Hot Seat... Week 1 .... VANZACK

Hey Van,

Why do you look down on people who believe in God?

 

wo wo wo miss lippy........................

Because there isn't one?

Which god?

Only to see them draw...

Crystal Ball cracked.

Back to work, and as promised, I will answer all questions.  Even this misfits questions.

I dont know the Giant personally, but if you read your question it doesnt even make sense.  What does "if I got -180" mean in that context?

Please stretch to make your questions somewhat intelligible.  I have to understand the question to answer it properly.

I have dabbled in poker.  Some have told me that I am a lifetime winning poker player.  I played in the WSOP main event.  I also won 10K or so a couple of times on pokerstars.  I dont love poker, and have written a lot on it here.

If you are interested, here is a very long thread on the subject.  It is 12 pages of all of my thoughts on poker, along with some good humor.

 

Thank you.

Was that in tournaments or cash tables? 

 Originally Posted by kaponofor3 Further questions:

1. Ever meet anyone from covers in real life? If so, who and what were the circumstances?

I have never met a single person from covers ever.  Im not against it, but it has never been the right circumstances.

2. Where is your favorite place (hotel) to stay in Vegas?

I havent been to Vegas since about 2005.  I stayed at the Wynn, nice place.  Im pretty sure I am going to get out there to check out the M casino because of everything I hear about their sportsbook and live betting.

3. Please tell the story of getting kicked out of a large US bank for the weird Carribean square check.

I had a couple of accounts at a large well known bank.  The large square check from Pinnacle was just the last straw in a series of mis-steps I had because of inexperience.  I was transferring in and out from neteller dozens of 5K ins and outs every week (I think 5k was the max they would allow at the time in one transaction) - and I didnt even try to hide it.  It would just be 5k, 5k, 5k, 5k 5k rapid fire every day.  I made the mistake of believing because it was legal, that the bank would welcome it.  Wrong.

So I got the check from Pinnacle (BTW, how many people can say they got a check from Pinnacle pre 2007?  Probably very few).  It was square, and looked like a coupon your would use at a supermarket.  I was cocky (afterall, it was totally legal, and I wasnt hiding anything) so I marched up and tried to deposit it - like it was a check from my neighbor or something.  They had a conference of tellers behind the glass, and since they had never seen anything like it - they called over the mgr who proceeded to tell me that they were worried about my acct activity and that I should call a VP of the bank that she gave me a card.  

(as Im writing this, I took a flyer and did a search on my comp and realized I still have a scan of this check.  It is drawn on Maduros and Curiels Bank - yes that is the real name - and signed by Maduro and Curiel themselves!!)

So anyway, I dont call the bank, but I get a certified letter about 3 days letter telling me to pack up my shit and get out.  It was not nice.  This was my first experience with this - it has happened to me once since - so I was a little panicky.  I called my lawyer at the time and he told me something like (put on a sopranos accent) "Look.  They dont like you.  Who the fuck cares.  You didnt break any laws, but if your local sub shop didnt like you, you might not be eating turkey sandwiches any time soon.  Go get another sub shop."  That was all I needed to hear.

4. How many books do you post up with online? Ever go for the riskier ones or been there, done that?

I have never posted up at a risky book, not even one penny.  It is against my DNA.  5 years ago, I had about 20 books.  Today - it pains me to type this - I have 3.  Pinnacle, MB, and Betfair - and honestly - I dont know if I still have MB (but can get it if I want I think).  I seriously might be on an extended break after soccer ends.

5. Was there any single event that made you go "you know what? I could probably do this for a living and be successful?"

Yes.  I remember the moment.  Sitting in an endless corporate douchebag meeting, I just had enough.  The light went on.  I had enough put away to live on comfortably for at least 3 years, so I took a chance.  I wish I was as smart gamblingwise 10 years ago as I am today because I could have made a lot more money and avoided some costly mistakes - but such is life.  I consider myself to be very fortunate, and understand the luck it has taken to get to where I am.

Tournaments.

I cant find a way to win on them, so I gave up after about 5 consecutive losing seasons.

Also, it is a great break for me to spend time with my family.  It is a grind from April 1 (MLB start) to Feb 1 (super bowl), so I pretty much have Feb and March for family time, along with usually August because Im done with MLB by then.

But I stink at hoops - so I naturally think it is unbeatable.  Probably me just doing what wrigley does in this thread - talk about things I dont understand and jump to conclusions because I have no expertise, but there you have it.

Answered already, but I dont understand why anyone would want this job.

Originally Posted by CrusCrnshw Great thread...

since someone asked my "why dont you bet NCAAB" (surprised too because I feel like this is easier than NFL and  most other sports) I wont ask that.

