Las Vegas is a city of stories. Everyone has one, like a sign hanging around their neck. About every thirty minutes, someone new rolls into town, having just sold everything they own, packed up the car, and rolled up a stake to take on the mighty Las Vegas. It is the same story every day, because the wreckage of someone’s dream is on full display against that impressive skyline. When you are stripped of almost everything, Las Vegas has won again, and all you have left is a story to tell. Vegas has an impressive record and takes on all comers. There is the record you tell your friends, and the one the casino actually knows, but do not worry, your secret is safe with the casino. It is as if an invisible number floats over your head, keeping track of the real score as you place your next bet.
Amazingly, I am one of those who moved to Las Vegas, though I only lived there for a short time. When I think back on my life there and the people I met over those few years, one person sticks out in my mind: my good friend Joe, most definitely an unknown bright star in the gambling world. A few weeks after moving to Las Vegas, I met Joe at a coffee shop while buying auto insurance. Who would have guessed Joe had such an amazing skill? What is interesting about Joe is that he has a talent most people do not know about: handicapping. There is one other important detail worth mentioning, too: he does it for the fun of it. Handicappers tend to have plenty of fish stories and love boasting about the one that got away. If Joe loses, it is always, I will get them next time. But Joe has a curious and genuinely impressive record. His craft is predicting the outcome of a sporting event. Joe likes the horses, and he likes the over under in NBA basketball, but that is not how he makes his living.
Joe makes his living from behind a desk, nine to five, so Vegas stays safe and his real record stays tied at zero and zero. Come for the sports picks, but stay for the insurance. Thanks, Joe, you are a stand up guy. Joe showed me his rankings one day: he had slipped a few spots to twenty eighth, still impressive, but he had been sixth out of six thousand just a few days earlier.