Life is a Gamble

Elizabeth Reichelt seems to choose the riskiest professions. I don't mean dangerous, I mean the chance of success is tiny, but the payoff can be huge. She went from dancer, to stand up comic, to television writer.Show Notes[00:00] Introduction of Elizabeth Reichelt[00:38] High risk and high reward professions[03:09] Identity crises[06:10] Moving to Los Angeles[08:25] Passion for social work[11:06] Playwriting[16:53] Improv, writing sketches, and stand up comedy[21:46] Assistant writer for Inventing Anna[21:24] Becoming a writer[26:47] Research on Bridgerton[27:56] Cowriting an episode[30:32] AI effects on writers[31:32] Writing for networks versus streaming services[34:23] Working while on hiatus, networking, and agents[39:34] How can listeners contact Elizabeth?[40:06] Advice for aspiring writers[40:44] Favorite restaurant in Las Vegas that is not in a casinoLinks:http://Instagram.com/lizreichelthttp://Mobettahs.comhttp://Doublezeropie.comLife is a Gamble explores those times in life where someone must take a big risk, or when life deals you an unexpected hand. How do we decide how much risk is worth it?

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] Booking action on random events[23:28] A billion dollar bet[31:23] $500k bet on changing a tire [33:45] “Win Your Line of Credit” blackjack tournament[41:21] How to contact the show

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 Notes[00:00] Introduction of bookmaker Jon Rogers of Carib Sports[00:59] Jon’s childhood and early gambling experiences[03:52] Booking parlays in high school and lottery numbers[08:46] State lotteries broadcast drawings[11:11] Kickbacks and paying for protection[13:06] Super Bowl 1990 FBI raid[16:52] Charges, recordings, taxes, and going to Vegas[21:37] Antigua tax laws, bookmaking on paper, then with software[29:28] 1990 case ends[32:32] Continuing operations in Antigua, accepting credit cards, betting volume, and margins.[35:02] 2003 raid, The Patriot Act[46:42] The SAFE Port Act and closing down[48:44] Life after bookmaking, settling the case, and living happily ever after

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 Nevada, over-regulation and limited innovation[18:47] Leaving FanDuel[20:08] Vertical businesses, pandemic spike and whipsaw[20:59] Bettor are getting dumber, banning winners, and the popularity of parlays[24:20] Sharps, betting patterns, cat and mouse games, and taking sharp action[27:24] BetHog online crypto casino, innovation, and payment processing fees[31:42] Managing crypto volatility[33:17] The future of online gaming and crypto [36:10] Final thoughtsX.com/nigelecclesBethog.comBetdex.comFanDuel.com

Billy Baxter is a legend in the gambling world. Today we focus on his time as a boxing manager, and some very high stakes golf games.You can reach me at [email protected], or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.

My guest this week is Joseph Merhi. In part 1 we covered Joseph moving to Florida from a small town in Syria when he was 18 years old. He spoke no English, but through grit and perseverance he went on to produce over 100 movies. This is part 2 of 2, in which we cover Joseph's move from Las Vegas to LA, and his pursuit of the movie business.You can reach me at [email protected], or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.

My guest this week is Frank Frigo. Frank is one of the founders of Edj Analytics, and we talk about their football model named Zeus which they licensed to various NFL teams to make better playing decisions.You can reach me at [email protected], or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.NY Times article mentioned in the show.https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/sports/football/eagles-analytics-super-bowl-lii.html

Sherriff AP chucked it all to become a professional card counter. He had one of the worst losing streaks I have heard of, and I'm not just talking about losing money. Everything in his life seemed to all go wrong at the same time. I think most people would have quit, and never looked back, but he stuck it out. You can reach me at [email protected], or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.LinksSherriff AP being told card counting is illegal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jVerBdoN0c&t=222s

Jason Ladanye is a professional, award-winning sleight-of-hand entertainer who has performed card magic all around the world for the last twenty years. Prior to magic he was musician who was touring as a keyboard player from the time he was 17, opening for everyone from the Rolling Stones to BB King.You can reach me at [email protected], or find me on Twitter @RWM21 or @lifeisagamblepod on Threads. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.LinksYoutube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQsmxaMzYr76Yd1iqMEq8TAInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/cardmagicbyjason/

In this episode of the podcast, I chat with Don "The Dragon" Wilson, one of the most iconic martial artists, and action stars of the 1980s and 1990s. Don talks about his fight career, and his transition from fighter to action star.You can reach me at [email protected], or find me on Twitter @RWM21 or @lifeisagamblepod on Threads. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.Linkshttps://www.facebook.com/DonWilsonTheDragon"How I Made A Hundred Movies In Hollywood" by Roger Corman https://amzn.to/3QARdpoDon Wilson movies - https://amzn.to/44acSHUDon's Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Wilson_(kickboxer)

Sarah Jane Woodall has been known for the last dozen years as Wonderhussy. She is a writer, actress, model, and all-around creative. I talk to her about what I consider a huge gamble, and she shrugs it off as no big deal. What was her job I thought was so risky? Driving out to the middle of nowhere in the desert with a complete stranger, and working as a nude model.You can reach me at [email protected], or find me on Twitter @RWM21. If you like the show please tell a friend you think might like it, or if you are really ambitious leave a review wherever you listen.Wonderhussy LinksWonderhussy website http://wonderhussy.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wonderhussyadventures/Her more adult Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wonderhussy/Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Wonderhussy

Hey everyone. This is episode one of my new podcast. As you can see, it is called Life is a Gamble, and as the title indicates it will be about life's gambles. I am still feeling my way here so things may morph and change as time goes on, but I hope you come along for the ride.You can reach me with questions, comments, etc. at [email protected], or on twitter @rwm21.Darryl's LinksWebsite https://darrylpurpose.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/darrylpurpose/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DarrylPurposeMusic