Uncertainty and Popularity in Poker and Sports Betting Markets

✨ Mike McDonald rose to power as a successful teenager in the poker world and became well-known in the crypto space.

🃏 Before poker, Mike played chess competitively as a kid and was introduced to poker by his chess coach. He found poker interesting and started playing online.

🎓 Mike attended the University of Waterloo, known for its strong math and CS programs. He played poker seriously until mid-2016.

💼 Mike started the 'Bank of Timex' as a way to address the inflated premium prices that players were charging for selling action in tournaments. This idea eventually led to the creation of PokerShares.

🌍 PokerShares operates under a gaming license in Curacao, which offers more flexibility and opportunities compared to stricter countries like the US.

The success of betting markets depends on various factors, including the poker and world economy.

Traditional sports betting markets are popular because they offer more even odds and potential for doubling or tripling money.

Poker shares and other 50/50 bets are more engaging due to user interest and a balanced chance of winning.

📊 FTX is a great crypto currency exchange, but they have banned users from several countries including Canada, America, EU, UK, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

💰 The speaker discusses the benefits of creating their own betting platform and how it has been successful, with plans to expand into a full casino.

🎲 The speaker highlights the importance of getting past the mentality of needing to make good bets and focuses on the potential for making profits through a variety of betting options.

The DFS industry used to focus on the wrong things for their net depositors, such as offering bonuses that only appealed to professionals.

The DFS industry should prioritize the majority of their customer base, who are recreational players, rather than catering solely to the high-volume professional players.

The future of sports betting may involve a peer-to-peer model with lower fees, where professionals compete based on fees and the line is set by professionals rather than the book.

🏀 The interviewee talks about his approach to things, giving 100% or 0% and his commitment to be fully engaged in contests or not pay attention at all.

🏈 There is speculation about whether the NFL season will happen this year due to the ongoing pandemic, with considerations given to the progress of the disease and the possibility of pro sports without fans.

🏀 The interviewee discusses his free-throw shooting bet, where he aims to make 90 out of 100 shots, addressing the skepticism and explaining the variability of shooting percentages between practice and game situations.

🏀 The speaker discusses the difference between shooting free throws in practice and shooting them during a game.

📹 The speaker considers whether or not to film his progress in shooting free throws.

🎮 The speaker talks about the possibility of streaming his shooting sessions on Twitch.

Mike McDonald got into crypto through his friends and initially lost money in a hack, but later became interested in it as a useful tool.

He believes that the long-term outlook for crypto as an investment is positive, especially with the increasing amount of USD being printed.

Mike McDonald discusses an argument with a CEO of a crypto platform and expresses his skepticism towards the CEO's abilities.