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

Gambling With an Edge - Jim & Dan Pasko

Our guests this week are Jim Pasko, and his son Dan.  Jim has been one of the best backgammon players in the world for 40 years, and together with his son Dan they have been very successful as sports bettors, primarily focused on prop bets. 

We welcome your questions - send them to us at gamblingwithanedge@gmail.com, or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter or https://www.facebook.com/GamblingWithAnEdge.

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


Show Notes

[00:00]  Introduction of gamblers, Jim and Dan Pasko

[00:35]  Does Jim still play backgammon?

[03:17]  Studying backgammon before bots, taking risk

[09:33]  Cheating stories from The Cavendish, scams, magnetic dice

[17:06]  Sport betting

[19:36]  Jim and Dan's background in math

[23:29]  Betting football and nba props, increasing market efficiency

[26:37]  Solving problems for other bettors, combinatorics

[29:12]  Erosion of edges as markets change and evolve

[32:42]  SouthPointCasino.com

[33:36]  BlackjackApprenticeship.com

[34:20]  VideoPoker.com/gwae

[35:22]  Unabated.com

[35:58]  How to  contact Jim and Dan 

[37:15]  Backgammon, learning curves, Stu Ungar

[41:51]  Bomb pots

[49:06]  Recommended;  The Great on Hulu, The Duke, Good Will Hunting, Tombstone

Sponsored Links:

http://SouthPointCasino.com

http://BlackjackApprenticeship.com

http://VideoPoker.com/gwae

http://Unabated.com

Recommended:

"The Great" http://Hulu.com/series/the-great

"The Duke" http://Mubi.com/films/the-duke-2020

"Good Will Hunting" http://Miramax.com/movie/good-will-hunting

"Tombstone" http://Imdb.com/title/tt0108358/

Gambling With an Edge - guest Norman Zadeh

Our guest this week is Norman Zadeh.  Norman is a former mathematics professor, and longtime gambler.  He wrote one of the first math based poker books back in 1974.  He has been a winning gambler at backgammon, poker, and sports betting.

We welcome your questions - send them to us at gamblingwithanedge@gmail.com, or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter or https://www.facebook.com/GamblingWithAnEdge.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/50630679
  Click to listen - Alt click to download


Show Notes

[00:00]  Introduction of Norman Zadeh

[00:39]  Norman’s gambling background, poker, backgammon

[04:41]  Writing a poker book

[07:15]  Does Norman still play backgammon?

[08:48]  Superstition, cosmic unconsciousness 

[11:35]  Sports betting, handicapping

[13:49]  Modeling baseball

[16:46]  Handicapping basketball

[20:13]  Investing, trading in the stock markets

[21:35]  Opportunities to make money with math

[23:58]  Writing software, writing songs

[26:11]  Analyzing backgammon in the 1970s, brute force, XG

[31:40]  Kyle Larsen story

[33:00]  Investing versus betting

[37:44]  https://SouthPointCasino.com

[38:32]  https://BlackjackApprenticeship.com

[39:01]  https://VideoPoker.com/gwae

[39:55]  Norman’s books

[42:39]  Norman’s investing competition

[51:20]  Recommended: The Master Mechanic by I.G. Broat, Risk of Ruin Podcast episode “The Audacity of Help” education in math or computer science

Sponsored Links:

https://SouthPointCasino.com

https://BlackjackApprenticeship.com

https://VideoPoker.com/gwae

Guest Links:

https://Financial-competitions.com

Books by Norman Zadeh - https://amzn.to/3oD52o5

Recommended:

The Master Mechanic by I.G. Broat - https://amzn.to/3PvKh98

https://Podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/risk-of-ruin/id1527018692

Gambling With an Edge - guest Bill Robertie (backgammon)

Our guest this week is two time backgammon world champion and author, Bill Robertie. We discuss his new book, How to Play the Opening in Backgammon -- Part 2: Everything Matters.

