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I have two distinct lives. One in the trenches of low-budget film and television, the other in professional gambling. Because of the feast-or-famine nature of show business I need a reliable income... gambling. So here you will read about both worlds. Enjoy!



Thursday, February 29, 2024

Gambling With an Edge - Dennis Rappaport

Bob and I are back to talk to Dennis Rappaport.  Dennis was a boxing manager, and promotor probably best known for managing Gerry Cooney.  He also was a brilliant PR man, and has some crazy stories from his years in "The Sweet Science."


podcast - https://www.spreaker.com/episode/dennis-rappaport--58880349

Monday, February 19, 2024

Life is a Gamble - Lauri Thompson episode 16

Lauri Thompson came to Las Vegas as a dancer in 1980.  She went from Las Vegas strip entertainer to a top entertainment attorney, with a stop along the way as Susie Spirit on the original GLOW - Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.

You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.

Here is the clip of Lauri getting her arm dislocated in an episode of GLOW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDxYpEKotyU

Friday, February 9, 2024

Billy Baxter - episode 15

 Billy Baxter is a legend in the gambling world.  Today we focus on his time as a boxing manager, and some very high stakes golf games.

You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.

podcast - https://www.spreaker.com/episode/billybaxter--58627231

Friday, February 2, 2024

Gambling With an Edge - Super Bowl 2024

Gambling With an Edge is back with Bob and I talking to Anthony Curtis, and Frank B. We talk about the Super Bowl coming here to Las Vegas, and then talk about other things happening around town. 


Saturday, January 20, 2024

Life is a Gamble - Nicholas Forte - Pastry Chef episode 14

 Nicholas Forte is the corporate pastry chef for Tao Group - west coast. What drew me to Nick's story is that straight out of pastry school he went to the only 3-Michelin-star restaurant in the state of Nevada, and said, "I want to work here."  He got the job at Joel Robuchon. You can see examples of Nick's work on his Instagram account. https://www.instagram.com/fortenj/

You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.


Podcast - https://www.spreaker.com/episode/nicholas-forte-pastry-chef-episode-14--58384447

Friday, December 22, 2023

Gambling With an Edge - Sports Books Behaving Badly with Bob Loeb

 Bob Dancer and I are back doing a Gambling With an Edge episode. We interview attorney Bob Loeb about the recent trend of legal, regulated sportsbooks stealing people's money.


Podcast - https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/loeb12-22-23final

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Life is a Gamble - Joseph Merhi part 2 episode 13

My guest this week is Joseph Merhi.  In part 1 we covered Joseph moving to Florida from a small town in Syria when he was 18 years old.  He spoke no English, but through grit and perseverance he went on to produce over 100 movies.  This is part 2 of 2, in which we cover Joseph's move from Las Vegas to LA, and his pursuit of the movie business.

You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.


Podcast - https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/joempt2final

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Life is a Gamble - Joseph Merhi part 1 episode 12

My guest this week is Joseph Merhi.  Joseph moved to Florida from a small town in Syria when he was 18 years old.  He spoke no English, but through grit and perseverance he went on to produce over 100 movies.  This is part 1 of 2.

You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.


Podcast https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/joempt1_1


Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Life is a Gamble - Frank Frigo episode 11

My guest this week is Frank Frigo.  Frank is one of the founders of Edj Analytics, and we talk about their football model named Zeus which they licensed to various NFL teams to make better playing decisions.


You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.


Podcast - https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/frankfrigoepisode11f


NY Times article mentioned in the show.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/sports/football/eagles-analytics-super-bowl-lii.html

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Life is a Gamble - Ed Miller episode 10

 My guest this week is Ed Miller.  Ed is on to talk about his new book, "Interception" which he co-authored with Matt Davidow.

You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.


Podcast - https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/edmillerepisode10

Books by Ed Miller & Matt Davidow

The Logic of Sports Betting https://amzn.to/3QlG3Ec

Interception https://amzn.to/46Abjoz

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Life is a Gamble - Sherriff AP episode 9

Sherriff AP chucked it all to become a professional card counter.  He had one of the worst losing streaks I have heard of, and I'm not just talking about losing money.  Everything in his life seemed to all go wrong at the same time.  I think most people would have quit, and never looked back, but he stuck it out. 

You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.

podcast https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/sherrifapepisode9

Links

Sherriff AP being told card counting is illegal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jVerBdoN0c&t=222s

Monday, September 18, 2023

Life is a Gamble - Bob Dancer episode #8

Bob Dancer is the world's best known authority on Video Poker, having written many books, and countless articles on the subject.  He of course was my cohost and founder of Gambling With an Edge for 12 years.  But in this episode we are going back to when he was trying to be a professional backgammon player in the 1970s in Los Angeles, where cheating was a very real danger.  

You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.

podcast - https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/bobdancerep8

Links

http://bobdancer.com

http://gamblingwithanedge.com

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Life is a Gamble Jason Ladanye episode #7

Jason Ladanye is a professional, award-winning sleight-of-hand entertainer who has performed card magic all around the world for the last twenty years. Prior to magic he was musician who was touring as a keyboard player from the time he was 17, opening for everyone from the Rolling Stones to BB King.


