Reached 400hr-mark! & Reflections

[matt21]

All right, yesterday I completed my 400th hour of playing (and about 37,000 round of black-jack)! It's taken me ten months to get there - seven months for the first 200, three months for the second 200. bring out the champagne!! :grin:

Although there are some (mostly negative!) things i didn't expect:
- a lot of cover-up and little lies to all my friends & family as to what i am doing with all of my time (only my accountant and one friend knows about my venture!)
- not having anyone to talk with about all my experiences - and not being able to share the stories, up's, down's online because of fear that might identify me!
- not being able to go out with friends because when they go out i am busy 'working'
- becoming extremely good at small talk and always being in a good mood with the dealers and inspectors
- a feeling of isolation from my friends (even if close ones), because this thing that has become a big part of my life, i never talk about - so they don't know the real 'me' anymore - and finding most of their stories rather boring and un-exciting

 

[rukus]

congrats... but you forgot the most important thing!

what types of swings (up and down) did you experience?
and more importantly, did you actually enjoy all your time spent at the tables?

 

[matt21]

what types of swings (up and down) did you experience?

swings & results - (i played 90 hrs with $5 unit, 200 hrs with $10 unit before switching to $25 unit)

overall:
biggest session win +83 (units)
biggest session loss -61 (units)
worst overall position: -10 units (after 1st hour)
best overall position: +663 units (after 114th hour)
biggest drawdown: from +663 (114 hrs) to +224 (240 hours) i.e. a loss of 439 units over 126 hours

current position: +657 (units) (1.64 units/hr)

and more importantly, did you actually enjoy all your time spent at the tables?

Yes! Yes! Yes! I love it!

 

[bj bob]

All right, yesterday I completed my 400th hour of playing (and about 37,000 round of black-jack)! It's taken me ten months to get there - seven months for the first 200, three months for the second 200. bring out the champagne!! :grin:

Hell, that's nothin'. Just a 3 day weekend in RhinoLand.:laugh::laugh:

 

[ihate17]

Common problem

At some point you might be able to expand the number of people that know what you are doing but there are people you never should tell.
You can be a pure AP and never play something with negative expectation but there will be friends, family and workmates who will not believe this and think you are just an addicted gambler.

People I have worked with for over 20 years do not know what I do in casinos and do not even know I go to casinos. Depending on the kind of work you do and the atmosphere at your firm, telling people can hurt your position with your company.
A few good friends, some of who I have even gone to Vegas with and played on the same table with, do not know. A select few friends do know.
Immediate family does know, but in 30+ years of AP they have shared in the benefits, seeing first hand some of my winnings.

ihate17

 

[1357111317]

Matt could you share with us what kind of game you play and what system with what betting spread you used?

 

[hawkeye]

I loved the look on my parents faces after my last big winning streak as they stood behind me. The count was very favorable, and I had been winning for a while. I won a double down hand and then split a pair and they both said I should quit while I was ahead. I looked at them funny and pushed out my biggest bet, an 8-unit bet. Dealer gives me a blackjack, it was perfect.

Afterwards I told them what was up and I got the "be careful" talk.

 

[GeorgeD]

Even understanding AP in BJ, and that some people win money at poker, I've got to admit I'm inclined to think someone is a compulsive gambler if they play regularly. In the workplace, I'd at least keep an eye on them. I've seen the havoc a seemingly honest person who starts doing drugs can wreak. I'd be a little nervous that same thing might happen even with a seemingly in control gambler, or maybe an AP who starts steaming.

One instance sticks out in my mind ... ran into friends who were staying in a comp room on a friday. They said their son (about 25) had comp rooms every Friday that month. This place isn't free with comps especially on weekends. Getting a month of Friday comps needs some SERIOUS play.

When we left them my wife and I turned to each other and said "Do they have any idea what might be going on with the kid"? Even if he's an AP he has to be laying down some serious bread and it's not the kind of family that would have an unlimited bankroll. If that was my kid I'd keep a close eye on the books for the family business.

I guess the point is, there's good reason to be cautious on letting even close friends and family in on your AP. OTOH, one who hides it from even a spouse sounds like compulsive gambling.

 

[Thunder]

The fact is, as an ap, very few people will understand how it is possible for you to even beat the casino. I've had friends call me a degenerate, a g/f leave me because she was hurt that I was "spending money" (really more like investing in myself) in AC instead of on her and a few people worry including the ex that I would turn into this compromised soul as if the casinos were sucking the life out of me. I am told I am a compulsive gambler because I make two trips a month to a casino but why am I given that label when I'm playing with an advantage over the casino and other people in poker. To me, it's no different really than investing in the stock market. I do my due dilligence and then there are a series of decisions to be made. Do I hit or do I stand. Do I raise or do I call. Do I go long or do I go short? I guess it's because more people are successful in investing than gambling.

 

[DonR]

I guess it's because more people are successful in investing than gambling.

I'm not so sure that's a correct statement, these days. :laugh:

 

[EasyRhino]

Depending on the kind of work you do and the atmosphere at your firm, telling people can hurt your position with your company.

Good point, at my workplace, people are pretty lax about things, so the reaction wouldn't be too disruptive either way.

Me: "I gamble a lot"
Them: "Ok"

Me: "I got kicked out of another casino for counting cards"
Them: "OH MAN THAT'S SOO COOL!"

But I still tell my close friends and family about what's going on, if they ask. It's not like I'm relying on this to put food on the table, and it's useful to be open with people about this sort of thing. With friends, I'll usually obfuscate the dollar amounts involved, though.

 

[callipygian]

To me, it's no different really than investing in the stock market.

The big difference is that in the stock market, a small amount of effort will yield positive results while in gambling, a small amount of effort will yield negative results. Given a large amount of effort, both approaches can be successful, but most people don't realize that.

To be successful as a card counter, you better be damn sure of yourself before you plunk your money down. To be successful as an investor, you can probably plop your money into a Wilshire 1000 tracking index fund and be successful with little effort.

 

[rukus]

To be successful as a card counter, you better be damn sure of yourself before you plunk your money down. To be successful as an investor, you can probably plop your money into a Wilshire 1000 tracking index fund and be successful with little effort.

both strategies only truly succeed IN THE LONG RUN :devil:

 

[Kasi]

current position: +657 (units) (1.64 units/hr)

Nice going Matt

Any feeling on whether you have reached "long-run"?

Just wondering lol.

Again, nice going

 

[blackjack avenger]

It's a Long, Long Run

Nice going Matt

Any feeling on whether you have reached "long-run"?

Just wondering lol.

Again, nice going

He is probably about 10% to 25% down the road.:joker::whip:

 

[matt21]

Any feeling on whether you have reached "long-run"?

He is probably about 10% to 25% down the road.:joker::whip:

I need to have a look at that. But yeah i doubt i have reached the long-run yet.

What is interesting though is a plot my average historical unit return per hour (I calculate this from my log) i.e. total cumulative units gained/total cumulative playing hours. That has really flattened out. For the last 80 hours it has only ranged 0.18 units/hour (the range is from 1.56 to 1.74). So this is possibly another way of looking at my long-term EV. (see attached - session # on x-axis, units/hour on y-axis)