Monday, June 05, 2006

Two thumbs up at the movies could mean a fistful of dollars for bettors.
This week, Bodog.com has started to offer wagers on whether Chicago
Sun-Times film critics Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper will give favorable,
mixed or unfavorable reviews during their weekly syndicated television show.
"In providing a narrative critique, filled with lively debate and sometimes
even a little lighthearted banter, film critics Ebert and Roeper have become
a pop-culture phenomenon," says Bodog.com's Founder and CEO Calvin Ayre, who
recently starred in a major network television show of his own, Calvin Ayre
Wild Card Poker Series . "We are all film critics to some degree and since
most of us will never get a chance to make our movie picks on national TV,
having a small stake in the outcome of Ebert and Roeper's recommendations is
the next best thing."

Bettors can begin making their predictions on how movies will fare with this
week's episode of "Ebert & Roeper", which will feature reviews of "The Omen"
and "The Break-up". The maximum amount that can be wagered on Bodog.com's
novelty props is $100.

The odds for "The Omen" in the Bodog.com Sportsbook are:

Two Thumbs Up - 1/1

Two Thumbs Down - 3/2

Split Decision - 8/5

For "The Break-up", the odds are:

Two Thumbs Up - 9/5

Two Thumbs Down - 3/2

Split Decision - 1/1

"The Omen" is a remake of the 1976 horror classic that starred Gregory Peck.
The updated version premieres on Tuesday and stars Julia Stiles as the
mother of the devil child named Damien. In "The Break-up", which opens on
June 9, Jennifer Aniston stars with off-screen love interest Vince Vaughn in
a romantic comedy.

After hearing the news of weekly wagers being offered on his reviews, Roeper
commented on the issue in his column in Thursday's Sun-Times.

"You're probably hoping I'll give you the results in advance so you can take
advantage of a sure thing - but those movies won't be reviewed until this
weekend's `Ebert & Roeper,' and as everyone knows, we do the show live on
Saturday night, in the balcony of a real movie theater," he wrote.

For a list of all the odds, and a host of other reality show and
entertainment props, see: Bodog.com