Michael Shackleford (born May 23, 1965, in Pasadena, California, United States), also known as The Wizard of Odds (a title taken from Donald Angelini), is an American mathematician and an actuary. Shackleford is best known for his professional analysis of the mathematics of the casino games, and for founding the websites The Wizard of Odds and The Wizard of Vegas, which contain analyses and strategies for casino games. He is also an adjunct professor of actuarial science and mathematics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Shackleford discovered his affinity for mathematics when he began to study algebra in school at approximately 11 years old. He became interested in the mathematics of gambling at a young age after reading John Scarne’s Guide to Casino Gambling.