Life is a Gamble

Sid Wyman — Life is a GambleGuest: Sid Wyman — pool player, golf gambler, poker player, and what they used to call a rounder (or cross-roader).Show Notes00:00 Growing the show — please subscribe and review02:45 Meet Sid Wyman: pool player, golf gambler, rounder03:54 Fort Smith kid: the bookie umpire and the CB radio05:24 Bought a new Cadillac the day he turned 1608:56 Chauffeur for Big Eddie Glantz in Oklahoma City12:44 Meeting Bobby Baldwin14:33 The Vegas golf crew: Puggy Pearson and company17:40 Fifty dollars to Vegas, hustling pool along the way18:24 The daub: marked cards at the Lady Luck21:30 Courtroom: the case thrown out, the pencil snaps23:36 The bomb: beating the Barbary Coast for $600,00030:38 Oklahoma tribal casino: five straight wins, banned for life34:02 Mr. Casino Honesty37:55 Corporate security asks him to corrupt two dealers40:00 Wife of 35 years41:17 Cheating in poker today: turn the Wi-Fi off46:06 Strippers: how marked decks are made49:43 Hustler Casino: she wasn't cheating51:07 Billy Baxter, the smartest gambler he knows54:50 Wrap-upLife is a gamble explores those times in life where someone must take a big risk, or when life deals you an unexpected hand.  How do we decide how much risk is worth it?

Charles Star is a self-described podcast slut.  He went from lawyer to comedian and is now on a quest to do 53 podcasts in 52 weeks.Show Notes[00:00]  Introduction of Charles Small[00:36]  Podcast appearances bet[03:25]  No Homework and City Saint, Country Saint podcasts[05:57]  Transitioning from law into comedy [14:07]  Leaving standup[15:58]  Podcasting[17:08]  Gambling and sports better stories[20:33]  Legal career after temp jobs[26:07]  Civil asset forfeiture[29:11]  The Moth and strange legal cases[34:16]  OST realistic legal shows and movies[40:22]  Travel stories[46:15]  Favorite Las Vegas restaurant that is not in a casinoLinks:http://nohomework.websitehttp://soundcloud.com/hwpodhttp://davidhill.substack.com/p/introducing-american-gamblerhttp://nakamurayalv.com

Elizabeth Reichelt seems to choose the riskiest professions. I don't mean dangerous, I mean the chance of success is tiny, but the payoff can be huge. She went from dancer, to stand up comic, to television writer.Show Notes[00:00]  Introduction of Elizabeth Reichelt[00:38]  High risk and high reward professions[03:09]  Identity crises[06:10]  Moving to Los Angeles[08:25]  Passion for social work[11:06]  Playwriting[16:53]  Improv, writing sketches, and stand up comedy[21:46]  Assistant writer for Inventing Anna[21:24]  Becoming a writer[26:47]  Research on Bridgerton[27:56]  Cowriting an episode[30:32]  AI effects on writers[31:32]  Writing for networks versus streaming services[34:23]  Working while on hiatus, networking, and agents[39:34]  How can listeners contact Elizabeth?[40:06]  Advice for aspiring writers[40:44]  Favorite restaurant in Las Vegas that is not in a casinoLinks:http://Instagram.com/lizreichelthttp://Mobettahs.comhttp://Doublezeropie.comLife is a Gamble explores those times in life where someone must take a big risk, or when life deals you an unexpected hand. How do we decide how much risk is worth it?

My guest today is Andrew Wimhurst, author of the new book, "Thieving Bastards True Confessions of the World’s Greatest Cheats." Show Notes[00:00]  Introduction of Andrew Wimhurst, author of Thieving Bastards: True Confessions of the World’s Greatest Cheats[00:57]  Thirty years of book planning, interviews, and similar books[07:32]  Transcribing and editing interviews[11:42]  Changes in the cheating landscape[13:33]  Cheating in poker, the NBA poker scandal, and the x-ray table[17:44]  Andrew’s ideas  sequels or future  books about cheating [19:38]  The card mechanic “Bobby Machines”[23:48]  Cheats who get out of the lifestyle [28:46]  Road hustlers from the 1940s to 1970s[33:55]  Running Razzle at a casino in Cuba[38:47]  Financial reporting laws and the digital trail for modern cheats[40:17]  Cheaters problems with discipline and greed[41:42]  Andrew’s background in magic, card mechanics, and dice moves[45:53]  Andrew’s contact infoAndrew's Links;thecolddeckcompany.cominstagram.com/thecolddeckcompanyBooks Referenced;Thieving Bastards: by Andrew Wimhurst - https://amzn.to/4dS2s8xGambling Wizards by Richard Munchkin - https://amzn.to/4tLX7nBRoad Hustler by Robert C. Prus - out of printGambling Scams by Darwin Ortiz - https://amzn.to/4cchtkkHavana Nocturne by T.J. English - https://amzn.to/4cfsy2w

