Risk of Ruin

Jeff Ma was a member of the MIT Blackjack Team. He told his story to the writer Ben Mezrich, who wrote a book titled "Bringing Down the House." The book was later made into the movie "21" which starred Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, and Jim Sturgess.In addition to blackjack, Jeff talks about his career in tech where he has focused on using data and analytics to create value.Note: an earlier upload contained a claim that the Patriots were caught filming opponent practices. That has been corrected in the episode. They were accused of that, but they dispute it, and there was no evidence found.Links: The Bet the Process Podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bet-the-process/id1291010585Follow Jeff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/jeffmaRisk of Ruin Substack:https://riskofruinpod.substack.com/Email the show: risk of ruin pod at gmailFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/halfkelly 

An episode about the ever elusive idea of winning at craps using physical skill, aka dice control. Guests: Advantage player Frank B., PhD economist Robert Scott, and special guest Richard Munchkin.Risk of Ruin Newsletter: https://riskofruinpod.substack.com/Links: Robert Scott's papers on dice controlhttps://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1375&context=grrjhttps://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1415&context=grrjGambling With an Edge episodes on dice control:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iWapKXDCH0https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gambling-with-an-edge-guest-frank-b-on-dice-control/id459476611?i=1000520531943http://www.slot-machine-resource.com/podcasts/kc.mp3

Erik Seidel and Steve Zolotow were among the gamblers to come out of the storied Mayfair Club in New York City. The Mayfair inspired some of the locations in Rounders, and is also known for the breadth of success that its players have had in poker. The episode covers the history of the club, its bridge and backgammon roots, and the careers of Erik and Steve.Special thanks to Larry Bernstein.Email the show: Risk of ruin pod at gmailTwitter: @halfkellyFollow Erik on Twitter: @Erik_Seidel

In 2022 Elon Musk signed an agreement to purchase Twitter. Then all hell broke loose. This episode is about that merger, the investors that traded it, and the most valuable Twitter follow to come out of the saga.Guests:Chris DeMuth - Rangeley Capitalhttps://twitter.com/ChrisDeMuthJrEvan Tindell - Bireme Capitalhttps://twitter.com/evantindellChance, Editor in Chief of The Chancery Dailyhttps://twitter.com/chancery_dailyMedia Clips Used:Tesla 3rd Quarter Earnings Callhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_SOWBDCQnMDavid Faber, CNBChttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycx4b9-2nFUYahoo News, Biden Administration Reviewing Twitter Dealhttps://www.yahoo.com/video/u-weighs-security-review-musks-010913575.htmlCarolyn Berger Appearance on CNBChttps://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/07/13/twitter-is-in-a-very-strong-position-to-be-on-the-winning-side-says-ret-delaware-supreme-court-justice.htmlElon Musk Sold Zip2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9mczdODqzoPeter Thiel Comments on Elonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y11uX8X6iz4Tesla Shareholder Meetinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49e7LrxS3FQ&feature=emb_titleSEC Sues Musk Over Funding Secured Tweetshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjqp7LTb2B4&t=56s

Blair Hull played on the original Big Player blackjack team in the 1970s. He played with Al Francesco, Ken Uston, and ran into other pioneers of the game including Keith Taft. The Francesco teams were the subject of the book "The Big Player".  After blackjack Blair moved into the financial markets where he used his proprietary options strategies to turn $25,000 into millions. Blair talks about his life searching for edges, and the lessons he learned.Links: Hull Tactical ETFEmail the show: [email protected] on Twitter: @halfkellyThe Big Player on Amazon

Richard Munchkin and Darryl Purpose are career advantage players. Over the past 40 years they've teamed up to win millions of dollars from casinos. In this episode they recount some of the war stories and also offer reflections on the nature of teamwork.Darryl Purpose's music website: https://darrylpurpose.com/Richard Munchkin / Gambing With an Edge: https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/gambling-with-an-edge/category/podcast/Earlier episode of Risk of Ruin featuring Richard and Darryl: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/david-goliath-part-i/id1527018692?i=1000493338179James Grosjean's "Beyond Coupons": https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/gambling-with-an-edge/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/beyondcouponsbjfo.pdfEmail the show: risk of ruin pod at gmailFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/halfkelly

Evan Tindell is a former poker player and now is the CIO of Bireme Capital. He talks about how he got into the market, and also his value investing based process for finding investments.Follow Evan on Twitter:https://twitter.com/evantindellBireme Capital Blog Post on Meta:https://www.biremecapital.com/blog/pounding-the-table-on-metaRisk of Ruin Podcast Newsletter:https://riskofruinpod.substack.com/Email the show risk of ruin pod at gmail.Follow the show on Twitter:https://twitter.com/halfkelly

Houyi went from Yale Law School to a job in finance before he left it all behind to become a professional advantage player. He talks about counting cards, learning to play hole cards, traveling the world, and a fateful poker game in Cambodia.Email the show: [email protected] us on Twitter: @halfkelly

Mark DeRosa, Zack White, and Rufus Peabody. The story a group of friends from Appalachian State that went on to team up with an econ grad from Yale. They started playing casino games and eventually would go on to bet the max at sports books all over Las Vegas.Follow Zack White on Twitter.Follow Mark DeRosa on Twitter.Follow Rufus Peabody on Twitter.Rufus's betting analytics startup: Unabated. 

Mark DeRosa, Zack White, and Rufus Peabody. The story a group of friends from Appalachian State that went on to team up with an econ grad from Yale. They started playing casino games and eventually would go on to bet the max at sports books all over Las Vegas.Follow Zack White on Twitter.Follow Mark DeRosa on Twitter.Follow Rufus Peabody on Twitter.Rufus's betting analytics startup: Unabated.