Chapter 400: Singing a Different Tune
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Las Vegas was where most boxing matches were held. It could even be called the "Holy Land of Boxing" in the US, and because Las Vegas was also the "Gambling Capital" of the world, it had the most developed betting industry in the world.
Before the nineties, American boxers gathered in New York because New York was the most developed and heavily populated city in the US. In New York, any sport would be able to find a vast market, and many world boxing champions.h.i.+ps were held in the Madison Square Garden back then.
However, because a gambling ban was written into the legal provisions of New York, the development of the boxing industry was greatly restrained. Since then, Las Vegas began its "marriage" with boxing. With the support of casinos, bookmakers, and betting businesses and groups, the boxing industry developed rapidly in Las Vegas, ultimately achieving its current status.
Boxing could no longer be separated from gambling. Where there was boxing, there would be gambling. The better developed the gambling industry of a place, the more boxing matches there would be. Las Vegas was like that, and so was Macau, Mexico City, and Johannesburg.
In the age of manual betting, boxing was the sport with the highest wagers. It was only after the rise of online betting that soccer surpa.s.sed the bet amounts of boxing.
From this perspective, Britons really loved to gamble. Their three favorite sports, which were soccer, boxing, and horse racing, were the most popular sports in the betting industry. Bets on soccer matches, boxing matches, and horse racing consistently contributed to the betting industry, while bankrupting a lot of people at the same time.
Soccer bets were mainly online, and manual offline bets were rare. On the other hand, when it came to bets on boxing matches and horse racing, manual bets were still the majority, especially in places such as Las Vegas. Manual bets were extremely convenient, and any random resort or hotel was a betting spot.
Located within the MGM Square was the MGM Grand Hotel, which was the most famous hotel in Las Vegas. In the nineties, the hotel was once the world"s largest hotel, and it also boasted the largest casino in Las Vegas, with the same square footage as four soccer fields.
At the same time, it was also where many large-scale boxing matches were held. Compared to other venues, boxing matches organized at the MGM Grand Hotel were extremely lucrative. It had always been a vacation hotel. Food, relaxation, entertainment—all kinds of services were provided there. Added to that was the casino, which allowed players to place their bets at any time. A lot of celebrities would choose to stay at the hotel when they visited Las Vegas. Eat, sleep, and play, then watch a match, placing a bet in between. There was no need to leave the hotel to have everything done.
Taylor"s first comeback match would also be held there. The major bookmakers had already put up their odds, and the casinos within the hotels had already started accepting bets.
Two days before the start of the match, Taylor and Dai Li checked in at the MGM Grand Hotel.
Taylor used to stay there a lot, and every time he arrived, he would gamble at the casino, often spending millions of dollars in a single night. However, the current Taylor was in the bankruptcy protection period, and according to the rules, he wasn"t allowed to stay in such a luxurious hotel. It was only because that was the match venue, and Taylor was the athlete who was partic.i.p.ating in the match, that he could apply to stay at the MGM Grand Hotel. However, he was absolutely not allowed to visit the casino.
It was the first time Dai Li had stayed in such a luxurious vacation hotel. The MGM Grand Hotel was considered costly even for the average American, and expense wasn"t restricted to the price of the rooms; there were also all kinds of service fees. Unlike in other luxurious hotels, every service afforded by the hotel cost extra.
In truth, none of the guests who could afford to stay there chose it because they wanted to get a good night"s rest in their rooms. The guests went there to have a good time, to spend their money, and to intoxicate themselves temporarily in the casinos. Las Vegas was the best place in the world to squander one"s money. If a person wanted to rest or to enjoy the wonders of nature, he could go hike on a mountain or visit a beach; there was no need to visit this diamond city located in the middle of the desert.
...
"Mr. Li, this way, please! This is the VIP betting room. The lowest bet amount is 10,000 dollars. We have specially trained staff inside that will help you place your bets" An attendant wearing a vest and tie brought Dai Li to the front door of a room.
"Thank you." Dai Li handed a tip to the attendant.
"Thank you for your generosity, and I"m happy to be of service." When the attendant saw the face of Lincoln, America"s 16th President, on the banknote, the smile on his face seemed especially sincere. A five dollar tip for just showing the way was above the usual standard of tipping. If every guest were just as generous, he would be willing to show the way every day.