You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21 or @lifeisagamblepod on Threads. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.


Podcast - https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/jasonledanye

Links

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQsmxaMzYr76Yd1iqMEq8TA

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cardmagicbyjason/

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Life is a Gamble - Bob Nersesian episode #6

This is a brief episode with our favorite gambling attorney Bob Nersesian. Bob is on with breaking news for professional gamblers regarding the trespass statute in Nevada.

You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21 or @lifeisagamblepod on Threads. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.


Podcast - https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/bobntrespass


Friday, August 11, 2023

Life is a Gamble Don "The Dragon" Wilson episode #5

In this episode of the podcast, I chat with Don "The Dragon" Wilson, one of the most iconic martial artists, and action stars of the 1980s and 1990s. Don talks about his fight career, and his transition from fighter to action star.

You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21 or @lifeisagamblepod on Threads. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.


Podcast https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/donwilsonepisode5

Links

https://www.facebook.com/DonWilsonTheDragon

"How I Made A Hundred Movies In Hollywood" by Roger Corman  https://amzn.to/3QARdpo

Don Wilson movies - https://amzn.to/44acSHU

Don's Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Wilson_(kickboxer)

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Life is a Gamble - Blair Hull - episode #4

 Blair Hull was known as the first "BP" or "Big Player".  Ken Uston wrote a book called, "The Big Player" after he replaced Blair in that role.  Taking what he learned from counting cards Blair moved to a much bigger casino with higher stakes, the options exchange.


We discuss three big gambles in Blair's life.  In 1987 the markets were all crashing, and Blair walked onto the exchange floor saying to himself that his job was to make a price on both buy or sell.  There were only people wanting to sell, and like it or not he had to give them a price, and buy what they were unloading. Second we talk about his decision to run for US Senate, and was beat in the primary by a young organizer named Barak Obama.  Last we talk about how Blair came out of retirement when he saw that people were buying options as if they were lottery tickets.


You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21 or @lifeisagamblepod on Threads. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.


Podcast https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/blairhullepisode4

Links

Hull Tactical Asset Allocation  http://www.hulltactical.com/

Twitter - @blairhull

Monday, July 17, 2023

Life is a Gamble episode #3 Wonderhussy

Sarah Jane Woodall has been known for the last dozen years as Wonderhussy.  She is a writer, actress, model, and all-around creative.  I talk to her about what I consider a huge gamble, and she shrugs it off  as no big deal.  What was her job I thought was so risky? Driving out to the middle of nowhere in the desert with a complete stranger, and working as a nude model.


You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.

Saturday, July 8, 2023

Life is a Gamble episode #2 AP white

 AP White dropped out of college 3 times before finally graduating, and getting that 6-figure per year job.  But once he started working he found he hated the job. He decided to quit, and go on the road as a professional advantage player.


You can reach me at lifeisagamblepod@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter @RWM21 or @lifeisagamblepod on Threads. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.


Podcasthttps://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/apwhiteepisode2

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Life is a Gamble #1 Darryl Purpose

Hey everyone. This is episode one of my new podcast.  As you can see, it is called Life is a Gamble, and as the title indicates it will be about life's gambles.  I am still feeling my way here so things may morph and change as time goes on, but I hope you come along for the ride.

You can reach me with questions, comments, etc. at LifeIsAGamblePod@gmail.com, or on twitter @rwm21.

Podcast https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/lifeisagamble-1 


Darryl's Links

Website https://darrylpurpose.com/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/darrylpurpose/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DarrylPurposeMusic

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Gambling With an Edge - Our last Mail Bag

This is our final scheduled episode of GWAE.  We close out the show with questions from our mail bag. It's been a great ride for 12 years, and we are really grateful for the outpouring of kind words from our listeners, and for our sponsors over the years.


Show Notes

[00:00]  Introduction
[00:47]  Lessons learned from guests on GWAE
[04:45]  Missed advantage plays
[09:38]  Memorable moments
[13:26]  Bankroll management and session size
[15:45]  Will Bob continue to blog on Las Vegas Advisor?
[16:23]  Penalty cards in 10/7 Double Bonus
[16:54]  Odds boosts
[18:21]  Hole carding
[20:04]  Card pulling on video poker
[21:37]  Other advantage play resources
[24:09]  Life lesson from gambling
[28:05]  Gathering free play off of multiple cards
[30:14]  Predicting the future of advantage play
[31:55]  Continuous shuffling machines
[32:56]  Favorite casino games
[34:11]  Largest failures
[36:20]  Best gambling advice
[39:10]  Commercials
[42:02]  "Carnival" games
[44:39]  Extracting value from promo chips and coupons
[47:50]  Lowering the house edge at blackjack without card counting
[50:13]  Mistakes and play speed in video poker
[51:34]  Closing remarks

Sponsored Links:

Short Stories and Books Referenced:
Quit:  Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke - https://amzn.to/3BElw5S
Comp City by Max Rubin - https://amzn.to/42NUx3A

Podcasts Referenced: