I want to travel to Nevada to place one large bet on the nfl draft this weekend. Would be willing to return next weekend to collect the winnings. Reno is closer, but when I called the pepper mill the guy basically told me they don’t do a lot of draft action and I would have to wait until closer to the draft which isn’t an option for me. Another random Reno casino said they do have a William hill sports book but they don’t even have a direct line and couldn’t transfer me to them. They said I would need to visit that William hill in person.

I could fly to Vegas on short notice but wife would make me take her and that’s 1K just for the tix to go for 24 hrs.

The bet I want to make is on the number 3 pick, which QB is going to go on the number three pick. What’s my play here if I want to place a bet roughly $5K? Can I just drive across state line into Nevada and place the bet using an app so I don’t have to pay for a plane ticket to Vegas? For a bet this specific do I need to travel to Vegas? Are there any in person sportsbooks in Reno that would definitely have this prop because peppermill didn’t and they are the biggest casino in Reno. Would the William hill app possibly have this prop in person but not on the app?

-Winning poker player but noob sports bettor.

Thanks guys

Off the top of my head, your main options to bet in Reno will be the Peppermill, the Atlantis, or one of the several William Hill locations. I don't remember seeing that prop at any of them, but I'll let you know if I do notice it. As long as you are inside Nevada state lines then yes you can place a bet on the mobile apps here if you find one that has that prop.

FYI, if you do end up making the bet in person, for a $5k bet I think most if not all Nevada books will require you to make a players card, but at the least provide ID as that amount will trigger a transaction log requirement. And for a prop bet of that amount, it will most likely go to trading for approval. I guess this is what the book at the Peppermill meant: lower the amount, or wait until closer to the event if you want to wager 5 dimes.

If you can download the William Hill app from your current location it might be a good idea to do so and see if the bet you’re looking for is even available.

Also $5k is pretty big but it is NFL so maybe they’ll book it?

Thank you for the detailed response! The conversation over the phone to the peppermill was as follows:

Me: do you guys have betting on the NFL draft?

PM: no, not currently. Not until closer to the draft.

Me: ok but you guys will have something?

PM: yea I think we might have like an over under for how many from each conference will go in the first round something like that. You’ll have to check back when it gets closer to the time.

Me: ok thanks have a good one


I should have asked for my specific prop but the guy made it sound like their draft props were not very robust.

Is this betting limit iffy because it might be too big for the app? Or a 5k bet would be too big for a single prop at most sportsbooks?

On the apps you can always try for the amount you want and see if it goes through or not. Depending on the book, they'll either reject it outright with an error message like "The max bet allowed is xyz dollars" or it will go to trading for approval.

I just don't hear many bettors OR sportsbook employees I know here in Reno talking about that prop, so from a risk management perspective, if the betting public's interest and market liquidity is low, one of the few ways the bookmaker can manage risk in this situation is to cap the max bet to some 3-figure or so amount.

In Colorado (and probably any state with William Hill), the WH app has that prop listed (Jones -140, Fields +130) but they don't post limits so not sure what you'd be able to get down. Probably $500ish if I had to guess? Fanduel also has it (Jones -145, Fields +165) with what looks like $1500 (to win) limits for a fresh account. If you use the apps, you can get promos on new accounts like either bonus cash or free plays if your first bet loses. So that's probably your best way to go, although only some of them actually let you know the max without trial and error.

And let us know who you bet on after you place it.

Looking like it’s going to have to be in Vegas in person. What sportsbook is most likely to give me the largest max bet? I’m gonna call around tonight

Called around.

Vegas Caesar’s: on hold forever and hung up
Vegas westgate: sportsbook automated system hung up on me at the same point during my three attempts
Atlantic City Tropicana: $1000 estimated max for all prop bets. They did offer the bet I want, the player I want and they also had an over under for my player. Could maybe do that but it’s pretty far to fly for not a big bet
Vegas Venetian: transferred me to a William hill customer service line which was closed
Vegas linq: same customer service as caesars
Atlantic City caesars: same customer service as Vegas caesars
MGM Vegas: has the prop, asked me how much was I looking to bet, he said it depends on how much I possibly would spend in the casino as well. I said 2-3K he said very comfortably yea that should be fine! Just need all your information ssn etc

Best play seems to be: fly to Vegas and shop around at the places that wouldn’t answer my call and as a backup, go to MGM and place that bet and an over under bet for my guy as well that adds up to 5K or however much I can scrape together.

Plane ticket and hotel room booked. Going to try to run it up playing poker then place the max bet before I fly out. I might be able to bet like 7/8K depending how I run.

Nice. Have fun and keep us updated.

