Yes, I have been asked numerous times to be on GWAE. While I appreciate the compliment that Munchkin, you and others have interest, I don't think that is the best platform for me. I am not a great communicator, either speaking or in written form. I often have trouble getting out just what I want to say and often have to go back and try to re-phrase to try to get my point across. That is bad enough in a written format, even worse as a guest answering questions.In addition, I sometimes write things that a short time later I regret, mostly because it is too much information, compromising information. On forums, at least I have a short time to go back and 'clean something up' if I change my mind. On GWAE, once said, it would be out there.
I will give you my experience with the different forums. First forum I came across and the absolute best on the topic of blackjack and blackjack advantage play was blackjackinfo. Great forum, lots of successful players that shared their experiences and knowledge. As a young player, I benefited a great deal. Yes, there was a bit of sniping at one another. I have come to realize that is part of any forum. But looking back, blackjackinfo was minimal compared to today's forums.
The original blackjackinfo shut down in Dec 2011. The Blackjackinfo that you are reading today is a re-incarnation, by different ownership and management, now owned by the same online group that brought WoV and later BJ21. Traffic at all these sites has declined greatly under that groups ownership, in part because some of the membership is uncomfortable with ownership by online casino industry although WoV has many other issues at play. Al Rogers who ran BJ21 for Stanford Wong, now runs blackjackinfo as well as BJ21 for the online group. Al is a great guy, a genuine AP, but he is the lone good point of the whole situation.
So when BJinfo shut down, most of the membership migrated to Qfit's forum, because he made certain promises to change his ways. He didn't keep those promises and it quickly became clear BJTF was only about platform for promoting and selling his products and Norm extracting revenge on the many players he has had issues with over the years. Between bannings and most legit knowledgeable players leaving, BJTF has dwindled to what it is today, a couple "frauds" misleading players, protected by QFIT for the purpose of creating traffic, a very small handful of legit players, guarded in what they really share and a constant flow of newbies (potential new software clients), which is Norm's real desire.
Most of the real and legit players migrated to a private forum run by a long-time member of Tommy Hyland's team. Membership requires you to meet and know current members who vouch for you. If you ask around about this forum, you will get no response, other than maybe "it doesn't exist".
WoV was always on the edge of the Blackjack AP community, because it was not specific to blackjack, but rather blackjack AP was in the larger AP discussion, along with other topic related to casinos and gambling and having nothing to do with casinos and gambling. When I joined it became my favorite because it covered more than just blackjack AP. Over time as a result of Wizard's heavy handed moderator style, WoV has regressed in quality and membership size to what it is today, a shell of what it once was. My guess is that is OK with Shackleford. He made his money. Now it's just a play toy, where some of the loyal membership heaps praise on him. He seems to need that.
So that is sort of the blackjack community Today.
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