How much is everyone making?

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PokerJunky

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
Just curious on how much everyone is making per month playing blackjack. I know that there are many variables. I like to see what the professional (even if playing PT) and non-prof (w/ side jobs) are making.

How about stating avg # hrs played, avg bet, and avg winnings (system used)? These are just a few variables, but you can add if you like.

I've played nearly 8 months staright every weekend w/ an avg bet of $30 ($100 on my Vegas trips). My max profit was near 8K and went down to 2K before I took a break to learn Zen Count. I was using complete Hi-Lo.

During my break, I've been playing poker consistently and am really consdiering sticking w/ it. Based on my playing considitions, in BJ, my hourly EV is not high enough for all the variance. I'm going back to Vegas in two weeks and am considering playing poker instead of blackjack :cry: . Good-bye to my comps.

thanks
 
S

SystemsTrader

Well-Known Member
#2
#2
Blackjack is a tough way to make a living and I wonder if anyone really does? Your edge is so small and really requires you to have a large bankroll and a lot of patience. The other problem is the distance to travel just to play various casinos. So far this year I've been making $19 per hour. Then there are the expenses which cut into the profits like gas, tolls, parking(yes some casinos) food and lodgings. It is not possible to comp all that stuff either. But now I am seriously considering trying it full time to see what I can really accomplish. I guess the real question you must ask is do you really enjoy it? I think I've developed a real passion for playing blackjack and that is why I stick with it. There are much easier ways to earn money if that's all your interested in.
 
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PokerJunky

Well-Known Member
#3
#3
Entering the casino I love knowing that I have the advantage, with that aside, I do like the game and have a passion to continue learning more ways to beat the game. I really enjoy the mathematics behind the systems.

Economics is a huge deal. SystemsTrader I understand what you mean by other expenses, so to answer your question I go to the casino to make the max amount of money based on my bankroll. I will play the game that nets me the highest return.
 
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gobbledygeek

Well-Known Member
#4
#4
I'm just a BS ploppie playing with the casinos money until I hit 0. So far 74 hours in play, up $460, just flat betting the minimum $5; works out to $6.22/hour (1.24 units/hour). I hope to reach 100 hours before standard deviation catches up with me and I have to give this hobby up.

I've now played 60 hours at 2/4 limit texas hold'em and SUCKING BIG TIME; -3.4BB/hour!! Lost $101 dollars in 3.6 hours last night, I just can't seem to do anything right. Limiting my losses to $100/month now so it'll be another month before I allow myself to play again, I'm thinking of giving this game up... too frustrating. :(
 
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ScottH

Well-Known Member
#5
#5
gobbledygeek said:
I've now played 60 hours at 2/4 limit texas hold'em and SUCKING BIG TIME; -3.4BB/hour!! Lost $101 dollars in 3.6 hours last night, I just can't seem to do anything right. Limiting my losses to $100/month now so it'll be another month before I allow myself to play again, I'm thinking of giving this game up... too frustrating. :(
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Just play really tight. Nobody will respect your raises even when you are playing tight, and there will be people calling you the entire way down when you have a great hand. 2/4 limit is "no fold em hold em".
 
Sonny

Sonny

Well-Known Member
#6
#6
Most of the money I make playing BJ is in the form of a free vacation. I live in California so the expenses for a trip to Vegas usually amount to a tank of gas. I can usually get free rooms and enough comped meals to keep me happy once I get there. My average earnings are only about $15 per hour. I’m definitely not going to be giving up my day job anytime soon, but BJ is a great way for me to make a little “fun money” while on vacation.

I'm not a poker player, but according to Mason Malmuth the EV and bankroll requirements for poker and BJ players is roughly the same. It is probably much easier to find a playable poker game though.

-Sonny-
 
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Cass

Well-Known Member
#7
#7
PokerJunky said:
Just curious on how much everyone is making per month playing blackjack. I know that there are many variables. I like to see what the professional (even if playing PT) and non-prof (w/ side jobs) are making.

How about stating avg # hrs played, avg bet, and avg winnings (system used)? These are just a few variables, but you can add if you like.

I've played nearly 8 months staright every weekend w/ an avg bet of $30 ($100 on my Vegas trips). My max profit was near 8K and went down to 2K before I took a break to learn Zen Count. I was using complete Hi-Lo.

During my break, I've been playing poker consistently and am really consdiering sticking w/ it. Based on my playing considitions, in BJ, my hourly EV is not high enough for all the variance. I'm going back to Vegas in two weeks and am considering playing poker instead of blackjack :cry: . Good-bye to my comps.

thanks
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I've been playing partime seriously for a few months 10-20hrs a week. Probably around 150hrs total. I started with 10k on my first visit I lost over 3k in a hour and half! Since then ive been fighting my way back to even and then going back down to almost bust. In the past two weeks i managed to get back up to even. Then last night I made 2k. So overall im up 2k in 150hrs! so i guess im avg 13/hr profit if you want to call it that! My ev overall should be around 80/hr. If you figured gas and drive time im sure there is no profit or very little. Most the reason i had not made money before this point was due to me overbetting my TRIP BR and going bust several TIMES! ouch. Now ive found better games and my play is a lot tighter. Up to this point my AVg bet has been approximately $50. I'm very optimistic for the next few months, i will keep everyone posted. I havent played poker much, i feel im too far behind everyone these days who plays and i dont want to put the effort into it.
-Cass
 
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E-town-guy

Well-Known Member
#8
#8
Sonny said:
Most of the money I make playing BJ is in the form of a free vacation. I live in California so the expenses for a trip to Vegas usually amount to a tank of gas. I can usually get free rooms and enough comped meals to keep me happy once I get there. My average earnings are only about $15 per hour. I’m definitely not going to be giving up my day job anytime soon, but BJ is a great way for me to make a little “fun money” while on vacation.

