Gambling With an Edge

Bob and Richard sit down with Gary Kondler to talk about taxes for gamblers after the big beautiful bill. It may not be as bad for some of us as we all thought. Spoiler alert - but some gamblers are just screwed.Show Notes[00:00] Introduction of gambling tax expert Gary Kondler from Kondler & Associates[01:36] W2Gs under the new tax law[05:24] Reconciling W2s with session win/loss[09:43] An...

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]...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Bob and Richard are back to talk with Michael Kaplan about his new book, "Advantage Players."Show Notes[00:00] Introduction of Michael Kaplan, author of Advantage Players[00:43] Michael’s background in gambling and writing[04:18] Finding people to write about[06:46] Definition of “advantage player”[07:21] David Philips, the pudding guy[09:57] Cheating, breaking the law, and advantage play[12:23]...

My guest on this episode is Nigel Eccles, co-founder of Fan Duel.[00:00] Introduction of Nigel Eccles, co-founder of FanDuel[00:48] Nigel’s background and first company [02:04] Nigel’s educational background and interest in gambling, selling variance[06:59] Joining Flutter and prediction markets, exchange models[10:04] Founding FanDuel, fantasy sports, sports betting[14:31] Sports betting in...