Meister der Farbe » five under and within sight of the leade

LAS VEGAS -- Heading into SuperContest Weekend at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, the famed pro football handicapping contest is once again on a record pace.The SuperContest drew 1,727 entries last year at $1,500 apiece for a record purse in excess of $2.5 million and a first-place prize of $906,675, as the contest increased for the sixth straight year. There were concerns that the SuperContests growth could be slowed this year when the Westgate announced an 8 percent administrative fee that would be taken out of the prize pool to cover costs of running the contest, but that hasnt happened yet.At this time last year (heading into the SuperContest Weekend of Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28-29, 2015), there were 694 entries at the close of business on Thursday, Aug. 27.This years entries were at 695 as of this past Monday night and were into the 760s on Wednesday afternoon. With more than 30 hours to go until the close of business on Thursday night, the number should reach into the mid-800s. (Ill post an update in the comments section below.)During the first few weeks since we started taking signups on July 1, we were around 60 to 100 ahead of last year and thought that might slow down due to the 8 percent takeout, said Jay Kornegay, vice president of race & sports book operations at the Westgate, But then we saw a lot of signups last weekend and another spike this week. It looks like were going to be closer to 170 ahead going into our biggest weekend.The SuperContest Weekend, in its fifth year, features a free handicapping seminar at 6 p.m. PT Friday (the cocktail reception starts at 5 p.m.) in The Pavilion ballroom at the Westgate, a golf outing across the street on Saturday afternoon at the Las Vegas Country Club and prize drawings back in The Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. with at least six $1,500 SuperContest entries being given away as well as dozens of other prizes such as dinners, shows, sports memorabilia, etc.Fridays seminars will include two college football panels and one NFL panel with Brian Blessing acting as emcee. The 6 p.m. college football panel will include Chris Fallica of ESPNs College Gameday (and an ESPN Chalk contributor) along with Ken Thomson , Joe Lisi and moderator Steve Cofield. The 7 p.m. college football panel includes Kenny White, Dave Cokin and Lee Sterling with moderator Scott Spreitzer. The 8:05 p.m. NFL panel includes Marc Lawrence, Bernie Fratto and Rufus Peabody with moderators Gill Alexander and JT The Brick.The winners of the SuperContest Satellite Series on the Gamblino app are scheduled to be honored at 7:55 p.m. The bad news is that the Gamblino app will not be running qualifying tournaments this football season. Kornegay said he hasnt had time to figure out a qualifying tourney for next year.For the uninitiated, here are the SuperContests full rules and regulations.Sunset Station gets in seminar gameLas Vegas casinos have long used seminars to bring football bettors into their sportsbooks (recent examples being held at the Stardust, Ballys, Palace Station and Red Rock since the turn of the century), so its not surprising that another casino doesnt want to let the Westgate have all the fun.The Sunset Station will be holding a pro football seminar at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, in the Club Madrid nightclub, with Blessing pulling double-duty along with race & sports book director Chuck Esposito. Scheduled speakers include Bruce Marshall of the Gold Sheet, Andy Iskoe, Todd Fuhrman, Fratto and former ESPN handicapper Hammerin Hank Goldberg.More Vegas football contestsWhile the SuperContest is the biggest game in town, there are plenty of other casinos in Vegas also trying to lure customers with their handicapping contests.-- The Friday Football Showdown is back at the Golden Nugget, as previewed in this ESPN Chalk piece. The entry fee is $2,000, as it tries to challenge the SuperContest in the high-end contest space. Players not only pick NFL games against the spread but can also play NFL over/unders as well as NCAA sides and totals. The Nugget was hoping to go from 87 entries last year to around 200 this year, especially due to the fact it still pays back 100 percent of the prize pool.As of Thursday afternoon, there were only 41 entries, but theres expected to be a big increase this weekend with all the contest players in town signing up at the Westgate also wandering over to the other casinos with contests.-- After a two-year hiatus, William Hill has resumed its College Pick Em Contest for NCAA football handicappers. The entry fee is $500 with a limit of three entries per person (past versions of this contest were $250 per entry from 2005-2012 and then $100 in 2013 before it was dropped). Players make 7 plays against the spread (from a list of 25 available games) for 10 weeks starting with the games of Sept. 9-10. The prize pool is guaranteed to be at least $25,000 with 70 percent of entries going to the champion. In addition, theres a $25,000 bonus to the champion if they hit at least 70 percent winners (49 of the possible 70 points). As of Thursday afternoon, there were 36 entrants and again theres expected to be a spike this weekend. Full details are on the William Hill website.