Hilton SuperContest going strong

A sustained run of popularity is rare in Las Vegas. Even the "Rat Pack" of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop rode a wave that lasted only about a decade.

The Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest is an entirely different entertainment entity, but its longevity is impressive.

Widely recognized as the most prestigious of all NFL handicapping events, the SuperContest is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

"The SuperContest will have the biggest first-place prize year after year, and one of the main reasons why it's so popular is it has always been the biggest one," Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay said. "It's a well-known and well-respected contest. It's the true measuring stick for the top handicappers."

The Hilton contest, with its $1,500 entry fee, requires participants to select five NFL games against the spread each week during the regular season. The winner earns 40 percent of all entry fees, and 100 percent of the fees are returned to the players.

It has a magnetic attraction, bringing together amateur armchair quarterbacks and the sharpest minds in football handicapping. Most times, an amateur is the winner.

The concept is simple, popular and often imitated.

Art Manteris created the SuperContest in 1989, when he ran the Hilton sports book. Manteris said the format was a takeoff from a contest the late Sonny Reizner staged at the old Castaways.

Manteris, vice president for sports book operations at Station Casinos, now oversees The Challenge, a $1,000-entry fee NFL contest with rules that differ slightly from the Hilton's script.

The South Point added a high-end contest last year. The Friendly Frank's Pro Championship Challenge is a $2,500-entry fee contest that guarantees a $250,000 prize pool. It also requires entrants to pick five NFL games against the spread.

"The SuperContest is basically the model that other contests follow," Kornegay said. "We have more competition than ever."

The Hilton drew a record 505 entrants in 2005, but the total dropped to 416 in 2006 and 342 last year.

Not everyone is a high-stakes player, and a variety of $25 contests also are offered.

"As competitive as the market is, whatever your niche is, you can find a contest," said Cal Neva sports book director Nick Bogdanovich, who has three contests with entry fees ranging from $20 to $250.

When he was at the Golden Nugget sports book in 2004, Bogdanovich hosted a $5,000 NFL contest. It could have been a long-term success, he said, but it lasted only one year because the casino changed owners.

Kornegay doubts economic factors seriously will hurt high-end contests this year.

"Sports wagering is up quite a bit this summer despite the slow economy," he said.

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