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in this video American casino guide author Steve Bourie interviews
gambling expert Michael Shackleford
who is also known as the wizrd of odds mike is one of the most well
recognized names in the world of casino gambling
and he is a former adjunct professor of casino math at the University of Nevada
at Las Vegas
mike is also the author of the book gambling 102
plus he has a website at what's it about dot com
where you can find a detailed analysis of the casinos mathematical advantage on
all the major games
plus tips on the best strategies for winning at each of those games
now here's michael Shackleford what is your background
my background is and I math and computer science 73 in math and economics and
along the way study Tom by the computer programming languages
do you work for gaming companies I'd most of my time is spent
on my website and I do some slot machine design or
a other are other game analysis
Isaiah sideline headed to get the name
Wizard of odds are one day I was reading the paper and I was reading an article
about a Chicago mobster who got um indicted in sent to prison
and mention that his moniker was the wizard odd so
I kinda figured as long as he was going to prison he didn't need it anymore and
arm I already had a gambling site at this time but it was called
arm Mikes gambling page and I thought you know was a divide sounds a lot
better so
I call it that and arm arm
you know that's how I've been refer to for
ever sent do actually gamble yourself oh yes I love gambling I it's in my blood
then gambling as long as I can remember arm
on you know even as a child just on
a you know say running a race or basketball game
arm whatever I could think a what games do you play
what's my favorite game to play probably the thing that I spend the most time on
is sports betting I'm however I really
are enjoy the pike out I'll it's played with
32 what look like dominoes and the rules are very complicated
are but I find it a very intriguing game
and it's our also its nice low low volatility
game what do you think is the dumbest thing players do in a casino
the dumbest thing a player can do in the casino is
play the slot machines art it's a very expensive
former gambling the house edge is comparatively high
they played very high rate of speed and as I said in
my last interview arm my advice
to video poker players what I'm my advice for slightly as was the switch to
video poker
are absolutely stand by a arm slots are a horrible but
and Tom so thats
that's my one single worst mistake the players make
when you're analyzing the casino at 10 games is there one game that stands out
in your memory as being the highest of all time
the worst that I've
ever seen in a casino is the
is a keno game over at Harrah's Las Vegas
are with the house advantage ninety-six percent
that's a4 percent return on your money that's the worst I've ever seen
arm there is a worse for me gambling is there is a carnival game
call Tom I what's the name of that
it's like a football game that involves our balls in a
and a field and you and a poor arm
balls into this grid and Andy and they add up the points
and according to how many points you get in advance as a player down the field
and as soon as he scores a touchdown you get a arm
you know and I scammer something like that but they cheat
you know they they Chi in your favorite the beginning
and then when you get close to the touchdown line that's when they quit
cheating anymore and its first virtually impossible to advance
if the game is played fairly and Dom
you know i i calculated that the odds at that were played without
cheating in a player's favor that the house advantage
would be like 99.999 and I and would like a million nine's
percent for someone who goes to a casino to only play slot machines
what is the best advice you can give them mind my advice is the first ball
play in moderation
arm secondly play a simple game
arm you know don't play one with you know a gigantic monitor
that's based on a hot TV show or movie
play one on the you know simple games like kitty glitter or a hundred Lions
and arm it's better to play
at a high denomination but with fewer lines than a low denomination with lotsa
lines
in general arm and it it also matters what casino you play at
and as a rule upon the nice to the casino
the tighter the slots for someone to go so casino to only play blackjack
but it's the best advice you can give them arm for small
I would congratulate them for picking a game and
arm my advice would be to try to memorize the basic strategy
and that's how to play every situation
arm according to your hand and the dealer's up card
and if that if it's too much to ask you to memorize that I have something on my
website called simplified strategy
thats to several rules that'll get you very close to the basic strategy
arm how to manage and I'm so
learn that and seek out the good rules and my website was it in Vegas
indicates the rules for every single Casino in Las Vegas
someone ago so casino Tony play video poker
what is the best advice you can give them
again good choice a games and
and it is very similar to black jackets /a it's two steps
one find a good game and to play it right
and arm there's those web sites that likely be free to dock on that list
what is the best team in every single casino in america
and a and then once use
you know find the game you like hopefully a good game
and where to play it then you have to play it right and and
video poker strategy we can can be complicated but
you know it's not that bad there's a lot of sources available where you can
by simplified strategies and arm
arm you know and and then just be careful and and played a game right
and the absolutely do not sit down and video poker I'm just fly by the seat of
your pants because the strategies
are very non intuitive and and
on its it's very important that you do your homework
and its multi play video poker affect your bankroll
I'll first of all in general the multi-player games often have
worst hey tables in the same line games but not always
are given the same pay table same 96 jacks
are it it and let's say that
every time you make a bet let's say that you're comfortable bedding a hundred
dollars
you would be much better off playing 20 line
one dollar then one-line
twenty dollars because it did multi played in lines your bet
among slots a different hands lowering the volatility
however if you're a one dollar player
arm you're gonna be better off spending
one hand at a time when a one player game than 100
on a one player game so personally I like the multi-player games
arm I i think that I'm
I'll that the way I manage my bankroll
it lowers my volatility and it you know and if I have a certain goal like to
accomplish
a certain amount of action and let you achieve that faster
for someone who knows nothing about gambling what is your best advice
I think that a good first came to learn would be
craps I'll you can you know and
all you need to know is to a make
a line that Europe after the don't pass and back it up
with the odds you have a very little house advantage and it's very simple
is it true downtown casinos have lower minimum bet some crap tables
and other Las Vegas casinos yes and and that's true with lotsa games
and arm yet and you will find lower limits
on every game downtown and that it's a good place to learn at
army if you know if you're on a limited thankful for whatever reason
arm and if you're intimidated to play the first time
a play early in the morning when you can probably get table to yourself and
I'll get more the dealers attention to explain the rules to you and you won't
embarrass yourself if
you know if you do anything wrong how can people learn more about you and your
work
my website is the best place with a garage type: comment thank you for
having me
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