CBlez: Winning, Betting & Happiness: Lessons from a Pro Gambler | DSH #1460

Alright guys, we are at NBA Summer League here with a returning guest C Blaz.

Third time's a charm.

Let's go baby.

Excited to be here.

I love talking to you.

It's awesome.

You just made a deep run in the World Series too.

My first big tournament ever.

I've never entered the main event.

I decided to play it this year and it went really well.

I got 445th place.

I guess now I should maybe play more poker.

I honestly didn't think I was good, but then I learned a lot by playing in the tournament.

It was good.

Have you ever played any tournaments?

I've done the celebrity poke tournament, but that's not really skill-based.

It's a turbo tournament.

Yeah, with more influencers, right?

Yeah, but no, you made a Deep Ron, dude, for someone that doesn't play.

Like, that's impressive.

How much of that was lucky, you think?

You got to get lucky, and you got to play good.

It's a mixture of both.

Like, the Final Four is going on right now.

I was watching the Final Table.

Ms.

Rocky, he had all in ace king against Kings, which is very hard because you only have three outs, or if you could make a straight.

Yeah.

He ended up pulling an ace on the final card.

He plays really well, but you also have to have some moments where you're going to get lucky.

That's just how poker goes.

Yeah.

Does your brother teach you at all or he keeps it a secret?

He's never taught me anything.

If you guys don't know, my brother plays all the high stakes, $50,000 buy-ins, $100,000.

He's considered one of the best players in the world.

But he never taught me anything.

I've played maybe 100 times cash games, and that's all the experience I've had.

I don't really play much.

I do sports betting more.

But I'm good at feeling things.

That's kind of how I am as a person.

I have good empathy.

I can see what's going on at the table.

I can learn from the dynamics of what people are doing.

So I take a different approach as opposed to just like math and GTO, which is what a lot of people do.

I don't even know what GTO is.

I've never looked at it.

So I'm more of a feel and dynamics type of player.

I feel the how's the sports betting going this year?

Are you up or down?

I'm having a great year.

I'm up about like 300K this year.

That's insane.

For sports betting, that is not normal, right?

That's like unheard of I mean it's yeah most people obviously don't win but I figured it out I used to lose when I was in my early 20s as I told you on the previous podcast but now I'm sharpening up a lot of people out there probably saw my Pacers bets to win the East to win the NBA Finals got one game away It was a good bet regardless.

I'm not going to sit here and be like, oh, I should have won, but I'm happy about what I'm doing this year.

It's been great.

Yeah, 1K for the Pacers to win, 126K, right?

Yeah.

And if Halle Burton didn't get injured, you think they would have won that?

I mean,

I don't like to talk about the what-ifs.

A lot of people are saying they should have won, but

it's not meant to be.

I think maybe next year, I'm not going to bet on the Pacers because Halliburton's going to be out, but

it's all about just like things happen for a reason.

So I'm not one of those people that's going to be like, what if.

He was playing good at the start.

I think he was three for four from three, and the ball wasn't even touching the rim.

Perfect swishes.

I'm satisfied.

I think the content from it was obviously unbelievable.

The fact that it went all the way to the seventh game of the NBA Finals, I got so much good content out of it, hundreds of thousands of views, millions of views on a lot of my posts.

I'm just overall very ecstatic with the outcome.

Yeah, you definitely capitalized on that.

Any of these off-season NBA trades you think will have an impact on who wins next year?

For me, it's really too early to tell.

If you notice, I bet the Pacers on early April, it was like April 12th.

I like to look and see what's happening throughout the season because obviously there's going to be more trades throughout the season in the NBA.

A lot of players shift.

I like to see who's playing well at the end of the year.

People are asking me now who am I picking for the NBA to win it next year.

People are asking me who am I picking in baseball to win it.

I don't just force action.

I need to wait and pick my spots.

That's why I picked the Pacers.

That's why I picked the Chiefs to win it all two years ago.

That's why I picked the Miami Heat to win the East three, four years ago when they played the Nuggets and they were the eighth seed and I had Miami.

I wait, I look for opportunity, and then I pounce.

