The World Series of Poker started off as small seven-person tournament between poker professionals and stayed relatively hidden from public view (except for mentions in movies such as Rounders) until exploding in the mid-2000′s with the surge of online poker to become the mega-event it is now.

The Supercontest at the Westgate Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (formerly known as the Las Vegas Hilton and the LVH) has seen a similar explosion in interest during the past few years. Originally a contest between local betting sharps with vast NFL knowledge, social media has made the Supercontest a national phenomenon, as bettors from all over the country with $1,500 to spare converge on Sin City to throw their hat into the ring.

Entries for the 2014 Supercontest are being taken now through the start of the season on Sept. 4, with the Westgate hosting a Supercontest weekend Aug. 22-23 to serve as the official kickoff to the event. The 2013 contest saw a record 1,034 entries, 34 of which ended up making money. The winner, 36-year-old David Frohardt-Lane of Chicago, took home a grand prize check of $557,850 for his efforts. Frohardt-Lane’s payday is over double the $229,000 that was awarded to the 2009 winner, showing the immense recent growth of the contest.

So at this point you’re probably now intrigued and asking yourself, “How do I enter the Supercontest and how easy is it for me to play?” Well, if you have the $1,500 entry fee, the contest itself is pretty easy to follow.

The rules of the Supercontest are pretty simple – you pick five NFL games against the point spread every week for 17 weeks and whoever fares the best goes home with the big money. The next 29 finishers also get paid varying amounts depending on which place they end up in.

Sounds easy enough, right? Well, there are a couple of catches. The first one is that all picks have to be made by 11 a.m. on Saturday of each week. So no counting on checking the Sunday morning injury report to get a leg up on the rest of the field – get your weekly research done early. Also, if you choose to use a Thursday game in your group of five for that week, you have to have all of your selections submitted before kickoff of that game.

Also, you must be present at the Westgate to initially enter the contest. You can follow from home after that. That’s not really much of a catch – who doesn’t like a trip to Las Vegas? – but there is no online method to register for the Supercontest. However, you can submit as many entries for $1,500 each – Frohardt-Lane submitted two entries last year.

Like the World Series of Poker, there are several casinos across the country with similar contests, most of which are more affordable. But if you want to take on, and beat, the best, the Supercontest is for you.

At the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino
3000 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV
702-732-5111

The Supercontest