From the Washington Post.

“It’s like a job for him. It’s a job where you make money,” said Eric Paddock, adding that his brother could lose $1 million and still have enough to live on. “He was at the hotel for four months one time. It was like a second home.”

He recalled one time when the entire family took over the top floor of the Atlantis at the casino’s expense.

His brother was very particular about the games he played. “It had to be the right machine with double points, and there has to be a contest going on. He won a car one time,” Eric Paddock said.

“He’s known. He’s a top player. He’s the small end of the big fish.”

Something isn't right about this. Even if there are still payout setups known to be beatable, are they ever more than +2% EV? When you cash a big VP win, don't they take the tax money out right on the spot? And that's like 30+%

Double player points doesn't seem like it's going to make up for that. Any VP experts out there care to comment?

Don't forget comps! Some properties will even give you free firearms for high roller play.

Most advantaged players didn't put him in that level.

The one story, he won a $100,000 give away at Mandalay by playing a 99+% machine where you got entries based on your play and dollar amount of play.

I suppose if he understood juicy cash give away's it is possible, but I think it is bunk.

Sure, factor in free shrimp and hotel rooms, out of pocket stuff he wouldn't have bought anyway might have matched loses.

there is no way. He was most likely laundering money for some high level bad guys. Probably the Macau Mafia. Mid-level accountants just don't have that kind of money.

They framed him and scared folks away from their competition and back to their casinos.

He supposedly would play on Cruse ships which are known to have the absolute worst pay tables... I can't imagine any AP that would play those...

A supposed big VP player I know claims to have played with him a few years ago... He complained about something... But who knows what is true...

the latest police theory is that he lost a significant portion of his wealth during the last 2 years

I thought it would turn out that way. He made his money on real estate, then tried to play himself off to his family as a math genius/pro gambler big shot, while he was slowly losing it all playing -EV. He might have reduced that -EV number through correct play and comps, but they would have backed him off if he turned his EV positive at some point.

Isn't it fairly easy to actually learn to play +EV video poker/slots though? Maybe its not, but I assume it is.

I've seen vp charts and I think it is easy to learn. So why isn't everyone doing it?

My point is that I think it must be like counting cards at blackjack: the casinos have become very good at toeing the line between seeming to offer advantage play at certain games, while then acting to shut it down when they detect it.

I would think that video poker, with its system of points and comps and tracked play, should provide enough data to the casinos to tell them if someone is a leak to their bottom line.

They don't hesitate to back off card counters, why wouldn't they back off advantage vp players? What sort of cover could you have as a vp player to throw them off?

Everybody thinks that advantage VP is easy, "just follow the charts and press the buttons and watch the money roll in," but the reality can be far different. It all start out easily enough, get yourself a cocktail and relax, make some pairs etc. But the cards never stop. They just keep coming and coming. And suddenly you are on your eighth seven and seven and making mistakes. And you miss nine flush draws in a row. I meant to keep that pair! Wait a second, I thought this was bonus deluxe poker not double joker poker. Will these beeps never stop? OH MY GOD I forgot to insert my players card! I WISH I COULD JUST MAKE THE WHOLE WORLD SHUT UP ONE TIME JDHAHDVKHDVKJEDV

haha