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Nation's Top Handicappers Converge In Las Vegas

Doc's Sports attends first annual BoDog.com Handicapper Conference and calls it a raging success.

Doc's Sports Jeremy Martin and NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana

Representatives from Doc's Sports -- including Doc himself -- were on hand in Las Vegas July 29 and 30 for the first annual BoDog.com Handicapper Conference, which was sponsored by BoDog Sportsbook and Casino. The event brought together more than 200 of the top handicappers in the nation and highlights included high-powered networking sessions, talks on ethics in the industry, discussions on marketing strategies and, of course, an appearance and speech by NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana.

Everyone in attendance called the event an enormous success. BoDog.com, which is one of the world's top Internet sportsbooks, is already planning next year's conference, which will take place in Las Vegas in May.

"This is the first time someone has organized an event like this and it has been a long time coming," said Doc, who started Doc's Sports way back in 1971. "I give kudos to BoDog for putting on such a big event and having it go off so flawlessly. The great thing about it is that they probably took a loss financially because everything was done first class. Their incentive was not profit - they wanted to bring everyone in the industry together to share ideas with a goal of improving the industry as a whole."

"Why does the industry need this?" questioned BoDog CEO Cole Turner. "Because any industry is stronger if there is an easy way for the industry to network and share knowledge for common benefit. All other industries do it, so its is about time the handicapper industry also did it."

Buzz Daly from Players Choice entertains the crowd.

The first day of the conference started off strong when - after opening remarks by Turner - Mark Lawrence informed the crowd of how sports handicapping has changed during his three decades practicing the trade. He also gave new and seasoned cappers a glimpse into some of the strategies that have made him one of the longest-standing experts in the business. Other highlights of the first day included speeches by Peter Gold from VegasInsider.com, Buzz Daly from Player's Choice and BoDog's own Rob Gillespie. The day finished off with a rousing address by handicapper Wayne Allen Root who shared some of his keys to success and declared his desire to run for the Senate in the next five years.

Later that evening everyone departed to the highly anticipated BoDog Party at the Skin Lounge in the Palms Casino Resort. The event lived up to the hype as those in attendance reported having a blast. Joe Montana made an extended appearance and personally autographed footballs for everyone in the crowd. He was also very accommodating for pictures. George Maloof, part owner of both the Sacramento Kings and the Palms, was seen clutching his autographed ball and smiling from ear to ear.

Not only did the appearance of one of the NFL's all-time greats at a conference highlighting sports wagering prove that the industry is gaining worldwide respect, but the spotlight that displayed the BoDog.com banner brightly on the side of the hotel showed that Vegas might be embracing the online industry instead of fearing it.

BoDog Girls pose for the camera.

There was plenty of eye candy at the pool lounge as the beautiful BoDog Girls made their rounds and chatted about sports with everyone in attendance. Mermaids in full costume waded through the pool and took pictures with the guests. A group of "little people" worked the crowd like champs and one partygoer was even overheard shouting, "forget the BoDog Girls, we want to see more of them!"

The speakers for the second and final day did not disappoint. Montana started the day off at 11 A.M. speaking to a slightly hung over crowd that quickly rose to attention in front of the legendary signal caller. The former QB for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs spoke about Super Bowl glory and his keys to success - not only on the football field, but also for life in general. The day included speeches by Carl Giordano from the Gold Sheet, Greg Taylor from Big Juice Media, Sue Schneider from the River City Group and gambling lawyer Joseph Kelly.

Some of the entertainers at the BoDog party.

"For us the conference would have to be called a five-star success," said Turner. "This is the first time anyone has put on a conference for sports handicappers so it was interesting to see the industry come together like it did. We expected we would need about 150 attendees for the conference to be successful. We got closer to 200 so it was a very good indication of the industry's demand for a conference like this."

Plans originally called for next year's conference to be held in Vancouver, but the venue was changed to Las Vegas due to the incredible success of this year's event. Turner hopes that the entire industry - including BoDog competitors - will be in attendance in May.

"Next year we will likely keep the conference in Vegas and it will be a lot larger with the online poker industry also getting invited," concluded Turner. "BoDog.com Poker and Sports Handicapper Conference 2005 in Vegas next May!"

To check out BoDog's new and improved Web site, Click Here.

Start:	January 27, 2025 @ 7:30 PM
Expert:	Scott Spreitzer
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