ZACK DESARIO

I was a champion level online poker player that realized
they were practicing data science for a living.

I taught myself python and became faculty
at one of the most successful data science bootcamps, Galvanize.

A year later, I got a job at Google.

At Google, I build machine learning algorithms for large scale data products.
I specialize in NLP research, feature engineering, algorithm deployment,
and artificial neural networks.

2009:
didn't know if a straight beat a flush.

2010:
finished fifth most profitable
high stakes player in 9-Man Tournaments.


This is how I did it \/

LTEV: Long Term Expected Value

With over 3,000,000 hands of poker played, I've been able to interact and study data a way no one really has before.


TO CONTINUE ON, PLEASE HIT YOUR DOWN ARROW KEY.

Using an equity analysis algorithm developed at M.I.T. and robust datamining techniques, I was able to create a mathematically profitable strategy.

Moreover, poker enabled me to think of data and how to use it in ways I couldn't before.

Nine weeks of poker data

Profit or Loss per week

Number of Games played per week

Interactive area chart of profits

BUILT WITH D3js

CUMULATIVE BAR CHART OF PROFITS PER WEEK

Organizing Columbia's Epidemiology citiation data through the ForceAtlas algorithm.
[use down arrow to go to next page]

FOR MORE, PLEASE HIT YOUR DOWN ARROW KEY.

The final outcome of all that data in websafe format.

MAPPING FACULTY DYNAMICS OF THE EPIDEMIOLOGY DEPARTMENT AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

Created with R, Gephi, and JavaScript

We can even run these organizing algorithms in the browser realtime.

Custom data visualizations

Upon discovering Processing, I also discovered that Jer Throp lives only 10 blocks away. I took all three of his workshops.
At the end we created this visualization of the air traffic at Denver Airport over a 24hr period.

Telling stories through design

[ TWO YEARS AS A GRAPHIC DESIGNER IN THE HAMPTONS AND NYC ]

I've traveled the world twice, wanna see?

->

I lived on this farm in the fall. It was across the street from where Jackson Pollock used to paint.


[ EAST HAMPTON, NY. FALL 2010 ]

Laos is like Thaliand, but 50 years ago.


[ Mung Nui, Laos. MAY 2010 ]

My brother going with the flow at Yellowstone National park.


[ WYOMING. SEPT 2010 ]

West Oz is great for surfing and seeing kangaroos.


[ MARGARET RIVER, AUSTRALIA. MAY 2009 ]

zacks favorite books

ME (AT) ZACKDESARIO (DOT) COM

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