May 31 show with Frank Kneeland
May 27th, 2012 at 7:56:37 PM
permalink
This Thursday our guest is Frank Kneeland. Frank is the first of Bob's co-hosts on the show and author of The Secret World Of Poker Progressives .
Briefly, Frank used to be a paid player, and eventually ran teams of progressive jackpot hunters, mainly in video poker. His book is a combination of his story and the mathematics of progressives.
As always, I welcome questions you would like us to ask Frank.
Briefly, Frank used to be a paid player, and eventually ran teams of progressive jackpot hunters, mainly in video poker. His book is a combination of his story and the mathematics of progressives.
As always, I welcome questions you would like us to ask Frank.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
May 27th, 2012 at 8:44:38 PM
permalink
How did he get the black from the coins off his hands. Did
he use a lot of retired people on the slot teams and did
he have trouble with the IRS.
he use a lot of retired people on the slot teams and did
he have trouble with the IRS.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
May 28th, 2012 at 12:28:02 AM
permalink
Q for your guest: Did his team get into the intimidation thing where they tried to muscle in on favorable machines?
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell! She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
May 28th, 2012 at 8:38:01 AM
permalink
I look forward to it. I like Frank Kneeland a lot. Besides the video poker progressives, he has some interesting thoughts on cognitive biases and gambling heuristics that it would be interesting to hear about.
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
May 28th, 2012 at 8:49:44 AM
permalink
Quote: teddys... he has some interesting thoughts on cognitive biases and gambling heuristics that it would be interesting to hear about.
Can you dumb that down a little for me so I can know what specifically to ask him?
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
May 28th, 2012 at 8:58:46 AM
permalink
It wasn't too smart to begin with :)Quote: WizardCan you dumb that down a little for me so I can know what specifically to ask him?
Basically, I've heard him talk about certain patterns and biases our mind ascribes to gambling results. (E.g., the "hot shooter," the "cold machine," what constitutes a "session," etc.) I guess I don't have a specific question, but its a subject area he seems to know a lot about.
For a more direct question, I would ask how he deals with losing between those progressive jackpots.
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
May 28th, 2012 at 9:12:48 AM
permalink
Quote: teddysBasically, I've heard him talk about certain patterns and biases our mind ascribes to gambling results. (E.g., the "hot shooter," the "cold machine," what constitutes a "session," etc.) I guess I don't have a specific question, but its a subject area he seems to know a lot about.
Carl Sagan once said that human beings are significance junkies. If a shooter makes ten consecutive points then it must be because he is hot or the vibe at the table. The fact of the matter is that the odds of him winning the next pass line bet is the same as the stone-cold shooter who did a two-roll seven-out the last three times at the plate. Any respectable gambling expert, and I would count Frank among them, would say the same thing. He might be offended that I would even need to ask about it.
Quote:For a more direct question, I would ask how he deals with losing between those progressive jackpots.
I'm sure he would say that if it is a good bet then you just keep playing and don't worry about the past.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
May 30th, 2012 at 8:19:14 AM
permalink
He has authored a well written and very informative book. A little deep in the math but without it you cannot know when a game or even a hand has gone positive enough to make it worth playing. He is definitely one of the sharpest tools in the shed. Good stories and humor as well.
June 3rd, 2012 at 8:55:31 AM
permalink
Great show, as always.
Re the "Must Hit By" progressives.
Just want to point out that Mickey Crimm, a previous guest on the show, posted on how to calculate the EV on these progressives (Dec 2010).
(& messages 110824, 110826)
And in true Mickey style, the posts are titled "The Fremont Street Commando does Nowhere, Nevada".
Fred
Re the "Must Hit By" progressives.
Just want to point out that Mickey Crimm, a previous guest on the show, posted on how to calculate the EV on these progressives (Dec 2010).
(& messages 110824, 110826)
And in true Mickey style, the posts are titled "The Fremont Street Commando does Nowhere, Nevada".
Fred
June 3rd, 2012 at 11:54:08 PM
permalink
Great show again! I was waiting for a Frank Kneeland return ever since Munch came back for a visit.
