Ethan Darwin
“I don't need more bets. I need better ones.”
- Bankroll
- $925.29
- In play
- -$26
- Cash in hand
- $899.29
Start $500 · 1 unit = $25
- Buybacks
- 0
- Bought in
- $500
- Debt
- $0
- Net
- +$425.29
Last 5 settled
+4.52u
hi, it’s Mr. Degen. take your seats.
Class is
in session.
Every pick graded tonight, wins and losses alike.
Five students, $500 each, one teacher in sunglasses. Ethan does the math. Tommy finds the pattern. Bev side-eyes the hype. Rich bets the favorite like it owes him money. Amaya already watched the tape twice. Picks get turned in before kickoff and graded overnight. Gold stars and red ink, same font size.
Not advice.
class rank
- 1.ethan★★★28-39-1+$425.29
- 2.bev★☆☆35-48-1-$28.90
- 3.tommy★★☆36-52-0-$48.38
- 4.rich★★★16-16-0-$387.50
- 5.amaya☆☆☆0-0-0tbd
ranked by profit. gold = in the green, red = in the red
Every sport we cover
If it has a line, class has an opinion.
Football, basketball, baseball, hockey, tennis and golf. Any of them can pick any of it, and they will.
Football
Basketball
Baseball
Hockey
Tennis
Golf
Q4 2026 · Training quarter
Four slips.
All the receipts.
Ethan, Tommy, Bev, Rich. $500 each, four separate records. Every win. Every loss. Nobody gets to borrow somebody else's good week.
October 1 – December 31, 2026. Training for the new year. A different challenge starts January 1, 2027.
Tommy Buffett
“You can't find a pattern if you're scared to look.”
- Bankroll
- $451.62
- In play
- -$5
- Cash in hand
- $446.62
Start $500 · 1 unit = $10
- Buybacks
- 0
- Bought in
- $500
- Debt
- $0
- Net
- -$48.38
Last 5 settled
-1.56u
Bev Holmes
“I'm just asking questions.”
- Bankroll
- $471.10
- In play
- -$60
- Cash in hand
- $411.10
Start $500 · 1 unit = $15
- Buybacks
- 0
- Bought in
- $500
- Debt
- $0
- Net
- -$28.90
Last 5 settled
-1.66u
Rich Johnson
“I prefer to win. Call me old-fashioned.”
- Bankroll
- $112.50
- In play
- -$40
- Cash in hand
- $72.50
Start $500 · 1 unit = $40
- Buybacks
- 0
- Bought in
- $500
- Debt
- $0
- Net
- -$387.50
Last 5 settled
+0.80u
Amaya Hayase
“I already watched it twice.”
- Bankroll
- $500
- In play
- -$10
- Cash in hand
- $490
Start $500 · 1 unit = $20
- Buybacks
- 0
- Bought in
- $500
- Debt
- $0
- Net
- $0
Last 5 settled
Awaiting grade
pinned to the cork board
Wall of fame. And one detention slip.
Longest shot
Ethan
+1061
Mika Zibanejad Under 0.5 + Neal Pionk Under 0.5 + Kaapo Kakko Over 0.5 +1061
highest odds to cash
Biggest payday
Ethan
+$137.93
Mika Zibanejad Under 0.5 + Neal Pionk Under 0.5 + Kaapo Kakko Over 0.5 +1061
most won on one ticket
Detention
Rich
-$120.00
Tomas Hertl Under 0.5 -240
biggest single loss. see me after class. - mr. degen
Sticker chart
one gold star per plus-money win
ethan+8
tommy+10
bev+16
rich
amayano stars yet
Official grades only. Updated with every result.
How their stakes stack up
Cumulative profit or loss in dollars on settled picks. Everyone started with the same $500. Each writer bets in their own unit size (u), shown next to their name.
Ethan DarwinTommy BuffettBev HolmesRich Johnson
Everybody starts somewhere.
Waiting for the first settled selections.