Do you have a friend who works for the 49ers or something? You seem awfully sure about this bet.

good luck!

Just spread it across several books if the one w/ best price won't take the max only downside is will take longer to collect

Worth noting could also try parlaying your main bet for 'extra limits' with some -10000 type lock stuff (like say Trevor Lawrence to go at #1) works at some online books idk about in Vegas

glgl

Was pounding the pavement from 8pm to 1AM looking for sportsbooks that were still open and could provide odds or clues.

Several smaller books didn’t have my prop. Caesars had my prop
But the odds were significantly worse than MGM. Towards the end of the scouting session I threw a Hail Mary and went to Circa which has a giant sportsbook with movie theatre seating and huge screens. The way the prop was worded was funny because on the ticket it read “first qb selected in the draft” but the extended version had a three player pool to choose from underneath those words. Fields, lance and Jones.

The guy was like let me double check before you buy this. And he said yea it’s only the first qb taken from this pool of 3.

They let me do a max of 2K. Then he said the line would move for that prop and it did move a lot. He asked me if I wanted to do another 2K at the new line and I said no and shopped around.

MGM couldn’t beat the odds I got at circa, but close enough ask when I plunked a bet down there, the line didn’t move. I’m currently trying to pony up more cash to put a little more at MGM.

Poker didn’t go so well but I wisely decided to play $1-$3. Softer games and even though I had a bad night it didn’t hurt too much. A win would have been nice though because it could have been multiplied if things go my way during the draft.

I’m also considering doing insurance for Zach Wilson at number 3 in case some crazy stuff happens where my guy goes number 2 and niners take their number 2 overall big board guy which I think would be wilson.

That pays 18:1 at MGM so a nice little insurance if someone likes my guy as much as I do. I’m not too worried about the other two guys and have not considered hedging them. I’m just going for it

Also if I whiff I promised my wife I wouldn’t watch the niners this year which would leave more family time etc and I would probably be pissed at the qb they did choose lol.


So far biggest letdown was westgate super book. No draft props until Monday, never answered my calls (was systematically hung up on although the more I do this the more I see it is common practice for sports books to not Even accept calls). Also there is something at west gate sportsbook called authentic Mexican nacho taco - so overall F+ (comfortable sportsbook couches)

No reason for Wilson insurance if you have this bet.

Someone already asked and you missed or ignored it. Do you have a friend who works with the 49ers scouting or something?


I recall many years ago sitting next to Pitt Panthers RB coach on a plane right before the draft and asking him where he thought Lesean McCoy would go? If I remember correctly, he was not expected to go first round. His response to me was “Probably first round. Depends what the Eagles do”. I guess I should have listened to him.

Maybe try Circa downtown?

No I don’t have any insider information. I just spent a lot of time diving into the situation as a fan and then these odds popped up on sportscenter and it seemed like an opportunity based on what I think the niners are thinking.

My guy is Trey Lance

I have a $2000 bet at Circa at +369 for him to “be the first qb picked” from the pool of lance, Jones and fields.

I have a $3300 bet at MGM at +325 for him to go third overall

I have another $500 bet at MGM at +325 for him to go third overall. Just checked with the book right now and it’s down to +275)

Good point about the insurance policy not needed due to the terms of my 2K bet but I didn’t read this until it was too late. It’s ok though i still have a fair bit of money on lance to go third overall.

I have a $500 bet at MGM for Wilson to go third overall and that is at +3300! It’s still +3300 now if anyone is interested. It’s a fun bet.

Yea circa was awesome. They were my first bet and after I plunked down 2K the line move from +369 to +300 for Circa in real time and he offered me if I want to do another 2K at +300 and it would probably move again. I did the first one but at that point was pretty sure I could go back to MGM first thing in the morning when they opened and get +325 which they had offered me when I first got into town but I hadn’t done any shopping yet so I didn’t do it.

I stayed up all Night playing poker until the book opened at 730 AM for the +325 which was still there this morning. Now it’s +275

Odds still dropping.

Bovada +250

Sold a $2000 magic card to a friend and pressing that now.

Opened accounts at BOL and bovada and got jiggy there.

Also a friend of a friend has a guy maybe can get another $500 at +150

good luck, let us know the results, never knew this kind of bet even existed. Sounds pretty ballsy but I hope you win big.

500 more at +150 on Trey Lance.

Back to work tomorrow but will try to sell some more mtg cards to pump my position even though odds not great anymore.

Any other websites likely to have my prop besides bet online and bovada?

Bookmaker has it. Current limit is max win of 1k. I imagine that will increase sometime during the week. They also allow unlimited rebets.