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
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48:02
Life is a Gamble - Jon Rogers of Carib Sports
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
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54:58
Anthony Curtis & NFL contests
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
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29:47
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29:47
Life is a Gamble - Magician Mac King
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
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41:56
Russell Fox on taxes for gamblers
Our guest this week is tax expert Russell Fox. We talk about the terrible new taxes on gamblers in the big beautiful bill. What's a gambler to do? Is Richard going to retire.... again?[00:00] Introduction of gambling tax expert Russell Fox [00:48] How does the tax bill affect gamblers?[02:25] Session method logging[03:56] Sports betting logs and session definition[09:14] Advantage slot play and session definition[13:08] Will this law be overturned?[17:08] 1099 changes, W2G backup withholding[20:16] CTRs[20:51] 90% maximum deduction of losses and business expenses[23:06] Long term impact on high limit rooms, DraftKings, FanDuel, and offshore books[28:02] U.S. citizens, permanent residents, non-resident aliens, withholding[30:46] Worldwide income, renouncing U.S. citizenship, and exit tax[34:17] Favorable comfortable structures, tax advantages of C-corp[34:55] IRS job cuts and audit probability[38:29] Recreational gamblers and W2Gs[40:33] Will this tax law increase tax fraud?[41:18] Contacting Russell FoxLinks:Claytontax.comTaxabletalk.com
Learn to Gamble With an Edge from authors, and professional gamblers Bob Dancer and Richard Munchkin. We aim to make you a better gambler tomorrow than you were yesterday.
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