Andy Iskoe, author of many books on college and pro football betting and an expert on sports betting for more than 30 years, offers advice and tips on betting smartly, and in his own machine gun-like style of presenting material, highlights what he believes bettors should be alert for; what the impact might be if New Jersey got into the legal sports betting business and what bettors should look for before placing a wager in the 2009 college and pro football season.

Sal Piacente, a most respected surveillance expert, born in Brooklyn, now working in Florence, Ky., visited GBC and talks about protecting yourself when playing poker; scams he has seen, heard about, detected-- plus his opinions on betting poker online. Piacente, who knows the games of three-card monte and the shell game. A true student of all the games, he's colorful, never boring and offers true-to-life advice about detecting cheats and protecting yourself.

Guest number one for our first podcast in our new store location is Ed Hattori, a longtime customer now living in Canada. Ed talks about "finding" our new store (located three miles from our original spot), which is less than a half-mile from the famous Liberace Museum. The enthusiastic Hattori, who makes Gambler's Book Shop a must-visit place, offers his observations about what makes the store unique, the kind of books he shops for, how the city has changed since he first visited Las Vegas.
Mike Spinetti, owner of Spinetti's Home Gaming Supplies, a member of a pioneer Nevada Family (one of his relatives was mayor of Ely,NV generations ago) and a historian in his own way, discusses collecdtible gambling paraphernalia, including the buying and selling of old chips. Spinetti describes the boom in poker--what made it all happen, the characters he's met and played against, about the types and quality of poker chips, scam artists, attending gambling collectible shows.

Frank Wiese, author of Eat Professional Poker Players Alive! was born on Fon du Lac, WI., and resides in Madison, WI. He calls himself "a product of the (Chris) Moneymaker effect," meaning he was one of the many thousands of new players drawn to poker--the live game, tournaments and the Internet after Moneymaker, an unknown (at the time) who went on to win the World Series of Poker in 2003, beating more than 800 other entrants. Moneymaker took home $2.5 million that year. The following year, 2,000 players entered, a year later, 5,000, and in 2006, more than 8,000 hopefuls took a shot at the big prize. The energetic Wiese plays much of his poker in Chicago, but will be in Las Vegas and hoping to win a bracelet in the 2009 WSOP. He's also a correspondent for several poker magazines. He talks about what he's learned about the game--the skills required and the more than 150 books he's read. Players like Jerry Yang, 2007 WSOP winner, Mike Sexton, Lee Childs and Michael Binger are friends of his and offered ideas and input for his book which took two years to write He discusses strategies, skills, bravery at the table, handling sometimes obnoxious opponents, why he disagrees with Daniel Negreanu's playing philosophy on occasion and offers tips to aspiring world class players.

 Bob Nersesian, author of Beat The Players is a Las Vegas attorney who often represents professional gamblers--in particular, blackjack counters, professional slot players and sports bettors. Nersesian's 2006 book is vital for those who wonder about the powers of a casino to bar players who show card-counting skills, who are sometimes restrained against their will--"back-roomed" or arrested or mistreated unfairly. Nersesian discusses specific cases and instances where he defended "advantage players" who found an edge the tables using mental skills--and he offers suggestions on how Nevada and other states should be regulating and recognizing the rights of some of the sharpest players. He discusses the controversial "facial recognition" devices (biometrics) casinos use and how effective and expensive the process is.

Ed Rhea Jr. has been in the gaming business more than 30 years, as dealer, supervisor, manager, surveillance expert, and comes from a family with a background in gambling throughout the nation. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable about all forms of gambling, Rhea, a Las Vegas native, discusses his new books on detecting cheats in blackjack and a new direction for players to take in regard to beating the game of baccarat. He also recommends other books on the game to reinforce his approach to beating the Baccarat, Midi Baccarat and Mini Baccarat. His new books are HOW TO ACTUALLY WIN AT ALL BACCARAT TABLES, AND IT'S LEGAL, and SCAM BUSTER SYSTEM FOR BLACKJACK BOOK AND CD. Mike McGuire, who hails from Scottsdale, AZ., is originally from Columbus, Oh., and is an enthusiastic sports fan who enjoys collecting and compiling facts and trivia about sports--particularly Ohio State football, the Heisman Trophy for college standouts and discusses how he compiled thousands of facts about golf, tournaments, winners, player nicknames, history and rules of the game. McGuire, a collector vintage golf clubs, self-published his books and chats about his research and what aspiring authors should know about getting their own book published. His book is titled MAJORS GOLF TRIVIA Q + A.

