Mike Caro's Bio
Briefly
Books Caro on Gambling . A selection of his most notable columns first published in Gambling Times magazine
Mike Caro's Book of Tells-The Body Language of Poker . Accompanied by 179 photographs, this hard-bound book shows when players are bluffing and when they aren't. Explains why. One of the most widely quoted books in the history of poker.
Poker for Women-A Course in Destroying Male Opponents at Poker and Beyond . Combines proven poker strategy with special techniques that take advantage of most men's preconceptions about women.
Caro's Fundamental Secrets of Poker . A collection of winning advice from his major poker seminars. (The first of an announced series of books and videos published under Caro's imprint, Modern Gaming Info. Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City published its own version of Caro's Fundamental Secrets of Poker. Cardoza Publishing distributes a version nationally under the expanded title: Caro's Fundamental Secrets of Winning Poker.
New Poker Games . A description of newly invented or little-known forms of poker. Adds strategic advice.
Gambling Times Quiz Book. Gambling facts and concepts.
Bobby Baldwin's Winning Poker Secrets . A biography of former poker world champion Bobby Baldwin, now president of the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Mike Caro's Guide to Doyle Brunson's Super/System - A Course In Power Poker . Additional learning material to accompany Brunson's legendary bible on poker - for which Mike Caro was named one of Brunson's five expert collaborators.
TV, Video, Radio Video: Play to Win Poker, featuring Caro and TV's "Grizzly Adams," Dan Haggerty.
Video: Caro's Power Poker Seminar. Filmed at the Bicycle Club Casino and the Hollywood Park Casino in 1994, this video captures the essence of Caro's seminars, which are far and away the best-attended in the industry.
Video: Caro's Pro Poker Tells on Video . The definitive production on the topic of interpreting opponents' mannerisms. Based on Mike Caro's Book of Tells - The Body Language of Poker. (This tells video was the first object to appear on screen in the 1998 movie about poker, Rounders.)
Video: Caro's Major Poker Seminar . Filmed at Hollywood Park Casino in 1994 with more than 300 in attendance, including top professional players and world champions.
From August, 1990 to January, 1992, Caro provided weekly odds and commentary on current events over radio "superstation" KVEG, airing from Las Vegas to 12 states and Canada. In doing so, Caro has put together The Mad Genius Brain Trust-a highly regarded group of more than 40 experts in various fields. He frequently consults with them before announcing the odds on such questions as "Will a human land safely on Mars before 2020?" and "Who will be the next President?"
Has appeared in many TV segments and features including Hard Copy in 1998 and the TV version of Ripley's Believe It or Not? with his computer, Orac. This was a $250,000 challenge pitting the computer against Bob Stupak, owner of Vegas World. (Stupak won, but the computer is ready for its comeback against three world champions-most likely at a major casino within two years.)
Has made numerous TV and radio appearances, both nationally and regionally.
Featured Columns
Seminars
University Of Poker
Research
Caro's poker and gambling statistics are often quoted today. His research and theories are noted in at least 40 gaming books other than his own.
Frequently provides odds on games and promotions to major casinos, using computer programming tools which he developed .
In 1990, he began to market Poker Probe, a professional research program that analyzes 15 different forms of poker on IBM personal computers. Among his other computer research projects are a baccarat program, which he made available free to the public, and a video poker analyzer functionally identical with machines found in public casinos.
He has developed elaborate computer software to analyze all forms of poker. The most important is a set of programming tools called "Mike Caro's Poker Engine." In 1987, he outlined the contents of the Engine before the Seventh Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking, sponsored by the University of Nevada Reno. He has been guest speaker at the Los Angeles chapter of the world's largest association for artificial intelligence experts and enthusiasts. A blackjack engine is in the works.
His technical strategies for seven stud, draw, lowball and hold 'em (sold only by mail and at seminars) are used by advanced poker players and mathematicians.
