Examining the Successful Strategies of High Roller Casino Gamblers
Casino Wonders: Gaming Geniuses and thecutting-edge Tactics They Employ
Chill out at this year's World Game Protection Conference in Las Vegas, March 11-13, where Michael Kaplan, a celebrated keynote speaker, will discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on casino games. During his conversation with conference founder Willy Allison, Kaplan will delve into the themes of his upcoming book, Advantage Players: Inside the Winning Worlds of Casino Masterminds, Game Mavericks, and Mathematical Mavens, to be released soon by Las Vegas-based Huntington Press.
The New York City-based Kaplan, a senior features writer for the New York Post and a gambling columnist for Cigar Aficionado, has spent a considerable amount of time hobnobbing with casino mavericks, aka advantage players. These clever devils have managed to legally outsmart casino games. Through unprecedented access, Kaplan has witnessed their methods for acquiring an advantage in the games they play – all while keeping their secrets under wraps.
"Advantage play is alive and kicking, and casinos have limited ways to thwart it," proclaimed Kaplan. "These players are constantly inventing new ways to prevail. They do it as their livelihood, to make big bucks. Swathes of money, really. They work hard for it."
Unbeknownst to many, soft games are common in casinos overseas, where advantage players, or "APs," are on the lookout for lucrative bonuses and unconventional payouts they can take advantage of. One strategy involve employing computer models when new games are introduced to pinpoint potential exploits. However, these sneaky strategists always strive to find a way to conquer these games without engaging in any criminal activities.
The rise of AI will only provide players with a"leg up" when it comes to gaming strategies, said Kaplan. With AI, computer modeling and simulations become easier and more efficient, making it simpler for APs to identify their edges.
"It's not as though they're taking computers into casinos," Kaplan explained. "Casinos can't prohibit you from using a computer in your home. As one player told me, 'Any game at any time can be beaten by someone under certain circumstances.' The casinos are in a tough spot."
One of the gamblers featured in Advantage Players is the infamous "Baccarat Machine," aka Kelly Sun. Sun's strategy, known as edge sorting, involves her knowledgeably recognizing and exploiting subtle discrepancies on the backs of cards. By perceiving the cards' values earlier than they're dealt, she gains a colossal edge. Teaming up with the respected player Phil Ivey, whose gaming habits were deemed acceptable by casinos, Sun and Ivey earned tens of millions of dollars in mere months,Despite their success, they lost a lawsuit when a London casino, Crockfords, refused to pay their winnings. They were then sued by Borgata Atlantic City to reclaim millions in winnings in a case that ultimately ended with a settlement.
Another chapter in Advantage Players revolves around James Grosjean, according to Kaplan, the greatest advantage player of all time. Kaplan spent time with him in Indiana on a riverboat with a novel game, and it seemed as though Grosjean had a better understanding of the game than the developer. Kaplan also teamed up with Grosjean on a card-counting team during a crap game using cards instead of dice. By the end of the day, Kaplan pocketed a couple thousand bucks. Grosjean has since penned numerous books on beating various games, and his influence remains influential, said Kaplan.
Still another chapter in Advantage Players centers around Don Johnson, considered one of the most successful casino players in history and an inductee to the Blackjack Hall of Fame. Johnson, who has been banned from casinos from coast to coast, now focuses his attention on horse racing, which is a pari-mutuel game. Johnson enlisted Grosjean and his partner to develop a model for him, and the trio sat at blackjack tables with Johnson as he practiced hole carding, shuffle tracking, and signaling from Johnson on what moves to make. This collaboration proved to be highly profitable for Johnson, though such tactics are now more difficult to employ, providing a case study on the advanced techniques of a serious player taking a hefty chunk out of casino profits.
Becoming an advantage player is within anyone's reach, said Kaplan. "It's all about discovering a game, spotting a nuance that no one else has noticed, and exploiting it," Kaplan explained. " APs definitely target weak dealers who are prone to showing hole cards, and they capitalize on those opportunities with zeal."
"At the World Game Protection Conference, Michael Kaplan discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on casino-games, emphasizing how it benefits advantage players. Kaplan's book, Advantage Players, highlights the strategies of casino-and-gambling mavericks who legally outsmart these games, such as the infamous 'Baccarat Machine' and gaming genius James Grosjean."
