Just wanted to know.

[Bojack1]

Due to some recent posts that have actually made me rethink the reason I post on these blackjack message boards, I'm curious as to what people are thinking about the game. So I have just a few general questions to maybe help me understand what is making some of these people tick. Please, the more info the better, so I hope many will take the time to answer.

1) Do you consider yourself a serious or recreational player? Serious does not have to mean pro, but should mean you are definitely trying to win money everytime you play. Recreational could mean you're just having fun and let the chips fall where they may.

2) What would be your ultimate goal in playing blackjack?

3) What was/is your biggest influence you had/have in learning advantage play?

4) Since you started counting/advantage play have you been satisfied with the results. If yes why, if no why.

5) If you could meet any of the blackjack "greats" who would it be, and why do you consider them great? And what might you ask them or want to talk about?

Thats it, any who choose to answer don't feel you have to answer all the questions, just those that you want to. Have fun with it.

[iwantblackjack]

To be the first to answer: 1) i'm a serious recreational player! i play to have fun, try out AP, but with intention to win cash! 2) ultimate goal: win lots of money to pay taxes and buy homes; &/or, get 4 blackjack's in a row! so far havent acheived any. 3) biggest influence: cash!~money!~ skills!~ being advantage play!~ practicing!~ 4) not satisfied yet; it has helped sometimes, but not always and cash doesnt fly from the sky. 5) tough one.

[EasyRhino]

Interesting.

1) Serious, in that I want to win each time. More importantly, I want to see positive results over teh long term. But not 100% serious, because if it stops being fun at all, I'll stop (unless the money gets crazy good, which I don't expect)

2) My goal is to be able to go on vacation to a gambling-oriented place, bet big enough to be treated like a mid-level big shot. Get all kinds of fat comps. Then go home with a good chance of winnings. In other words, I want a vacation that pays me money.

I do not want to play as a sole vocation, which is an important distinction.

3) Honestly, probably this and other interweb message boards have been the biggest influence.

4) Results have been slightly better than expected, in that I didn't lose my starting bankroll. Other than the unusual smoothness of my bankroll curve... about as expected. (well, online bonus hustling was far more lucrative than initially anticipated)

5) Oh man. I enjoy the historical aspects of the art in general. I just ordered a bunch of the old books to try to bone up on the appropriate perspective (just finished Beat the Dealer). So maybe someone old-school, like Dr. Thorp (although his story is fairly well-accounted). Maybe some of the Big Ones who are no longer with us, like Ken Uston and Peter Griffin. Or maybe the four horsemen who developed basic strategy... because still seems like a titanic effort.

The most lucrative conversation would be someone really knowledgeable about casino management and surveillance. Bill Zender is probably the biggest name there.

[Jeff25]

1) I would consider myself a serious player. I dont consider standing around for long periods backcounting shoes "a fun time", but I do enjoy it. It is definatly the best "job" I have ever had.

2) My ultimate goal is to make money. Down the road, once i'm 100% confident with counting, I'd like to learn more about the game, possibly some advanced techniques.

3) I always enjoyed the game of blackjack, even before I entered a casino, so I did some research. Once I learned about the world of AP there was no way I was going to be a long term loser.

4) Considering the games I am limited to play, yes, I'd say im satisafyed with my results.

[person1125]

Originally Posted by Bojack1

Due to some recent posts that have actually made me rethink the reason I post on these blackjack message boards, I'm curious as to what people are thinking about the game. So I have just a few general questions to maybe help me understand what is making some of these people tick. Please, the more info the better, so I hope many will take the time to answer.

1) Do you consider yourself a serious or recreational player? Serious does not have to mean pro, but should mean you are definitely trying to win money everytime you play. Recreational could mean you're just having fun and let the chips fall where they may.

2) What would be your ultimate goal in playing blackjack?

3) What was/is your biggest influence you had/have in learning advantage play?

4) Since you started counting/advantage play have you been satisfied with the results. If yes why, if no why.

5) If you could meet any of the blackjack "greats" who would it be, and why do you consider them great? And what might you ask them or want to talk about?

Thats it, any who choose to answer don't feel you have to answer all the questions, just those that you want to. Have fun with it.

1. I would say serious - in that I DO want to win every time. I DON'T want to go and have the if I win I win and If I lose I lose attitude.

2. My goal right now would be to be able to count in a casino, but to do that I need to continue to learn and practice.

4. Right now I would say no. I feel I have so much more to learn. I want to learn more - my BS practice on line has me down to 3 errors in 300 hands. But I'm still not where I want/need to be at. Also I should dedicate more time to using cards here at home and practicing that way.


Bojack to read your posts or Sonny's or ZG's (among others) are of help. The tips you guys have here are sometimes just what I need. It really does amaze me how people like you can actually make a living playing BJ. The only thing I seem to notice is the saying "it takes money to make money" to ring true in BJ. It's frustrating to me in that I know I don't have much of a BR but want to play BJ and win.

I guess that would leave me with a question for you Bojack (or those who are AP's and have been for a while). When you were first starting out what was your BR - $200, $500, $1000 or more? Do you think it's possible to succeed at BJ with a starting BR as low as say $200? I look forward to any thoughts you may have.