Byron Hebert, author of Power Baccarat 2, hails from Detroit, but has lived in Las Vegas for many years. He taught math in Saudi Arabia while working there, has been fascinated with the game of baccarat for a long time. His book, published in 1999 and updated in recent years, is one of the most respected works ever on the game; designed for beginners and advanced players. In this episode Hebert offers tips to baccarat players, his observations about costly errors players have made, table etiquette, taking advantage of streaks, the importance of money management, and a comparison of mini-baccarat with the big table. Mickey Day, an ex-New Yorker with some very colorful language and as many stories about betting on sports or craps, lives in Las Vegas and has authored Plug-In Parlay Systems and Craps With Einstein. During his interview Day discusses betting little to win a lot in a variety of sports betting situations while offering every level (beginner to old pro) advice on shooting craps. This includes smart bets, keeping away from the "sucker" bets, avoiding bankroll destruction and applying discipline at the tables.

Walter Seip of Las Vegas, author of Dynamic Ability (Mathematical Determination of a Thoroughbred's Capacity to Race) talked about the importance of weight, pace, paddock and post inspection during the Gambler's Book Shop's April 15 podcast. His book takes a mathematical approach to handicapping thoroughbreds and he comments about the authors, the handicapping experts he's been privileged to meet here in Las Vegas and elsewhere, along with recommended books.
Seip, in his 60s, offers some interesting tidbits about handicapping, how the game has changed--even where he suggests horseplayers go for to handicap the ponies when in Las Vegas. Seip loves to bet the horses and he tells why—along with how you can improve your own handicapping.
Greyhound’s Books owner Phil D. is a one-of-a-kind book buyer, seller and appraiser. He buys and sells the best and tells you why. A lover of books since his childhood days in Boston and elsewhere, he talks about some of the best books ever written about Las Vegas, organized crime and some of the movers and shakers of the city, in his own dry and witty way.
Phil is available from noon to 5 Monday to Saturday at his book store to appraise books--but he charges, so inquire ahead of time by phone if possible.

Howard Schwartz talks about the history & future of Las Vegas & gambling with renowned writer, columnist & reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, John L. Smith.
He is the author of several great books on Las Vegas including: SHARKS IN THE DESERT, ON THE BOULEVARD (PAPERBOUND), NO LIMIT - RISE AND FALL OF BOB STUPAK, RUNNING SCARED: STEVE WYNN, BLUEGRASS DAYS NEON NIGHTS and MOVING TO LAS VEGAS.

Andy Iskoe, originally from New York then, later, Arkansas has been a Las Vegas resident for the past 25 years. He is considered one of the top numbers crunchers in the nation in regard to analyzing sports betting trends, especially in football, basketball and baseball and is a respected speaker at sports wagering seminars. A frequent guest on sports talk shows, Iskoe has an encyclopedic mind and owns a company appropriately called Logical Approach in Las Vegas.

The 52-year-old Richard Lehman, author of Slot Operations—The Myth and the Math, is Casino Manager for the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas. (The hotel, the oldest in the city, was opened in 1906. It has 106 rooms and 325 employees, and is owned by Derek and Greg Stevens of Desert Rock Enterprises.) Lehman, a 30-year veteran of the casino industry, has been vice president for the Las Vegas-based Navegante Group, and has served as vice president of slots and casino operations, while consulting for Korean and Taiwanese casinos. He also writes for Casino Enterprise Management magazine.