Bringing poker tournament mechanics to sports predictions w/ Robert McCall from The Sharps

Ep. 222 features Robert McCall, Founder of The Sharps, to discuss his journey from the cannabis industry into sports betting, building a skill-based peer-to-peer sports prediction tournament platform, and using AI to build the product from scratch. 

Hear them discuss:

• How Rob went from the cannabis industry and competitive gambling into sports betting, with poker and blackjack tournaments inspiring the creation of The Sharps.
• The concept behind The Sharps, a skill-based peer-to-peer sports prediction tournament platform where players compete using props, parlays, and same-game parlays.
• How the tournament structure works, including weekly, head-to-head, team, and custom leagues, buy-ins, rebuys, live leaderboards, and prize pools.
• Why The Sharps is designed for both experienced bettors and novices, giving players opportunities to compete, learn, and improve their skills.
• The Sharps Score, which evaluates players using metrics including CLV and ROI while providing greater transparency into betting performance.
• How The Sharps is navigating regulation through geolocation technology that automatically adjusts the platform based on the rules of different jurisdictions.
• Rob's go-to-market strategy ahead of the NFL season, including partnerships with VSiN, FantasyPros, BettingPros, Props.Cash, FootballContest.com, and others.
• Early player feedback, why the social features and live leaderboard are proving popular, and the debate surrounding the Sharps Score.
• How Rob self-funded the company and used AI to build a robust platform from scratch despite having no programming background.
• The immediate focus on security and functionality ahead of the NFL season, along with Rob's long-term vision of making The Sharps a recognized global platform with a major industry partner.

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