Bikini contest winner parlays prize into fruitful Las Vegas hobby

A night at the Silverado Saloon in Manhattan, Kan., turned into a life-changing journey for Kelly Stewart in an odd sort of way.

"I did a bikini contest at a bar," she said, "and I won $1,000 and a trip to Vegas."

It was the first time she risked a little to win a lot. It also was the first time a pitcher of beer was dumped on her head - by one of the losing contestants out of anger.

On her trip to the Strip, Stewart brought her ironically named older sister, Nevada. They roomed at the Imperial Palace, and, after a wild weekend, the teenager from Kansas could see a future in Las Vegas.

"I'm moving here," she said, and 10 years later, the move is paying off.

Six days ago, Stewart walked into the Bellagio, where she works as a cocktail waitress at a nightclub, and placed a $100 money-line wager at the sports book. She parlayed three underdogs - Oregon State (plus-250), Rutgers (plus-320) and Kansas State (plus-475) - and cashed out for $8,452.

A photo of the winning ticket is posted on her Twitter account, @kellyinvegas, where she has 5,238 followers and picks up more every day.

"How many other female handicappers are out there?" she asks, knowing that at age 28, she brings unique sex appeal to a male-dominated profession.

Sports handicapping is not her career yet, but she's beginning to realize her dream. Stewart recently landed a weekly segment on an ESPN Radio show in Las Vegas, and her handicapping opinions will be featured regularly in the Review-Journal.

"Kelly is proof that people of all ages, men and women, are getting more into football gambling," ESPN Radio host Steve Cofield said. "Why can't there be good handicappers who are female? It's not exclusive to one sex.

"We were looking to diversify and get more voices on the air. Her looks don't hurt, and that's getting her a good following on Twitter. She's an actual bettor, and she's in the middle of the action on the Strip."

Stewart first attracted attention on Twitter and through a website, Hottiehandicappers.com, set up by a female business partner. Her football plays are available for free. The only money she has made through handicapping is on her bets, and she bets her own money.

After graduating from Kansas State with a degree in marketing in 2007, she relocated to Las Vegas and started building on a modest bankroll. She prefers straight bets, often throwing down $1,000 on a game, tends to go against public opinion and hates to lose.

"I'm very competitive," said Stewart, whose athletic experiences growing up were mostly as a spectator. She played a little basketball and softball, but her passions were partying and Kansas State football.

"I was kind of a rebel," she said. "My aunt actually got me into college football."

In 1998, when Stewart was 15, her heart was set on seeing Kansas State play for the national championship. The Wildcats were 11-0 and ranked No. 2 in The Associated Press poll going into the Big 12 Conference title game in St. Louis, and Stewart was there with family.

Kansas State went conservative with a 27-12 fourth-quarter lead and was stunned 36-33 by Texas A&M in double overtime.

"I don't cry over men because K-State football broke my heart before anyone else could," Stewart said. "I was devastated."

Four years later, after winning the bikini contest, she placed her first wager when her dad, John, gave her $100 to put on Kansas State to win the Bowl Championship Series title.

The bet was a loser. But her dad, a Vietnam veteran who lives "in a trailer in the middle of nowhere" in Montana, had inspired his daughter down a career path to sports handicapping. "He's my best friend, if that explains anything about me," she said.

In June, father and daughter combined to hit a trifecta on the Belmont Stakes. But she rarely bets the horses and is not crazy about baseball handicapping after a tough summer.

"There definitely have been some weeks I lost my ass, of course," she said. "I would be a liar if I said I didn't lose."

These days, she focuses on college football and the NFL, and wins more than she loses. On Monday night, she took the points with the Seattle Seahawks and cashed another long shot.

The rival who dumped the pitcher of beer on Stewart's head 10 years ago is now one of her closest friends, proving that hot handicappers tend to win more friends.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.