I'm not one of those bettors that says,

I go place three bets today and I lost.

I'm going to go bet ping pong at 4 a.m.

I'm not going to do that.

I like to pick my opportunities, wait for my spots, never go on tilt, and just be spart about it.

You're good at those underdog bets.

I feel like those are hard.

I like to take long shots.

That's just kind of my style.

I don't really want to bet the favorite.

Oklahoma City, people who bet them to win it all, they didn't even get a great return.

They were like plus 150, plus 200 to win the finals throughout the whole year.

They were a favorite to win the West.

They were minus 150.

two months before the playoffs to win the West.

That's insane.

I would never take a bet like that.

I'm always looking for the value.

I want to see a team that's that has a chance at a good price.

That's what I look for.

Is SGA the best player in the league right now?

I don't think so.

I would still say Jokic is better, Giannis is better.

Probably,

I mean, I used to love Luca, but I don't think he cares enough.

I think

SGA, he just...

He's such a baiter into the fouls.

I really do.

If you look at the play in game five, Pacers Thunder, the refs just completely fucked the Pacers.

There's one play at the end of the game where Shay clearly travels.

He took four steps, 100% took three steps.

He pushes off a lot, and they never call it.

I feel like he gets an unfair whistle.

I feel like the refs are always on Oklahoma City's side, especially, I don't know why.

In the finals,

I'd rather see an underdog story personally.

I'd rather see a team doing it the right way.

And I believe the Pacers are are a motto not only in basketball but how you should live life.

Team efforts, nobody's bigger than the team.

Everybody plays a part.

I think that is the ultimate style of basketball that should be winning and setting the trend going forward for how it should be played.

Oklahoma City, a lot of bogus goes on there, a lot of foul baiting.

The refs are on their side.

I don't know why, because they're a small market.

It doesn't really make much sense.

I think Shea is very overrated.

I think he's good, but I don't think he's a top five player in the league today.

Yeah, refing is always an issue in sports, right?

The thing is in basketball and football, it's such a factor.

When you're playing tennis or UFC,

a one-on-one combat sport or a one-on-one sport in general, it's a lot harder for the ref to have an impact.

But when you're in football and basketball, the refs just have way too much power.

And I think it's...

It's very hard to get these calls right, especially with the block charging and the challenges.

I think the challenges need to go away.

The challenges are terrible for the game.

Anytime there's a call, every player is going like this.

It's the dumbest thing of all time.

They should just do away with it.

Whatever the ref calls, you just go with like old school basketball.

I feel like the challenges are really hurting the game because now it's like you have one challenge.

If you win, you get another.

When does this end?

They're just going to keep adding challenges.

It's not about getting the call right, in my opinion.

It's more about just playing basketball, not complaining.

When the ref makes a call, you turn the other way and get back on defense.

You don't complain, go like this and cost yourself.

I just think it's completely ridiculous with this challenge stuff.

It's a fair point.

You can also use a challenge to rest if you're tired or if you're gassed.

Exactly.

You save the challenge at the end of the game, your stars are playing, or if it goes to overtime and then you want to sit and rest and get an extra time out.

I just think the challenges are hurting the game more than they're helping.

LeBron rookie card or one Bitcoin?

I'm a massive believer in Bitcoin.

Obviously people know I love sports cards too.

I think Bitcoin is, I think everybody in the world should buy whatever they can afford per week on Coinbase, put a recurring buy and never look at it ever again.

Five, ten years, you'll be rich.

For you, I'd probably buy $5,000 a week.

For someone else, maybe $1,000.

For someone else, maybe $100.

A lot of people are saying, I can only buy a portion of a Bitcoin.

It doesn't make sense for me to buy buy it.

That's the complete wrong mentality.

You just want to buy Bitcoin on Coinbase.

You could do a recurring buy, which means every week or every day or every month, it just takes it out of your account.

Everybody has an extra $100 to spend in a week.

People are going out to the club, people are doing Uber Eats, paying fees.

Just take $100, do a recurring buy.

That's $5,200 in a year.

Over time, it compounds.