[shadroch]

Originally Posted by Bojack1

Due to some recent posts that have actually made me rethink the reason I post on these blackjack message boards, I'm curious as to what people are thinking about the game. So I have just a few general questions to maybe help me understand what is making some of these people tick. Please, the more info the better, so I hope many will take the time to answer.

1) Do you consider yourself a serious or recreational player? Serious does not have to mean pro, but should mean you are definitely trying to win money everytime you play. Recreational could mean you're just having fun and let the chips fall where they may.

2) What would be your ultimate goal in playing blackjack?

3) What was/is your biggest influence you had/have in learning advantage play?

4) Since you started counting/advantage play have you been satisfied with the results. If yes why, if no why.

5) If you could meet any of the blackjack "greats" who would it be, and why do you consider them great? And what might you ask them or want to talk about?

Thats it, any who choose to answer don't feel you have to answer all the questions, just those that you want to. Have fun with it.

1) Serious in that I don't want to lose,but not serious in if I don't win,I don't eat today

2) I'm hoping to move out west and play BJ both to suppliment my income and pass the time.

3) Jerry Patterson and Angie Marshall are the ones that got me started.Mr Patterson convinced me you could really play Bj at a profit,and Ms Marshall showed me how to have fun doing it.
Max Rubin and Jean Scott are a close second.

4)Thats up in the air.Being so far fromn Vegas,and having shitty games here on the EC is quite frustrating. But circumstances have conspired to keep me here far longer than I expected.

5)I'd enjoy sharing a plane with Mr Thorpe.I'd have a ton of questions for him,but if I could only pick one person,I'd like to have partied with Ken U.

[supercoolmancool]

1. Serious
2. Retire young and Retire rich
3. Scotth
4. I have been satisfied taking into account that I am under 21. I have made a lot of money, developed a lot of skills, and had a lot of fun.
5. I want to meet Bojack1 because he is one of the best players in the world and it would be cool to observe what the pros do and how they train and carry themselves.

I too want to know the Bojack story of how he went from novice to pro.

[Automatic Monkey]

1) Serious. I'm playing for keeps, with enough of my income to make the difference between lower-middle class and upper-middle class. Playing blackjack is not recreational to me. It is a boring and mindless game, compared to the kinds of games I enjoy playing. Memorizing a few matrices and doing some arithmetic at the table is not stimulating. The atmosphere is miserable and unhealthy, and that includes 90% of the people I meet at the table. But it pays.

2) Ultimate goal- to take all of the money out of the gaming industry. I'll grudgingly settle for as much as I can.

3) Research. There is nothing like running your sims, developing your own counts and spreads, and designing your own game plan for a game or for a trip based on your own field and computer research. No book, no guru can substitute for this experience.

4) Satisfied, in that my results have been exactly what they have been predicted to be. Not satisfied, in that I hate losing even when I know it is an inevitable part of the game.

5) Thorp. Before I started playing blackjack I developed for myself an investing technique that gave me strong and consistent results. After I started playing BJ and doing research, I discovered that what I thought I had discovered Thorp had been using on his own managed funds for decades.

[21forme]

1. Serious recreational player. I don't need the money, but it's fun to win.
2. Winning and having fun doing it
3. I really don't remember. I've played once or twice a year when the opportunity has presented (vacations with nearby casinos, etc.) When playing (pre-counting) I only played for short times, understanding the odds were against me. Wanting to play more and not lose, I thought I should liearn to count. I read this board for a few months before deciding which system and which books to read. Thanks to all, espec. Bojack, Sonny and ZG for all there valuable posts (and please continue them.)
4. Yes. I've been winning and having fun. Those are my goals.
5. Not sure, though I'd like to see you, Bojack, in action!

[ihate17]

Originally Posted by Bojack1

Due to some recent posts that have actually made me rethink the reason I post on these blackjack message boards, I'm curious as to what people are thinking about the game. So I have just a few general questions to maybe help me understand what is making some of these people tick. Please, the more info the better, so I hope many will take the time to answer.

1) Do you consider yourself a serious or recreational player? Serious does not have to mean pro, but should mean you are definitely trying to win money everytime you play. Recreational could mean you're just having fun and let the chips fall where they may.

2) What would be your ultimate goal in playing blackjack?

3) What was/is your biggest influence you had/have in learning advantage play?

4) Since you started counting/advantage play have you been satisfied with the results. If yes why, if no why.

5) If you could meet any of the blackjack "greats" who would it be, and why do you consider them great? And what might you ask them or want to talk about?

Thats it, any who choose to answer don't feel you have to answer all the questions, just those that you want to. Have fun with it.

1. A serious rec player forever. My goal is in any game I play, to win. How much money is not as important to me as just being able to beat the casino at its own game.

2. Just to have fun but fun to me includes winning.
3. My uncle, a cardcounter way back in the late 40's, who was also table game manager at Hotel National', Havana.
4. I have consistantly made money and have been satisfied to no longer add to my bank and invest the money in other things while not raising my bet level to the point where I would find few places to bet.
5. I would like to know if some like Revere or the 4 Horseman, knew or knew of my uncle.