Brett Morton Meets the Wizard of Odds

[zengrifter]

Brett Morton Meets the Wizard of Odds

Last update: Dec 8, 2005

The Wizard’s website, wizardofodds.com is the most recognised authority in the world for accurate playing strategies of casino games. As a roulette player, I knew that by interviewing the Wizard, I would be grabbing a tiger by the tail –or worse. I had read of his plainly expressed views about roulette and of those like me who claim to win consistently. He does not believe it, so the chance to confront the Wizard’s views was a challenge that I was happy to take on!

I was invited to meet him at his home. Though not living in a medieval castle, at least the Wizard lives in a Las Vegas gated community requiring a password to enter. The door was opened by someone I knew was not the Wizard. “Mike Shackleford, please?”

“The Wizard will see you now!” The door had been opened by the Wizard’s colleague Michael Bluejay who is the self-styled Wizard-de-la-Ads (Wizard of Ads was unavailable as a name). The two work closely with Bluejay commuting in as needed from Austin, Texas.

Mike Shackleford, better known as the Wizard of Odds, is an adjunct Professor of Casino Math at the University of Nevada and an actuary by training. Not for him advising insurers on how to fix premiums like many with his qualifications would do, though he did undertake claims adjusting before moving into casino game analysis. In 2000, he became a full-time gaming consultant with the goal of becoming the most known and trusted name in gaming advice. Five years later, he has succeeded and is par excellence the most respected mathematical analyst of the odds of casino games and of the fairness of on-line casino sites.

...more - http://wizardofodds.com/general/mortoninterview.html

[dacium]

There is something about the wizard that I don't like.

Somehow he is the 'source of all knowledge' yet his whole site just states the obvious... anyone can tell you the house edge in any game, usually far more accurately than the wizard does with his use of infinite decks and excel spread sheets to do expected value calculations.

Anyway I am glad he doesn't have a basic strategy to Texas Holdem Bonus Poker, because I just about have one that make 99.6% of moves perfectly, to my knowledge no one else has a strategy for this game, including the wizard.

[shadroch]

I once used the Ask the Wizard part of his site and was very surprised when he emailed me an extended answer.I don't believe it was simply a stock answer as it was pretty detailed,about a subject I doubt came up many times before.

[person1125]

Originally Posted by dacium

There is something about the wizard that I don't like.

Somehow he is the 'source of all knowledge' yet his whole site just states the obvious...

I wouldn't completely agree with you on that. he goes far more in depth in math than just the obvious. sure you could work out the math yourself, but why waste your time when it has been done for you?

[EasyRhino]

That interview mainly seems like a waste of space.

Kind of like having the Pope interviewed by a retarded third-grader. Or Larry King.

[zengrifter]

Tats why its in Voodoo, zg

[dacium]

Also I don't like how he posted a back better strategy for blackjack not long after i posted mine, and he even has the same error i do...