Rob Singer has been banned.

[Alan Mendelson]

I don't need to discuss Rob because all has been said.

I think everyone will agree with you.

[carolinajacket]

I, obviously, do not know the man, but from reading his posts it appears that he is a very angry man who uses the internet to attack people he does not know. That really baffles me. Why would anyone do this? I thought these were for sharing knowledge and opinions to help each other, not attack them. I guess it boils down to "to each his own." But everything has limits. Thanks Alan.

[a2a3dseddie]

Now my response: I don't know if Rob is saying that he is divorced or if he is alleging that I am divorced? I'm married. My divorce from my first wife was in 1985. My divorce from my second wife was in 2001 -- neither had anything to do with gambling. If he really does have an article coming out in the paper (what paper and when?) I hope he has his facts right. If he alleges a gambling problem I am putting him and his publication on notice that an allegation of a "gambling problem" would be with malice and because there is no proof or even evidence that anyone besides Rob has accused me of a gambling "problem" that I will consider it to be criminally libel and will bring all appropriate legal action to protect my name and reputation.

Good for you Alan. In all likelihood though, Rob was just lying about writing an article to smear you or arcimede$.

[Alan Mendelson]

a2a3dseddie even if Rob is writing an article, I doubt he will have carte blanche or free license to write anything he wants to. I am sure a legitimate publication would be aware of their responsibilities under the libel laws.

Rob never gave us a publication date -- he only mentioned some date in the future which is typical of his promises of delivering supporting data for his various claims.

The bottom line is I am ready for the article. So is my attorney.

[quahaug]

Alan you actually helped Rob put another feather in his already huge cap by banning him. He now holds the Guinness World Book of Records title for most banning from a gambling / Las Vegas/V.P. forum. The man is awesome!

[arcimede$]

I for one don't believe Rob won that million dollars. I do believe Rob gambled at high denominations and had some really high wins (but paid a high price for them). Rob even went through "bancruptcy" during his years as a professional gambler (which strongly indicates a gambling problem).

I believe his bancruptcy was a clever accounting job and I even believe Rob was never in any financial difficulty. Rob has had high paying management positions. I think those positions pushed him over the edge. I think it's more likely one of his former employers give him a rather large "farwell bonus" to help him decide to quit the job. There's a good chance his company was willing to spend some serious money to get rid off him because of his personality. I just can't imagine upper management with poor people skills like Rob. No corporation is going to accept his kind of behavior.

So I think it's more likely Rob got his money through a settlement with one of his former employers than through VP. BUT, I'm just guessing here. I have no proof! Based on his VP claims I think my scenario is more likely than his.

According to Rob he had a rather large inheritance in the early 90s I believe. He claims he lost it all as an AP. I believe he claims his bankruptcy was due to some real estate problems, at least that is what he has stated in the past. Now, given his track record of honesty you can take it for what it's worth. I wouldn't bet a plug nickel any of it was true.

[Alan Mendelson]

One other thing that Rob said about his bankruptcy: he said he was legally able to shelter his retirement assets (this is legal and can be done) while wiping out certain debts. He claims to have used the bankruptcy laws to his benefit this way.

[FrankScoblete]

I read the headline and I thought he had been banned from casinos. That interested me because there are usually only two ways to be banned --- you actually can beat the game(s) or your behavior is atrocious. (I'm not counting criminal behavior or addiction.) Then I read that it had to do with banning from this site, a site I enjoy reading.

Alan, you are a public figure and it is tough to win lawsuits against those who defame you. Still, you own this web site and you are the boss as to those who can and can't post.

[Alan Mendelson]

Frank, as I pointed out on the Wizard's forum, any legal action I bring would not be for monetary damages. just a correction and retraction of any claims that I am an addicted gambler or have a "gambling problem" which led to my divorces.

Such a claim by Rob Singer would be false. My first marriage ended in 1985 which was many years before I ever set foot in Las Vegas. The only time I was in a casino during that marriage was on our honeymoon in St. Maarten where I played a 25-cent slot machine with one coin in. My wife and I shared that machine with two other couples -- we each took a turn. Why did we share? Well, the machine had a mechanical error, and on each and every spin it hit a cherry and paid out 50-cents. It was my first advantage play at slots. LOL

My second marriage was a short marriage that ended in 2001. I am still married to my third wife and we were married more than 7 years ago. In a text message to me, in which Rob said he would write about me in GT alleging that a "gambling problem" led to my divorces he seemed to indicate that I was divorced from my third wife.