At the end of five years, you'll be a millionaire.

I just had Grant Cardone's brother on.

He put 86% of his liquid net worth into Bitcoin.

I'm kind of like that, too.

I just feel like over the next five to 10 years, it's going to be the best investment over the S ⁇ P, over sports cards.

I make money in betting, and then I throw it into Bitcoin.

I mean, dude, it's at 122K right now.

Gary said it'll do 21% a year on average over the next five years.

That's what I'm saying.

And 21%, that's 14% higher than the average S ⁇ P return.

That's usually 7 or 8%.

And then when you compound it, it gets even more.

So if you hold it and never sell it, years 5, 6, 7, and 8, you're making way more money than years one, two, three, and four.

You just have to hold it for that amount of time.

Absolutely.

If Braun gets another ring, will he surpass MJ?

I don't think it's possible.

He's lost too much.

It's just...

Jordan, he made six championships, never lost with a worse team.

LeBron, I just think he picks his opportunities and goes to these super teams.

He's chasing it way too much.

Just like anything in life, when you try super hard and people see it, it's not as good when you actually do it.

And that's what LeBron does.

He's a chaser of the rings.

He just wants to win at any cost.

I'm more of a believer in what Jordan did.

You stay with your team, you make it work, you find a way, you figure it out.

I respect that way more than changing teams four times in your career, going hunting for the championship, and then you can't even get it done.

I think he's one of the best players of all time, but I also think the way he went about things was not the best way.

Do you respect KD's championships, that being said?

It's the same thing.

He hasn't won without Golden State and Steph Curry.

He joined a team that was already the best team in the league and then he just made them a team that was unbeatable.

I think Kevin Durant's one of the best scorers of all time, but I don't think he's one of the best players of all time.

17 Warriors or 96 Bulls?

I mean we didn't really see the 96 Bulls.

What are you, like, 27?

I never saw it.

Yeah, I just watched highlights.

I never saw it, so it's

hard to say, but Jordan is the answer when it comes to basketball.

I'll just say that.

Yeah,

I think the Bulls would win.

I know that's a hot take these days, but...

The thing is, we're living in 2025, so everyone younger is going to pick the Warriors.

Everyone older is going to say Golden State.

And as time goes by, more people are going to say Golden State because our generation is now getting a voice and able to say things.

But I I just feel like what Jordan did was just, he won three, and then he took a break, and then he won another three, same team, not that many other great players.

I mean, Pippin and Rodman, I don't know how good they really were, but he didn't go to Cleveland or L.A.

or Boston and join forces with all these other players.

He made it work with what he had, and I really respect that.

Would you put Steph in the GOAT conversation right now?

Yes.

Really?

Yes.

I think he's ahead of those other two guys.

Wow.

I think he's the best modern day player because he also transcended the game.

If you look at the way that everybody's playing, I mean, we're at Summerlee right now.

Everyone's shooting threes.

Everyone wants to be Steph Curry.

When they're practicing, they're not going two feet from the basket doing some

form practice.

They're going to the three-point line.

And I honestly don't think that's the best way to play basketball.

I'm more a believer in inside out as opposed to outside in.

And I think Steph Curry is one of the only players that can make your team work outside

So I think it's interesting because he transcended the game.

I think the spacing that he creates is second to none.

You go for the pick and roll high, and then you get a five or four on three against the rest of the team.

Draymond, he's passing it out to the wings.

I think Steph changed the way that the game could be played, but I think not many players are capable of playing the way that they do.

Bars.

Cooper flag, what's his ceiling?

It's interesting.

I think he's,

I don't know if he could be a superstar.

I think he's more of an elite role player.

I'll say that.

I think he's a really good passer.

I think he's really smart.

But he doesn't need to be the guy on Dallas.

You have Kyrie, you have Anthony Davis, you have PJ Washington.

They have a great team out there.

I think if he just stays within his lane, he doesn't try to do too much.

I think you let Kyrie cook.

He hasn't had an opportunity in a while because Luke has been on his team.

I think Anthony Davis, if he's healthy, which is not a favorite,

I think Dallas is going to be really good.

