Rant: I quit, thanks for the help bj21

snorky

Well-Known Member
#1
Right now I'm sitting in my comped 5 star hotel room in Vegas at 4 in the morning reflecting to myself. I finally hit the point where I'm convinced this game is very hard to make a living off of. My relatively young age brings me to expose my ID every trip. I've lost the motivation and faith as well. Heavy camoflauge is highly necessay while little to none gets you backed off every so often. Experienced pit bosses can probably detect a lot more than I expect, so I always feel as if I'm being hunted. The activity is also very lonesome and can lead to degeneracy. I finally hit a downswing (with bad decisions made such as over betting/comp grinding/last minute travel expenses) that wiped a little over 50% of my profit within a month span (approx $20,000). It's time to venture onto other options. Thanks for your help bj21. I learned a lot about AP the past 5 months. I'll be back for sure but only as recreation.

To other aspiring counters, Gl and stick to single decks.
To those that made it, I'm jealous.
 
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#2
Snorky

snorky said:
Right now I'm sitting in my comped 5 star hotel room in Vegas at 4 in the morning reflecting to myself. I finally hit the point where I'm convinced this game is very hard to make a living off of. My relatively young age brings me to expose my ID every trip. I've lost the motivation and faith as well. Heavy camoflauge is highly necessay while little to none gets you backed off every so often. Experienced pit bosses can probably detect a lot more than I expect, so I always feel as if I'm being hunted. The activity is also very lonesome and can lead to degeneracy. I finally hit a downswing (with bad decisions made such as over betting/comp grinding/last minute travel expenses) that wiped a little over 50% of my profit within a month span (approx $20,000). It's time to venture onto other options. Thanks for your help bj21. I learned a lot about AP the past 5 months. I'll be back for sure but only as recreation.

To other aspiring counters, Gl and stick to single decks.
To those that made it, I'm jealous.
Snorky, BJ21? :laugh:

Sorry to hear your story, but that happens to many that attempt the Pro Gambling route.

You are so correct about the ID and being hunted, backed off, etc. No fun and it will only get worse.:(

I take it you have never associated with other AP's from this site or BJ21, that could have made a big difference in your experiences. Anyways, I do feel bad for you and wish you a very good life and come back here anytime my friend.:)

CP
 

stopgambling

Well-Known Member
#3
you only won less $$$,so you called it bad?!!You have done a lot better than a lot folks and at that age you have many opportunities . good luck ,bro !! i do not think it is that hard ,only because of your situation and expectation are different.
 

kewljason

Well-Known Member
#4
snorky said:
Right now I'm sitting in my comped 5 star hotel room in Vegas at 4 in the morning reflecting to myself. I finally hit the point where I'm convinced this game is very hard to make a living off of. My relatively young age brings me to expose my ID every trip. I've lost the motivation and faith as well. Heavy camoflauge is highly necessay while little to none gets you backed off every so often. Experienced pit bosses can probably detect a lot more than I expect, so I always feel as if I'm being hunted. The activity is also very lonesome and can lead to degeneracy. I finally hit a downswing (with bad decisions made such as over betting/comp grinding/last minute travel expenses) that wiped a little over 50% of my profit within a month span (approx $20,000). It's time to venture onto other options. Thanks for your help bj21. I learned a lot about AP the past 5 months. I'll be back for sure but only as recreation.

To other aspiring counters, Gl and stick to single decks.
To those that made it, I'm jealous.
You make some good points. One being the lonesome and degeneracy comments. I think many of us have more of a loner quality than the general public. That's not to say that we can't or don't interact with other or other people, but I think we enjoy or are more tolerant of spending a great deal of time alone. The degeneracy comment is interesting. Something Auto Monk has alluded to many times. The casino environment will be a real danger to anyone who has those sort of issues or makeup of there personality. I guess I am blessed not to have those issues.

Also, youth or appearing young is an additional obstacle for younger players. But it is an obstacle, not a blockade! If it is a problem for you, at many casinos you can report to the security podium and show your Id and they give you a temporary bracelet that indicates you are of legal age. (similar to how night clubs do it) This will stop the pit critters and dealers from asking for your id. Of course the downside is that the casino already has your info, but at least they have to take that extra step to put things together and often casino's aren't the best at coordinating things like that.

