Our guest this week is Prozema, a successful part-time player who focuses mainly on slots. We talk about the advantages of playing in places other than Las Vegas, and how he got connected with other APs.
We welcome your questions – send them to us at [email protected], or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter.
podcast
Click to listen – Alt click to download
Show Notes
[00:00] Introduction of low limit AP, Prozema, @pro_zema
[00:32] Prozema’s early experiences with gambling
[04:18] Playing poker and learning to find an edge
[12:07] Three card poker, Wizard of Odds, blackjack, and video poker
[17:35] How did Prozema transition into beating playing slots?
[21:03] Harley Davidson slots
[26:39] Prozema’s background in statistics and regression analysis
[29:30] South Point Casino May Promotions: $500k Swipe, Spin, and Win, Memorial Day Hot Seat
[30:31] VideoPoker.com: Gold membership offers correction on most games
[31:04] An error on the Wizard of Vegas’ card counting trainer
[34:24] Networking within the advantage play community
[36:23] How does Prozema analyze a new machine?
[43:00] Finding reliable sources on AP Twitter
[44:40] Exhibit CAA
[49:59] Meeting Romes and Bruce
[51:34] Are there beatable games in Missouri?
[55:47] Is Prozema interested in becoming a full-time AP?
Easyadvantageplay.com
WizardofOdds.com
WizardofVegas.com
SouthPointCasino.com
VideoPoker.com
Twitter.com/Pro_Zema
Never miss another post
I seen a copy of Exhibit CAA on Ebay for $2600. Bob and Richard, can you guys get James Holzhauer to come on the show? He’s on Jeopardy right now and they say he is a professional sports gambler from Las Vegas who is on a hell of a streak. The man is a walking encyclopedia! Get him on the show!
Some libraries have Exhibit CAA in special collections, you generally have to leave an ID since the book is so valuable to hock on Ebay. Any books with high values on Ebay are generally in what they call “special collections” to keep people from stealing them. Exhibit CAA is a very valuable read, for any gambler. Not only is the information very valuable, but the techniques for solving problems is priceless, as they say. It could easily be a college level textbook, perhaps even graduate level. Category would be applied math or gambling math. I assume the “wizard of odds” read it, or maybe he developed his ideas separately.
I have it in my house and paid the asking price of $250. I guess I got “lucky.”
Prozema said he had difficulty knowing what his edge was in live poker. When first sitting down in a game. have some kind of count you go through to identify weaknesses in your opponents. For instance, each opponent opening in early position with mediocre hands goes into your count. Design your own count. Count some factors as “1”, some as “2”, etc. After a certain amount of time add your total. Decide if your total justifies remaining in that game. Keep a log and note what your “counts” are in each game you played in. “On Tuesday, the game was great. My count was X.” Eventually you’ll always know what your edge is, if any. Keep your count with your chip stack, or keep beans in your pockets to shift to other pockets.
Was this in a book or is it something you came up with yourself?
More than a few authors have written similar methods. When you’re playing in a place like Los Angeles with hundreds of choices, move immediately if your count doesn’t meet your standard. Sometimes a game may look good and then you sit down and find out it’s not as good as you thought, because your “count” tells you it isn’t. Customize your own personal method, what works for you. It will give you insight into your opponents’ “errors”, and it forces you to pay attention. And you will probably be the only player at the table who applies such a method. No more mysteries. If your count is high enough, you have the edge and can beat that game no matter what the stakes. Best of luck to you.
First thought this is that this was a very useful podcast for those of us who do not live in Vegas. Since listening I have been exploring the boards and even twitter (my first exposure was the “Here is a picture of my Starbucks latte” which soured me). Prozema’s website opened my eyes to how many slot options there might be. Hopefully guests who can help show how to learn (and not just from a book they are selling, although I understand that is standard of all talk shows) will be in the regular mix. I too love listening to the tales of being barred 20 years ago while in a shady casino, but guests like Prozema help provide a little more current news I can use.
Paul,
While I agree that table selection often is the biggest key to poker success*, live or online, you need to consider other factors in evaluating a table, especially position in live games. If you think you will be out of position against the three best players in the game, you might be better served to select a lower point table where you will have position.
I also think simply adding up points might not truly show the best table for you. I would think in following the point approach you should keep a listing of the individual scores. For instance you might do better in a game where the ranges are fairly narrow, or you might do better in a game with wide ranges of both sharks and whales. Doing that might help you both be honest about the level of your own game and possible leaks. For instance if I am prone to tilt, I may want to play in a lower point game instead of a higher point one with whales because the inevitable bad beats when they crack my aces with Q4 in a 3 bet pot will hurt my play. That also will help illustrate areas on which I need to work.
* Doyle Brunson is attributed with saying “Eric Drache is the 8th best Stud player in the world. Problem is he only plays with the seven best.”