Today I speak with Norm Beck, a professional bridge player, magician, and friend about a bet he won, that turned out to be a big loser.Show Notes[00:00] Introduction of Norm Beck, bridge player and magician[00:37]  Norm’s biggest gamble[06:40]  Clever pre-surgery research strategy[13:07]  Hiring another doctor to translate information to family[14:49]  Getting into the gambling business[20:30]  Booking action on random events[23:28]  A billion dollar bet[31:23]  $500k bet on changing a tire [33:45]  “Win Your Line of Credit” blackjack tournament[41:21]  How to contact the show

Buzz Marconi moved to Las Vegas in the 1960s, and somehow transformed from an Italian kid from the south side of Chicago into Cowboy Buzz. It's a wild story.  Check it out.Show Notes[00:00]  Introduction on of Cowboy Buzz[02:07]  Moving to Las Vegas, working at The Stardust[20:53]  Brilliant mob casino strategies[23;10]  Tony Spilotro and Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal[27:19]  Becoming a shift boss Foxy's Firehouse[29:28]  Did certain dealers cheat players?[31:06]  A wild craps swing on credit and Milton Jaffe[35:20]  Milton Jaffe magic trick[37:06]  Opening a restaurant in Las Vegas[41:09]  Stories about dealers, cheating, and work ethic[46:59]  Cowboy Buzz's juice is revealed[48:51]  Naked women tanning at The Tropicana pool[55:53]  Becoming "Cowboy Buzz"[1:02:07]  Playing rugby age 73[1:04:51]  Meeting Max Rubin[1:09:05]  The first Blackjack Ball[1:10:30]  Being a clown diver at Caesars Palace

Jon Rogers was an old-school bookie.  He started booking baseball with his classmates in 6th grade, graduated to parlay cards in high school, and went pro after high school.  He lived, and booked through a seismic change in the bookmaking industry.  He went from the old days of taking bets over the phone, writing on slips of paper, to moving offshore, and the rise of internet betting.Show Notes[00:00]  Introduction of bookmaker Jon Rogers of Carib Sports[00:59]  Jon’s childhood and early gambling experiences[03:52]  Booking parlays in high school and lottery numbers[08:46]  State lotteries broadcast drawings[11:11]  Kickbacks and paying for protection[13:06]  Super Bowl 1990 FBI raid[16:52]  Charges, recordings, taxes, and going to Vegas[21:37]  Antigua tax laws, bookmaking on paper, then with software[29:28]  1990 case ends[32:32]  Continuing operations in Antigua, accepting credit cards, betting volume, and margins.[35:02]  2003 raid, The Patriot Act[46:42]  The SAFE Port Act and closing down[48:44]  Life after bookmaking, settling the case, and living happily ever after

Mac King has been performing his comedy magic in Las Vegas for 25 years.  His show is hilarious, and thoroughly entertaining.[00:00]  Introduction of magician Mac King[00:50]  What’s the first magic trick that Mac remembers?[04:39]  When did Mac start doing magic?[06:06]  Mac’s paid performance[08:19]  Mac’s career plans after high school[12:36]  Working with Lance Burton[14:47]  “It’s Magic” in Los Angeles[16:38]  Life after college, comedy clubs[18:51]  Intersection of gambling, magic, and card cheating[21:06]  Mac King’s Excalibur show[22:58]  Performing with a bloody thumb[34:06]  Houdini's naked rope escape[37:47]  Future plans and why Mac still loves performing[39:58]  Life outside of magic

My guest on this episode is Nigel Eccles, co-founder of Fan Duel.[00:00]  Introduction of Nigel Eccles, co-founder of FanDuel[00:48]  Nigel’s background and first company [02:04]  Nigel’s educational background and interest in gambling, selling variance[06:59]  Joining Flutter and prediction markets, exchange models[10:04]  Founding FanDuel, fantasy sports, sports betting[14:31]  Sports betting in Nevada, over-regulation and limited innovation[18:47]  Leaving FanDuel[20:08]  Vertical businesses, pandemic spike and whipsaw[20:59]  Bettor are getting dumber, banning winners, and the popularity of parlays[24:20]  Sharps, betting patterns, cat and mouse games, and taking sharp action[27:24]  BetHog online crypto casino, innovation, and payment processing fees[31:42]  Managing crypto volatility[33:17]  The future of online gaming and crypto [36:10]  Final thoughtsX.com/nigelecclesBethog.comBetdex.comFanDuel.com

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 [email protected], 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