We welcome your questions - send them to us at gamblingwithanedge@gmail.com, or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter or https://www.facebook.com/GamblingWithAnEdge.

podcast
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Show Notes

[00:00] Introduction of Bill Robertie, backgammon champion author of How to Play the Opening in Backgammon/Part 2: Everything Matters
[00:28] Remembering Stan Tomchin
[02:48] How is Bill's new book different from the other books in the series?
[05:09] Bill's target audience for this book series
[07:42] Counterintuitive plays
[08:34] Does writing about backgammon improve Bill's game?
[10:04] Making your own 3pt versus 22pt
[19:42] 6-1 is weaker than 3-1 and 4-2
[22:51] eXtreme Gammon
[30:25] XG making plays that conflicts how humans play
[34:02] South Point Casino July Promotions - Free Play with a Kicker
[34:30] BlackjackApprenticeship.com - card counting community, training suite, and forum
[35:05] VideoPoker.com/gwae - Gold Membership offers correction on most games, free Pro Membership trial for GWAE listeners
[36:23] Making an early ace point
[39:58] Considering opponent's style
[46:45] What will be covered in Part 3
[49:16] TheGammonPress.com
[51:45] Recommended: Hobak Korean BBQ, Mr. Kim's Korean BBQ, Colin Jone's new video on Youtube, Unsettled by Steven E. Koonin, James Grosjean's blog at GamblingWithAnEdge.com


Sponsored Links:
SouthPointCasino.com
VideoPoker.com/gwae
BlackjackApprenticeship.com

Recommended:
Hobakkoreanbbq.com

Mrkimbbq.com

Youtube.com/watch?v=XM7fPwjJKuk&ab_channel=BlackjackApprenticeship

Unsettled by Steven E. Koonin  https://amzn.to/3hk5vZk

Lasvegasadvisor.com/gambling-with-an-edge/author/james-grosjean

Gambling With an Edge - guest Michael Sall

Our guest this week is arguably the world's best gin rummy player, Michael Sall. He is the author of "Gin Rummy: A Predator's Guide."

We welcome your questions - send them to us at gamblingwithanedge@gmail.com, or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter or https://www.facebook.com/GamblingWithAnEdge.

podcast
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Show Notes

[00:00] Introduction of Michael Sall, arguably the best gin rummy player in the world
[00:32] Micheal's appearance of David Hill's podcast "Gamblers"
[02:05] Does winning tournaments help players to find good games?
[03:41] Michael's early experiences playing gin
[06:44] Gin Rummy: A Predator's Guide by Michael Sall
[09:52] Playing in New York City
[15:01] Stu Ungar
[20:45] How is gambling at gin different than other forms about gambling?
[22:55] South Point Casino December Promotions -
[24:09] PPredictit.org/promo/edge - places small bets on various political events, $20 deposit match for GWAE listeners

[25:04] BlackjackApprenticeship.com - a card counting community and trading site
[25:47] VideoPoker.com/gwae - Gold Membership offers correction on most games, Free Pro Membership trial for GWAE listeners

[26:31] Getting access to high stakes games
[28:58] Brian Zembic
[31:14] Hustling at gin versus other forms of hustling
[32:47] Cheating in gin
[39:32] Molly's game and federal charges
[47:44] Carrying large amounts of money
[49:09] How can listeners contact Michael?
[50:14] Recommended - The Crown on Netflix, "The Pool Hustler" episode of David Hill's Gamblers podcast


Sponsored Links:
SouthPointCasino.com
Predictit.org/promo/edge
BlackjackApprenticeship.com 

VideoPoker.com/gwae


Podcasts Mentioned:
Theringer.com/2020/11/25/21717573/gamblers-podcast-episode-3-michael-sall-gin-rummy


Books Referenced:
Gamblersbookclub.com/gin-rummy-a-predators-guide-876.html


Recommended:
Netflix.com/title/80025678

Theringer.com/2020/11/18/21572652/gamblers-podcast-scott-frost-the-freezer-go-off-kid

Gambling With an Edge - guest Bill Robertie

Our guest this week is two time backgammon world champion and author, Bill Robertie.

