Saturday, February 20, 2021

Bob Stupak, Vegas World and the Stratosphere



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Today, Bob Stupak is considered just another colorful character in the history Las Vegas and properly credited as the visionary behind Stratosphere.  His tacky taste, public antics and wacky persona are all just part of his legend.  The truth is, Bob embodies everything negative you've ever been warned about gambling and the industry.  He didn't want to just take your money, he wanted to make you look foolish while he did it.  His nickname might as well have been "fine print Stupak” because just about everything he did had a catch to it or a technicality he hoped you would miss so he could exploit.  He preyed on those that didn't know better.  But what's wrong with that?  Most people know there is a mathematically proven way to play some games and yet willfully choose to ignore them in favor of strategies that increase the odds already stacked against them.  Some people believe the earth is flat.  The fact is we all have access to the same information, especially in the Internet age.  The only disadvantage one person has over another is self-imposed.  An intellectual isn't discourage from using their acquired knowledge so why is gambling any different?  Morality, you say?  Well, as Canada Bill Jones said, it's immoral to let a sucker keep his money.  I’m pretty sure Bob just thought it was fun.

If you're interested in learning more about Bob Stupak, check out No Limit: The Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak and the Stratosphere