Today's guest is Steve Bourie, the publisher of one of gaming's most popular annuals, the American Casino Guide. The book doesn't just tell readers where casinos are located in the U.S. It fills in all kinds of information --- the games, the food, the phone numbers, websites, RV facilities, and amenities such as golf courses, beauty shops, ice cream parlors and the like. Steve's background in the casino industry, coupled with his extensive knowledge about gambling make his book an award-winning effort. If you're new to the American Casino Guide or need to know exactly what's in it (including more than $1000 worth of coupons), you'll get all that and more in this interview.

A quick note: Howard has been temporarily out of commission with laryngitis so a new (and decidedly amateur) voice hosts this episode. Maryann is interviewing Eric Cybulski who has an interesting approach to craps rolls. His book, Craps Wagering Strategies Using Actual Rolls,
looks at what should happen according to statistics and compares that information to actual casino rolls to see how the values compare. Eric talks about why the game seems to be languishing in the casinos, what the resorts might do to bring back the excitement and interest, and how he came to be interested in the game. He discusses how he learned to play and how he began to formulate his unique theory.

On this episode, Howard Schwartz interviews Steve Davidowitz, internationally known race and turf writer. Originally published in 1978 as Betting Thoroughbreds, a Professional's Guide for the Horseplayer and revised in 1995, Steve’s best-selling book is now substantially revised, expanded and updated as Betting Thoroughbreds for the 21st Century -- and the information is still solid, still definitely timely. Additionally, Davidowitz has contributed to several other racing books, all of which are available from Gamblers Book Shop. In this broadcast he talks about the state of thoroughbred racing, of the availability of material for the handicapper, and about playing the races.In this broadcast he talks about the state of thoroughbred racing, of the availability of material for the handicapper, and about playing the races.

Several years back, Ed Lacki produced software to incorporate sports handicapping and biorhythms, but he was ahead of his time. People were interested in the concept, but back then few people had home computers. Lacki has now resurrected the software, updated the files and information and in this interview with Howard Schwartz, he talks about the theories, the programming and the software.

This week’s show starts with Howard’s lively and uber fascinating interview with Gene Kilroy, one-time business manager/confidante/get-the-job-done man for the great Muhammad Ali. Perhaps a quote about Ali from Kilroy best describes this guest best: "I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in the world just to call him my friend. If I was to die today and go to heaven it would be a step down. My heaven was being with Ali.''  (From an interview conducted by Tim Dahlberg, AP, January 17, 2007). Kilroy’s career covered the sports, gambling and entertainment arena, from the front office of the Philadelphia Eagles to the back lots of MGM movies to the top floor offices of some of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas. His reminiscences, thoughts, and opinions here make for a memorable broadcast.

In the second part of the show Howard talks to Las Vegas’ sports talk radio show professional John Kelly. A graduate of Northwestern University, Kelly has been a fascinated observer and participant in the life of the “most exciting city in the world.” The former commentator of the Stardust Line, the longest-running, single-sponsored sports show in the country, Kelly now hosts Leroy’s Sports Hour, available in Nevada on Fox and ESPN Radio outlets and on the Internet at www. AmericaWagering.com. Kelly provides mucho insight into the fast-paced gambling scene, with particular focus on sports wagering.

Arnold Snyder, more noted as an a professional gambler and author of numerous blackjack books (The Big Book of Blackjack and Blackbelt in Blackjack among them) as well as poker (The Poker Tournament Formula and The Poker Tournament Formula 2) has ventured into the (under)world of topless clubs in Las Vegas. Titled Sin City Advisor's Topless Vegas (276 pages, paperbound, $14.95), the book offers tips and guide lines and profiles the best and worst of the topless establishments. In this conversation with Howard, Snyder colorfully describes his research and his funny episodes in interviewing potential resources and intertwines the tale with anecdotes about his earlier days as a 21 player and author. He also explains his interesting transition to tournament poker player and poker book author.

Dale Yeazel, one of the most diverse and talented dealers (for craps and blackjack) talks about his experiences working at the tables - including customers with odd approaches to the game of craps; his opinion of whether a player can really control the dice; his opinions on good and bad dealers. Yeazel is a Las Vegas resident for more than 20 years and he's produced several electronic books geared for learning and dealing the games.

For more than two decades, Victor Royer has been a player of casino games, author of gaming books, and a consultant to the gaming industry. He has been contributing columns to various publications around the world since 1984. Colorful, entertaining, and very knowledgeable, Victor is one of Gamblers Book Shop’s favorite author of gaming guides for the casual player and in today’s super interview with Howard he covers a wide range of gambling subjects.

And the long-awaited interview with The Duke, the $1-$2 buy-in no-limit cash game expert who terrorizes the players in downtown Las Vegas … plus some good, solid poker advice from Dr. Alan Schoonmaker, not as much of a terror as The Duke (or so he says), but a force to be dealt with nonetheless.

Howard's first guest, is Michael Hillin. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Michael is an experienced, and innovative designer in workbook statistics for football, baseball, basketball and horse racing. He specializes in football, and baseball and designs specific statistical spread sheet to meet his own and other handicapper's needs. His says "I went from a bicycle to a Mercedes in Las Vegas, only a few can say that! ." He retired in 2008 and handicaps full time. He is the publisher of Las Vegas Linemaker Workbook.

The second guest goes by the name Daniel Dravot and he is the author of Color of Blackjack He's a professional card counter, who uses the KO blackjack strategy and count to help him spend his life as a money-earning card counter. Realizing that the count might be too difficult for some people, David developed a terrific charting technique that makes the KO and TKO count easier for the average player to master.

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.

John Braswell of Auburn, Alabama has been a computer analyst of greyhound races, and book author for more than a decade. He authored How You Can Win at Greyhound Racing Like a Pro and Win Like a Pro—l00l Ways to Beat the Greyhounds. The latter title will soon be available at Gambler’s Book Shop. It was inspired by research provided by the late greyhound betting legend and author Jack Fink of Florida.

 

Greg Gift, originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a former poker player who found joy and profit in sports handicapping, primarily in football betting, particularly the pros, specializes in betting and the teaching of how to bet the underdog. His book, Winning NFL Totals Strategy was extremely popular in the 1980s.

Tom Sexton, better known as the man who sounds just like his brother (WPT broadcaster Mike Sexton), is a casual poker player who maintains sextonscorner.com, a site devoted to all things poker. The site publishes Tom's interviews with man of the most colorful players in the game's history, including Johnny Chan, Archie Karas, and Chip Reese. He's a tireless promoter for the site, for his brother and for all things poker. In this interview he talks to Howard about the famous names he's encountered, about the past, present and future of poker and about the laws against online poker.

Jack Newton, one of the world's sharpest gamblers alive talks with us about how he came to learn how to cheat the cheaters, survive shoot-outs, and gamble & win like few men have.

Jack has penned an autobiography titled Gentleman Jack Newton—Confessions of a Crossroad Gambler (180 pages, paper bound, $14.95). It’s a great book about the “good old days" of gambling. The man who’s seen it and done it all in more than 60 years at the tables joins his publisher in telling some amazing stories that didn't make it into the book.

Jack Sheehan is a famed public speaker & author. "Skin City" and "The Players" are among the books by Sheehan which are available at the Gambler's Book Shop. Howard Schwartz asks Sheehan about his upcoming projects, past writings & interviews with famous gamblers and Las Vegas personalities.

Journalist Norm Clarke is known for offering early insight and coverage of happenings in Las Vegas. The eye patched "Man-About-Town" discusses his latest book, "Norm Clarke's Vegas Confidential", now available at Gambler's Book Shop.