We welcome your questions - send them to us at gamblingwithanedge@gmail.com, or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter or https://www.facebook.com/GamblingWithAnEdge.

podcast
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Show Notes

[00:00] Introduction of Bill Robertie, 2x winner of the World Backgammon Championship and author of How to Play the Opening in Backgammon, Part 1: A New Way of Thinking

[00:57] What makes How to Play the Opening in Backgammon different from other books?

[05:53] Will excluded positions be included in a future part of this series?

[07:53] What over topics will be covered in Book Two and Book Three?

[10:10] Could the content of these books change as bots improve?

[15:26] Playing openings versus understanding openings

[18:41] Scoring tournaments by lowest impact of errors

[20:53] Does Bill still play in tournaments?

[24:13] Is the proliferation of XG good for the game?

[30:13] Do published PR scores reduce gambling?

[33:33] South Point Casino June promotions - Free Play with a Kicker

[35:12] Predictit.org/promo/edge - place small bets on political events, $20 deposit match for GWAE listeners

[35:40] BlackjackApprenticeship.com - card counting community and training site with boot camp events

[36:54] VideoPoker.com/gwae - Gold Membership offers correction on most games, free Pro Membership trial for GWAE listeners

[37:45] Learning from writing and publishing

[40:36] Does Bill revisit any of his pre-bot matches or books?

[43:14] Michy's endgame book, EndGame Technique

[46:35] What will Bill's next project be?

[47:53] TheGammonPress.com publishing, blog, history, news, etc.

[49:12] Recommended - Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell, Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly, Bosch on Amazon Prime, John Lescroart books, and The Spenser Series by Robert B. Parker


Sponsored Links:
SouthPointCasino.com
Predictit.org/promo/edge
BlackjackApprenticeship.com
VideoPoker.com/gwae


Sites Referenced:
TheGammonPress.com


Books Referenced:
How to Play the Opening in Backgammon,  By Bill Robertie https://amzn.to/2zna7e7
Endgame Technique by Michihito Kageyama https://amzn.to/2BShPh3


Recommended:

Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell https://amzn.to/3ffc4s2
Devil in the White City by Erik Larson https://amzn.to/37uWupX
Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly https://amzn.to/3fdE7bG
John Lescroart books https://amzn.to/3dSHO6e
The Spenser Series by Robert B. Parker https://amzn.to/3dR32S5

Bosch on Amazon Prime

Gambling With an Edge - Bob Wachtel part 2

We continue our discussion with backgammon expert Bob Wachtel, including Wachtel's appearance on two baccarat teams in London.

We welcome your questions - send them to us at gamblingwithanedge@gmail.com, or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter.

podcast
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Show Notes
[00:00] Introduction of world class backgammon player, Bob Wachtel
[00:48] Baccarat teams
[18:57] Why does Demark have so many backgammon players?
[23:30] Denmark versus The World matches
[28:12] Falafel bets with the Danes
[32:33] Backgammon software: Jellyfish, GNU, Snowy, Extreme Gammon
[42:52] Will SG# change the way that professional backgammon is played?
[45:00] South Point Casino - currently closed
[45:18] Predictit.org/promo/edge - place small bets on political events, $20 deposit match for GWAE listeners
[45:58] BlackjackApprenticeship.com - card counting training site and community
[46:43] VideoPoker.com/gwae - Gold Membership offers correction on most games
[47:40] Vision Laughs at Counting
[56:28] The Language of Backgammon
[1:03:04] MasterClass.com, Animal Kingdom on Amazon Prime

Sponsored Links:
SouthPointCasino.com
Predictit.org/promo/edge
BlackjackApprenticeship.com
Videopoker.com/gwae

Books:
The Backgammon Chronicles by Robert Wachtel
In the Game Until the End, Volume 2 By Robert Wachtel
The Language of Backgammon by Robert Wachtel
Vision Laughs at Counting with Advice to the Dicelorn - by Danny Kleinman

Recommended:
MasterClass.com
Animal Kingdom on Amazon Prime

Gambling With an Edge - Bob Wachtel

Our guest this week is backgammon expert Bob Wachtel, who discusses his two volume book, "The Backgammon Chronicles: A Pro's Adventures On Tour."

