I haven’t done a blog post in a while so I thought I’d throw together some of the various things on my mind.
The state of online poker is very frustrating. While the UIGEA still hampered the experience, the events of April 15th, 2011 were devastating for players in the United States and it is very depressing. The one-year anniversary of the infamous black Friday is approaching with some optimistic state of affairs in regards to the future of online poker in the US. On a personal level, I miss being able to play on Pokerstars and Full Tilt immensely. Due to optimism, some success on the sites left and the upcoming birth of my son, it took quite a while for the reality of the situation to set in. Now, all US players are left with is a sad state of affairs with Bovada and the Merge Network as relatively the only (extremely meager) offerings in the US.
I personally will not be betting Wrestlemania 28 this year. A lot of the best lines are gone but still, this should in theory be the source of some easy money for those sharp smart marks. Next year, I plan to have money ready and fire as soon as the lines come out. I would like to do a longer write-up on the card sometime but we will have to see.
A few thoughts:
Undertaker was only -475 the first time I checked 5dimes, while still being able to be had at -900, I can’t see them ending the streak.
Also, Big Show + anything I feel is a good bet as he is def. better than 50% to go over on Cody Rhodes.
It’s also hard not to see John Cena going over. It will be interesting to see how this one is booked.
Although with betting wrestling, it has to be noted things can get screwy as I forget the particulars but the outcome of the Lawler/Cole match as WM 27 should serve testament to the dangers of betting a big favorite.
Basically, it seems a lot of the favorites are obviously favorites for a reason but esp. given the opening lines should have been much bigger favorites. Examples are Punk over Jericho, Sheamus over Bryan and the babyface Divas over Eve and Beth.
From insider stuff I have read it seems like Team Johnny will be going over as well but I have skipped thru these segments in my TV viewing so I can’t testament.
Basically, I feel like a ton of value could be extracted for those people who were ready to do so.
To my surprise, The MLB season starts at 6:10 ET this morning from Japan with the Mariners vs. the As. I understand all the critics against this silliness but for me personally I enjoyed in years past arising super early for some meaningful baseball. American fans will still have their opening days so really besides the people that care about the As and Mariners, it isn’t a big deal.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Ring of Honor's Tenth Anniversary Thoughts
Main Event
This was a great match with Jacobs taking a sick F5 to the ribs off the side of a steel chair. Jacobs hit Steen with a steel spike but was remorseful afterwards.
Special Attraction Tag Team Match
ROH World Champion Davey Richards & Kyle O'Reilly vs. "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole
Adam Cole got the miracle pin after a crossbody off the top. This match was really good, not as good as the last two Edwards/Richards singles matches. It went about 40 minutes. Afterwards, Steen cut one of his promos on Davey telling him to convince Jim Cornette to let him have a title shot. He said the main event should have been Steen/Richards.
Adam Cole got the miracle pin after a crossbody off the top. This match was really good, not as good as the last two Edwards/Richards singles matches. It went about 40 minutes. Afterwards, Steen cut one of his promos on Davey telling him to convince Jim Cornette to let him have a title shot. He said the main event should have been Steen/Richards.
Jay & Mark Briscoe defend against the Young Bucks
Great match. Dem Boys retained but the Young Bucks impressed as always. I hope the Briscoes have a long reign as tag champs as they are so over and hitting a peak at the moment.
Great match. Dem Boys retained but the Young Bucks impressed as always. I hope the Briscoes have a long reign as tag champs as they are so over and hitting a peak at the moment.
Jay Lethal defends against "The Dominant Male" Tommaso Ciampa w/ The Embassy LTD.
Good match. Went to a time limit draw so Ciampa didn't have to lose his undefeated record and Lethal could keep his belt. Show has been ok so far. 2nd half of the show should be off the charts.
Good match. Went to a time limit draw so Ciampa didn't have to lose his undefeated record and Lethal could keep his belt. Show has been ok so far. 2nd half of the show should be off the charts.
Jimmy Jacobs takes on "Wrestling's Worst Nightmare" Kevin Steen
This was a great match with Jacobs taking a sick F5 to the ribs off the side of a steel chair. Jacobs hit Steen with a steel spike but was remorseful afterwards.
Special Attraction Tag Team Match
The Amazing Red & "Technical Lightning" TJ Perkins vs The House of Truth ("Unbreakable" Michael Elgin & Roderick Strong) w/ Truth Martini
This was a great match with Red and Perkins getting over good with the crowd but doing the job to the House of Truth.
The did an angle where Chikara Grand Champion Eddie Kingston came out and Kevin Steen came out to try and team up with him until he called Chikara a Mickey Mous promotion and it turned into a pull-apart brawl. Eddie was going to piss on the Chikara belt until Chikara guys made the save.
This was a great match with Red and Perkins getting over good with the crowd but doing the job to the House of Truth.
