Wizard on TV last night

Green TV "premiered" a new gambling show about Top Ten ways to win last night at 10PM and is running it multiple times in the next few weeks. It is a replay of an older show from around 2002, but was interesting to watch. The Wizard was in it talking about VP and Slot Holds and it also had many of the usual people like Anthony Curtis & Bob Dancer.

Interesting for the old images if you have time to watch it.

Haha i was going to post on this as well. I was channel surfing on my tv late last night (around 1:30 AM Eastern) and I came across the "Top 10 Ways to Win in Las Vegas". Naturally, I was interested, and I wondered if the Wiz would make a cameo. Sure enough, he appeared to talk about blackjack and how it is one of the best games in the casino to play. Unfortunately, his segment came after this "highly scientific" program had a high priestess, a feng shui master, and a psychic each take $100 into the casino and see who could do the best.

The feng shui master took to the slots, and performed... well as you would expect $100 to perform at slots. The psychic took her talents to the well known +EV game of video keno, and was showed winning one hand (or deal? or draw... idk what its called in keno), but quickly lost all her money as well. The high priestess took to video poker and performed a ritual on the machine at least twice but it may have been done in-between every hand. The ritual combined with the fact that VP was clearly the best choice in the casino (despite the fact that her strategy was, in all likelihood, terrible) caused her to lose the slowest and she was declared the winner.

My problem with this segment wasn't that the video poker player performed the best, or in this case just lasted the longest, but that the program attributed this success to the rituals/superstitions that the priestess used. Their winning tip for vegas was "superstitions/rituals are a good thing". It wasn't "Play video poker because it can payback over 100% with the right paytable and correct strategy and avoid keno because it is an atrocious bet", but rather "superstitions are cool". Was this show sponsored by the vegas casinos? Superstitions lead to bad bets all the time, such as the never bust strategy, playing hardways in craps, etc. etc.

I turned it off after I saw the Wiz in the tip following this terrible advice, but it seemed like the program wasnt really aimed at winning (or preserving your bankroll) at all. That, and the fact that it was from about 10 years ago so all of the machines were pretty outdated.

I haven't thought about that crappy show for many years. It is somewhat embarrassing to be a part of it. I had no idea what the finished product would look like.

My thoughts exactly. While I was watching it I couldn't help but wonder why you agreed to be a part of such a poorly produced program. I came to the conclusion that you must not have known what you were getting yourself into.

Quote: duckmankilla

I wondered if the Wiz would make a cameo. Sure enough, he appeared to talk about blackjack and how it is one of the best games in the casino to play. .

Was he wearing baggy khaki shorts? Cool....

Quote: Wizard

I haven't thought about that crappy show for many years. It is somewhat embarrassing to be a part of it. I had no idea what the finished product would look like.

Paul Newman was very unhappy about his film debut. It was broadcast on television in 1966 (12 years after he made the film). By this time he had been nominated for a Best Actor award for three films, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "The Hustler", and "Hud". Paul took out an advertisement in a Hollywood trade paper apologizing for his performance, and requesting people not to watch the film. The resultant publicity meant that the broadcast earned unusually high ratings.


So Wiz, you are in good company.

Quote: pacomartin

Paul Newman was very unhappy about his film debut.

He did a ton of TV work before he was in the
movies, thats where he learned his trade. Then
when he became a star, he turned his back on
TV and scorned it, even refusing to do any of
the chat shows like Carson and Merv Griffin till
he was near the end of his career. He was a
real prima donna.

But give him credit for his Paul Newman brands contributions to charity. Plus he will always be Fast Eddie Falsen to me.

Quote: buzzpaff

But give him credit for his Paul Newman brands contributions to charity. .

He was involved in a lot of charity work, but so was
the orig John Rockefeller, and he was a real shitheel.
I admire Newman the actor, but as a person, he thought
way too much of himself. Thats why he did the thing
with the Silver Chalice, he didn't have a sense of humor
about himself or his work. He was arrogant and not a
'people person'. George Clooney is the same way, arrogant
and smug. He likes to play practical jokes on friends, but
woe be to you if you ever play one on him. I remember
Ashton Kutcher on a show saying he was thinking about
'punking' Clooney on his show Punked. Brad Pitt told him
under no circumstances do it, if you embarrass Clooney
in any way, he'll go to the ends of the earth to pay you
back, and not in a good way.

Quote: buzzpaff

But give him credit for his Paul Newman brands contributions to charity. Plus he will always be Fast Eddie Falsen to me.

He was greatly admired here in Connecticut where he founded The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. It's for kids with cancer and is completely free for them and their families.

All these posts and no one even mentions the name of this program? wth? Must really not be worth watching, but I'm marginally interested if anyone can name it.

"Top 10 Ways to Win in Vegas" and it runs again this Saturday at 3PM Eastern.

You can Thank me later for the plug, Wizard!

When Jack Nicholson was starting out, he'd take any role that would pay him money. Check him out in the original 1960 version of "Little Shop of Horrors" for a movie that's so bad it's good. I never hear Jack complaining about his early roles.

Quote: duckmankilla

My thoughts exactly. While I was watching it I couldn't help but wonder why you agreed to be a part of such a poorly produced program. I came to the conclusion that you must not have known what you were getting yourself into.

That happens a lot with so-called "documentary" shows. They use out-of-context quotes, and any truly expert comments, like those from the Wizard, that have integrity that can't be misrepped by editing just get left out all together, which is what the postponement amounted to, like that do-not-attempt fine print you see on car commercials; they have certain disclaimer responsibility, but they really want you to buy the hype. It's angering when you consider how many true-believers actually take it all in. Don't feel too bad, Wiz. It's the magic of post-production.

Quote: NowTheSerpent

...which is what the postponement amounted to...

Postponement? Is that in response to this comment?

Quote: Wizard

I haven't thought about that crappy show for many years.

Unless I'm completely mistaken, this is the same show that had been on the Travel Channel a year or so ago. In fact, it was one of several Vegas episodes, in the same series. Travel Channel was showing them so often, that I started to call it the Vegas Chanel.

It's fun to watch, when there's nothing else on, but that's about it.

For those who missed it and want to DVD it, it will run again Tuesday night at 10PM on Planet Green. Other than the Wizard, another thing to watch for is an appearance by Richard (Rick) Harrison from Pawn Stars when he had a full head of hair.

Add the card counting lessons as one of the top 10 ways to win, and there is no better way to spend a Tuesday night!

Geez, I'm watching the Vegas show on Green Planet and there in
front of me is the Wiz! I forgot he was on How To Win in Vegas.
He had on beige slacks, a beige shirt and a beige tie. With his
beige complexion, I could barely see him. Bod Dancer put in an
appearance too. One of the least interesting shows ever made
on Vegas, even with the Wiz.

What a show, I'm sure that blackjack dealer was impressed with Anthony Curtis tipping $5 in tournament chips. I also like the suggestion of bringing your superstitions to help you win. I will try that next time I play roulette (which will be never).

I enjoyed the coupon queen. Wonder what happens when they don't
get a BJ on the first hand and all the other play and pray coupons
go bust. We didn't see any of that, only happy times. Just like real
life.