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History
From the first bookmakers to the betting app in your pocket. Short reads on how the market got this fast.
19 readslast filed Aug 10
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PaddockCasino 1995: How Scorsese Captured the Mob-Era Las VegasMartin Scorsese's Casino documented a specific era of Las Vegas: the transition from mob control to corporate control. The film is accurate in its details and revealing about how gambling changes when power changes hands.July
June
- Atlantic City's Boardwalk Empire: From Resort to Gambling MeccaAtlantic City was a resort in 1976. It became a gambling mecca in 1978. The transition was fast. The consequences were permanent.
- High Roller: The Documentary About Stu Ungar's Tragic LifeStu Ungar died in a motel room. He was the greatest poker player who ever lived. He was also a man who couldn't say no to himself, and the game he mastered could not help him with that.
- Kerry Packer's Legendary Baccarat Loss to Private BankerKerry Packer, Australia's richest man in 1985, lost seven million dollars to a private banker at baccarat in Atlantic City. The banker was not a professional gambler. He was simply very good at understanding that Packer could not stop. Here lies the tragedy.
- How to Build a Sports Betting Model From ScratchBuilding a profitable sports betting model requires four inputs: game data, line data, staking logic, and patience. Most bettors skip the first two and start guessing. Therefore, most bettors lose. Here's the actual process.
- How Texas Hold'em Conquered the World of PokerTexas Hold'em is a relatively young game (it emerged in the 1900s in Texas and didn't reach mainstream casinos until the 1970s). But it has become nearly synonymous with poker globally. Here's why.
May
- The Frank Sinatra Vegas Years: Music, Mobsters, and TablesFrank Sinatra didn't invent Vegas. But he showed Vegas how to be itself. The casinos, the marriages, the mob ties, the music: they're inseparable from the man who gave them shape.
- The Biggest Game in Town: Al Alvarez's Poker Book ClassicThe specifics of the biggest game in town: al alvarez's poker book classic matter more than most players realize.
- The Evolution of Slot Bonus Rounds Over the Last DecadeSlot bonus rounds in 2014 were simple: land three scatters, spin some wheels, collect payouts. Slot bonus rounds in 2024 are interactive games within games. The evolution is not toward fun. It's toward engagement extraction.
- First Time in a Casino Poker Room: A Step-by-Step GuideThe specifics of first time in a casino poker room: a step-by-step guide matter more than most players realize.
- Transaction History: How to Read Your Casino Cashier StatementsThe specifics of transaction history: how to read your casino cashier statements matter more than most players realize.
- A History of the Slot Machine: From Mechanical Reels to MegawaysThe specifics of a history of the slot machine: from mechanical reels to megaways matter more than most players realize.
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