Highlights
- The inaugural Gambling Olympics takes place in Las Vegas on July 9-10.
- The event features 12 of the gambling world’s biggest names competing as individuals and teams in 12 events.
- Team Levitan features Adam Levitan, Joey Ingram, Pete Manzinelli and Michael Mooney.
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.
Team Levitan
A sizable underdog at +200, Team Levitan looks to be at a significant disadvantage relative to Teams Bales and Jennings (+125, +150), but the Levitan unit also might be a trendy risk-seeking bet: The four members of the team are all popular and respected within their fields. Underestimate the DFS analyst, new-age inventor, award-winning wordsmith and professional degenerate at your own peril.
- Adam Levitan: DraftKings Analyst
- Pete Manzinelli: Gambling Legend and Physical Cryptocurrency Pioneer
- Michael Mooney: New York Times Best-selling Author
- Joey Ingram: Professional Poker Player and Podcaster
Events
- +200 to win Gambling Olympics
- +185 to win Rock-Paper-Scissors
- +200 to win Beer Pong
- +150 to win Connect 4
- +140 to win Acey-Deucey
- +185 to win DFS
- +250 to win Sports Betting
- +125 to win Crypto Portfolio
- +125 to win Poker
- +150 to win Standings Prediction
- +175 to win Blackjack
- +150 to win Yahtzee
- +150 to win Lodden Thinks
Team Levitan is getting little bookmaking respect, failing to register as a lone favorite in any of the events, but it's always possible that the group's sum could be greater than its parts, especially if the teammates place an emphasis on working collaboratively (and perhaps covertly) on the individual events.
The Teammates
Levitan: He has been called out for his poor drinking performance in last year's Broathalon, but he should do better in the Gambling Olympics, in which alcohol consumption is recommended but not compulsory. Levitan has the fourth-highest odds to win the event at +550, and he should be especially strong in DFS, Poker and Connect 4.
Manzinelli: After opening as a +800 underdog, Manz has crushed the Beer Pong prop market and is now a large +150 favorite. It's possible that the Manz market is off in other events: He is, after all, a self-pronounced champion in DFS, poker and crypto, and in last year's Broathalon he won the beer-mile competition despite throwing up and having to run an extra penalty lap. Manz is tied for last with +900 odds to win the individual title, but his bravado and irrational confidence could energize the team, and he has the potential to hold his own in more than half the events.
Ingram: He is arguably the most talented of the 12 participants, but there are questions about his commitment to the team and event. Both Scott Blumstein and Peter Jennings picked Ingram to finish last in the event. In Jennings' words: "He has a ton of talent for this event, but I don’t think he is going to put in the work." Ingram has the second-highest odds to win (+400, +350) in Poker and Blackjack, but otherwise he is near the bottom of the field in every event. If he is able to pair Poker and Blackjack victories with average finishes in the other events, he could drastically outperform his +900 odds to win the whole event.
Mooney: The New York Times best-selling author is (like everyone on the team except for Levitan) a +900 dog to win the event, but as an unknown entity, he could have unexpected talent. Mooney is slotted last in the field in every event except for Crypto Portfolio and Rock-Paper-Scissors, but his analytical approach could give him an edge. With a little support from his teammates, he could become the Maria Konnikova of the Gambling Olympics.
Analysis
While Team Levitan has three big underdogs, it's possible that the unit as a whole could offer longshot value in a contest featuring so many luck-driven events. It's not unthinkable for members of Team Levitan to win as many as eight of the 12 scheduled challenges.
How Team Levitan wins: Levitan leads by example with earth-shaking victories in Connect 4, Crypto Portfolio, DFS, Sports Betting and Lodden Thinks, while Ingram finishes first in Poker and Blackjack and Manz destroys the field in Beer Pong. Mooney has above-average performances in over half of the events, and Team Levitan cruises to an unexpected easy victory.
How Team Levitan loses: Levitan finishes top-three in only two events, Ingram gives minimal effort, Manz skips Day 2 of the event to hang with some girlz he met at da clubz, and Mooney runs bad in the luck-based games. A three-team event turns into a two-team race, as the Levitan squad finishes a distant third.
Event Pick: +185 to win DFS
