I had previously stated that some caution with family and close friends is in order for being open about blackjack playing. And I still believe this is true.
The reason I'm following up with a separate thread here is to draw attention to a BETTER way of dealing with this discussion. That and avoid responding to the typical trollish prix who flame garbage just for the sake of getting noticed.
I recently started dating this really great woman. A Buddist/former Jewish sweet sensitive easy going loving person. Damn good looking I might add. We are near inseparable these days.
Well just this evening she brought the subject of card playing/casino gambling. Unprovoked on my part! I mean like two hours ago! I thought about what the woman in the other topic had said. This is when i mentioned blackjack to my new girlfriend. I even got to the point of discussing basic strategy adjustments when the deck was loaded with higher value cards. that and the disadvantages the dealer has in those situations. After a bit I stopped and purposefully changed the subject to something totally different. She actually wanted me to keep on talking about 21.
But here's the significance: She approached me with her own self started element of interest. Huge difference than the one where the woman was wondering how to get her man on board with card playing. If you have to drag your S/O kicking and screaming to the tables the game is already lost!
And I will continue down this avenue with my new babe: Only mentioning casino games when she brings up the subject.
One of the most successful salesmen I ever met was also a very crafty panhandler. These two careers being nearly the same. He told me that the secret to his success (outside of being very outgoing and entertaining) was to get his clients to inquire as to his own personal life situation. Sure he might start a conversation with a stranger in order to make an introduction but...
But he never immediately tried to sell or con the stranger out of money. He let his client (or "mark") do that!
How so?
Well by engaging in conversation the stranger grew more comfortable with him. Later my friend would allow his new found acquaintance to ask a key question like "What are you doing when you get back to Santa Rosa"?
At which point my friend would say something like: "Oh well i don't know how I'm going to explain to my wife that I lost my billfold and the tickets to the Theater".
This was the key. The mark now felt great sadness that his new "friend" was suffering from the loss of the billfold. Actually in fact my friend hadn't lost anything at all. It was just an elaborate story designed to get strangers to part with their money.
And he turned these tricks out to the tune of maybe five hundred dollars a day! In 1978 dollars too!!!
Now compare that to the poor dumb hopeless panhandler bumming "spare change": The typical panhandler negotiates from weakness. A stranger may feel a tad bit of pity but probably the guy will get ignored. Or at best get a few nickels here and there. Most of the general public has a poor impression of him.
Not so my old friend: He negotiated from a strong position. Wore nice clothes and a friendly smile. Completely trustworthy in appearance. Seemingly more interested in his mark's welfare than his own.
OK he was kind of a sneaky guy and his technique not so appealing to most of us honest folk. But we can learn a valuable lesson from this guy: LISTEN to our friends. Allow them the chance to get to know us. Then stage and present ourselves in such a way so that they do not think we are compulsive gamblers or con men.
In business and life we meet and make friends much better when we make them feel more comfortable.
So: Don't wrestle with a live tiger. Just put some food out and let him walk into your home. Or your snare.
I suppose we could use my friend's technique with pit critters and dealers somewhat. It becomes more difficult to boot a player who has a personal connection with the pit crew. I used to send the pit crew up at (casino name deleted) Christmas cards and a few chocolates. At least giving candies to the female dealers anyway. Low cost treats or maybe just holiday goodies someone else sent me that i didn't care for. Christmas cards are cheap but the thought counts. I've raked that freaking casino pretty darn good over the past three years. They let me get away with a HUGE spread and to the best of my knowledge never analyzed my skills check upstairs.
. . .
At the end of our evening my new girlfriend mentioned "how neat it would be if we could take a trip up to Wine Country, and maybe get a chance to watch me play the tables"
She said that, not me!
The reason I'm following up with a separate thread here is to draw attention to a BETTER way of dealing with this discussion. That and avoid responding to the typical trollish prix who flame garbage just for the sake of getting noticed.
I recently started dating this really great woman. A Buddist/former Jewish sweet sensitive easy going loving person. Damn good looking I might add. We are near inseparable these days.
Well just this evening she brought the subject of card playing/casino gambling. Unprovoked on my part! I mean like two hours ago! I thought about what the woman in the other topic had said. This is when i mentioned blackjack to my new girlfriend. I even got to the point of discussing basic strategy adjustments when the deck was loaded with higher value cards. that and the disadvantages the dealer has in those situations. After a bit I stopped and purposefully changed the subject to something totally different. She actually wanted me to keep on talking about 21.
But here's the significance: She approached me with her own self started element of interest. Huge difference than the one where the woman was wondering how to get her man on board with card playing. If you have to drag your S/O kicking and screaming to the tables the game is already lost!
And I will continue down this avenue with my new babe: Only mentioning casino games when she brings up the subject.
One of the most successful salesmen I ever met was also a very crafty panhandler. These two careers being nearly the same. He told me that the secret to his success (outside of being very outgoing and entertaining) was to get his clients to inquire as to his own personal life situation. Sure he might start a conversation with a stranger in order to make an introduction but...
But he never immediately tried to sell or con the stranger out of money. He let his client (or "mark") do that!
How so?
Well by engaging in conversation the stranger grew more comfortable with him. Later my friend would allow his new found acquaintance to ask a key question like "What are you doing when you get back to Santa Rosa"?
At which point my friend would say something like: "Oh well i don't know how I'm going to explain to my wife that I lost my billfold and the tickets to the Theater".
This was the key. The mark now felt great sadness that his new "friend" was suffering from the loss of the billfold. Actually in fact my friend hadn't lost anything at all. It was just an elaborate story designed to get strangers to part with their money.
And he turned these tricks out to the tune of maybe five hundred dollars a day! In 1978 dollars too!!!
Now compare that to the poor dumb hopeless panhandler bumming "spare change": The typical panhandler negotiates from weakness. A stranger may feel a tad bit of pity but probably the guy will get ignored. Or at best get a few nickels here and there. Most of the general public has a poor impression of him.
Not so my old friend: He negotiated from a strong position. Wore nice clothes and a friendly smile. Completely trustworthy in appearance. Seemingly more interested in his mark's welfare than his own.
OK he was kind of a sneaky guy and his technique not so appealing to most of us honest folk. But we can learn a valuable lesson from this guy: LISTEN to our friends. Allow them the chance to get to know us. Then stage and present ourselves in such a way so that they do not think we are compulsive gamblers or con men.
In business and life we meet and make friends much better when we make them feel more comfortable.
So: Don't wrestle with a live tiger. Just put some food out and let him walk into your home. Or your snare.
I suppose we could use my friend's technique with pit critters and dealers somewhat. It becomes more difficult to boot a player who has a personal connection with the pit crew. I used to send the pit crew up at (casino name deleted) Christmas cards and a few chocolates. At least giving candies to the female dealers anyway. Low cost treats or maybe just holiday goodies someone else sent me that i didn't care for. Christmas cards are cheap but the thought counts. I've raked that freaking casino pretty darn good over the past three years. They let me get away with a HUGE spread and to the best of my knowledge never analyzed my skills check upstairs.
. . .
At the end of our evening my new girlfriend mentioned "how neat it would be if we could take a trip up to Wine Country, and maybe get a chance to watch me play the tables"
She said that, not me!
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