Gambling With an Edge

Our guest today is Antonino De Rosa, also known as "Ant."  Ant went from professional Magic the Gathering player to working for Pinnacle sports book and from there became a professional sports bettor.Show Notes[00:00]  Introduction of sports bettor, Antonio De Rosa[00:42]  Playing Magic The Gathering professionally[04:56]  Comparing Magic variance and skills to gambling?[08:29]  Getting a job at Pinnacle[12:07]  NBA totals at Pinnacle[14:05]  Dealing with losses, risk management[17:57]  Bad beats[20:39]  Leaving Pinnacle for Plannatech[23:29]  Becoming a bettor[27:04]  Market efficiency, manipulation, limiting players, etc[32:34]  New female accounts[33:49]  Identifying sharp play[36:44]  BetBash story[39:37]  Life lessons from gambling[42:15]  Favorite non-casino restaurant in VegasBooks Referenced:Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

We have 3 guests today. Blair Rodman, Anthony Curtis, and Frank B. They are coauthors of the new book All About Sports Betting.Show Notes[00:00]  Introduction of Blair Rodman, Anthony Curtis, and Frank B., authors of All About Sports Betting:  The Definitive Guide[00:42]  What makes this book so unique?[01:55]  The genesis of All About Sports Betting[05:59]  Prop bets, parlays, same game parlays, and teasers[10:27]  QR codes within the book that link to additional information[13:17]  Violence in Puerto Vallarta[15:37}  Touts[18:33]  Bottom up, top down, and modeling[24:05]  Evolution of sports betting markets, future editions of the book[25:24]  Prediction markets[29:39]  Betting splits and other useless statistics[31:49]  Understanding variance and related behavioral biases[38:42]  Offshore sportsbooks, betting on credit, posting up, and settling up[43:33]  Optimal use of bonus bets at CaesarsLinks:All About Sports Betting - https://amzn.to/4kP8FU1X.com/capjack2000Unabated.com

A sports bettor and slot player recounts getting scammed at a DraftKings kiosk and the messy casino and enforcement response. He talks high‑limit slot sessions, big jackpot logistics, and how influencers leverage deals and streaming access. Filming practices, editing strategies, and merch as revenue are also explored.

Art Manteris, a seasoned Las Vegas sportsbook operator and author of 'The Bookie', shares captivating insights from decades in the industry. He reveals the intriguing history of bookmakers from Western Pennsylvania and stories from the mob-controlled Stardust. Art discusses creating memorable Super Bowl props and his experiences working with legendary figures like Don King. He voices concerns about the gambling boom and the integrity risks it poses while offering a fascinating look at how analytics have shaped sportsbooks today.

Gary Kondler, a gambling tax expert and CPA, shares insights on navigating the complex landscape of gambling taxes after new law changes. He explains why the recent tax bill might not be as disastrous as many feared, discussing strategies for tracking W-2Gs and reconciling session wins with totals. Gary highlights when creating an S corp can be beneficial for gamblers and warns about the unreliability of casino-generated win/loss statements. He emphasizes the importance of meticulous recordkeeping to avoid audit triggers and provides advice on filing strategies.

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

Bob is off playing the secret game, so I get together with Max Rubin, and Colin Jones to discuss the 2025 Blackjack Ball.Show Notes[00:00] Introduction of Max Rubin and Colin Jones to discuss The Blackjack Ball[00:45] Colin’s induction into The Blackjack Hall of Fame[01:26] Changes to voting for The Hall of Fame and BJ Traveler discussion[06:55] Costume party and best costume [13:20] Ed Thorp[14:49] UCLA Gambling Studies Program [20:13] Card counting competition[24:49] Quiz and final table games (cutting and sequencing) [36:03] Evolution of The Blackjack Ball[40:23] Other highlights from this year’s Blackjack Ball Links:Interview with BJ Traveller https://youtu.be/mnQmlrxApcEUCLA Gambling Studies Program https://uclagamblingprogram.org

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

Our guest this week is Anthony Curtis. We discuss the upcoming football contests, the big Vegas downturn, and upcoming books.Show Notes[00:00]  Introduction of Anthony Curtis, owner of The Las Vegas Advisor and Huntington Press[01:12]  NCAAF and NFL football contests[04:04]  Grandissimo[06:03]  Did tax law changes affect participations in football contests?[08:15]  Contest pricing and strategies for additional entries[10:51]  The value of football knowledge versus contest theory[13:27]  Huntington Press’ upcoming books on sports betting, slots, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and another book by James Grosjean[19:57]  Las Vegas tourism, waived resort fees, and other deals.[27:33]  Struggles Foubtainebleau, Resorts World, and The Downtown Grand