John Patrick Challenge -- 5/9/2003

The Wizard's News
May 9, 2003

Welcome to the new newsletter

As many of you are aware, I now have complete ownership of my website. My former partners at Webstorm retained the old domain name (THEWnternetradiomercedes.com), so I've transitioned all of my content to a fresh new site located at Wnternetradiomercedes.com .

With full control now in my hands, expect several changes. One major alteration is the significant reduction in advertisements on the site, and many of the ad banners will cease to flash. Furthermore, I will personally choose and endorse all advertisers, and I will step in for players facing legitimate disputes they cannot resolve directly with casinos. More details can be found in my advertising policy.

The newsletter has undergone a transformation as well. You will notice that you no longer have to scroll through numerous casino ads just to read the newsletter, and it should now fit more comfortably in smaller email windows compared to the previous format. Nevertheless, it remains the same Wizard, providing you with the same type of content as before.

When I parted ways with my partners, I retained ownership of the website while they took the mailing list. Therefore, if you were previously subscribed to the old newsletter, you will continue to receive Webstorm's newsletter. Keep in mind that although it carries the name 'Wizard of Odds/Casino Specials' newsletter, it is entirely managed by Webstorm, and I have no involvement with it.

The new website

With help from Michael Bluejay, Website Helpers the new website has undergone significant cosmetic enhancements and has been thoroughly cleaned and reorganized behind the scenes. I originally launched the Wizard of Odds back in 1997 as a way to learn about web design, and many of the poor HTML practices I adopted back then are only now being rectified. As I previously mentioned, advertisements will be less obtrusive, particularly the flashing ones, and I will personally approve all advertisers. Additionally, I am planning to introduce a comprehensive section dedicated to Multi-Strike poker in the near future.

My challenge to John Patrick

Recently, I caused quite a sensation on the John Patrick message board. To summarize, John Patrick represents a traditional perspective of gambling that favors experience over mathematics. He challenges the established basic strategy of blackjack, claiming that it's unwise to double or split against a dealer showing a strong card. Consequently, I visited his bulletin board and issued him a betting challenge. The details were flexible, but I proposed we face off in blackjack, with each hand beginning with A, A against a dealer's 10. John would follow his advice from his book and hit, while I would adhere to the proper strategy and split. We would each bank the other's hands. I stated that no wager would be too large, suggesting an investment of $25,000 each. If he genuinely believed in the superiority of hitting, winning should have been a breeze for him. In reality, the expected value of splitting is 24.83% more favorable than hitting when playing with six decks.

Initially, John Patrick mocked my challenge, treating it as merely a publicity stunt. However, I remained calm and persistently sought a definitive yes or no from him. The responses on the bulletin board were somewhat split in terms of support. Given that I was on Patrick's home ground, I appreciated the backing I received. Ultimately, he declined the challenge, expressing a preference for gradual wins through short gambling sessions. Later, he made some complimentary remarks about me, stating that I was the most polite mathematician to post on his board, and I reciprocated the compliments. While most discussions have faded away, some posts are still available in the thread titled 'The Wizard vs. JP.' The challenge has also sparked conversations on other forums catering to those who endorse betting systems.

The Wizard's Casinos of the Month:

Casino King

This issue's highlighted advertiser is Casino King. Casino King operates on Playtech software and belongs to the same network of casinos as Casino Las Vegas and Swiss Casino. New players can take advantage of the following bonuses:

• 100% for deposits up to $75
• 30% for deposits of $500
• 25% for deposits of $800
• 22.5% for deposits of $1000

The playthrough requirement is set at 20 times the deposit plus bonus for the 100% bonuses, and 12 times the deposit plus bonus for the remaining offers. Players will receive the bonus immediately for the 100% bonuses. For deposits of $500 or greater, the bonus will be issued once the required play for the deposit is fulfilled and the bonus is requested. Additionally, players can request the bonus even if they lose their entire deposit. Please note that play on roulette, baccarat, and craps does not contribute toward the playthrough requirement. While the rules state that blackjack is excluded, I made arrangements with the casino management to allow players who access the site via a banner on my website to play blackjack toward the initial bonus. However, I recommend opting for 4-play jacks or better instead, as it has a return rate of 99.54%, which is nearly equivalent to blackjack. The advantage of jacks or better is that double up bets contribute toward the wagering requirement, potentially reducing the overall house edge to approximately 0.1% if redoubling is used (this is permissible for wins up to $1,000).

In my view, the most advantageous offer is the $75 bonus for a $75 deposit. This bonus is credited automatically, making it a low-risk investment—a quick and easy opportunity to earn. During this promotion, I played 4-play $1 jacks or better and aggressively doubled my wins up to $50. With such a proactive strategy, I ended up busting before meeting my wagering requirement. I believe that it's beneficial to adopt an aggressive approach when chasing bonuses, attempting to achieve a significant win or risking it all in the process. Ending up broke can create an appearance of being a reckless gambler, which serves as good cover for not looking like a bonus hunter. If you decide to try a second promotion at the same casino, it reflects positively if you busted the first time.

Thank you for subscribing to my new newsletter; I hope you find it more enjoyable than the previous one.

You are receiving this newsletter because you registered for it on my website. I do not engage in spamming, nor do I share my mailing list with anyone else. If you wish to unsubscribe, please visit Wnternetradiomercedes.com, enter your email address, and click Unsubscribe. You cannot unsubscribe by simply sending me an email . You must complete the process yourself.