-- On the lower end, Wildfire Gaming offers the free College Football Clash with $500 in weekly cash prizes and the season-long champion winning a trip for two to the 2017 Rose Bowl (or a $1,500 cash prize in lieu of the trip). Wildfire Gaming is connected to Station Casinos and its Boarding Pass program, but this contest is just held at the smaller casinos such as Wildfire Rancho, Wildfire Sunset, Wildfire Lake Mead, Wildfire Boulder, Barleys and Wild Wild West.-- Ive long been a big fan of the football contests here in Vegas and believe theyre worth entering for those visiting town, even if for just one weekend. Many are free while others cost about what you might already be spending in office pools back home, but could have much bigger payoffs. Most of these are just picking teams to win, no points involved. The Station Casinos and Boyd Gaming have free contests where you just need to sign up for a free players card. William Hill also has a $25 buy-in Pro Pick Em contest with a $10,000 weekly prize for most winners.One contest we lost this year is Airin It Out at the Aliante in North Las Vegas, as Boyd Gamings purchase of the property is expected to be finalized during the first half of the season.Zapatillas Yeezy Falsas .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. Zapatillas Nike Baratas Spain . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. https://www.zapatillasbaratasspain.es/zapatillas-nike-baratas-spain-outlet-online-d988.html . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal. Zapatillas Nike Baratas Imitacion . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Replica Jordan España . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif.Jason Day defended golfs big four after their forecast heavyweight showdown failed to materialise at Royal Troon.All the hype before the 145th British Open centred on Days bid to keep Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy at bay as the superstar quartet jostled for the famous Claret Jug and golfs top ranking.Instead veterans Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson have stolen the show with a swag of less-heralded Americans and Europeans playing supporting roles.But Day believes any criticism of the Gen-Y dominators is unfair, citing an unfavourable draw for golfs top four players at Troon.Australias world No.1 even has the numbers to back it up.Every player in the top 10 at the Opens halfway point enjoyed the best of the conditions on Thursday morning and Friday afternoon, while Day, Johnson, Spieth and McIlroy were left to deal with the elements, including a 55kph squall that swept through the links course late in the second round.While Day struggled to a two-over-par 73 in tough early going on Thursday, Mickelson made hay in the afternoon with a major championship record-equalling 63 while third-round leader Stenson opened with 68 and 65.The pair have engaged in a two-man shootout ever since.Day said it was no great coincidence he and his big-name rivals were battling to keep pace.Rory, Jordan and myself are in the other wave, so that has a lot to do with it, Day said after his even-par 71 on Saturday.I think the best score out of our wave was two under with Patrick Reed and Rory, and obviously the (other) wave has played great golf and thats why theyre at the top of the leaderboard.ddddddddddddSo theres obviously a little bit of luck that is involved with getting to the top as well as playing good golf.But, once again, you get what you take and unfortunately thats just the way it is.Youve just got to try and get yourself into contention.Playing the brutal back nine in seven over has cost Day, but hes not the only one to have suffered.A triple-bogey on the railway hole, the punishing 11th, dashed Johnsons hopes on Saturday after the US Open champion surged to five under and within sight of the leaders.He finished at one under after his round of 72 included 39 on the back nine.McIlroy ended the third round with only 13 clubs after smashing his three wood in disgust on the 16th as the 2014 champion slumped to even for the tournament with a 73.And like Day, Spieth picked up four shots going out before giving them all back coming home to be five over and out following his third-round 72.The American then lashed reporters for expecting too much.Spieth said it seems hes become a victim of his own success after arriving at St Andrews last year with the chance to become the first player since 1953 to win golfs first three majors of the year and finishing one shot shy of a playoff.It seems a bit unfair at 22 to be expecting something like that all the time, Spieth said. 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