1) With regards to stopping sometimes when you reach your goal, and stopping if you have lost too much...is your stopping based on $ and winning based on money exactly the same, just positive and negative...for example...say you want to win 300k in one sport, you get there, you stop. Say you wont lose more than 300k...you lose that, you stop. Do you feel like that since you have spreadsheets and so forth that you are hurting yourself in the long run by stopping when you reach your goal? And if the 300k number is different for each sport, you definitely could be. Say you are willing to lose 600, but only willing to win 300, you could have 2 winning sports and stop and 1 losing sport and stop, and ultimately break even. I am sure you get what I mean, not properly explained on my part.

Great question.

I might not have been totally clear - the goal and the stop gap are there for break points - in other words - they force me to totally re-evaluate how to go forward.  If I lose enough to hit my stop gap, what am I doing wrong?  Can I justify going forward?  Am I just doing something that is methodically bad or is it variance?  If I hit my goal - did I do it because of variance?  Can I make it last?  It is all there to set up mandatory self evaluation periods.  It works for me.

If I stop after hitting a goal, I might be passing up future value that season.  But I might have "utility" with the amount of money I have won and just say "enough" - which is a personal decision.  If I ever have millions in the bank, enough to live on comfortably the rest of my life - I will stop gambling cold.  The same goes sometimes for a season - there is utility in made money - and sometimes I dont want to take the risk or the risk is not worth it to me.  But overall, if I have hit a goal, and it was because I fell like I have an edge - I dont stop.  I dont subscribe to arbitrary conditions like time periods - but I do put that on myself in order to keep my own personal flaws in check.

It is not always the correct probability or EV decision, and I acknowledge that.  But I am not a computer, my family isnt a computer, and my needs are not computerized.

2) You seem like to travel a fair share...what is your favorite spot in the Caribbean?

I love Roatan.  That might not be considered Caribean, but I love it there.  The Caribbean is not the paradise we all like to think it is, there are unique problems on each and every island.  And another thing - the islands attract a certain type of person - usually one that is running from something, or escaping.  Sometimes when you are around that type of person for an extended period of time you start to realize that you dont want to be there.

But to answer your question - Roatan, Aruba, and St John are prob my 3 favorties.

How long ago?

Originally Posted by 5_for_Fighting

If you were in charge of covers, what improvements would you make

I would not allow new posters to start a thread until they had at least 50 posts.  I would encourage more thoughtful posting, rather than pick of the day posting.  I would fix the search engine (now broken for about a year).  Charlie Sheen - 24 / 7.

If you were mod for a day, and could ban anyone, for any reason, who would it be

Whoever I would say would be back the next day with another alias.

Who do you feel is the best handicapper in the following sports
( please exclude yourself )
That is, who do search for to see there analysis on games, and does it ever sway your thoughts on a game )

OK - if I have to answer with only one person for each:

NFL Football:  Cant come up with one
NCaa football:  GCNMoo / college king rex
basketball:  Dont bet hoops
Hockey:  Dont bet hockey
Baseball: Gamehunter

Who do you feel is the best mod, and why ( moderators, not referees )

I like them all, because honestly I rarely have to deal with them anymore.  I know the rules, and for the most part dont push it.  Koaj, Wall, Allbees, and Beets are all oldtimers - and I like them all (except for Koaj political views)

[/Quote]

Van...makes sense now...

I won about a 12k tournament in July of 2005.

I could look them up.  Are you looking to verify or something?  I know others have done it - and said I am a lifetime winner, but nothing would surprise me.

You go in the ground and become clubdirt.

Nothing.  This is the end my friend.  There is nothing else.

 Originally Posted by Jimmag

Married or single?

Married, 18 years.

What hair color do you prefer on your women?

Im a dark skin dark hair admirer.

On a whim yesterday I took Birmingham City to raise the Carling Cup.   Would you have placed that bet?

Come on.  You must know me better than that.  That is an incomplete question without a price.  Every wager is good at some price, the question is - what price did you get?

Vanzack on the Amazing Race   

I am serious, I will be on this show one day, and I will wear a covers shirt.  This is one of my real life goals.  It will happen.

Survivor would be too physically taxing for me.  Not sure I could hack it to be honest.  And I also think there is a bigger element of luck on Survivor than AR.

The format of AR just fits me perfectly.  I would almost pay someone to set that up - in fact - I have a business idea that would run a travel company to run AR type of races for niche travellers who want to compete.  I think it would be very successful.  Maybe I will do this instead of gambling next year.

With the baseball season coming up, what do you do to win money consistently in this sport?  I hold my own in NFL and NCAAB but baseball I can never get a grasp on?  A sport I played my whole life at a high level as well...  So basically what is your advice to betting baseball? Is it one play a day?  Is it only play RL's?  Is it only playing ML under a certain number?  What is it that you look for?

Stopping at #141 for a break.