I think Cooper Flagg just needs to stay solid, not try to do too much.

And I think that Dallas is going to be good.

You were telling me about that Asian guy that's popping off right now.

Hansen Yang.

Hansen Yang, remember that name.

The world needs to watch out for this kid.

He's 20 years old.

He came from China.

He was playing in their league last year.

He is incredible.

The things that he's doing, if you watch the highlights from the summer league, he's seven feet.

He's got amazing hands.

He could catch, he could pass, he's athletic, you see him changing directions and shifting to get blocks on the defensive end.

I think this guy, Hansen Yang, is somebody we need to watch out for in the sports card market.

He's probably going to be the second highest selling player from this rookie class after Cooper flag.

Wow.

Because of the Chinese market.

I was watching this first game the other day.

So many people from China came here to watch Han Sen Yang, and I think they're going to be buyers on his cards.

And I think American people are going to fall in love with him as well, just like they did with Yao.

I think he's going to be the second biggest Chinese player in the modern era after Yao.

Let's go.

This guy's incredible.

We haven't had a Chinese all-star since Yao, man.

We need that.

You're Chinese.

I'm half Chinese, yeah.

But I think having a big Chinese star in the NBA would be huge for business.

It's massive.

The Chinese market loves basketball.

They just love the NBA so much and the NBA shows the love back to China and I think this guy is going to revolutionize the sport in terms of how China is involved with the NBA.

Are you still buying a lot of sports cards right now?

Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm buying a lot of cheaper stuff.

The more expensive stuff is the market's very strong on the high-end stuff, but I did get burned a few times buying high-end, and I've done very well buying lower-end stuff because inherently there's less risk when you're buying cheaper cards.

So I'm doing that again where I buy cheaper cards, I send them to PSA, I get them graded.

There's a margin that you can make when you're getting cards graded.

I think that's the best opportunity for young collectors out there.

I think they should be buying 10 to $50 cards.

You get them graded for 20 bucks.

Hopefully you can get a PSA 10 and sell it for $150 or $200.

It's a lot harder to make money when you buy a graded card already because you need the performance of the player and the market to do well.

It's more risky.

Yeah, I'd rather buy a card raw and have a good eye to know if it's going to be a nine or a 10, hopefully a 10, get it graded.

That's an easier way to make money.

Yeah, you were so early on the card breaking space.

That's how we met like five years ago.

And now to see what they're doing at Fnatics Fest, it's just insane the growth of the industry.

All the celebrities and athletes are now getting in.

And the hobby's honestly in a way better place.

It obviously exploded during COVID, kind of came down a little bit in 2022, 2023.

Now we're at a healthy point where the market's a little bit more stable.

A lot of people are still getting in every single day.

The prices are very strong, especially on the high-end stuff.

I think the hobby's in a great spot.

That's good.

Are you getting back in a little bit?

I still have most of my guards, so.

You kept it?

I was down bad because I fell for that trap of just buying Zion rookies and John Morant rookies and got a little too excited.

It was all about timing, though.

Like, if people who left earlier made money, it's more...

That's what people don't understand.

A lot of the hobby is timing and market dynamics.

It's not really about, because if you held the job, you got burned, but if you sold it early, you made money.

So a lot of it's timing.

Yeah, 100%.

Let's end off with some NFL.

Have you begun researching and using your AI to start seeing where you want to bet?

I'm studying NFL right now.

I'm really excited for the season.

I think it's going to be...

the most explosive NFL season in a long time.

I always just look for the best opportunity.

I'm not really betting any futures yet.

I want to see a little bit more training camp and who's winning these jobs.

But NFL is something I'm really excited for.

Last year I took the commanders to beat the Lions in the playoffs plus 400.

I like to take big dogs and take shots sometimes, but I'm really hyped for the NFL.

I think it's going to be a great season.

I'm not really doing fantasy football.

I'm more into the betting on every Sunday and stuff like that.

Nice.

Have you bet on any Summer League games yet?

I actually have a few bets today on the Summer League.

