Vas Spanos - "Blackjack Master" - But Yet No Threads On Him?!

[Mickey]

It's just odd...

Apparently the guy has been around for YEARS. You can do some Google images searches for his name and read some newspaper articles from the 80's...and I see some postings on Craigslist every now and then about him recruiting BJ Team Players...but yet I find nothing on the guy when I search for his name on this forum. It's just odd...

Comments?

P.S. The reason I'm posting this to begin with is I'm considering team play, and I have a few options right now. It'd help if I could get some insight about him from you pros out there.

Any feedback is appreciated with an open-mind.

[RWM]

Looks like a scam artist.

[ZenMaster_Flash]

Smells like a scam artist.

[Mickey]

Looks like a scam artist.

Thankyou for your feedback, RWM. May I ask what makes you think that?

[RWM]

Yes. When I see testimonials about "I won $175,000 learning from this guy" type thing it smells like BS. Also the professional AP community is pretty small. The fact that this guy has never popped up here, or at BJ21, or at Snyder's old site, makes it smell bad. Now if someone who has been around for a long time like Wong, Snyder, Norm, someone from the MIT team etc etc were to pop up and say, I know this guy and he is legit, well that would be a completely different story.

Admittedly I am just going with my gut after looking at his site for 5 seconds. Now Micky, you wouldn't be affiliated with this site in some way would you?

[Mickey]

Admittedly I am just going with my gut after looking at his site for 5 seconds. Now Micky, you wouldn't be affiliated with this site in some way would you?

Nope. But I was thinking about it. Heh. Like I said there was an ad on Craigslist for someone looking for blackjack team members. I replied to the ad. I then got an eMail reply back from one of his associates saying to call Vas at ***-***-**** (phone number) - I haven't called yet. Was thinking about it.

I know he sells this mentoring program or whatever on the side. I'm not interested in that. I'm basically self-taught throughout the years given the information in books, forums, etc. (you know)...but what I WAS/AM interested in was the team play aspect. So when I started searching on Craigslist one day just for fun to see what popped up when I typed in "blackjack" under the COMMUNITY dropdown category of CL, the ads popped up for him. Initially the ads did not state his name...it was only after I replied to the ad via eMail and then got a reply back that I heard of his name in the eMail reply saying "Call Vas" and then this guy gave me his number and said "tell him Mike told you to call".

So who knows - maybe his team play strategy is good. Maybe his coaching is bunk. Who knows. But I figured coming somewhere like this and asking you pros that have been around a while would clear things up.

It looks like it has already begun to clear things up.

And like you said, you'd think he would be on forums like this. Who knows.

The replies so far are helping though. Thanks.

P.S. I can see how you'd think I'd be affiliated with him since I just joined today and then had a post asking about him. Heh. Well, I'm not. :P

[RWM]

Here is another thing to consider, I have never read a post at any site from someone saying they learned from this guy. We get people all the time who say, I learned at Blackjack Apprenticeship, or taught at one of the MIT guys seminars, but all these people who won all this money and none of them ever found a BJ forum.

Someone with more energy than me should look for Mike Kaplan's article at Cigar Aficionado about John Reppert. (sp?) That is who this guy reminds me of. No one should even consider joining a team with people they don't know without reading that article. I think Reppert would be too old now (or dead) but I hear that one of his students took up the Reppert mantle in forming teams to rip people off.

[AussiePlayer]

A little more info.

Even if it isn't a scam, it's a waste of money. Read Norm's free book here and if you have any questions just ask. All of this info and more is available for free, why would you want to pay for it?

[Mickey]

Here is another thing to consider, I have never read a post at any site from someone saying they learned from this guy. We get people all the time who say, I learned at Blackjack Apprenticeship, or taught at one of the MIT guys seminars, but all these people who won all this money and none of them ever found a BJ forum.

Someone with more energy than me should look for Mike Kaplan's article at Cigar Aficionado about John Reppert. (sp?) That is who this guy reminds me of. No one should even consider joining a team with people they don't know without reading that article. I think Reppert would be too old now (or dead) but I hear that one of his students took up the Reppert mantle in forming teams to rip people off.

Thanks! Yeah I've actually been meaning to join this forum for...well...years.

I finally pulled the trigger on it today because I came across a thread by the Cash Cow guy - he started something a couple months back about looking for spotters and I thought since he already has posts built up here that's some instant credibility right there. I've noticed he/she seems to have a relationship with others here in this BJ Community so I decided to actually register today in an effort to inquire about that option too (since he/she is also in the midwest like me). I guess it seems a little more credible checking out that individual first vs. this Spanos guy that no one here seems to really have any insight on yet.

[Mickey]

A little more info.

Even if it isn't a scam, it's a waste of money. Read Norm's free book here and if you have any questions just ask. All of this info and more is available for free, why would you want to pay for it?

Yep I saw those posts. Good call. And I'm glad to clarify: I'm not interested in his coaching. I'm interested in joining a team. (or at least exploring the options of a team)

[RWM]

Notice in that thread the guy who knows him has only 2 posts.

[Mickey]

Notice in that thread the guy who knows him has only 2 posts.

Yeah I noticed that too. Good call. :\

[zengrifter]

User is banned, content deleted.