned how to order our appetizers, order our drink, our entree. We did that as small children and normally, when that happens, Mom and Dad will do that for us. By the time we got older, we knew how to do that for ourselves. I think sports betting is the same way. You have to have somebody show you and get kind of used to it.”
Major League Baseball’s postseason is in full swing, and it’s the time of year where baseball is getting as much, if not slightly more, than football. If you plan on being an avid bettor this October, there will be prop bets in baseball but McCormick advises to sway away from those and stick to straight bets.
The atmosphere in a sportsbook during playoff time for any sport is unlike any other on a weeknight or weekend, and that’s what McCormick feels sets the sportsbook apart from anywhere else.
“There’s going to be exciting points where you think you’re doing great, and you’re definitely going to cash your ticket, and then there are moments where you’re just ready to rip that ticket up,” he said. “It’s the same as going to a movie where you get that drama of being excited or sad. Sports offers that same excitement and drama, whether you’re cheering for a player or team, underdog or favorite.”
To reach View copy editor Danny Webster, email dwebster@viewnews.com or call 702-477-3834. Find him on Twitter: @DannyWebster21.
