Gamblers are often met with suspicion. If you are in the business of selling you may be met with ridicule or haters. If you want a social media following, then you will need a thick skin because you will be tarnished with the same brush as a million ‘prodigies’ who failed before you. True, some gamblers are liked more than others but it’s one subject that’s made for problems. In truth, it is a good reason to keep your name, personality and opinions to yourself. Fame comes at a cost. And bar a few professional poker players I don’t think fame is a word most professional gamblers achieve.
You have more chance of becoming infamous.
I say this with regard to Mikki Mase, the US professional gambler who has been something of a social media revelation over the last three or four years. His distinctive tattooed appearance and reference to making $30M from his love of baccarat and poker have seen him ascend a higher level of fame. Mase said he was naive to social media when appearing on one YouTube channel and asked about every aspect of his life when he said prior to being interviewed that he wanted the conversation kept to gambling. In fact, he said it took him 18-months to put that interview behind him with haters knocking his reputation. Any gambler who says they have won a fortune and have reverse engineered how the casinos cheat punters out of money will have to battle through a depth of naysayers. It’s hardly surprising. People will always question how anyone can defy the house edge. Perhaps on poker, which is skill based, but baccarat doesn’t leave that much room to manoeuvre.
Mikki Mase is a fascinating character and I tend to believe his story. He said himself that he got lucky in that first year or two but then thought about his process and worked to understand how to beat the casino. Once again, the haters thought this was a scam or just pie in the sky. However, it isn’t beyond the realms for a gambler, who bets big money, to make many millions. The difficulty for most is keeping hold of the cash.
What I like about Mikki is his character. He is clearly intelligent and knows a lot about life which he puts down to a troubled upbringing, mostly due to his adventurous and creative mind. He is wise beyond his years and he has something about him – a touch of mystery which I’m sure he wishes he had kept even closer to his chest. His rapid rise to fame via social media has seen him meet and partner the most famous names often helping them win big at the casino. He has made a lot of money but wisely says the biggest problems in life cannot be resolved with money. He has been involved in the acting world and its something he enjoys. In addition, he has helped with many charities such as building a school and chatting and feed the homeless in Las Vegas.
I have seen a lot of professional gamblers and Mikki Mase has that x-factor. His appearance catches the attention and his story takes you on a journey of wonder. However, he also has is a heart and soul. He has gone out of his way to be transparent about his winnings even though there will always be someone who knock him. By all accounts he has nothing to sell. So it makes me consider he is someone who is simply enjoying fame and fortune. He says he wants to tell people they shouldn’t gamble. I don’t hear many professional gamblers say that and it goes a little deeper than the many self interested lonesome characters who are akin to spin doctors.
It’s interesting to consider why he wanted to be known but I guess with his winning story it was certain people would be interested in interviewing him and perhaps once the genie comes out of the bottle it is difficult to put it back in.
I don’t think he is someone to have too many regrets on the fame aspect and I for one would enjoy seeing and hearing more of this fascinating man.
His story on social media has been hard and fast. He has achieved equal measures of amazement and scepticism. He has fought the tide of vitriol to find numerous fans to fight his corner and proclaim his success.
He’s someone we will be hearing much more about and I am looking forward to enjoying every last word.