Honestly, it would be kinda fun to get all four of you guys on at once: Wiz, Bob, Frank, and Munch. Or even just a co-host-only day of the 3 of you if Bob for whatever reason needed a break. This is the only radio show I actually follow. I believe it is in a class of it's own.
Honestly, it would be kinda fun to get all four of you guys on at once: Wiz, Bob, Frank, and Munch. Or even just a co-host-only day of the 3 of you if Bob for whatever reason needed a break. This is the only radio show I actually follow. I believe it is in a class of it's own.
$1700, 18, 19, 1920, 40, 60,... :/ Thx 'Do it again'. I'll try
June 4th, 2012 at 6:10:12 AM
permalink
Great show, but when is Bob going to learn to speak up?
There were times where he could hardly be heard!
There were times where he could hardly be heard!
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
June 6th, 2012 at 1:53:00 PM
permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBearGreat show, but when is Bob going to learn to speak up?
There were times where he could hardly be heard!
In general I have found the the volume to mixed quite low on GWAE compared to other podcasts. To be fair I only really listen to one other podcast (Adam Carolla), but with that podcast, I have no problem hearing the show with my phone (which I use to play podcasts) around 75% volume. If I'm walking down a busy street, I sometimes have to crank it up to full blast, but can still make everything out.
With GWAE, I usually have it on 100% all the time and it's okay in a quiet place, but if I go anywhere even close to loud, it becomes inaudible. Anyone else have the same issue?
For this reason I usually try to listen to GWAE either at home where it's quite, or in my car where I can crank up the car volume.
"So drink gamble eat f***, because one day you will be dust." -ontariodealer
June 6th, 2012 at 2:31:18 PM
permalink
Step 1: Download and install Winamp
Step 2: Download and install the Stereo Tool plugin and set it as the active DSP/Effect plugin.
Step 3: Download my settings file (right-click and choose Save) and open it as a preset from within Stereo Tool.
Step 4: Download the GWAE show you want to listen to.
Step 5: Open it in Winamp and play it.
I use the above settings for music as well as GWAE. Everything you listen to basically comes out at maximum volume - if the volume of the source audio suddenly drops, it will be amplified until it's at full volume; if it suddenly gets loud, it will be attenuated to prevent distortion. You may want to turn your speakers' volume down a bit before you start playing anything using these settings, because it will sound much louder than normal, uncompressed audio.
Step 2: Download and install the Stereo Tool plugin and set it as the active DSP/Effect plugin.
Step 3: Download my settings file (right-click and choose Save) and open it as a preset from within Stereo Tool.
Step 4: Download the GWAE show you want to listen to.
Step 5: Open it in Winamp and play it.
I use the above settings for music as well as GWAE. Everything you listen to basically comes out at maximum volume - if the volume of the source audio suddenly drops, it will be amplified until it's at full volume; if it suddenly gets loud, it will be attenuated to prevent distortion. You may want to turn your speakers' volume down a bit before you start playing anything using these settings, because it will sound much louder than normal, uncompressed audio.
June 6th, 2012 at 3:18:53 PM
permalink
My problem is the cheapo Sony MP3 player I got. If someone's on the threadmill at the gym, I'll have a hard time hearing any pocasts even at the maximum volume setting. This happens with GWE and with two other podcasts I listen to.
With GWE one "problem" is that Bob varies his speaking volume a lot. This is also an issue in a local science show I listen to every day. So when there's some extraneous noise source, like feet pounding on the threadmil, or a loud truck going past (I listen in the car, too), at a low-volume moment, I can lose some information that way.
With GWE one "problem" is that Bob varies his speaking volume a lot. This is also an issue in a local science show I listen to every day. So when there's some extraneous noise source, like feet pounding on the threadmil, or a loud truck going past (I listen in the car, too), at a low-volume moment, I can lose some information that way.
Donald Trump is a fucking criminal
June 6th, 2012 at 5:42:10 PM
permalink
JB -
Your instructions are useless to anyone who uses Macintosh like I do, as well as those people who listen on an MP3 player like I do, or who use a smart phone to download and then play the podcast like I often do.
As helpful as your suggestions are, they shouldn't be necessary.
