The Highlights
- Before the official Gambling Olympics, some of the participants will compete against each other in preliminary events.
- One of these events is a tennis match between Adam Levitan and Brandon Adams.
The 2018 Gambling Olympics is a two-day 12-person contest taking place in Las Vegas on July 9-10. The buy-in is $2,500, and the winner gets $10,000.
Before, during and after the Gambling Olympics, we will provide extensive coverage via participant profiles, event breakdowns and live in-person analysis. Be sure to follow all the action in the Gambling Olympics section of the site.
Tennis Bet: Levitan vs. Adams
One of the preliminary events leading up to the Gambling Olympics is a tennis match between Adam Levitan and Brandon Adams in tennis, but this isn't your standard tennis match. For Adams to win the bet, he has to go 6-0, 6-0 in straight sets. For Levitan to win, all he has to do is win a single game. If that happens, will he and Adams continue the match to see who actually wins the best-of-three series (and by how many games)? Maybe, depending on whether there are other side bets made on the event.
Levitan and Adams are playing for $1,500.
Will Adam Levitan Win a Game Against Brandon Adams?
- Yes: +120
- No: -160
This isn't the first tennis bet for either of these guys.
Well, it's the first one Levitan has been a part of in which both players are using a tennis racket.
Walking through airport with my tennis bag.
"Hey man, you a pro?"
"Nah, I'm going to play against a frying pan."
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) June 29, 2017
That's right, Levitan played against Stephen Bass, a former pro tennis player, who used a frying pan. Levitan was close to victory but lost in one for the ages: 6-1, 5-7, 1-6. He had four match points in the second set but ran out of steam.
Re-watching my match vs. the frying pan from one year ago. What a humiliation: https://t.co/wcvL3orDwF
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) June 30, 2018
Meanwhile, Adams has played in multiple high-stakes matches, including one with poker pro and former tennis stud Patrik Antonius back in 2011, ultimately losing 6-0, 6-1. Adams was a 10-1 dog and could have won $300,000 but instead lost $30,000 for his troubles. While preparing for his match with Levitan, Adams has apparently been unimpressed with the competition.
Learned nothing. I was going 100% to backhand anyway. https://t.co/SFFVeg83c2
— Brandon Adams (@badams78) June 30, 2018
In fact, Adams has seemingly gone out of his way to insult Levitan multiple times.
Upon analysis, I take @EmpireMaker2 over @adamlevitan in tennis https://t.co/SFFVeg83c2
— Brandon Adams (@badams78) June 30, 2018
Analysis
When asked about the match, Levitan said he believes his stamina woes won't come back to haunt him.
One thing about the frying-pan match was that fitness became a huge factor. I just couldn't move deep in the second set and third set. In this match, fitness shouldn't be as big of a factor since I'm just trying to win one game. I've been playing about two times per week for the last five weeks or so. I feel OK about my game but really have no idea how good Brandon is outside of some YouTube clips. I think the line is fair considering he knows how good I am based on the tape from the frying-pan match.
As Peter Jennings has noted before on “The Three Donkeys” podcast, Levitan's opponent never takes a challenge lightly and is no doubt training hard for the match. In talking about his preparation for the Gambling Olympics, Adams seemed most focused on the tennis bet:
Q: How many hours of prep are you putting into this?
Adams: Limited. Need to play Yahtzee and Acey-Deucey for the first time. Also need to fortify mental game ahead of Levitan tennis prop and engage additional action at a more reasonable line of -10 games -130.
If Adams is willing to give -130 odds at -10 games, he must be confident. And if he's confident, I am too.
The pick: Adams -160
