I want to invest in counting

[Countingman]

Hello everyone! First post right here!

Let me just get this out there, I am totally new to the counting scene. I've gotten pretty good at counting through a deck (using KO), however I haven't memorized BS entirely nor have I memorized any other matrices. I know some of EV and ROR, however I am still a newb to a lot of the factors involved in successful counting.

With that said, I want to know if anyone can tell me how feasible it is for someone to use BJ as an investment on the side of their real job. In the next year, I will begin work as an attorney where I will be making between 90-160K somewhere near the South where the money will take me far (COL wise). I will be single and plan on hitting the casinos about twice a month and on my vacations. Work will likely take me to Louisiana often, so there will probably be opportunities to take advantage of during the week.

So this is the plan. Make good $ from being an attorney.Use a "nice chunk" of that money to make more money doing BJ on the weekends and holidays. Ideally, I would make a large amount of money since I would be starting off with a decent bankroll and be able to call it quits (or at least slow down) within a few years.

I know there are a million factors to consider, however, does this plan sound even remotely feasible to some of you? Has anyone here done something similar? Could this be a smart "investment" opportunity???

Lay it on me.

 

[AussiePlayer]

If you're making ~$100/hr as an attorney, why the hell would you want to make $10/hr playing blackjack on weekends?

 

[zengrifter]

If you're making ~$100/hr as an attorney, why the hell would you want to make $10/hr playing blackjack on weekends?

Why can't he make $100/hr counting? zg

 

[blackjackomaha]

I wouldn't imagine you'd have a lot of free time as an attorney - you might be better off sticking to what you do best. Making $100/hour (or more) is definitely possible with a large enough bankroll; however, the playing time required poses a problem for beginners - especially at betting levels required for $100/hour.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but I would strongly encourage you to stick to lower-limit games and practice practice practice! If you are remotely serious about playing part-time, learn as much as you can before stepping into a casino. Not everyone has what it takes to be a successful high-stakes player.

If you're eager to use your $$$ as a blackjack investment, perhaps you should bankroll an experienced AP? I know a few players that wouldn't mind the cash infusion.

 

[Zerg]

So this is the plan. Make good $ from being an attorney.Use a "nice chunk" of that money to make more money doing BJ on the weekends and holidays. Ideally, I would make a large amount of money since I would be starting off with a decent bankroll and be able to call it quits (or at least slow down) within a few years.

Counting will begin as a form of entertainment for you. You will enjoy your time at casinos much like normal casino patrons. Start playing small, lowest table stakes possible and smallish spread. $5-$60 if possible. Bring a BS card with you, and consult it every time you are not 100% sure on the decision. Keep count as best you can, and review your play as honestly as you can after each trip. Don't worry about whether you win or lose. When you can make reasonable small talk, play your hands close to perfectly, and keep the count with confidence you should up your bets.

Now you are somewhere between a gambler and a pro. What is your bankroll? How much money should you bring? It's hard to say. If you were just gambling, what would be a reasonable amount to lose for "entertainment?" If you were making a high risk investment, what would be the most you would be comfortable losing if the investment tanked? Pick a number between these two extremes that feels right for each trip bankroll. Try to always have at least 20 max bets on you when you start a shoe.

Then just play and see how it goes. Do you enjoy it? Are you good at it? If so get serious about counting and start spending less time at your job and more time on the floor.

 

[Sucker]

I know there are a million factors to consider, however, does this plan sound even remotely feasible to some of you? Has anyone here done something similar? Could this be a smart "investment" opportunity???

Lay it on me.

1)With the proper adjustments, this plan is VERY feasible.
2)Yes. I quit a high pay job in 1984; after 5 years of playing blackjack part-time, I reached the point where it became clear that I could no longer afford to WORK a job.
3)Yes. But if you are not careful, it could be a very FOOLISH venture. There are going to be some real vultures in this subculture (I probably didn't have to tell YOU that).

You have some valuable assets to bring to the table - an attorney and a BR (and you live near me ). After you've posted 10 times on this site, you'll be given private message privileges. Maybe a few opinions in the "miscellaneous" categories? Once you've reached this plateau, P.M. me; we may be able to find mutual benefit to each other.

 

[Sonny]

http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/showthread.php?t=13026

-Sonny-

 

[Billy C1]

If you're making ~$100/hr as an attorney, why the hell would you want to make $10/hr playing blackjack on weekends?

Not really that hard to fathom. I make more per hour at my business than at AP but I truly enjoy the variation it provides and the supplemental income is a bonus.

BillyC1

 

[Richard Munchkin]

I believe it is really, really difficult for someone today to learn to count cards, and go out on their own and make any serious money. What happens to most (that have a bankroll big enough to get into betting black chips) is they get immediate heat, get put into a data base, and start finding it very hard to play anywhere. Learning to count cards is easy. Learning to take money out of casinos is hard. There are too many mistakes that beginners make that get them out of the game before they are in it.

One way to overcome this is to learn from other pros, or better yet get mentored. If you have the opportunity to get help from Sucker you should run, not walk. You will be miles ahead of the pack.

On the other hand, you should think about why you want to do this. If it is because you like the high roller lifestyle, want comp suites, the gourmet restaurants, free shows and fight tickets then you should really consider "comp counting". There is far less heat, can lead to big edges, and is a lot less stressful.