I feel like that's hard to bet because you kind of don't know what teams are testing, right?

Yeah, but for me, it's good.

I like those opportunities because the bookmakers, they don't know as much as I do.

They have good information.

Oh, okay.

But the thing is, they don't let you bet that much.

Last year, I tried to bet 3,000 at the win.

They only let me bet a thousand.

Damn.

At the win?

That's like the best hotel to bet at.

For sports, they're not that good.

Oh.

But it's, I'm getting limited everywhere now.

The Pacers bets, I tried to bet 10,000.

He only gave me 1,000 on it.

Holy crap.

Dude, I would have won over.

I mean, they didn't win.

But my win payout would have been like 1.2 million, dude.

You could have cashed out in the finals, though, right?

If I had that bet, I would have hedged.

The fact that I only got $1,000 on it, everyone's asking why I didn't hedge.

It just wasn't...

big enough.

It's not enough for you.

Yeah, $1,000.

$1,000 risk, and I already won $30,000 on the East.

So it's like,

why would I hedge at that point?

Holy crap.

Have you been banned anywhere yet?

One casino I'm banned at.

I don't want to put them under the business.

What'd you do, though?

Just betting, dude.

You got banned for sports betting?

Yeah, it's insane.

The bookies, they only want to take losers.

People don't understand that if you lose, you can bet as much as you want, but if you win, they're going to limit you.

Every player they have a profile for, so they can see everything you're doing.

They make you put your player's card if you're betting big amounts.

So they know everything that I'm doing.

A lot of the times the sports hooks want to use me for information to move the line.

So they'll give me a thousand bucks and then they'll move the line and then they know where the market is supposed to be.

So if you're a losing better, you could bet 100,000, 200,000.

Why can I only bet 1,000?

It doesn't make any sense because they know something.

They know that I'm sharp and they want to use my information to settle the market.

You know what I mean?

Yeah, yeah.

Would you be open to this idea?

I literally just thought of this.

A sports betting tournament.

So like you go heads up with sports betting influencers.

So it'd be you versus like Sean Perry or something, round of 16, and then the winner keeps advancing.

Yeah, that'd be cool, right?

I'm willing to put, I think I'm, I don't like to say like,

I'm not like, I'm humble, but like I'm willing, I believe in myself to just say that.

I feel like that'd go viral.

You take the top 16 sports bettors head to head.

Yeah, dude, that would would be great content.

Let's set that up.

Because everyone says these crazy numbers, but I want to actually see if you're

heads up with someone like that.

The thing is, most of these people, they're like not telling the truth.

Right, I figure that.

When they say like 50-0, I'm like, come on.

It's impossible.

They might be 50-0, but they're betting a minus 2,000.

I take a lot of underdogs.

I take plus 400.

I take plus...

300.

You know what I'm saying?

So it doesn't equate to the same level.

A lot of them are just like taking minus 1,000, which means that if you bet it 10 times, you're supposed to lose only once.

Right.

So it's, I'm just trying to win money.

You know what I'm saying?

I don't care about my record because I take a lot of dogs.

If I win 50%,

I'm winning a lot of money because I'm taking plus money odds.

So for me,

it's not really about the record.

It's more about just winning money at the end of the day.

Absolutely.

What's next for you, man?

Where can people find you?

Where can people play poker with you?

Check out CBlez on Instagram.

I have a few accounts, Blez Poker, Blez Bets.

On Twitter, it's Blez Bets.

A lot of people have been looking me up on Twitter recently.

I'm just trying to do great things, meet great people, and help people

just be successful in whatever I think in my own head is success.

I think everybody out there should just try to be as happy as they can.

It's not really about making money.

I think it's a false misconception.

In America, everybody's so concerned about what the other people are doing.

They want to make money.

They want to live like other people.

They have to realize: look within, try to be happy.

That's the most important thing.

Whatever makes you go, whatever makes you tick,

that's what I would be chasing.

I wouldn't be chasing money and external gratification.

It's more about yourself and trying to be happy.

Bars, I didn't expect that.

Let's go.

Check them out, guys.

Peace.

Thank you.