The chips of the supposed VIP area within the casino had higher values, and the service there was also better as the people there were mostly VIP clients.
There were also VIP betting rooms in the betting areas. For general bets, a player could place a bet by using an automated betting machine, or a bet of a higher amount could be made manually at the service counter. Only big clients used the VIP betting rooms, where more professional services could be enjoyed.
Dai Li entered the VIP betting room and looked around. The people inside the VIP betting room were clearly rich. Their outfits and dresses were well planned and designed, there were even one or two familiar faces who were probably celebrities.
A professional-looking young lady approached and asked with a pleasant smile, "Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Yes, I want to know the odds for Kevin Taylor"s comeback match," Dai Li said.
"Alright. This way please." The lady guided Dai Li in front of a big screen. Displayed on the big screen were the various odds for the match between Taylor and Saunders.
"Sir, you can see the live changes of the odds on this screen. If you decide to place a bet, you can call me over. The lowest bet amount here is 10,000 dollars. You can rest on the sofa there, and there are also some snacks and beverages that are free for you." After the female attendant finished speaking, she stepped back to the side.
Standing in front of the big screen were several other people who were also focused on Taylor"s first comeback match.
"Kevin Taylor, that b.a.s.t.a.r.d was banned for two years. I thought that he would retire, I didn"t think that he would actually return," a voice said.
"I hope someone beats the h.e.l.l out of him!" another person said.
"He will," the first person responded. "His opponent is "The Trench" Saunders, I"ve always been optimistic about this boxer."
"Then what are you hesitating about, hurry up and bet for Saunders to win!" the first person who spoke encouraged.
The guy, however, shook his head. "Saunders" odds for winning are only 1.75, and Taylor"s odds for winning are the same, at 1.75. If they have the same odds, that means that even the bookmakers aren"t sure who will win. For me, this type of bet isn"t worth it."
"Yeah, after all, Taylor was the world"s strongest heavyweight boxing champion. No one could match him back then. However, it has been two years since he last fought, and who knows how much strength he has left? You can see that from the odds. But the odds for a draw is as high as 46, so the bookmakers don"t think that this match will end in a draw," a person on the side a.n.a.lyzed.
"It"s a match with Taylor in it; there"s no way for it to end in a draw. Look, Taylor"s odds for winning are only 1.75, but the odds for him winning through a knockdown has risen to 4.25. You can make a lot of money from this odd."
"This reminds me of the Taylor from ten years ago, from when he just went pro. He would always knock down his opponents in the first round. I remember among the 15 opponents he defeated in his first year, three of them chose to retire immediately after losing to him. The Taylor back then sure was strong!"
"I don"t believe the Taylor today can still knock down his opponent in the first round!" The one who spoke earlier pointed towards the big screen and said, "Look, guys, the odds for Taylor winning in the first round are 41, and the odds for winning in the second and third round are 36 and 31 respectively, and the odds for winning in the fifth round has just gone back to 36. Looking at these odds, the bookmakers clearly don"t think that Taylor can defeat Saunders quickly. You guys shouldn"t forget that Saunders" defense is top-notch."
Following the man"s statement, Dai Li s.h.i.+fted his gaze towards the displayed odds.
The odds for Taylor winning in the first round are 41, which means that if I bet 10,000 dollars, I would get a return of 410,000 dollars, so the profit would be 400,000 dollars. That"s very profitable. Even the 36 and 31 for the second and third round are all great odds. Dai Li began calculating in his mind and prepared to place a bet.
At that moment, a voice rose behind him.
"It is impossible for Kevin Taylor to win this match!"
Everyone looked back and saw an older black man. The black man seemed to be more than 60 years old, and had an afro of white hair. He wore dark sungla.s.ses and smoked a cigar. He wore a light green suit on his upper body and a large gold watch on his wrist. His appearance was ridiculously flamboyant. He could be placed anywhere in the world and it would still be easy to recognize him.
Behind the old man was another tall and strong man wearing a suit. His expression was cold and cruel, and it was easy to tell from one look that he was the old man"s bodyguard.
Cigar, large gold chains, and huge gold watch. What"s more, there"s a bodyguard. Is this guy an upstart? Dai Li thought.