The did an angle where Chikara Grand Champion Eddie Kingston came out and Kevin Steen came out to try and team up with him until he called Chikara a Mickey Mous promotion and it turned into a pull-apart brawl. Eddie was going to piss on the Chikara belt until Chikara guys made the save.
Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin) vs The All Night Xpress (Rhett Titus & Kenny King)
ANX beat WGTT. Missed this one.
ANX beat WGTT. Missed this one.
"Notorious 187" Homicide vs "The Prodigy" Mike Bennett w/ Brutal Bob & Maria Kanellis
2nd match of the show. Maria is looking good. Cool spot where Brutal Bob sacrificed himself when Homicide attempted a tope con hilo. Very predicatble finish where Bennett rolled up Homicide and got the win after distraction from Maria and Brutal Bob. Afterwards, they teased Homicide getting his hands on Maria but she escaped. I know Homicide can put on great matches but he has become somewhat bland for me.
2nd match of the show. Maria is looking good. Cool spot where Brutal Bob sacrificed himself when Homicide attempted a tope con hilo. Very predicatble finish where Bennett rolled up Homicide and got the win after distraction from Maria and Brutal Bob. Afterwards, they teased Homicide getting his hands on Maria but she escaped. I know Homicide can put on great matches but he has become somewhat bland for me.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey Thoughts! Unreal Fight!
With the tremendous Sarah Kaufman/Alexis Davis #1 encounter earlier in the evening seeing Kaufman becoming the next challenger for the women's bantamweight belt, this match had a hard act to follow. But holy hell, did it ever live up to the hype. Tate came out absolutely swinging and it was a slugfest. Rousey almost finished it early with an armbar but amazingly Rousey escaped. The two went back and forth highlighted by a great judo hip toss/side headlock takeover by Rousey. Rousey finally got her in a nasty armbar and damn near broke Tate's arm, if it actually isn't broken, before Tate tapped. Just brutal stuff here. Amazing performance by Rousey. She has great charisma and should become a tremendous draw if they can keep finding legitimate challengers. A perfect 5-0 record with all wins by armbar and a storied judo background, Rousey is legit. Sarah Kaufman might need to work on her armbar defense or she will be in for trouble. With Gina Carano now a movie star and the Cyborg steroid scandal, a new superstar has emerged in women's MMA.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Examining the Value of Ring of Honor's Tenth Anniversary IPPV
The price tag on the broadcast is $9.99. I am going to break down the value of this show based on the current card and what I feel everything is worth. I will update it due to any new announcements.
The Amazing Red & "Technical Lightning" TJ Perkins vs The House of Truth ("Unbreakable" Michael Elgin & Roderick Strong) w/ Truth Martini VALUE - $.50
Jimmy Jacobs takes on "Wrestling's Worst Nightmare" Kevin Steen VALUE - $.50
Jay Lethal defends against "The Dominant Male" Tommaso Ciampa w/ The Embassy LTD. VALUE - $.25
ADDITIONAL VALUE - $.05 due to the presence of Mia Yim at ringside. TOTAL VALUE - $.30
ADDITIONAL VALUE - $.05 due to the presence of Mia Yim at ringside. TOTAL VALUE - $.30
Jay & Mark Briscoe defend against the Young Bucks VALUE - $4.00
ROH's tag division is incredibly strong and I am looking forward to this match the most on the card. I've said the Briscoes are the best tag team in the world today. They are the complete package as far as tag teams go. The Young Bucks are not far behind. The built-in "no handshake" gimmick from the heat they received for not shaking hands with the likes of Golddust and Booker T during a WWE trout is phenomenal. Their in-ring ability and athleticism is arguably the best in the business. This should a great tag title match.
ROH's tag division is incredibly strong and I am looking forward to this match the most on the card. I've said the Briscoes are the best tag team in the world today. They are the complete package as far as tag teams go. The Young Bucks are not far behind. The built-in "no handshake" gimmick from the heat they received for not shaking hands with the likes of Golddust and Booker T during a WWE trout is phenomenal. Their in-ring ability and athleticism is arguably the best in the business. This should a great tag title match.
ROH World Champion Davey Richards & Kyle O'Reilly vs. "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole
VALUE - $2.50
Edwards/Richards II from "Best in the World" and Edwards/Richards III from "Final Battle" were two of my favorite matches from last year. This main event will surely be heavily MMA-influenced as all these men are great strikers and submission artists. O'Reilly has been a huge breakout star with tons of potential. The great storyline of the break of two teams in the American Wolves of Edwards and Richards and Future Shock of O'Reilly and Cole has been booked great. I love the pairing of Richards and O'Reilly, Team Ambition, as they are real-life training partners. I expect this to go a long time and be great, possibly a time limit draw. Will be interesting to see how this one is booked.