We welcome your questions - send them to us at gamblingwithanedge@gmail.com, or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter.

podcast
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Show Notes

[00:00] Introduction of world class backgammon player, Bob Wachtel
[00:56] What motivated Bob to write In the Game Until the End, Volume 2?
[09:27] Will Volume 3 ever be produced?
[10:35] The Backgammon Chronicles
[19:36] Chouettes
[33:45] Backgammon boards with sensors that record moves
[36:17] South Point Casino - great promos will be coming when the casino reopens
[36:40] Predictit.org/promo/edge - place small bets on the occurrence of various political events, $20 deposit match for GWAE listeners
[37:28] BlackjackApprenticeship.com - registration for the May 30th bootcamp is now open
[38:41] VideoPoker.com/gwae - Gold Membership offers correction on most games, Game of the Week is Spin Poker Deluxe
[39:28] Online backgammon for real money and the rise of bots
[44:07] Online poker bots
[50:52] Mochy
[56:10] Recommended - On Writing by Stephen King

Sponsored Links:

SouthPointCasino.com
Predictit.org/promo/edge
BlackjackApprenticeship.com
Videopoker.com/gwae

Books Referenced:

In the Game Until the End, Volume 2 By Robert Wachtel
The Backgammon Chronicles by Robert Wachtel
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Four-Point by Jake Jacobs
The Education of a Poker Player by Hebert O. Yardley  https://amzn.to/344hHVQ

Recommended
On Writing by Stephen King https://amzn.to/3dQK4vk

Gambling With an Edge - Bob Wachtel Part 2

Backgammon expert Bob Wachtel pays us a return visit, discussing some of the colorful players (and cheats!) of the good old days, plus how the game today is different than it was a few decades ago.

We welcome your questions - send them to us at gamblingwithanedge@gmail.com, or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter.

podcast
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Show Notes


00:00] Introduction of backgammon expert and author Bob Wachel

[00:49] Gaby Horowitz and the Cavendish West

[08:58] Stan Tomchin, Gaby Horowitz and discussion of cheaters

[19:54] Steve Sax

[22:21] Japanese and Danish backgammon players

[37:32] South Point Casino July Promotions: $600k "Mad Money" casino-wide progressives

[38:21] VideoPoker.com - The gold membership offers correction on most games

[38:56] Why are the best players in poker so much younger than the best players in backgammon?

[42:54] Bob Watchel's second place finish in the Monte Carlo tournament

[44:57] How does an opponent's demeanor affect Bob Watchel's play?

[47:09] The use of chess clocks in backgammon tournaments

Books:
In the Game into the End by Bob Wachtel

SouthPointCasino.com
VideoPoker.com

Gambling With an Edge - Bob Wachtel

Our guest this week is backgammon expert Bob Wachtel, who discusses his book "In the Game Until the End: Winning in Ace-Point Endgames." Wachtel and both co-hosts knew each other at the Cavendish West backgammon club in the late 1970s and we discuss how each of the backgammon clubs of the era was a bit different.

We welcome your questions - send them to us at gamblingwithanedge@gmail.com, or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter.

podcast
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Show Notes

00:00] Introduction of backgammon expert and author, Bob Watchel

[00:47] Bob's gambling background in chess and backgammon

[05:25] The Cavendish West in Los Angeles

[13:30] Chouette discussion

[19:45] The Mayfair Club in New York City

[27:52] Did Bob ever consider moving into poker?