Also, a comment about your advise for aspiring counters to stick to the best games. Often these games are counter traps. They are set up strictly to attract counters and are closely watched and protected. Often to the point that they overlook and ignore games at the very next table that are viewed as not as good, which often makes the 'not as good games' the better opportunity. ;)

Sounds like you recently experienced a down turn on the roller-coaster ride. This ride is part of the business and obviously this aspect doesn't appeal to everyone. Actually, it doesn't appeal to most of us, but we come to accept it.
 
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#5
tough stuff

Gotta man up

Probably the hardest part is a CC is involved in a volatile investment where you witness the volatility. It's not like a mutual fund that one can ignore. We also have the stress of total control of bets, plays, % of bank to bet.

Sounds like perhaps betting a high fraction of Kelly? Oh, wait you overbet!:whip:

Realize overbetting causes you to LOSE & the bigger bets draws the heat your afraid of!

A Kelly. Bettor can lose 10% to 20 % of bank in one round!:(
Then have to immediately cut their bets:mad: so they have to win more rounds to get back to even!:confused:
 

Dyepaintball12

Well-Known Member
#6
I recommend playing with a team. It erases the "loneliness" which I cannot stand and also lowers variance and increases profit.

And KJ is exactly right about those wristbands. I mean even without those yeah you have to show your ID but usually it's just once to the dealer and they're only looking at your birthday.
 

Zerg

Active Member
#7
I can relate

I hit my last ATH in June, and by mid July had lost about half. I have thought about quitting many times.

Quitting isn't so bad. For the rest of your life blackjack will be fun. When you switch to recreation you can look forward to smaller spreads, less heat, and free vacations. Think of your time playing professionally as a good experience. If you compare it to another job that just didn't work out, I think you will be happy.

Zerg
 

flyingwind

Well-Known Member
#8
I recommend pursuing a professional degree. Follow in the footsteps of the author of Blueprints in BJ. Become a Fortune 500 executive.
 

kewljason

Well-Known Member
#9
Zerg said:
I hit my last ATH in June, and by mid July had lost about half. I have thought about quitting many times.

Quitting isn't so bad. For the rest of your life blackjack will be fun. When you switch to recreation you can look forward to smaller spreads, less heat, and free vacations. Think of your time playing professionally as a good experience. If you compare it to another job that just didn't work out, I think you will be happy.

Zerg
Sounds like our "July's" were similar, Zerg. I hit many new highes the first half of the year, the last one being June 30. By the first week in August I had dropped a third of my BR. :eek:

What made this particular period even more excruciating for me was that I was forced to take a break at this exact moment. (medical not financial reason) This gave me almost 3 months to dwell on this particular period. maybe some sort of mental test? :confused: If so, I failed miserably. :eek:
 

bigplayer

Well-Known Member
#10
snorky said:
Right now I'm sitting in my comped 5 star hotel room in Vegas at 4 in the morning reflecting to myself. I finally hit the point where I'm convinced this game is very hard to make a living off of. My relatively young age brings me to expose my ID every trip. I've lost the motivation and faith as well. Heavy camoflauge is highly necessay while little to none gets you backed off every so often. Experienced pit bosses can probably detect a lot more than I expect, so I always feel as if I'm being hunted. The activity is also very lonesome and can lead to degeneracy. I finally hit a downswing (with bad decisions made such as over betting/comp grinding/last minute travel expenses) that wiped a little over 50% of my profit within a month span (approx $20,000). It's time to venture onto other options. Thanks for your help bj21. I learned a lot about AP the past 5 months. I'll be back for sure but only as recreation.

To other aspiring counters, Gl and stick to single decks.
To those that made it, I'm jealous.
Sounds like you've got other issues besides skill playing blackjack and casinos checking your ID. I agree though it's tough to play BJ if you look really young.
 