Also, so far the only one claiming that I have a gambling problem or am addicted is Rob Singer. This is not like TMZ reporting on a celebrity who is in rehab. I have never been in rehab or treated for a gambling problem, I have never been warned by any medical professional of any addiction, I have never been identified as having a problem gambling, I have never had a problem with paying a marker to a casino, and I have never had a reduction in credit or a warning from a casino about my play or my credit. Rob Singer would be hard pressed to present any evidence of a gambling problem except that in his mind anyone who doesnt play his way, or is a member of a players club, must be an addict.

[arcimede$]

Alan, as a narcissist Singer simply can't accept that his problems are not shared by everyone else. Since he is an admitted addict, he then believes that no one can gamble on a regular basis and not be an addict. He's also shown a complete lack of understanding of why it requires real problems before addiction is meaningful. His addiction led to a loss of a lot of money and he simply can't accept that others can win or play without ever having any problems.

[Vegas_lover]

Alan, I don't want to spoil this discussion but let's not continue to talk about Rob since he's not here to respond. I think that was your point of view in reply to me. Let's end all the Singer nonsense and move on to greener pastures.

[Vegas Vic]

I think we have a better chance for having more stories, more advice and more info without Rob here ready to pounce on people for whatever they might share.

We think we can enjoy the forum once again.

[Alan Mendelson]

Alan, I don't want to spoil this discussion but let's not continue to talk about Rob since he's not here to respond. I think that was your point of view in reply to me. Let's end all the Singer nonsense and move on to greener pastures.

I agree that we shouldn't discuss Rob Singer's personality, or personal life. But I think it is appropriate for comments about his strategy. I am sure there are still supporters of Rob as well as critics who would like to discuss his strategy, as there are supporters and critics of conventional play and even advantage play. I think that is fair territory for discussion.

[Count Room]

I agree that we shouldn't discuss Rob Singer's personality, or personal life. But I think it is appropriate for comments about his strategy. I am sure there are still supporters of Rob as well as critics who would like to discuss his strategy, as there are supporters and critics of conventional play and even advantage play. I think that is fair territory for discussion.

What about more esoteric VP-related topics such as actually attempting to improve the times we press the DEAL/DRAW button? I know there are plenty of people that say it can't possibly be done, but isn't that negative & defeatist thinking?

[seemoreroyals]

If you have technique that would improve the proper timing of hitting the deal draw button please let us all know. I have sat next to people who do not hold the proper holds but always seem to get more 4 of a kinds than I do. I think some people are just luckier than others.

[Alan Mendelson]

I have sat next to people who do not hold the proper holds but always seem to get more 4 of a kinds than I do.

If you only hold one pair instead of two pair, you will hit more quads. If you only hold three of a kind instead of a dealt full house you also will hit more quads. In the same line of thinking, if you only hold royal cards you will also score more royals.

[seemoreroyals]

That is exactly what many of these people do. Especially holding one pair instead of two. If you learn as I did with a training program, you are taught to hold the 2 pairs and go for the full house unless one of the pairs is aces and you are playing DDB or the like. What is the proper play?

[Alan Mendelson]

That is exactly what many of these people do. Especially holding one pair instead of two. If you learn as I did with a training program, you are taught to hold the 2 pairs and go for the full house unless one of the pairs is aces and you are playing DDB or the like. What is the proper play?

In most games the proper play is holding two pair, even with one pair being aces. But in some games the correct play is one pair when the single pair is aces. But if you asked Rob Singer...

[seemoreroyals]

That's what I thought. I guess some people are just luckier than others. Maybe as Count Room pointed out someone needs to come up with a training program which would help with the exact millisecond timing of when to hit the Deal Draw button.

[Alan Mendelson]

That's what I thought. I guess some people are just luckier than others. Maybe as Count Room pointed out someone needs to come up with a training program which would help with the exact millisecond timing of when to hit the Deal Draw button.

Let us know when you have that figured out. I'll buy your first copy of the training program.