I'm not a poker player, but according to Mason Malmuth the EV and bankroll requirements for poker and BJ players is roughly the same. It is probably much easier to find a playable poker game though.

-Sonny-
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The advantage of poker is you don't really have to scout out so much for good rules or table conditions. Sure you can look for a table of loose or weak players but there should be a couple in every casino that has a decent size poker room. The other advantage is you can sit at the table for 12hrs or even 48hrs and never have to worry about someone catching on to your "advantage play". The only disadvantage is you lose out on most comps though I don't think that outweights the advantages.

I've also heard from a couple friends who are poker pros that the BR is about the same for poker and BJ.

At times I've considered playing it and I think I'm probably decent, but then again doesn't everyone?
 
jimbiggs

jimbiggs

Well-Known Member
#10
#10
In response to the original post.
I'm averaging about 50 hours per month. I spread $10-$100 at SD and DD and $10-$160 at 6D. I'm using HiLo and averaging $5/hour right now. In March I won $8/hr. In April I lost $10/hr. In May I only played 15 hours, but won $60/hr. After 14 hours of play in June, I'm down $62. Right now I'm trying to increase my winnings/hour by only playing the best games available in my area. Soon it will be my turn to decide whether or not this game is worth my time. It sure is a lot of fun when you win.
 
Automatic Monkey

Automatic Monkey

Banned
#11
#11
$60 per hour

My win rate for most of the games I play is $60 per hour. In terms of actual results, I have no idea. I play only for EV not variance. Time spent with ac-counting is more valuably put to work back-counting.
 
zengrifter

zengrifter

Banned
#12
#12
jimbiggs said:
In response to the original post.
I'm averaging about 50 hours per month. I spread $10-$100 at SD and DD and $10-$160 at 6D.
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Something is wrong with these spreads - WHY is youir topBet much bigger in 6D? Does your BR support a 160 topBet? zg
 
supercoolmancool

supercoolmancool

Well-Known Member
#13
#13
"There are much easier ways to earn money if that's all your interested in." - SystemsTrader[/QUOTE]


That is all that I am interested in. What are some of those easier ways?
 
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E-town-guy

Well-Known Member
#14
#14
jimbiggs said:
In response to the original post.
I'm averaging about 50 hours per month. I spread $10-$100 at SD and DD and $10-$160 at 6D. I'm using HiLo and averaging $5/hour right now. In March I won $8/hr. In April I lost $10/hr. In May I only played 15 hours, but won $60/hr. After 14 hours of play in June, I'm down $62. Right now I'm trying to increase my winnings/hour by only playing the best games available in my area. Soon it will be my turn to decide whether or not this game is worth my time. It sure is a lot of fun when you win.
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You should probably be around $20/hr, perhaps more.
 
zengrifter

zengrifter

Banned
#16
#16
Quote:
Originally Posted by zengrifter
Something is wrong with these spreads - WHY is your topBet much bigger in 6D? Does your BR support a 160 topBet? zg
-----------------
Automatic Monkey said:
It's easier to spread to two hands in shoe, that would justify it, especially with LS.
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That is the only acceptable answer, otherwise he's confused about spread. zg
 
C

Cass

Well-Known Member
#17
#17
zengrifter said:
My understanding is that the variance and BR req. is bigger than BJ. zg
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Hey Zen- Everyone is waiting for your answer since everyone worships you here. Too modest perhaps? In your interview you said you have made a lot and lost a lot! How bout overall>? Do you just use the profits for beer and cigarette money or what? Also it seems like everyone is below EV, what are the theories on that? I think i explained my own situation..
 
zengrifter

zengrifter

Banned
#18
#18
Cass said:
Hey Zen- Everyone is waiting for your answer since everyone worships you here. Too modest perhaps? In your interview you said you have made a lot and lost a lot! How bout overall>? Do you just use the profits for beer and cigarette money or what? Also it seems like everyone is below EV, what are the theories on that? I think i explained my own situation..
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The size of my play is all over the chart: $5u, $25u, $100u - and I've mostly played smaller stakes since 2000 (the legal case). AutoMonk's answer is the most salient: "play for EV, not variance."

As for others' below EV results, that is always a matter of variance, errors, or both. zg
 
N

nc-tom

Well-Known Member
#19
#19
Well I have to say after reading these posts I have a way to go. Since I have been keeping track of my play starting March of 2005 i have made 7 casino visits for a total BJ playing time of 60 hours,( the rest of the time playing craps with a seperate bank roll). Results up 61 units. Woho. While not ready to pay the bills with all this extra cash it sure is better than being the money contributing sap to the casinos bottom line :flame: that I was before I started to work on my game.
 
C

Cass

Well-Known Member
#20
#20
nc-tom said:
While not ready to pay the bills with all this extra cash it sure is better than being the money contributing sap to the casinos bottom line :flame: that I was before I started to work on my game.
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I agree, I lost A LOT of money before i started working on my game probably 1-2% of everything ive ever wagered.. perhaps much more!
 
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