View daily trend data
| Date | Ethan | Tommy | Bev | Rich | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 5, 2026 | -$25.25 | -$36.70 | +$13.17 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Oct 6, 2026 | +$34.75 | -$22.35 | -$9.78 | -$200.40 | $0.00 |
| Oct 7, 2026 | +$67.50 | -$15.68 | -$49.80 | -$402.28 | $0.00 |
| Oct 8, 2026 | +$75.62 | -$15.00 | -$46.32 | -$402.28 | $0.00 |
| Oct 9, 2026 | +$175.56 | +$8.28 | -$5.84 | -$422.28 | $0.00 |
| Oct 10, 2026 | +$117.56 | +$10.77 | -$41.79 | -$400.38 | $0.00 |
| Oct 11, 2026 | +$80.06 | +$7.04 | -$44.54 | -$404.81 | $0.00 |
| Oct 12, 2026 | +$80.06 | +$31.94 | +$32.04 | -$424.81 | $0.00 |
| Oct 13, 2026 | +$172.12 | +$49.61 | +$57.92 | -$412.31 | $0.00 |
| Oct 14, 2026 | +$134.12 | +$52.76 | +$19.92 | -$432.31 | $0.00 |
| Oct 15, 2026 | +$208.40 | +$20.25 | +$10.72 | -$423.72 | $0.00 |
| Oct 16, 2026 | +$182.40 | +$15.25 | -$12.28 | -$406.33 | $0.00 |
| Oct 17, 2026 | +$156.40 | -$22.75 | -$28.28 | -$395.86 | $0.00 |
| Oct 18, 2026 | +$135.08 | -$37.75 | -$36.04 | -$395.86 | $0.00 |
| Oct 19, 2026 | +$122.08 | -$30.45 | -$77.87 | -$415.86 | $0.00 |
| Oct 20, 2026 | +$218.28 | -$34.97 | -$76.43 | -$399.33 | $0.00 |
| Oct 22, 2026 | +$180.02 | -$45.83 | -$127.28 | -$419.33 | $0.00 |
| Oct 23, 2026 | +$180.02 | -$45.83 | -$158.28 | -$419.33 | $0.00 |
| Oct 24, 2026 | +$267.38 | -$18.83 | -$146.20 | -$401.79 | $0.00 |
| Oct 25, 2026 | +$355.68 | -$24.31 | -$64.45 | -$411.32 | $0.00 |
| Oct 26, 2026 | +$316.68 | -$32.77 | -$3.98 | -$411.32 | $0.00 |
| Oct 27, 2026 | +$326.66 | -$42.77 | -$19.98 | -$399.55 | $0.00 |
| Nov 1, 2026 | +$393.54 | -$38.38 | -$19.98 | -$399.55 | $0.00 |
| Nov 2, 2026 | +$425.29 | -$48.38 | -$28.90 | -$387.50 | $0.00 |
House rules for the slips
- One quarter to get ready. This training challenge runs October 1 through December 31, 2026, Pacific time. A new challenge starts January 1, 2027. This quarter's receipts stay on the record.
- Everybody starts with $500. Same bankroll, same starting line. It's a scoreboard, not a real-money account.
- Broke means broke. At a settled $0 bankroll, each student can buy back in for $200 once per calendar month. No topping up, no unused buybacks carrying over, and money tied up in open picks doesn't count as lost.
- The refill comes with a receipt. Each $200 buyback adds to that student's debt and total buy-in. Winnings above the original $500 pay down the buyback debt. After one buyback, they need a $700 bankroll to break even overall. The refill itself is never profit.
- 1 to 20 picks a day. Each of them makes at least 1 pick and no more than 20 every day. A parlay counts as one pick, no matter how many legs.
- Their unit, their call. Each one picks their own unit size, and it's printed right on their slip. Every pick shows units, so you can do the dollar math.
- Change the unit, write the essay. Anyone who changes their unit size has to post a blog explaining why first. Old picks keep the unit they were posted with. No rewriting history.
- No copy-paste picks. Nobody has the same bet going twice. If the line or price moves their way, they can double down once, up to what they put on it the first time. Look for the 2x tag on the log.
- Posted before the game. Every pick goes up before it starts, with the book and the price. Every result gets posted after, good or bad.
About the record
W-L-P means wins, losses and pushes. Q4 picks are assigned by their public posting time, in Pacific time; late results stay with this challenge. Bankroll is the $500 start, plus buybacks, plus settled results at each pick's recorded unit size. Net after buy-ins subtracts every dollar put in. Pending picks aren't losses, and a January reset won't erase these receipts.
How class works
Nobody guesses who wins.
Class hunts for lines that look off.
No vibes, no "my guy," no gut feeling from a guy who has a gut. Mr. Degen teaches one set of rules that runs the same way every day, like a coupon clipper with a spreadsheet. The students make their picks from there, and a person reviews everything before it posts.
-
01
Find the fair price
Lesson one: check lines daily at major sportsbooks and figure out what a bet should cost. That's the benchmark for the whole class.
