Michael Shackleford
Encyclopedia
Michael "The Wizard of Odds" Shackleford (born in 1965 in Pasadena
, California
, United States) a trained actuary (a business professional who assesses risk and its financial impact), now makes his living analyzing casino games. He is also an adjunct professor of casino math at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Today Shackleford is best known for his website, The Wizard of Odds, which contains analyses strategies for hundreds of casino games. He received a great deal of attention in 2002 shortly after moving to Las Vegas when he published a paper where he released rankings of slot machine payout percentages, widely considered secretive or unavailable, to show which Las Vegas casinos set their nickel machines with the best and worst payouts. The Time Out Las Vegas referred to the survey as groundbreaking.
Shackleford also analyzes new games for game developers and casinos. His most notable clients include Hilton
, Realtime Gaming
, Playtech
, and Shuffle Master. He is the author of Gambling 102: The Best Strategies for All Casino Games (Huntington Press, 2005). Previously, he was an Adjunct Professor of Casino Math at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
and a contributing editor to Casino Player magazine.
Michael Shackleford has been known to bring media attention to unfair gambling practices, such as case #2008-7136L before the state Gaming Control Board, against the Stratosphere Casino for failing to pay a sportsbet. As another example is his detailed investigation of Absolute Poker allegations of cheating were brought to his attention by an anonymous source September 24, 2007.
Shackleford is periodically consulted on gambling issues outside of Nevada. In 2010 Pittsburgh Live requested a consult on whether the gaming companies in Pennsylvania would tighten their blackjack rules.
Every year, professional gambler, Max Rubin holds the famed Blackjack Ball, a secret and invitation-only event, where the winner is given the title of “The Best Gambler in the World.” Rubin’s love for the game led to the creation of the Blackjack tournament where participants are quizzed with gambling trivia and mathematical questions plus a second series of tests where their skills are put to the test (card counting, signaling, etc.). The 2011 winner was Michael Shackleford.
Before changing careers, Shackleford worked as a claims adjuster
and later as an actuary for the United States Social Security Administration
from 1992 until 2000. His main responsibility there was estimating short-term costs and benefits of Social Security law changes. But, he was best known for researching the most popular baby names for each year since 1880. The results of this research have been published in many books, newspapers, and magazines, and the Social Security Administration now officially publishes a new list every year of the previous year's most popular names, along with all the previous years' names.
Shackleford resides in Las Vegas
, Nevada
with his wife and three children.
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States) a trained actuary (a business professional who assesses risk and its financial impact), now makes his living analyzing casino games. He is also an adjunct professor of casino math at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Today Shackleford is best known for his website, The Wizard of Odds, which contains analyses strategies for hundreds of casino games. He received a great deal of attention in 2002 shortly after moving to Las Vegas when he published a paper where he released rankings of slot machine payout percentages, widely considered secretive or unavailable, to show which Las Vegas casinos set their nickel machines with the best and worst payouts. The Time Out Las Vegas referred to the survey as groundbreaking.
Shackleford also analyzes new games for game developers and casinos. His most notable clients include Hilton
Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hilton Worldwide is a global hospitality company. It is owned by the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm. As of July 2011 Hilton brands encompass 3,750 hotels with over 600,000 rooms in 84 countries...
, Realtime Gaming
Realtime Gaming
Realtime Gaming is an online casino company developing download-based casino software, licensed by various operators running their own branded RTG-powered casino sites...
, Playtech
Playtech
Playtech Ltd. is a gaming software development company founded in 1999. The company provides software for online casinos, online poker rooms, online bingo games, online sports betting, scratch games, mobile gaming, live dealer games and fixed-odds arcade games online.-Playtech gaming software and...
, and Shuffle Master. He is the author of Gambling 102: The Best Strategies for All Casino Games (Huntington Press, 2005). Previously, he was an Adjunct Professor of Casino Math at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
and a contributing editor to Casino Player magazine.
Michael Shackleford has been known to bring media attention to unfair gambling practices, such as case #2008-7136L before the state Gaming Control Board, against the Stratosphere Casino for failing to pay a sportsbet. As another example is his detailed investigation of Absolute Poker allegations of cheating were brought to his attention by an anonymous source September 24, 2007.
Shackleford is periodically consulted on gambling issues outside of Nevada. In 2010 Pittsburgh Live requested a consult on whether the gaming companies in Pennsylvania would tighten their blackjack rules.
Every year, professional gambler, Max Rubin holds the famed Blackjack Ball, a secret and invitation-only event, where the winner is given the title of “The Best Gambler in the World.” Rubin’s love for the game led to the creation of the Blackjack tournament where participants are quizzed with gambling trivia and mathematical questions plus a second series of tests where their skills are put to the test (card counting, signaling, etc.). The 2011 winner was Michael Shackleford.
Before changing careers, Shackleford worked as a claims adjuster
Claims adjuster
Claims adjusters investigate insurance claims by interviewing the claimant and witnesses, consulting police and hospital records, and inspecting property damage to determine the extent of the company’s liability. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, the Caribbean and New Zealand...
and later as an actuary for the United States Social Security Administration
Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
from 1992 until 2000. His main responsibility there was estimating short-term costs and benefits of Social Security law changes. But, he was best known for researching the most popular baby names for each year since 1880. The results of this research have been published in many books, newspapers, and magazines, and the Social Security Administration now officially publishes a new list every year of the previous year's most popular names, along with all the previous years' names.
Shackleford resides in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
with his wife and three children.