PS2 Video Game Simulations
Here is the deal. My capping was not on par this season in CFB or NFL so I decided to use an old capping tool that actually works pretty damn well.
We had a poster a few weeks ago who brought up the idea of using EA Sports video games to simulate games. I don't know how many of you remember when I did this back in 2005 but I used to spend hours doing pretty much the same thing, fixing rosters to the dot, using accurate weather predictions and doing all you can do have a decent simulation.
The results were staggering. The PS2 simulations hit something like 13 in a row in College Football, 14 of 16 in NFL and the same success was found in NBA and College Basketball. I got a bit side tracked with some personal stuff right after that and never thought of doing it again.
***CONFESSION***: The last few weeks, the only weeks I have been winning, my capping has been based on PS2 Simulations and I have posted most of them as my picks. The Kentucky to cover over Alabama was all PS2 based. My 5-1 ATS week in the NFL Week 5 was all done by the PS2 and there is nothing wrong with that. Accept it.
Week 5
Washington +6.5 (Winner)
Tennessee -1 (Winner) *exact score*
Denver -3.5 (Loser by 0.5)
Arizona -1 (Winner)
Pittsburgh +5.5 (Winner)
Minnesota +3 (Winner)
Week 6
Chicago -3 (Loser)
Tampa Bay -1 (Winner)
Jacksonville +3.5 (Winner)
Arizona +4.5 (Winner)
New England +6 (Loser)
Cleveland +9 (Winner)
ALL RESULTS OF THE PS2 PREDICTIONS!!! Because of the losses I decided to go back and change some of the settings and sim some of the games over and over again until I got it right. The end results were the following:
Atlanta over Chicago
San Diego over New England (large)
Okay so some of you think it's stupid and some of you think this is the dumbest thing you have ever heard of. Okay cool. The bottom line is, a lot of time and effort is put into those video games and by simulating the games with exact settings and all variables, you can really get a good idea of which teams match up well with other teams.
Having seen that thread last weekend, I decided to simulate some games from earlier this season in college football (it took me 5+ hours to setup the rosters and get everything right). I picked the top 7 games from Week 6 of college football and some games from past weeks to see what kind of results the PS2 would generate.
Examples of simulations (these are games I ran this week)
Week 3
USC -11 over Ohio State = Winner
Week 6
FAU +2.5 = Winner
Boise State -11 = Winner
Pittsburgh +13.5 = Winner
Cincinnati -3 = Winner
Georgia Tech -13 = Winner
Penn State -14 = Winner
Kentucky +16.5 = Winner
Vanderbilt +4.5 = Winner
Ohio State -1 = Winner
Week 7 (posted picks in CFB Forum)
Troy -3.5 = Winner (I was on Florida Atlantic)
Wake Forest -2.5 = Winner
Louisville -6.5 = Winner
Oklahoma -7 = Loser (Modified with new settings picked TEXAS to win)
Northwestern +1 = Loser
Oklahoma State +14 = Winner
Florida -6.5 = Winner
Simulated Games: 15-2 ATS
Posted Games: 4-2 ATS
ALL SIMULATIONS: 30-6* ATS (see below)
*Most of these picks were simulated the last few weeks (posted and not posted). I know 6 losses out of 36 is not bad but those losses bothered me. I went back and changed more settings and spent hours trying to see what went wrong with the simulation and I came up with something good. The new settings had Texas over Oklahoma three times which is what I was looking for in the first place.
By now you get the point that all the games I simulated, after playing with all the settings and rosters for hours, turned out the results it did back in 2005, the last time I tried this experiment.
This is not misleading anyone because with time you will see how accurate and powerful these simulations are and I had never thought of bringing them back once and for all. I will select only the best 6-7 games
***CFB AND NFL WENT A COMBINED 9-4 ATS last week but the four losses have been corrected and the settings have been tweaked to project better results, better totals and more accurate spreads. I am not going to do much more tweaking of the system and let's just let this cash money cow ride for now.
You don't have to like what I'm doing but it works. Enjoy while it lasts, I will post the picks and simulation results in this thread for this week.
Do not get discouraged if the PS2 loses one or two games. Example of this being yesterday Oklahoma and NW lose but Florida and Oklahoma State bring home the bacon at night. I put tons of time and effort into this shit and in the end it wins, wins and wins some more.
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Alright so last week is gone and this week is here. I am done modifying the system and I am done playing around. We either win or we lose with what I have put together because this goes way beyond just setting weather, rosters, injury reports, time, penalties and so on. This is about setting gameplay and making sure each time has the right style of play in the simulation. Example: If you simulate a Florida game and Tim Tebow doesn't run the ball, that means the team is not setup properly and changes need to be made. Call me a dork but I spent tons of time modifying each teams tendencies.
Alright enough bullshit, at 30-6 ATS in both college and NFL I am willing to keep riding this money train and hopefully some of you followers have been able to cash in so far. TIME TO GET THE MONEY TRAIN ROLLING!
Thursday, October 16
North Carolina St +11
TCU -1.5
:toast:
The first game generated a final score of 24-17 (OT) Florida State. It was an exciting game that saw both teams have big time turnover problems. Neither QB looked all that good, neither team was able to establish a run game. It was a low-scoring game for the most part that featured one top notch defense in FSU and one horrendous offense in FSU (regardless of what they have done this season). I say you all expect turnovers here and a very tight game. NC State always plays the Noles close for some reason and this game should be no different.
The second game was interesting. It saw TCU win 44-15 over the Cougars as they played their best game of the season and screwed the betting public out of their money. Make no mistake about it this is the better of the two games tonight and this should have been the game on National TV. The Horned Frogs scored first and never looked back as they forced turnover after turnover, their defense was the best it was been in ages and BYU was knocked out of BCS talks with their first loss of the season. I don't know why everyone is fading TCU at home here, they have an advantage in several matcnups (according to the PS2) and I am riding this baby to the bank.
Disclaimer: I know I'm gonna take a ton of heat for this but I don't care. Right now it's a method of capping that's working for me, it's the reason my numbers are going to get better and in this world of sports betting you do whatever it takes to have an edge. Right? So don't hate, appreciate my postings.
Bash away and good following, fading or admiring.