Coach R

Well-Known Member
#14
snorky said:
Right now I'm sitting in my comped 5 star hotel room in Vegas at 4 in the morning reflecting to myself. I finally hit the point where I'm convinced this game is very hard to make a living off of. My relatively young age brings me to expose my ID every trip. I've lost the motivation and faith as well. Heavy camoflauge is highly necessay while little to none gets you backed off every so often. Experienced pit bosses can probably detect a lot more than I expect, so I always feel as if I'm being hunted. The activity is also very lonesome and can lead to degeneracy. I finally hit a downswing (with bad decisions made such as over betting/comp grinding/last minute travel expenses) that wiped a little over 50% of my profit within a month span (approx $20,000). It's time to venture onto other options. Thanks for your help bj21. I learned a lot about AP the past 5 months. I'll be back for sure but only as recreation.

To other aspiring counters, Gl and stick to single decks.
To those that made it, I'm jealous.
Snorky
I understand what you mean. I have coached basketball for over thirty years. A few yrs back I wasn't enjoying it anymore. The "ends" suddenly stopped justifying "means" Although I was making a very good living at it, it just wasn't fun anymore. For 3 yrs I vested my time in something else, and did very well in that venture, mainly because I liked what I was doing. Last yr I accepted a new coaching position, and the fire is back, I am enjoying it as much as ever. I guess I just needed a break. Bottom line is, B.J. is a game, it should be fun although it is a lot of work. If you have a passion for something, go for it, don't do it just to make money, life is too short.
Good luck
 
#15
kewljason said:
Sounds like our "July's" were similar, Zerg. I hit many new highes the first half of the year, the last one being June 30. By the first week in August I had dropped a third of my BR. :eek:

What made this particular period even more excruciating for me was that I was forced to take a break at this exact moment. (medical not financial reason) This gave me almost 3 months to dwell on this particular period. maybe some sort of mental test? :confused: If so, I failed miserably. :eek:
What were you three thinking? Ploppy rule #29 never play BJ in a summer month that starts in a "J". Did you lose your ploppy handbook?:laugh:
 

Dyepaintball12

Well-Known Member
#18
Zerg said:
I hit my last ATH in June, and by mid July had lost about half. I have thought about quitting many times.

Quitting isn't so bad. For the rest of your life blackjack will be fun. When you switch to recreation you can look forward to smaller spreads, less heat, and free vacations. Think of your time playing professionally as a good experience. If you compare it to another job that just didn't work out, I think you will be happy.

Zerg
How could you play BJ for fun after playing it as an AP? Once I started AP'ing I couldn't gamble for "fun" anymore!
 

Zerg

Active Member
#19
kewljason said:
Sounds like our "July's" were similar, Zerg. I hit many new highes the first half of the year, the last one being June 30.
Sounds like our entire year was similar! This spring I was on fire, doubled my bankroll twice. Seemed like I couldn't lose. I am finally getting back up close to an ATH. There is a number barrier that I have approached three times now. If I pass it this time, it is going to feel like I deserve it.

How could you play BJ for fun after playing it as an AP? Once I started AP'ing I couldn't gamble for "fun" anymore!
I see what you are saying and agree about blackjack, but I still like to gamble for fun with friends. I enjoy drinking and playing nickel craps. I had a great time losing about $200 worth of YO bets on 11-11-11! If you play small stakes take advantage of free drinks (and avoid YO bets :)) it really can be cheap entertainment.

If I were to quit playing professionally I think it would be fun to play blackjack less frequently for comps. I have a friend who is a computer programer. He is currently unemployed, hated his old job. But now he spends a few hours a week programing things he enjoys. I think it would be similar with blackjack.
 

aslan

Well-Known Member
#20
kewljason said:


Also, a comment about your advise for aspiring counters to stick to the best games. Often these games are counter traps. They are set up strictly to attract counters and are closely watched and protected. Often to the point that they overlook and ignore games at the very next table that are viewed as not as good, which often makes the 'not as good games' the better opportunity. ;)

Good point.

Sounds like you recently experienced a down turn on the roller-coaster ride. This ride is part of the business and obviously this aspect doesn't appeal to everyone. Actually, it doesn't appeal to most of us, but we come to accept it.

Actually, I'd be surprised if it appealed to anyone [in their right mind]. :eek:
.
 
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