[30:52] Paul Magriel

[35:40] Discussion of Bob's book, In the Game Until the End: Winning in Ace-Point Endgames

[44:38] South Point Casino July Promotion: Mad Money casino-wide progressives

[45:28] VideoPoker.com: Gold Membership offers correction on most games

[46:04] Coup Classique

[53:03] Book availability and Bob's contact information

SouthPointCasino.com
VideoPoker.com

TheGammonPress.com

Books:
In the Game Until the End: Winning in Ace-Point Endgames by Bob Wachtel

Youtube:
Paul Magriel Memorial Tribute by Robert Wachtel
Youtube.com/watch?v=ymsjCQxvtB8

Gambling With an Edge - Listener emails

We have no guest this week.  Bob and I answer listener emails, and then discuss lessons we learned about gambling from starting out in backgammon.

podcast
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Show Notes

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/

Gambling With an Edge - Kit Woolsey

Our guest this week is bridge and backgammon expert Kit Woolsey.  We talk about his recent book The Backgammon Encyclopedia Volume 2 as well as some of his stories from years of playing bridge and backgammon at the highest levels.

podcast

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Show Notes

[00:53] The difference between the volumes 1 and 2 of the Backgammon Encyclopedia
[02:27] How helpful the Backgammon bots have been in learning the game
[04:41] Is Kit planning future volumes in the Backgammon Encyclopedia series?
[05:14] Would cube decisions in the book change depending on the proficiency of the opponent?
[08:44] What is the current state of Backgammon in the U.S.?
[09:41] Does Kit team up with other bridge players in big events?
[11:23] What sets apart Kit’s defense to no trump openings
[12:43] Why was Woolsey convention considered illegal?
[18:08] Cheating scandals in bridge
[20:03] How some players cheat at high-level games with dividing screens
[23:03] How to identify cheating in bridge
[25:57] Richard and Kit shuffle tracking in the late 70’s.
[28:41] Kit’s bad barrings from playing Blackjack
[29:27] What is the Alcatraz coup?
[34:37] Does studying one game help studying other games? What other games interest Kit?
[38:07] How is playing bridge with wife affect Kit’s marriage?
[39:15] Backgammon tournament in the Las Vegas area
[40:29] Book recommendations for backgammon tournaments
[43:43] Examples of different plays 30 years ago
[47:01] Do high level games of backgammon and bridge require a genius level intelligence?

eXtreme Gammon http://www.extremegammon.com/

Kit Woolsey, "Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol. 1" http://amzn.to/2AsWOoy

Kit Woolsey, "Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol. 2" https://thegammonpress.com/product/the-backgammon-encyclopedia-volume-2/

Woolsey convention: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolsey_convention

Kit Woolsey, "The Language of Bridge" http://amzn.to/2nrOaUo

Kit Woolsey, "New Ideas in Backgammon" http://amzn.to/2ihyQUN

How to Play Tournament Backgammon” http://amzn.to/2nsUuLe

Paul Magriel “Backgammon” http://amzn.to/2iNH1w7

Gambling With an Edge - no guests this week part 2

This week we have no guests. Bob and Richard continue their discussion of how they got started on the road to gambling as professionals.

 podcast 

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Gambling With an Edge - no guests this week part 1

This week we have no guests. Bob and Richard discuss how they got started on the road to gambling as professionals.

 podcast 

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Gambling With an Edge - guest poker legend Billy Baxter #2

Our guest this week is 7 time WSOP bracelet winner Billy Baxter. Billy is one of the old-time players kicking around Vegas for 40+ years. We talk poker, sports betting, golf, pool hustling, a little bit of everything. 

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Gambling With an Edge - guest Terry King

The guest this week is Terry King. Terry came to Las Vegas in 1972, and became one of the first high-stakes women players in poker. She has worked as a professional player, dealer, and card room manager. She won a WSOP bracelet in 1978.

podcast

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Gambling With an Edge - guest Jake Jacobs 2

Our guest this week is backgammon professional and author, Jake Jacobs. We talk to Jake about his new novel, The Battered Butterfly, as well as about some of his many gambling exploits.

 podcast 

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Gambling With an Edge - guest Jake Jacobs

Our guest this week is backgammon professional and author, Jake Jacobs. We talk to Jake about his new novel, The Battered Butterfly.

 podcast 

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Gambling With an Edge - guest Bill Robertie

Our guest this week was Bill Robertie. Bill has written many of the best backgammon and poker books on the market. You can see his author page here. Bill Robertie His website is The Gammon Press.

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