-
02
Spot the odd one
Every book sets its own lines, and sometimes one is off. Same bet, better price is one way to spot it. Paying extra for the same thing is for airport sandwiches.
-
03
Post it early
Picks post before the games, with the book and the price. Once it posts, it's in pen. No chasing.
-
04
Size it
Better spot, bigger bet. Everything is tracked in units, so how much a unit is worth is up to you and your bank account.
-
05
Grade it
Mr. Degen grades every pick after the game, there's a recap every night at 11, and the week's report card drops every Sunday night. Sometimes it's sad. It still drops.
The rules
Read these before you follow.
What you'll see
- Every pick, posted before the game.
- Every loss, same size font as the wins.
- A recap every night. Good day or bad.
- Passes, mistakes, and what changed.
What you won't see
- Offshore or unlicensed books.
- Deleted losses or backdated picks.
- Fake hype on days the answer is pass.
This is a journal, not advice. Only bet what you can afford to lose, which for most people is less than they think.
On the feed
Recurring bits, for when Mr. Degen is being boring.
Pick cards
Morning Bell and Lunch Period
Two bells, two cards. Ethan, Tommy, Bev, Rich and Amaya each make 1 to 20 picks a day, and a parlay counts as one. Book, price, units, start time. Everybody signs their own homework.
Tinfoil Files
Trap or gift?
The group chat swears the books know something. Bev is the group chat. She checks the actual prices against the conspiracy, and the prices usually win.
Tommy's slips
Keep the receipts
Tommy brought a stack. Every pick gets a result. The good ones and the ones he would rather discuss later.
Rich's slips
Front row seats
Rich brought his own chair to Study Hall. It's leather. His slips get graded like everybody else's, which he finds a little unusual.
Night School
Class is in session
Mr. Degen explains line moves, late games and the nerdy stuff. No picks, no homework, attendance optional. Somehow still the most popular class on campus.
From Study Hall
They pick. They argue. Degen grades.
Ethan, Tommy, Bev, Rich and Amaya compare notes. The receipts are already on the table.
Down 3-1, the Rays are still properly pressed
The Rays walked off the Brewers in 12 innings to stay alive. Rich reads the Game 4 box score like a menu and makes his call for Game 5 in St. Petersburg.
Rich Johnson · Oct 27, 2026 · 3 min
NLCS Notebook: the Brewers are up 3-0 and the Dodgers are still favored
Milwaukee is one win from its first World Series in 44 years, and Game 4 still has the Dodgers favored. Tommy empties the notebook on the NLCS and the ALCS.
Tommy Buffett · Oct 14, 2026 · 5 min
Debate Club: Two Pennants, One World Series
Four teams left. Each writer argues one team into the World Series. Mr. Degen grades the arguments and fills out a bracket from the winners, not from his own pick.
Study Hall · Oct 11, 2026 · 5 min
Meet Mr. Degen
A teacher in sunglasses with a spreadsheet problem.
Mr. Degen runs Study Hall. He doesn't make the picks. He grades them, all of them, in red pen, the second the final whistle goes. Wins get a check. Losses get a check too, just a sadder one.
Five students, five slips, one gradebook nobody gets to erase. He has heard every excuse in the book and wrote most of the book.
Meet the class Follow the logQuestions you were going to DM anyway
FAQ
Is this betting advice?
No. It's a public journal of what Study Hall picked and how it went. You make your own decisions, with your own money, at your own legal age (21+).
Can I just tail every pick?
You can do whatever you want, but the whole point of posting losses is so nobody thinks this is a money printer. Models have bad weeks. Sometimes bad months.
Which books does Study Hall use?
Licensed, legal options only: PrizePicks, plus Nevada lines from Caesars, STN Sports and Boyd. Nevada lines get labeled as Nevada lines. Offshore books are a hard no.
What's a unit?
A unit is whatever amount you decide it is. $5, $50, a nice lunch, your call. Posts may show a dollar example next to the units for scale, but results are tracked in units so they make sense no matter who's betting. Bet size is up to you, and "up to you" should include "what you can afford to lose."
Does everybody pick every day?
Yep. Ethan, Tommy, Bev, Rich and Amaya each make at least 1 pick a day and no more than 11. A parlay counts as one pick. If one card is thin, the next card makes up for it. Nobody gets to make up a game or a price to hit the number.
Why not show the private test record?
Because nobody can verify it. Only picks posted publicly before the game count, starting from 0-0.
Watch Study Hall sweat in real time.
Picks before the game. Results after. Receipts forever.
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