VALUE - $2.50
Edwards/Richards II from "Best in the World" and Edwards/Richards III from "Final Battle" were two of my favorite matches from last year. This main event will surely be heavily MMA-influenced as all these men are great strikers and submission artists. O'Reilly has been a huge breakout star with tons of potential. The great storyline of the break of two teams in the American Wolves of Edwards and Richards and Future Shock of O'Reilly and Cole has been booked great. I love the pairing of Richards and O'Reilly, Team Ambition, as they are real-life training partners. I expect this to go a long time and be great, possibly a time limit draw. Will be interesting to see how this one is booked.
CURRENT VALUE of CURRENT CARD - $7.80
ADDITIONAL VALUE
World's Greatest Tag Team vs. All Night Express has been added to the card. Decent teams, not big fans of either, should be an ok match - $.05
"Prodigy" Mike Bennett w/ Brutal Bob and Maria Kanellis - $.50 for Maria
TOTAL VALUE - $8.35
Hold up...
This promo from #demboys has added an additional value of $5.99 making the Briscoes/Young Bucks match worth the price of the iPPV alone.
GRAND TOTAL VALUE - $14.34 making me confirm this event as a DEFINITE BUY.
Monday, February 13, 2012
#demboys The Briscoes - Best Tag Team in Pro Wrestling
If you haven't heard, let me tell you about the best tag team in pro wrestling for a long damn time now, #demboys aka the Briscoes, the current and 7-time Ring of Honor World Tag Team champions. Hailing from a chicken farm on Sandy Fork by god Delware, the Briscoes are two of the realest guys in the sport today.
My first introduction to Jay and Mark, the Briscoes came when watching CZW's inaugural Best of Best tournament. From that day, its been a pleasure to watch the career of #demboys progress. During the second round of the tournament, the brothers faced off in a classic encounter that caught the attention of the many die-hard wrestling fans.
The Briscoes have been with ROH since Day 1 (great promo about that). At the time, Mark was 17 and too young to compete in Pennsylvania. Lately dem boys have been cutting some great promos like this one which is relevant as they are set to defend the straps vs. the Young Bucks at ROH's 10th anniversary show on March 3rd.
Check out more stuff from the brothers at rohwrestling.com
or buy some telephone number dem boys bumper stickers
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Weekend Preview: UFC 143 Diaz vs. Condit and Super Bowl XLVI
Since I know Billy is on the Pats at -2.5 or better, that is the side I am on too. It's easy to get carried away during the Super Bowl with all the props and whatnot but I decided to keep it simple. There is certainly a lot of value to be found.
The only prop I'm focused on is if Kelly Clarkson will sing the national anthem in over/under 1:34. I am on the under 1:34 however insider sources at the sound check in Indy have her test runs coming in at almost exactly 1:34. She normally sings her anthems in less time but might be adding a little for such a big occassion. However, I still feel good about the under. Not the greatest bet in the world but I see value!
I am also locking in my UFC 143 picks and scouring the internet high and low for free Super Bowl contests.
I've been watching UFC Primetime and while Carlos Condit is a great dude, the UFC needs Nick Diaz to win to set up the epic Diaz vs. GSP bout later this year. I think the cardio of Diaz gives him the edge and would not be suprised to see this fight going all five rounds with Diaz winning 3 or 4 rounds. Diaz is currently a -225 favorite.
The only prop I'm focused on is if Kelly Clarkson will sing the national anthem in over/under 1:34. I am on the under 1:34 however insider sources at the sound check in Indy have her test runs coming in at almost exactly 1:34. She normally sings her anthems in less time but might be adding a little for such a big occassion. However, I still feel good about the under. Not the greatest bet in the world but I see value!
I am also locking in my UFC 143 picks and scouring the internet high and low for free Super Bowl contests.
I've been watching UFC Primetime and while Carlos Condit is a great dude, the UFC needs Nick Diaz to win to set up the epic Diaz vs. GSP bout later this year. I think the cardio of Diaz gives him the edge and would not be suprised to see this fight going all five rounds with Diaz winning 3 or 4 rounds. Diaz is currently a -225 favorite.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Super Bowl XLVI pick, Kelly Clarkson, 1 F'ed Up Shirt + Hell on Wheels Season 1 Review.
For Super Bowl XLVI, I am on the Pats -2.5. This will decide if I drop to 4-4 on NFL picks for the year or bump up to 5-3.
Great analysis on betting the time of the national anthem. O/U 1:34 on Kelly Clarkson's National Anthem.
http://beyondthebets.com/2012/01/26/super-bowl-national-anthem-will-kelly-clarksons-rendition-fall-shy-of-134-overunder/
Most Fucked Up Shirt I Ever Did See. WTF!
Hell on Wheels Season 1 Review:
It ain't no fucking Deadwood but it's good, real good. 9/10
Great analysis on betting the time of the national anthem. O/U 1:34 on Kelly Clarkson's National Anthem.
http://beyondthebets.com/2012/01/26/super-bowl-national-anthem-will-kelly-clarksons-rendition-fall-shy-of-134-overunder/
Hell on Wheels Season 1 Review:
It ain't no fucking Deadwood but it's good, real good. 9/10
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