Is there anything like a sure thing in gambling?
Most gamblers would shake their heads negatively. 'Not in my lifetime,' one might say.
Sports bettors, poker players, dice shooters, horse players, and blackjack players put their money on the line every day trying to find that sure thing. They generally come up short.
But that was before Dave Oancea came along.
Oancea is a native of Honolulu who has been nicknamed Vegas Dave. He has a sports consulting service on the Internet. And according to published reports, Vegas Dave simply cannot lose.
Let's get one thing clear. I am not vouching for Oancea. He is as much a mystery to me as he is to Las Vegas and the rest of the gambling world.
But with that said, there is no question that he has accomplished some incredible feats in sports betting, like making a $100,000 futures bet on Kansas City winning the 2015 World Series. Experts had predicted the team would finish last in the American League's Central Division. Instead the Royals beat the New York Mets in the World Series playoffs and Vegas Dave won nearly $2.5 million.
Dave, who is 39, left Honolulu at age 23 to attend the University of Las Vegas. He took out a $10,000 student loan. Instead of using the cash to buy books, he bet it all on red on a roulette table and doubled his money.
That was the beginning of his bankroll.
Since then Oancea has had a spectacular run of luck in Las Vegas. All of his luck, by the way, has not been good. He has been an incredible winner as well as a loser. He even joined Gambler's Anonymous to kick his gambling habit.
That lasted two months. He decided his problem wasn't gambling -- it was money management. He dropped out of GA and went back to the casinos.
As a child growing up in Hawaii, he bought and sold baseball cards. He became addicted to baseball and spent most of his leisure hours watching games on television.
Today he owns a home in Las Vegas with 17 television sets and spends seven days a week following baseball, NFL, and college football games.
During the seasons he generally makes one bet a week. His record for a season was 21-1.
'Friends tell me I should become a sports consultant on ESPN or one of the other sports networks,' he says, smiling. 'I say they can't pay me enough. Those guys earn maybe $100,000 or $200,000 a year. I make that in a week.'
He picked Kansas City to win the 2015 World Series even though the team hadn't won a World Series in 30 years. The team's bullpen made the difference, he said.
Before his $2.5 million win, he won two round robins by betting on sports events -- one for $250,000, the other for $400,000.
In 2012 when the NFL playoffs started, the Baltimore Ravens were underdogs at +800 to win the Super Bowl. Oancea bet $8,000 on them and collected $208,000.
In 2013, he predicted the Boston Red Sox would win the World Series. They were underdogs at +1000. Oancea wagered $30,000 to win $340,000.
When he is not watching a baseball game or checking the sports networks for injuries and other pertinent information, he is working out or having fun with his cars, a Ferrari and a Bentley. He also dines out at fashionable restaurants with his girl friend.
The sports betting service in Las Vegas that paid him the $2.5 million won't take any more bets from him, by the way. No problem, Vegas Dave says. For a sure thing, there is always another place where you can find action.
Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to get on the Internet and check the futures. What was that Dave said about bullpens?
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
