Our guest this week - Andy Bloch

This week on Gambling With an Edge our guest will be Andy Bloch.  Andy is a professional poker player with over 5 million dollars in tournament poker winnings.  Before moving into poker he was part of the MIT blackjack team which was the basis for the movie 21.  We'll ask him if all the girls at MIT look like Kate Bosworth.  If you are not familiar with the MIT team I have posted my interview with John & Laurie C.  John was one of the inspirations for the Kevin Spacey character in the movie.  You can see the interview below or just click the link on the right.  Be sure to check back Friday for the podcast of our show, or subscribe in itunes and get your episodes delivered to you every week.

My interview with John & Laurie C. - MIT Blackjack team

This interview was conducted in 2002

The history of blackjack has many roots at MIT.   Ed Thorp, author of Beat the Dealer, did his original computer analysis at MIT on their computer.  When Resorts International opened in 1978 a group of MIT students combined forces to attack the casino, and the “MIT Team” was born.  Though there were players from other schools, who refer to it as the “Boston Team,” the casinos labeled it the MIT team, and the name stuck.   Alumni from the team have gone on to great things.  Joel Friedman was the pioneer of risk-averse betting strategies, which he wrote about in his landmark 1980 paper. He also published in the Gambling Conference papers, on Kelly Criterion and optimal simultaneous wagers.  Other players went on to create Windows 3, and Windows NT.  Players have come and gone, the team has morphed and split into factions, but for over twenty years there has been a constant. His name is Johnny C.  I sat down with John and his wife Laurie, who is another member of the team.

We're now in itunes!

I'm happy to say that you can now download Gambling With an Edge to your iphone, ipod, ipad, or whatever.  Just go to the itunes store and search Gambling With an Edge.

Gambling With an Edge - guest Al Francesco

Gambling With an Edge for 8/25/11.  Our guest was Al Francesco who invented the "Big Player" style of play for beating blackjack and fooling casinos.  Listen to our interview here, and you can also read my print interview with him by clicking the interviews link on the right.

Al Francesco interview

Click to listen or alt-click to download mp3.

Al Francesco Interview

Al Francesco is one of the original 7 people voted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. He hasn’t written any books, but Al is one of the first people to apply the theory to the tables, and take the cash out of the casinos. 

Gambling With an Edge guest Vinny DeCarlo

Our guest on Gambling With an Edge this week was Vinny Decarlo, surveillance expert.  Vinny dispels once and for all the myth of facial recognition software,and tells you why you should be aware of the straw in your drink.  We also talked about driving with cash, controversy in the Epic Poker League, and a little about lines of credit.

Vinny DeCarlo interview
Alt Click to download the mp3.  Left click to listen now.

This week's guest - Vinny DeCarlo

This week on Gambling With an Edge our guest will be Vinny DeCarlo.  For the last 30 years Vinny has worked both sides of the table.  He has been an advantage player, and worked for the casinos, starting out as a valet parking cars, to dealer, pit boss, casino management, but most of his time he has spent in surveillance rooms. He currently travels the U.S. and abroad as a private consultant to casinos.  He is the author of, How To Beat Casino Surveillance, and writes a monthly column for the Blackjack Insider.

If you have questions for Vinny you can post them here or at my facebook page http://facebook.com/richardwmunchkin

The show airs live at KLAV 1230am in Las Vegas at 7pm PST, or you can catch the podcast here which I put up on Friday.

Gambling With an Edge - guest Bob Nersesian #2

Bob Nereseian is a practicing attorney in Las Vegas.  Since 1995 he has been one of the few lawyers willing to handle cases for players. He has sued numerous casinos, metro police, Gaming Control, and many would say he is responsible for bankrupting the Griffin Agency.  During the interview he showed his enthusiasm, and passion for standing up for the rights of players.  Some of the topics we covered in this show, carrying cash in airports, lines of credit, whether you have to carry ID, and whether you have to show it if asked.  We also talked a lot about what to do and not do if back-roomed in a casino.  This show is a must-listen for any serious casino player.  Enjoy!

Bob Nersesian interview
Alt Click to download the mp3.  Left click to listen now.

Bob Nersesian - an advocate for players

I started playing blackjack in the 1970s, and for as long as I have been playing the casinos have abused players. Players have been forced into the backroom, had their pictures taken against their will, bounced off walls, beaten severely, had things stolen from them, and I had one team mate who a security guard threatened with a pair of pliers telling him he would rip his eye out while he was handcuffed to a chair.  Players would report it to the police who would shrug it off.  They would try to find a lawyer to sue the casinos, and hear, "not interested". Finally there is an advocate for players.  Bob was no afraid to sue casinos, has sued Gaming Control, and tried suing agents individually as well.  He has successfully sued The Griffin Agency and I think it is safe to say he was instrumental in them going bankrupt.  Clearly a hero for players. In 2006 he wrote a book called Beat the Players: Casinos, Cops And the Game Inside the Game
 which is must reading for any serious player.

Gambling With an Edge - guest Annie Duke

Last night was my first night co-hosting Gambling With an Edge with Bob Dancer.  Our guest was Annie Duke, and I think the show went well, although I definitely said, "Uhh" way too many times.  I'm sure that will get better as I get more used to this.  Annie was great.  She is extremely busy right now as commissioner of the Epic Poker League which has its first event today.  You will be hearing a lot about the Epic League very shortly and next month it will start showing up on TV.  Check out the show and I look forward to your comments.

Gambling With an Edge - guest Annie Duke
Alt Click to download the mp3.  Left click to listen now.