GWAE is a broadcast radio show. There should either be an additional person, in a different room, running the board. Or one of the hosts running the board while the other host is in a different room, forcing everyone to listen on headphones and be able to tell whoever is on the board to fix things.
Your instructions are useless to anyone who uses Macintosh like I do, as well as those people who listen on an MP3 player like I do, or who use a smart phone to download and then play the podcast like I often do.
As helpful as your suggestions are, they shouldn't be necessary.
GWAE is a broadcast radio show. There should either be an additional person, in a different room, running the board. Or one of the hosts running the board while the other host is in a different room, forcing everyone to listen on headphones and be able to tell whoever is on the board to fix things.
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
June 6th, 2012 at 7:31:53 PM
permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBearJB -
Your instructions are useless to anyone who uses Macintosh like I do, as well as those people who listen on an MP3 player like I do, or who use a smart phone to download and then play the podcast like I often do.
Good point; I neglected to mention that Winamp is for Windows.
Quote: DJTeddyBearAs helpful as your suggestions are, they shouldn't be necessary.
GWAE is a broadcast radio show. There should either be an additional person, in a different room, running the board. Or one of the hosts running the board while the other host is in a different room, forcing everyone to listen on headphones and be able to tell whoever is on the board to fix things.
While I don't know the specifics, I would guess that the radio station has their own sound processing applied to the content as it is being aired to level/compress/limit the volume. I like that they provide the Wizard with the unprocessed version, that way whomever downloads it can run it through their own processing like I do.
For the benefit of others, I will run the show in question (May 31st's) through my processing and upload it when it's done. Give me an hour or so. I will post the link in this thread.
June 7th, 2012 at 1:23:31 AM
permalink
Quote: JBThe link to the May 31st show with volume processing applied can be found here.
My main complaint with GWAE is the lack of production quality. Don't they record in a radio station?
1) They need a compressor/limiter/noise gate on all microphones/hybrids. I shouldn't have to jump for the volume because one party is so damn loud and the caller is so soft. It gets really tiresome. The noise gate should be set so we can't hear Bob (well, I assume it's Bob) breathing while someone else is talking. Not his fault, people breathe and getting old sucks. That's what noise gates are for. And when someone gets animated, the limiter should kick in and keep the level within a normal range. We still get the emotion, but not all the volume.
2) after all that, someone needs to normalize the output before uploading to further eliminate any remaining volume discrepancies and put the podcast in line with others. I have to adjust the unit in my truck at least 10 clicks up to listen to GWAE. Then the next podcast starts and blows my windows out. There are industry standards for these levels.
Winamp, Audition, and GarageBand can do most of this after the fact, as long as they're not fed completely abnormal/distorted garbage.
June 7th, 2012 at 1:43:04 AM
permalink
Quote: JBWhile I don't know the specifics, I would guess that the radio station has their own sound processing applied to the content as it is being aired to level/compress/limit the volume. I like that they provide the Wizard with the unprocessed version, that way whomever downloads it can run it through their own processing like I do.
What a geek. :) And I mean that as a term of endearment.
There is no way each listener can be expected to process the audio to make it comfortable to listen to.
If the station is providing a mix, there is no feasible way to do things like noise gate the breathing on a specific mic. That has to be done pre-mix, or a discrete track file has to be provided for further processing. Stereo mix = no bueno.
June 7th, 2012 at 1:44:10 AM
permalink
Again, I am speculating since I know nothing about that radio station, but I think it only logical to have their audio processing (noise gate/leveler/compressor/limiter) be the very last step in the chain before the audio is transmitted, so that anything which gets recorded is the natural sound before processing. I'll discuss with the Wizard the notion of applying leveling and compression to the radio shows before publishing them on WoO.
I hear what you're saying about applying a separate noise gate to each microphone before the mix, but is breathing really that big of a deal? I think it makes the show sound more natural, as long as the release times on the leveler and compressor aren't too fast.
I hear what you're saying about applying a separate noise gate to each microphone before the mix, but is breathing really that big of a deal? I think it makes the show sound more natural, as long as the release times on the leveler and compressor aren't too fast.
