It’s hard to imagine any gambler hasn’t heard of Anthony Curtis. But I’m sure some haven’t.
But even if you haven’t heard of Anthony Curtis, you might be familiar with the Las Vegas Advisor or Huntington Press. And if you’re familiar with either of those businesses, Anthony Curtis owns and runs both.
Not only does Curtis run the Las Vegas Advisor and Huntington Press, but he’s also a member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame and one of the experts popular media outlets turn to for gambling and Las Vegas advice and answers.
Keep reading to learn more about Anthony Curtis.
Blackjack Player
While most people know Anthony Curtis from the Las Vegas Advisor and Huntington Press, he also has a history of advantage blackjack play. In fact, he’s had such an impact on gambling and blackjack that he’s in the Blackjack Hall of Fame.
After quitting college at Duke, he traveled to Las Vegas after reading How to Win at Blackjack. Before long he became a member of a professional blackjack team run by Stanford Wong. I don’t know how long he worked with Wong, but the fact that Curtis was good enough to work on one of Wong’s teams says all you need to know about his blackjack abilities.
Curtis won $72,000 at the Las Vegas Hilton in a Matchplay Blackjack tournament. He also took home a $60,000 prize in a Las Vegas Blackjack Championship.
Writer
In addition to his work on the Las Vegas Advisor and at the Huntington Press, Curtis has also written a few books.
His first book, Bargain City, Booking, Betting, and Beating the New Las Vegas is out of print. He also co-authored the book The Art of Gambling with Arthur Flowers.
He also produces and writes much of the content found on the Las Vegas Advisor site and has been quoted by media outlets like the LA Times, Newsday, USA Today, the London Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
In addition to his writing and media coverage, Anthony has been featured on Dateline NBC and 48 Hours.
The Las Vegas Advisor
You can’t talk about Anthony Curtis without talking about the Las Vegas Advisor. Anthony Curtis and the Las Vegas Advisor are basically the same.
Curtis started the Las Vegas Advisor, or the LVA, as a newsletter in 1983, and has been producing it every month since then. The current newsletter is delivered using email, which you can sign up for, for free, on his website. Or you can get a subscription to the print version of the newsletter and the LVA coupon book for a fee.
You can visit the site here: Las Vegas Advisor
Once you get to the site, under the member benefits tab to the top left, click on free gold membership. When you sign up for the newsletter you receive news and deals on all of the best things in Las Vegas.
Here’s a quick overview of what you can find on the Las Vegas Advisor site:
Top Features
In the top features section of the site you can find top 10 lists, questions of the day, reader polls, webcams, Las Vegas news, the Las Vegas Advisor YouTube videos, and frequently asked questions.
The top features tab can be found to the upper left of the screen, just to the right of the member benefits tab.
I enjoy the question of the day section. And the top 10 lists are as good as you can find anywhere online for all things Las Vegas.
Stay
The stay section of the site, located to the right of the top features button, has the best hotel and vacation deals available. The Las Vegas Advisor is so popular that the casinos and hotels know a listing on the site brings new customers. So the casinos make sure they offer good deals on the LVA.
Not only can you book your room in the stay section, but you can also find a list of all hotels in Las Vegas, how much parking costs, and a list of dreaded resort fees.
Resort fees usually aren’t quoted in listed prices, so it’s important to know about them before booking a hotel stay.
Buffets
I don’t know about you, but the buffets are one of my favorite things about visiting Las Vegas. And the LVA keeps a current list of buffets in Las Vegas.
The buffets tab can be found between the stay and shows tabs.
The buffet list includes hours of operation, prices, and a rating. And if there’s a current coupon or deal, it’s listed on this page.
Shows
The next tab, located to the right of the buffest tab, lists the current shows and entertainment available in Las Vegas. And you can buy tickets for popular shows in this tab as well.
I didn’t count the number of shows listed, but there are well over 100. The listings include days and times for each show, as well as where the shows run.
Gamble
One of the most popular sections on the LVA site comes next. Listed to the right of the shows tab, the gamble tab opens up to a page where you can find information on all things gambling in Las Vegas.
In this section, you can access a list of all casinos in and around Las Vegas, a game room where you can play free casino games, links to the Gambling with an Edge blog and podcast, and Jean Scott’s Frugal Vegas.
Gambling Books
The gambling books tab sits between the gamble and blogs tabs. And this is where you can find just about any gambling related book you want.
Sections of the book store include:
- Blackjack
- Poker
- Slots and video poker
- Crime and the mob
- History
You can also find information about LVA membership and strategy cards in the gambling books section.
Blogs
Located toward the upper right, beside the gambling books tab, the blogs tab provides links to some of the top Las Vegas blogs.
Blogs include:
- Gambling with an Edge
- Vegas with an Edge
- LVA Travel
- Stiffs and Georges
- Frugal Vegas
Forums
While online forums aren’t as popular as they once were, the LVA forums are still active. Located to the top right, beside the blogs tab, visit the forums to ask questions about Las Vegas or learn from what others post.
Huntington Press
If you read a lot of gambling books as I do, the odds are good that you own at least one book published by the Huntington Press. Anthony Curtis owns and runs the Huntington Press. He started the business in 1983.
In many ways, the Huntington Press and LVA are closely related. But from the outside, they operate as two separate companies.
Here’s a list of popular titles published by Huntington Press:
- Advantage Yahtzee by Olaf Vancura
- The Battle for Las Vegas: The Law vs. the Mob by Dennis Griffin
- Blackjack Attack: Playing the Pros’ Way by Don Schlesinger
- Blackjack Blueprint by Rick Blaine
- Blackjack for Blood by Bryce Carlson
- Burning the Tables in Las Vegas by Ian Andersen
- The Frugal Gambler by Jean Scott
- Gambling Wizards by Richard Munchkin
- Knock-Out Blackjack by Ken Fuchs and Olaf Vancura
- Million Dollar Video Poker by Bob Dancer
- Sharp Sports Betting by Stanford Wong
- The Theory of Blackjack by Peter Griffin
For a complete list of books, visit the Huntington Press book page.
Huntington Press also produces strategy cards and gambling software.
Blackjack Hall of Fame
I don’t know why it took so long, but Anthony Curtis was finally inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame in 2020.
The Blackjack Hall of Fame started in 2002 with seven members. After 2005 only one new member can be added each year.
The physical Blackjack Hall of Fame can be found in the Barona Casino in San Diego, California. A funny story goes along with induction to the Hall. The Barona provides lifetime comps for a room, drinks, and food. But the members have to agree to never play blackjack at the Barona.
Anthony Curtis has influenced blackjack play and players in many ways over the years. As an advantage blackjack player, through books published by Huntington Press, and his popular LVA newsletter and site, his inclusion in the Blackjack Hall of Fame is a deserving honor.
Conclusion
If you didn’t know who Anthony Curtis was before visiting this post, you know all about him now. Through years of publishing the best gambling books and his work with the LVA, Curtis has been providing quality information for gamblers since 1983.
If you plan on visiting Las Vegas, check out the LVA site for the latest deals. And if you want to learn anything about gambling, the Huntington Press probably has what you need.
I own many books published by the Huntington Press and receive the LVA online newsletter. I can tell you from experience that Anthony Curtis delivers value in everything he does.