A couple of friends recently recommended single episodes from the Risk of Ruin podcast series, and now I’m hooked.
The host refers to Wall Street as the world’s largest casino, with many similarities between gambling and trading. Each episode is an audio documentary about gambling, life, and the intersection of the two. It’s extremely well done.
In The Mayfair Revisited, the backstory of the storied poker, bridge and backgammon club that inspired Rounders is told through interviews with Erik Seidel and Steve Zolotow. I could listen to their stories all day.
In The Character Building Side Effect of Losing, high stakes poker player turned hedge fund co-founder Jason Strasser discusses the parallels in pursing edges on both disciplines. Despite his failure to convince me when he pleads that he’s really not very smart, this is quite entertaining and enlightening.
In Before the Boom, poker legend Barry Greenstein talks about a lifetime of gambling, with the likes of Doyle Brunson, Andy Beal, Larry Flynt and Dr. Jerry Buss, and recounts the story of his wife’s displeasure with him for holding down a ‘real job’ as his earn rate at poker was much greater.
Other episodes promise more fascinating stories of card counting, advantage play, bookmaking and sports betting in addition to poker.
Check it out wherever you listen to podcasts.
They Always Have It 