Fire up the brackets. Brace for the wild bounces. Welcome the annual ritual of March Madness. Las Vegas exemplifies the term even more than the NCAA men’s basketball circuit, which starts its championship March 20. Sixty-five teams wind their way down to one champion over the course of 19 pulsating days. Tournament rounds occur all over the country, interest is fever-pitched and betting hits staggering proportions.

Sports books become intense, multi-million-dollar betting cathedrals.

“March Madness is an event a lot of people like to compare to the Super Bowl,” says Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay. “Even though the Super Bowl represents the top money (action taken), I would have to say we write more tickets during March Madness. The first four days of the tournament are especially exciting. All the race and sports book tellers won’t work as hard all year as they do during the first four days of the tournament. Once we open the betting on Thursday, our tellers won’t be able to look up until the following Monday.”

It’s a perennial binge. There are 48 games in four days, launched in staggered fashion, starting around 9 a.m. on March 20. Battles are often decided in the final seconds, overtimes abound and gamblers wager everything from spreads and totals by halves to money lines and novelty bets.

“We have our traditional bets insofar as how many No. 1 seeds will make the Final Four,” Kornegay indicates. “You have the usual wins by conference and whether a 12 or 13 seed will win a game. Some of most popular bets concern the mismatches. For example, if Memphis plays West Carolina, we would post ‘Will West Carolina ever have the lead?’ This has been one of the more popular props because it’s usually decided in the first couple of minutes. The Super Book goes crazy at the beginning of the game. It’s a lot of fun just watching the people during that time.”

Hilton’s Super Book offers inexpensive beers, hot dogs and drinks in a smoke-free environment. It is a state-of-the-art, yet intimate facility.

The tournament drops to 16 entries once the Sweet Sixteen round begins March 27, and by March 30, just four teams remain. They play April 5 and 7 to determine a national champion.

Are you a true fanatic? Brush up with a little Casino Connection quiz:

Questions

1 A No. 16 seed has never beaten a number 1 seed. Which team came the closest?

2 Four No. 15s have toppled a second seed. Which team did most recently?

3 What is the highest seed (biggest longshot) to reach the Final Four? It happened twice.

4 What is the highest seed to win the NCAA Championship?

5 What is the last team to have a perfect regular season and post-season run?

6 Have four No. 1 seeds ever made the Final Four in the same tournament?

7 It’s impossible to beat four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. Has any team ever defeated three?

8 When is the last time the nation’s top ranked team won the championship?

9 Texas Western, now the University of Texas-El Paso, made history by starting five African American players enroute to its 1966 championship. What 2006 movie, which played throughout the winter on HBO and starred John Voight, paid tribute to that team?

10 Several teams share the record for smallest victory margin in a championship game—one point. Which team conducted the biggest rout in the national championship game? Hint: You won’t have to look far for the answer.

Answers

1 Princeton nearly upset Georgetown, losing 50-49 in 1989.

2 Hampton shocked Iowa State 58-57 in 2001.

3 LSU and George Mason share the honor. They were both 11 seeds. LSU reached the Final Four in 1986 and George Mason prevailed in 2006.

4 If you said Villanova, you’re right. As a No. 8 seed, Villanova completed its improbable championship run by defeating Georgetown in 1985.

5 Indiana, in 1976, under coach Bobby Knight.

6 No.

7 Yes. Arizona, in 1997, toppled three No. 1 seeds.

8 Last year, when Florida beat Ohio State in the final.

9 Glory Road. The film also featured a current clip with NBA championship coach Pat Riley, who played against Texas Western for Kentucky.

10 How about none other than UNLV? That’s right, the Running Rebels scored a 103-73 victory over Duke in 1990, the biggest rout.

By Dave Bontempo

Casino Connection Sports Editor Dave Bontempo is an award-winning sports writer and broadcaster who calls boxing matches all over the world. He has covered the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs, as well as numerous PGA, LPGA and Seniors Golf Tour events, and co-hosted the Casino Connection television program with Publisher Roger Gros.

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