June 7th, 2012 at 1:55:04 AM
permalink
No, it's completely unprofessional. It's distracting. When was the last time you heard, say, Howard Stern or Bob Costas breathing while his interviewee was talking?
Things like gates have to be applied to each individual input before they reach the main mix or you can't isolate them.
You either need a properly-produced mix or a raw, multi-track recording that can be made right in post-production or you try your best to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
Things like gates have to be applied to each individual input before they reach the main mix or you can't isolate them.
You either need a properly-produced mix or a raw, multi-track recording that can be made right in post-production or you try your best to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
June 7th, 2012 at 2:19:22 AM
permalink
Well, I don't know what to tell you since I neither work at the radio station nor record/edit/mix/produce the show.
June 7th, 2012 at 2:26:11 AM
permalink
I know, bro. Just calling it like I see it. All I know is I listen to a lot of podcasts and this one needs some work. Content is good, which is the HARD PART. But when it takes extraordinary effort to listen comfortably, what kind of results can they expect?
I'll try to listen live one of these Thursdays, like tonight maybe, and see if it's the broadcast or the podcast.
I'll try to listen live one of these Thursdays, like tonight maybe, and see if it's the broadcast or the podcast.
June 7th, 2012 at 2:30:03 AM
permalink
I'll be interested to know how it sounds over the air, especially considering AM's reduced frequency range. You might not even hear the breathing at all. I've noticed the Mr. Voice at the beginning and end over-enunciates every syllable, most likely because it is specifically for AM (not FM) broadcast.
June 7th, 2012 at 2:34:03 AM
permalink
No promises, but I'll try to record it for you, OTA. Curious myself.
June 7th, 2012 at 2:30:15 PM
permalink
Quote: JBThe link to the May 31st show with volume processing applied can be found here.
Thanks JB! I downloaded this and I'll try it out.
Man, just seeing the Winamp logo really brought be back to my early college days, which was the last time I used Windoze regularly. Since I'm on Linux that solution won't work for me, although I did notice Winamp has a free Android media player. Since I regularly listen to the podcast on my Android phone, that might be an option. I have not done any research to see if the Android app even allows plug ins, let alone the one you use.
Anyway, I appreciate the effort. Hopefully with some attention on these issues, the Wiz can convince the radio station to do something, whether that's adding some more production, or allowing him to disseminate the produced version (if such a thing exists). I didn't even think about how it regularly airs on AM. I bet that obviates a lot of the issues, since their main output (the broadcast) is much lower quality than a stereo-mixed podcast MP3.
"So drink gamble eat f***, because one day you will be dust." -ontariodealer
June 7th, 2012 at 3:02:23 PM
permalink
More likely because voice-over guys get their jabs because they are very easy to understand. One of the ways they do that, is to over-enunciate everything.Quote: JBI'll be interested to know how it sounds over the air, especially considering AM's reduced frequency range. You might not even hear the breathing at all. I've noticed the Mr. Voice at the beginning and end over-enunciates every syllable, most likely because it is specifically for AM (not FM) broadcast.
JB's prior thought is probably right. There probably is something between the studio and the transmission tower that keeps the volumes level. Therefore, the on the air sound is probably OK. And, if I recall from my college radio days in the 1980's, when no delay is used, the on air staff often listens to the live broadcast sound rather than a mixer monitor output, so that they can instantly detect problems outside of the studio as well. As such, they don't notice the problem we're talking about.
That being the case, the very easy solution is this: Show who ever is uploading the podcast how to use Winamp as JB suggests.
On a side note, the MP3 tags on the podcasts still list Richard Munchkin as the artist. Is he involved at all?
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
June 8th, 2012 at 7:32:44 PM
permalink
Quote: JBI'll be interested to know how it sounds over the air, especially considering AM's reduced frequency range. You might not even hear the breathing at all. I've noticed the Mr. Voice at the beginning and end over-enunciates every syllable, most likely because it is specifically for AM (not FM) broadcast.
I did manage to record the 6/7 show. There were no volume level problems.
It came out sounding kind of muddy. I'm not sure why. I've never recorded using this gear before.
If you're interested I can put it up somewhere. 64K mono MP3. About 29MB.