 

[Sucker]

If you're making ~$100/hr as an attorney, why the hell would you want to make $10/hr playing blackjack on weekends?

I have a friend who's a billionaire who just LOVES to invest and BP for me when he can get away. The money means absolutely NOTHING to him. But if we win 10 grand he's giggling like a schoolgirl! It's the thrill of the hunt!

 

[Wookets]

Countingman, consider yourself lucky because most threads like these are greeted with negativity :grin:

 

[Countingman]

1)With the proper adjustments, this plan is VERY feasible.
2)Yes. I quit a high pay job in 1984; after 5 years of playing blackjack part-time, I reached the point where it became clear that I could no longer afford to WORK a job.
3)Yes. But if you are not careful, it could be a very FOOLISH venture. There are going to be some real vultures in this subculture (I probably didn't have to tell YOU that).

You have some valuable assets to bring to the table - an attorney and a BR (and you live near me ). After you've posted 10 times on this site, you'll be given private message privileges. Maybe a few opinions in the "miscellaneous" categories? Once you've reached this plateau, P.M. me; we may be able to find mutual benefit to each other.

Hey Sucker, it seems like being an attorney with a BR could be valuable when it comes to BJ? I'll hit you with a PM once I get my posts up. I'm reaaaallly interested in hearing about the things that you can probably tell me about.

As far as having time goes, if I was working in "big law" (where you make 160K) then my time to play myself would be limited. I'd most likely have to stick to vacations and an occasional weekend here and there. In that case I would almost certainly find someone to BR for in order to make my investment worthwhile. How much would I BR someone, I don't know?

If I end up working for a smaller firm that pays around 100K for 45-50 hours a week then I guess I would be able to play more, but I would still probably try to BR for someone to make it worthwhile.

I'm attracted to counting for a lot of reasons. Sure the comps sound great, but I haven't even researched much into those. The first reason I want to CC is it just seems exciting to "beat" the system. Sure there will be many times when I will lose and those times will suck, but I feel like if I practice hard enough and do tons and tons of research, I will be successful. I'm a very creative person, a good actor, and feel like I've always had a knack for things like "putting on an act" for a casino. I will definitely read more books, take in all the information I can find on here, and practice practice practice to ensure that I have BS down and perfect counting skills before I even attempt to CC. Even then, I will keep my bets down until I am 100% comfortable.

And the second reason I'm attracted to it is because of the extra income. It seems that in order for that extra income to be significant in any way, however, I will need to find an experienced AP to BR, at least in the beginning.

Anyway, thanks for all of your responses. I know that I am throwing a lot of future plans and ideas out there, but these are all of the things that have been running through my head!

 

[Jack_Black]

I'm pretty curious as to why someone fresh out of lawschool(or perhaps not even graduated?) wants to be an AP before becoming a lawyer? you haven't even tried one day at a law firm, but you want to be a pro gambler? Did you not spend a ton of time and money going to law school, and just before the first day of walking into a firm, you want to quit?

why don't you do both? be a lawyer that represents pro gamblers in litigation? Perhaps you should get in touch with Bob Nersesian? The AP's lawyer out in Vegas.

For sure the opportunity to succeed in either field requires a tremendous amount of time and work. Half assing lawyering, and spending whatever time left on APing won't do much good. and oh yea, you're a complete noob. a frosh at being an AP. you can't even count, and you want to be a pro? by when?

sorry to sound off offensively, but there's a lot you have to realize first before going down the rabbit hole, Alice.

 

[Countingman]

You’re right I’m not even out of law school yet. And I’ve worked at a law firm for plenty of time before. That’s exactly why I think that I would be able to BJ on the side, or at the very least bankroll someone and end up coming up on top. The extra $ seems like it would be worth it. If I can throw out 30K and have it come back as 40K one day why not do it?

And trust me, I wouldn’t be half assin anything. I go to a top law school and will be going to a firm that expects top level work from me and I’m cool with that. I just feel like I could make come extra money through BJ, either playing myself or BRing someone , so I wanted to see what people thought of such a plan. I wouldn’t think about BJ unless I knew that I would give it everything I had; otherwise it wouldn’t be worth it….

If by Pro you mean someone who invests a BR and expects to receive more than the amount I invested in a certain amount of time then yes, I do expect to be a pro at that. Maybe not playing, but at least BR-ing for someone that I know who is.

I may end up completely sucking at CC in an actual casino and I may never even find someone to BR for and never end up cashing in on a dime in BJ. I realize I have TONS of work ahead of me if I want to even think about being successful in BJ. That’s okay with me. That’s one reason why I would like to learn and practice up the skill while I still have time to do so in law school.

 

[MoldedTruths]

Your biggest problem is the long run

Playing on a very part time basis such as this is still pretty much just a gamble as it will take you years to reach the long run. Also, unless you are willing to master a full count system with indices, betting scheme and gain some game analysis skills (majority of blackjack games suck nowadays), your efforts are completely futile and possibly not even positive EV.

 

[flyingwind]

Took me three years to get it right, and I'm sure I'm still doing a lot of things wrong or inefficiently.