At that moment, someone from the group of people recognized that black man.
"Are you James King?"
"Haha, I didn"t think anyone still recognized me!" the old black man said.
Someone on the side asked in a whisper, "Who is James King?"
"He"s a very famous boxing agent. Kevin Taylor was the most famous boxer under him, but Taylor fired him two years ago," someone replied in a whisper.
"I think I heard it before. He"s gotten some criticism from people who say that he conned a lot of Taylor"s money."
"Who knows! But he was Taylor"s agent for a decade, so he should know Taylor very well. We might even be able to get some insider"s information from him that could help us win money!"
Everyone around the area had the same idea in their minds, so they all surrounded James King like a bunch of fans meeting their idol.
Dai Li simply smirked in contempt. From the description he received from Taylor, he knew that the old man in front of him was an agent without any professional ethics, a person who recorded a towel that cost a few dollars as costing 8000 dollars. From that point alone, Dai Li despised him greatly.
As James King was enjoying being the center of attention, he began explaining talkatively.
"Let me see the odds… If it were 12 years ago, when I first met Kevin Taylor, I would definitely advise you guys to buy him winning in the first round. But now, hmm… Haha, I really don"t think that Taylor can defeat Saunders."
As he finished his sentence, he put on an exaggerated expression and intentionally deepened his voice. "Why don"t I just tell it to you directly. In truth, two years ago, Taylor"s condition had already deteriorated severely. There was definitely luck involved in the match where he successfully regained the champions.h.i.+p belt back then."
"Mr. King, are you saying that the current Taylor can no longer fight? Will Saunders win?" a person on the side asked immediately.
"I didn"t say that. I"m just providing you with information. As for how you decide to place your bets, that"s entirely up to you. If not, would I be the one to blame if you lose money?" James King said with a laugh.
Everyone began discussing in whispers again. They were processing the information they received from James King, and someone intentionally said in a flattering manner, "Mr. King, you"re also here to place a bet, aren"t you? If you don"t mind, I"d like to make the same selection as you."
The man was basically saying that he would place the same bet as James King.
In the casino, following others when gambling was a regular occurrence, and it was the same in betting on sports. There was always someone who would just follow in the footsteps of betting experts to make money.
James King smiled and reviewed the odds in detail, then snapped his fingers and called for the attendant.
"I"m buying 100,000 dollars for Saunders to win by a technical knockdown," James King said.
"Saunders winning through technical knockdown, the odds are at 4.2, compared to that, the odds for Saunders winning through points are 26," someone said.
"In a heavyweight boxing match, the chance of a victory by knockdown is much higher than the chance of achieving victory by points after 12 rounds," someone at the side said.
James King then continued, "Apart from that, Saunders winning in the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth round, I"m buying 10,000 dollars for each."
Everyone looked again at the odds.
"The odds for Saunders winning in the sixth round is 26, the seventh is 21, the eighth, ninth, and tenth all have the same odds of 19."
"Mr. King clearly looks favorable to Saunders after the fifth round. Could it be Mr. King thinks that Taylor"s current stamina can only last him through five rounds?"
"Mr. King used to be Taylor"s agent, so he should understand Taylor"s condition. Since he dared to place his bet this way, there must be a basis for it. Who knows, maybe Taylor really cannot make it to the sixth round."
"I believe in Mr. King"s judgment. I"m buying Saunders to win by a technical knockdown, 50,000 dollars!"
"I"m buying 60,000. Quick, before too many people start placing their bets and affecting the odds."
In an instant, many people started to follow suit and make bets similar to James King.
The smile on James King"s face grew wider. The reason he went there, apart from placing bets, was to show himself off. In other words, he was a poser. Now that he was successful in doing so, James King was immensely satisfied.
However, at that moment, a loud voice came from nowhere. "Get me 50,000 dollars on Taylor beating Saunders in the first round, and another 50,000 dollars for Taylor beating Saunders in the second round!"
At that moment, everyone was buying for Saunders to win, so that differing voice was very unexpected.
Someone is actually singing a different tune from me! The expression on James King"s face immediately s.h.i.+fted, and he turned his head to search for the source of the voice.
What he saw was Dai Li pulling out his room card and handing it over to the female attendant. At the same time, he said, "This is my room card, put it on my account first!"