Articles About
Editorial
Gaming Industry
In 1992, he brought the first world-class poker tournament to the east coast. Held at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, it was called the World Poker Finals. The tournament was the first to use a four-color deck and to bring corporate sponsorship (on a limited basis) to poker tournaments.
When the Bicycle Club Casino opened in 1984, he held the title of Chief Strategist with an independent office on premises, which he used for research and to allow players to report suspected cheating in confidence.
In 1986, he was announced as General Manager of the Huntington Park Casino. Public awareness of his presence led to an immediate and dramatic increase in business, as documented by city records.
Served as spokesperson for Canadian Mist whiskey, bringing charity poker tournaments to Miami and Minneapolis. (Both Tom Bowling, first general manager of Hollywood Park Casino, and Rick Cole, its first vice president of casino operations served as Caro's tournament directors on this project.)
Served as expert witness for card clubs in battle with attorney general of California in jackpot poker case. His computer research served as a key exhibit in showing that jackpots were not purely based on luck and therefore not a lottery.
Was brought in from Nevada as the key witness the night the Huntington Park city council voted to allow hold 'em and pai gow to be spread. This started the entire process upon which the majority of profits in California casinos are now based.
His computer research and personal analysis of games, odds, and procedures has been used reliably by casinos for at least 16 years.
Among the casinos using his "house way" for pai gow poker are the Bay 101 Casino, the Hollywood Park Casino, and the Bicycle Club Casino.
He has written or helped to write at least six rule books, and several rules based on his words are so widespread (i.e., plagiarized) that they are virtually public domain.
He has lectured extensively on casino management to the California Card Club Association, the University of Nevada, Reno, the American Association of City Administrators, the 1st and 2nd Annual World Poker Industry Conferences, and to major gaming expositions.
He was keynote speaker for Casino Player's gaming convention at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City in 1995 and for the BARGE Internet gamblers' convention in both 1996 and 1998.
He has addressed and moderated forums before the annual World Poker Industry Conference in Las Vegas in 1996, 1997, and 1999.
He has taught poker room management as a guest instructor at the University of Nevada, Reno, and has taught a course on poker through Clark County Community College (Las Vegas).
In 1994, Mike Caro received a lifetime achievement award at the Bicycle Club Casino. The plaque including the words, "Unquestionably today's foremost authority on poker strategy, psychology and statistics, you are among the most influential and respected advisors in the industry." The literature accompanying the award read: "From rules to policies to promotions, from his campaign for the four-color deck to his efforts to keep all games honest, whenever you see something new and beneficial, there's a good chance it has Mike Caro written all over it." Speaking on his behalf were Tom Bowling, general manager of the Hollywood Park Casino, June Field, founder of Card Player magazine, and Doyle Brunson, twice world champion of poker.
Other
Caro is himself a highly regarded poker professional. Twice world champion Doyle Brunson calls him "the finest draw player alive." Noted gambling authority David Sklansky rated Caro #1 on his list of top living draw poker players. Authority John Scarne, in his book Scarne's Guide to Modern Poker, calls Caro one of the five best draw players in the world today.
He has been vocal in promoting the four-color deck (which makes each suit identifiable by a separate color), and introduced it at his World Poker Finals at Foxwoods in 1992. He was a spokesman for Yaquinto Playing Cards, manufacturers of a four-color deck.
His 1996 roast at Hollywood Park was attended by 530 guests, including industry dignitaries representing over 20 casinos from around the country. Speakers included: leading owners and executives - John Sutton, George Hardie, Tom Bowling; major poker players - Doyle Brunson, Tom McEvoy and Mike Sexton; the leading law enforcement expert on California gaming - Greg Chapin; and both the founder and the president of Card Player magazine - Phil Field and Scott Rogers.
Mike Caro is acknowledged as a leader in promoting honesty in gambling. His Cheater Monitoring Service solicited information on scams from around the world. He held an independent office for the service on premises at the Bicycle Club Casino in Los Angeles and invited players to exchange information in absolute confidence. He refuses to teach advanced students unless they pledge to abide by specific ethical standards.
