Underground Gambling

Underground gambling has various facets, explored by experts across different podcasts:

1. Molly Bloom's High-Stakes Poker:

   • Molly Bloom, known for organizing high-stakes poker games involving celebrities and athletes, delved into her experiences running these secretive and elite games. Her story, which inspired the book and film "Molly's Game," offers insights into the psychological tactics used to manage such environments and the eventual downfall of these operations 1.

2. Cheating in Unregulated Games:

   • Jason Calacanis and Molly Wood discussed the prevalence of cheating in underground poker games. Professional players sometimes participate in these games knowing they might lose, simply to understand the cheating methods. Techniques like using marked cards and contact lenses are common, highlighting the risks and the necessity of regulation to ensure fairness 2.

3. Inside New York City's Clubs:

   • Aaron Brabham shared his journey from losing thousands at underground poker clubs in New York City to becoming a profitable player. His experiences highlight the allure and the challenges of participating in these secret games, emphasizing the need for extensive study and practice to succeed 3.
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       1

       Inside Underground Poker

       00:00:00
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       2

       Unregulated Poker Games

       00:30:20
       
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       3

       Poker, College

       01:00:19
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       4

       Nintendo's Underground Origins

       00:47:03

4. Link to Organized Crime:

   • The origins of Nintendo were tied to underground gambling. Initially, Nintendo's playing cards were used in illegal gambling parlors operated by the Yakuza in Japan. This relationship with organized crime facilitated the company's early success in the playing card industry, which later transitioned into video games 4.

These discussions provide a comprehensive view of the underground gambling world, its operations, the risks involved, and its connections to broader criminal activities.