Gambling With an Edge - guest James Vogl

Our guest this week is James Vogl.  James is a former backgammon, and poker player (He won a WSOP bracelet at 24.) who then moved into the world of hedge funds.  Now he has moved on from the trading world to start something called The Cerebral Gym.


podcast 
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Show notes

[01:27] James Vogl’s backgammon career

[02:47] Are there still active backgammon club in London?

[03:55] What it was like transitioning into poker from Backgammon

[06:23] Poker books that stood out for James

[07:39] Why did Gus Hansen change his name?

[09:14] How long did James play poker before he got a real job?

[09:47] Did James play a lot of online poker?

[12:29] Hedge funds, computer, and math skills. What was James’ market?

[15:38] Did the fund keep track of P/L? How did James compare to S&P 500 over the years?

[17:15] Video Poker v.s. trading

[19:28] Why did James leave trading?

[20:23] Did his romantic relationships affect his decision to quit gambling?

[23:34] Gambling v.s. trading

[28:39] Do the traders look at themselves as gamblers?

[30:51] Is a press-up the same as a push-up?

[33:31] Does James find the various games he played different or similar?

[38:52] Does James see himself returning to the gambling world?

[47:47] James’ cheating encounters at gambling or trading

"Theory of poker" by David Sklansky: http://amzn.to/2BfhRi1

"Play Poker, Quit Work and Sleep Till Noon” by John Fox: http://amzn.to/2BBuwJ3

"Liar’s Poker” by Michael Lewis: http://amzn.to/2CHePzi

Cerebral Gym: http://www.cerebralgym.com/