Action

Just a great overall series Hope they do it again next year

"Action" (2020 release; 4 episodes of each about 55 min.) is a new documentary TV series about sports gambling. As Episode 1 opens, it is February 3, 2019, the day of Super Bowl 53, and oh by the way also the single biggest sports betting day of the year. We see lots of enthusiastic people in Vegas casinos watching the game, with lots of hooting and hollering. We then go to "NFL Week 1, 6 months before the Super Bowl", as we get introduced Bill Krakomberger, a professional sports gambler. "I'm not playing for fun, it's a business for me," he comments. Then we get to know Kelly Stewart, a professional handicapper and one of the few very visible women in a very male-dominated industry. She also points out that it's just a business. That business received a jolt when on May 14, 2018 the Supreme Court's ruling opened the door for legalizing sports gambling in all 50 states. At this point we are less than 15 min. into Episode 1, and the table is set for the remainder of the episodes.

Couple of comments: this documentary brings an in-depth look at the world of sports gambling. The documentary makers introduce us to a number of players, from the high-risk gambler to the amateur gambler, and how they make their way through this. The documentary of course also looks into the darker side, including the illegal bookies (who still thrive, apparently) and the gambling addicts who simply cannot walk away from it but instead go "chasing" to make up for recent losses. Whether you like sports gambling or not, the war numbers make clear that it has thrown a life line to places like Atlantic City, whose casinos and racing tracks are rising once again from the ashes on the sole strength of legal sports gambling. I personally love sports but couldn't care less about gambling of any kind, including sports gambling, it simply doesn't do anything for me. But I agree that it was long overdue to legalize sports gambling, if nothing else so as to bring these billions of dollars out of the wood works into the open.

"Action" aired recently on Showtime, and is now also available on SHO On Demand and other streaming services. If you have any interest in sports gambling (even if you're not a sports gambler like myself), I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

I'm not expecting a documentary about sports betting to be hours of non-stop action, but Sweet Hesus this is dull. From the oddsmaker woman with vocal fry to the posers who brag about having 'haters' - it's just a snoozefest of people self-hyping their talent and others stating the obvious. WHat an incredible revelation: Las Vegas did a booming sports betting business when it was illegal everywhere else - and now that it's legal, other states are enjoying the money from it and Las Vegas has taken a hit? Who would have guessed? Skip this and watch a college basketball game. Or even better - pick a college basketball game, put some money on it and then watch that game.

My husband used to gamble when I first met him. He lost way more than he won. I was keeping track. Starting this football season, he became a bookie and slowly but surely he's netting real money every week. We just spent 6 days in Vegas. Vegas is usually a losing prospect for us. My husband used it as an opportunity to get more gambling clients. Net positive cash from that trip!

So why am I telling you this? The guys featured are total frauds. Vegas Dave is defrauding his parents. Clearly. The guy is making significant cash from selling his picks, but he is obviously still addicted to the "action" and losing more than he's making. I have to edit to add that in episode 3 near the end, the film crew does Vegas Dave dirty by showing his itty bitty, tiny little precious delicate feet in his teensy little sneakers and I was so mortified for him. That's when I realized why he never settled down.

And what about the daily fantasy guy in Chicago? Uh, delusional at best. If you pay attention to context in the program, he has roommates in his apartment. He is the #4 ranked daily fantasy player. So aspirational that the guy shares a 3/2 apartment with 2 other guys.

Here's the unfortunate thing about Kelly. I bet she is extremely gifted with her picks and if a person were to take all of her picks every time, they'd probably be at .700. She's a woman and without a doubt completely underestimated in her field. I bet she doesn't get the credit she deserves. Start taking her picks. Bet you'll win a bunch.

The guy that stays in the Athenian-looking suite in the Westgate said the only rational thing of any of the documentary subjects: he said you don't have to bet every game. This is a guy to listen to as well.

The ticker shows Miami Dolphins hosting the Detroit Lions also Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors. Those games were played on 10/21/2018, not during NFL week 1.

Who edits this stuff?