Let's talk

10 December 2013

By Frank Scoblete

I remember a time when there were no computers and therefore no cell phones, no iPads, no Internet, no e-mail and no message boards. Facebook could just as well been a modeling magazine. If you wanted to talk about gambling you had to meet a friend or go to a casino or call someone on the phone.

Certainly there were books to read, many of them quite good, but you can’t talk to a book.

Fast forward. There are message boards galore throughout the Internet where people exchange ideas, opinions, political or religious theories, and shopping and health tips, to name but a few. In short, people can talk to each other all over the world about anything.

Unlike a book, a message board can be a one-to-one or a one-to-many conversation – it can also sometimes be a one-too-many conversation. All you need to know is how to type.

There are many gambling message boards on the Internet and lately I have been perusing and even posting on some of them. Most of the posters on these boards use pseudonyms because they don’t want their real names known. I can understand that. If you are a teacher, a priest, a doctor, a lawyer, a banker, a rabbi, the father of a brood of children who all need new pairs of shoes, privacy is of the utmost concern to you.

Still, using such identification also allows posters to be nasty, small minded, sarcastic, arrogant and downright dumb (seriously, anyone who disagrees with me must be dumb). The posters can be anti-Semitic, as I learned visiting one website where the gambling conversation was essentially one anti-Semite defending a popular gambling writer John Patrick by calling Patrick’s opponents “kike turds.” His opponents called him every possible combination of “you are dumb,” “you are senile,” and “you have sex with various hideous inanimate objects.” Obviously, the level of discussion on that particular board left a lot – actually left everything – to be desired.

Yes, sometimes discussions on even the best of the message boards can become one writer attacking another writer. Often the animosity against those who disagree with you boils over into what many call “flame wars.” Hey, if someone disagrees with you there must be something wrong with him, right? Take that a step further and there must be something wrong with their mothers, fathers, spouses and pets.

You get the picture, disagreements often become quite disagreeable. Sometimes two or a few individuals start to dominate a given thread (discussion) and just about everyone else drops out of that particular discussion. I have seen this happen on even the best of the boards.

Here is my list of the various gambling message boards I have visited. Obviously, this is just a sample of what is out there. I rate each of them as highly recommended, recommended, okay, and simply awful, meaning read if you enjoy colonoscopies. These are just my opinions but they are absolutely accurate or my pseudonym is not Albert Einstein.

Viktor Nacht’s Advantage Player.com
http://www.advantageplayer.com/
Has several message boards on blackjack, video poker and roulette. Has a high intellectual level with some big-name writers such as Don Schlesinger, Norm Wattenberger, Viktor Nacht, Karel Janecek, George C. and pseudonymous others who post quite often. Really slow at times but sometimes the discussions are quite riveting. Highly recommended.

Goodshooter.com
http://forum.goodshooter.com/
Run by Aaron Hightower, known as Ahigh, this forum has a limited clientele and tends to be a craps and dice control forum focusing on Ahigh himself. Some interesting videos. Ahigh is determined to prove he is a dice controller and he engages in a lot of hostile back and forth with his critics. Not much action on the board. Okay.

Blackjack Forum
http://www.blackjacktheforum.com/forum.php
Excellent site with a large body of great posters. Covers all areas of blackjack. Covers blackjack conditions all over the world. Highly recommended.

Forum: Las Vegas
http://forum.alanbestbuys.com/forumdisplay.php?14-Las-Vegas
Run by Alan Mendelson, this forum (one of many, many forums run by Mendelson) deals with all aspects of casino play. Has a small number of posters, some of whom specialize in video poker, others at table games, and Alan is always in on most topics. He’s a smart fellow, writes clearly and I have yet to read him ranting although some posters rant at him. I like posting here. Recommended.

Heavy’s Axis Power Craps
www.axispowercraps.com
Run by Steve “Heavy” Haltom, this is a craps message board. Mr. Haltom did not allow me to join in order to post on his site.

Dice Institute
http://diceinstitute.maxforum.org/
A craps forum run by Charlie 009. Site continually ignored my requests to join and see for myself what it was like to post there.

Stanford Wong’s “BJ 21”
http://www.bj21.com/
Stanford Wong is a legend in blackjack circles and this board has Wong written all over it. There is a free public message board which is quite good and a pay board called “Green Chip” which is excellent. Has a host of articles about all aspects of advantage play. Plenty of posters too, some quite famous in the gambling world. You can’t go wrong with Wong. Highly recommended.

The following forums are hosted by Grand Parker Casinos:

Smarter Gambler
http://www.smartergamblers.com/forum

Craps Forum
http://www.crapsforum.com/

Twenty-One Forum
http://www.twentyoneforum.com/

Roulette Forum
http://www.rouletteforum.com/

Pai Gow Poker Forum
http://www.paigowforums.com/

Slots Forum
http://www.slotsforum.com/

Video Poker Forum
http://www.videopokerforum.com/

Keno Forum
http://www.kenoforum.com/

I lumped all of these together since they are all handled by one agency. The craps board has a tremendous number of posters and many of them are quite intelligent. Tends to cater to the gamblers rather than advantage players but it is still definitely worth a visit. Some of the other boards have few posters. I enjoy posting here. Recommended.

John Patrick’s Message Boards
http://roncen.websitetoolbox.com/
Run by author John Patrick, one of the first “gambling gurus.” Site is for typical gamblers. With few exceptions the message board’s participants are trend bettors or others looking to win with betting schemes. On rare occasions a poster will disagree with such gambling advice and be pounced upon. Author John Patrick has a heavy hand on this site. Okay.

The Wizard of Vegas
http://wizardofvegas.com/forums/
Run by Michael Shackleford, known as the Wizard of Odds, this is a tremendously active site with truly opinionated, sometimes overly sarcastic, narcissistic but highly intelligent posters. Has a multitude of message boards to choose from. You can discuss just about all aspects of gambling and even non-gambling areas. Most of the posters are thoughtful but there are some of the pseudonymous ones who think quite highly of themselves. I love posting here. Highly recommended.

Golden Touch Craps
http://www.goldentouchcasino.net/forum/
Full disclosure. I was one of the founders of this company so I am biased. I am no longer a part of it but I do have fond memories. The private board has discussions on craps, other casino games plus non-casino message boards. The number of active posters goes up and down quite a bit but at times the boards are very active and at times they are quiescent. Highly recommended.


Frank Scoblete's newest books are CONFESSIONS OF A WAYWARD CATHOLIC! and SLOTS CONQUEST. All books available from Amazon.com, at your favorite bookstore, or by mail-order by calling 1-800-944-0406. Join Frank on his website at www.frankscoblete.com.