November 30, 2007

By: Lynda Collins

Leroy's couldn't have asked for a better 2007 College Challenge champion.

Bobby W. is the consummate sports bettor. A retiree who works part-time at a local specialty store, the $32,100 first prize was the 62-year-old native Californian's biggest pay day ever. Bobby W. bets 364 days a year.

"There's one day a year I can't make any bets," he lamented.

In fact, he relocated to Las Vegas four years ago after retiring from Von's specifically so he could wager on sports everyday.

"Football's very exciting, but you have to wait a week between games," Bobby W. said. "I like college basketball a lot and think you can find some good value in the lines while football's still going on, but when they start making adjustments, be careful. These bookmakers are smart.

"I like the NBA also, but you don't have the same teams playing everyday. That's probably why baseball's really No. 1. You have games to bet everyday and teams sometimes play 10 days in a row.

"That's what I do on my days off in the summer, sit around all day watching baseball. It's what I love to do. You can see a lot of games with the Direct TV package."

Not surprisingly, Bobby W. is divorced. He has a grown daughter living in the California coastal area where he spent his entire life before settling in Sin City.

"Relationships," he said. "They're so hard."

Another favorite pasttime is visiting sports gambling forums on the Internet.

"I'll be able to access all of them when I get my new laptop," he said.

Like many sports gamblers, Bobby W. goes for the gusto.

"I love betting parlays because you can win a lot of money while only risking a little," he said. "You're not going to get hurt, but you could have a nice payday."

He also likes to wager in a manner that allows him to hedge if there's a late game.

"You try to lock in profit," he said.

The new College Challenge champion began his betting career years ago just playing in pools at work. Asked what he was going to do with his winnings besides purchase a laptop, Bobby W. good-humoredly replied, "Put it all on black."

Actually, he plans to "catch up and get ahead."

"It's nice to be able to do that," he said. "You don't get many of those kinds of opportunties."

Bobby W. also plans to take a vacation he says is long overdue.

"I'm thinking about Costa Rica," he said. "I hear they have a lot of good sports books there."

Bobby W. offers that he was very nervous heading into last weekend and spent Saturday with a buddy watching games at Montelago.

"They have a great book that's not overcrowded." he said. "I bought my friend a seven-team parlay on my plays because I wanted him cheering with me, not against me."

He only went 3-4, but that was just enough as players directly behind him also were 3-4.

"That's what was kind of amazing," Bobby W. continued. "If I had a good week, so did the people right behind me. If I had a bad one, so did they."

College Challenge contestants paid $250, were limited to three entries apiece and made seven college selections weekly.

"There were a lot of big names (gamblers) in there," Bobby W., who won by a single game, observed.

He figures the two teams he used most over the season were Air Force and Kansas. "I got some good covers from Air Force early," Bobby W. said.

Though he grew up around California teams and enjoys seeing any of them do well -- "I hear it's a lot different in Chicago, that White Sox fans hate the Cubs and vice versa" -- Bobby W. doesn't have a favorite team in any sport.

"Whoever I have a bet on today is my favorite," he said. "I love the green, the Benjamins."