weird day

[Hell'nBack]

I've asked this question before and always get varying answers. But, I've usually asked it of people going to Vegas for, say, a one-week trip and who experience a huge reversal to wind up basically flat for the trip (or, in your case, day).

Financially, the result is breaking even, so it matters not, pocketbook-wise, how you got there. But, the question is: which is more satisfying -- or more emotionally upsetting -- to you. To have a huge lead the whole trip and then lose it all back just before getting on the plane to go home; or to be losing the whole trip, and then to win it all back to get even before going home?

Clearly, there is elation for the latter, just before going home, but misery for the majority of the trip. For the former, you go to sleep each night and wake up each morning happy with how much you're winning, but then it sucks at the very end to blow it all. Again, same financial result.

If anyone cares, I'll give you which one I prefer -- and I've had my fair share of both -- but not until we get a few responses, just for fun.

Don

For me, the swings are irrelevant. I recall playing several hours in a marginal game and winning $5K. Took a one hour dinner break and decided to return and play another session. In one hour lost everything back to the house. Oh well. Just another flat day to be recorded in the record books.
"If you can't light a match to $100 bill, you have no business gambling." - Phil Ivey

 

[BJgenius007]

I am still trying to figure out what the weird part is??

High volatility.

 

[psyduck]

Coming home with a win, no matter how small, is very important if you are married.

 

[Counting_Is_Fun]

Coming home with a win, no matter how small, is very important if you are married.

Coming home with a win shouldn't mean anything if you are playing correctly. Do you want a happy spouse, or to lose your bankroll?

 

[psyduck]

Coming home with a win shouldn't mean anything if you are playing correctly. Do you want a happy spouse, or to lose your bankroll?

Try to have some sense of humor, OK?

 

[Hell'nBack]

Which is more important, your spouse or your bankroll?

 

[Counting_Is_Fun]

Which is more important, your spouse or your bankroll?

Bankroll is more important. You can't explain to the spouse what variance means?

 

[Counting_Is_Fun]

Try to have some sense of humor, OK?

I tried...your humor just isn't that funny.

 

[psyduck]

I tried...your humor just isn't that funny.

You either have no sense of humor or no spouse or both.

 

[psyduck]

Losing is never fun, unless you feel "counting_is_fun".

There are tons of discussions about the game and how to approach it. An important factor is one's personal situation. If one has a large enough bankroll and easy access to many casinos, then play the game using the optimal way and do not worry about the outcome of each session. It is a different story if one has to travel far to a casino and only plays occasionally (but also seriously). This type of players probably will never reach the "long run" in their life time. As a result, the outcome of a trip can affect their feelings for quite a while.

For me, I have learned never to get crushed in high count situations. No huge loss and no strong bad feelings.

 

[Hell'nBack]

Bankroll is more important. You can't explain to the spouse what variance means?

I recall the one time I did try, I got kicked in the nuts!

 

[BoSox]

psyduck, welcome back, it is very good to see you posting again.

 

[psyduck]

psyduck, welcome back, it is very good to see you posting again.

Thank you! Good to see some old names!

 

[Counting_Is_Fun]

Losing is never fun, unless you feel "counting_is_fun".

There are tons of discussions about the game and how to approach it. An important factor is one's personal situation. If one has a large enough bankroll and easy access to many casinos, then play the game using the optimal way and do not worry about the outcome of each session. It is a different story if one has to travel far to a casino and only plays occasionally (but also seriously). This type of players probably will never reach the "long run" in their life time. As a result, the outcome of a trip can affect their feelings for quite a while.

For me, I have learned never to get crushed in high count situations. No huge loss and no strong bad feelings.

If traveling players don't play enough hours and never reach the long run as you say, then I would suggest a different hobby. It probably won't end well for them.

 

[gronbog]

Bumping this thread. I'm curious to see Don's promised answer to his own question.

 

[DSchles]

Bumping this thread. I'm curious to see Don's promised answer to his own question.

Well, as usual, no thread stays on topic for very long. You ask a very specific question, and all you get is incessant ramblings that have nothing to do with the original question. It's an incredible staple of these internet forums: people have the attention span of an earthworm. Often makes me wonder how any of them ever managed to graduate from high school or college, with no ability to focus. But, I digress.

My personal answer is that I always preferred to be winning for the whole trip and then, if it had to be that I was destined to break even at the end, lose it back on the last day(s). And the reason is, if I was going to be away for, say 7-10 days, I much preferred going to sleep each night and waking up each morning with the nice feeling of being comfortably ahead, instead of the very opposite, somewhat lousy feeling, of being in the hole for the entire trip.

And anyone who tells you that it shouldn't matter, and that we're just putting in time and earning e.v., and that we play with no emotion and like robots, is, of course, entirely full of shit.

Happy New Year, my friend.

Don

 

[KewlJ]

Well, as usual, no thread stays on topic for very long. You ask a very specific question, and all you get is incessant ramblings that have nothing to do with the original question. It's an incredible staple of these internet forums: people have the attention span of an earthworm. Often makes me wonder how any of them ever managed to graduate from high school or college, with no ability to focus. But, I digress.

My personal answer is that I always preferred to be winning for the whole trip and then, if it had to be that I was destined to break even at the end, lose it back on the last day(s). And the reason is, if I was going to be away for, say 7-10 days, I much preferred going to sleep each night and waking up each morning with the nice feeling of being comfortably ahead, instead of the very opposite, somewhat lousy feeling, of being in the hole for the entire trip.

And anyone who tells you that it shouldn't matter, and that we're just putting in time and earning e.v., and that we play with no emotion and like robots, is, of course, entirely full of shit.

Happy New Year, my friend.

Don

How disappointing this answer is Don. I would respectfully ask you to step back and read some of your recent posts. For all the good that you have done for so many players, myself included, you have become quite the condesending, cranky almost seemingly angry old guy of late.

Case in point: this question has no real right or wrong answer. It is opinion and personal preference. For you to say anyone not agreeing with your personal preference is full of shit, is pretty lame.

And by the way, your preference and reasoning....so you can sleep better the first 6 nights is pure "Bullwinkle". Very voodooish!

I stand by my answer that It shouldn't matter. If whether you are winning or losing DURING any session, day, trip ect, effects a player, and how he feels, then he isn't in control of his emotions as he needs to be.

 

[DSchles]

Stupid answer. It was MY question, and I asked for an answer one way or the other. So the answer was either: number one, number two, or it makes no difference to me.

So, you're entitled to answer number three: it makes no difference to me. But you don't take trips. You play all year round in one place, and so you should keep your emotions in check, or you'd go crazy from day to day. The question wasn't intended for you or for your type of player.

But this is what happens all the time on the internet. Someone asks a question and, nine times out of 10, either immediately, or within, say, five responses, the original question is trashed, and everyone and his mother weighs in with some nonsense, just to hear himself talk.

It grow old very quickly.

As for your evaluation that I've become condescending and cranky, you're entitled to your opinion. Over at BJ21, someone just posted this morning a thank you to me for answering people's questions all year long. I guess he found me less cranky than you. To each his own.

Don

 

[tuck22]

Well, as usual, no thread stays on topic for very long. You ask a very specific question, and all you get is incessant ramblings that have nothing to do with the original question. It's an incredible staple of these internet forums: people have the attention span of an earthworm. Often makes me wonder how any of them ever managed to graduate from high school or college, with no ability to focus. But, I digress.

My personal answer is that I always preferred to be winning for the whole trip and then, if it had to be that I was destined to break even at the end, lose it back on the last day(s). And the reason is, if I was going to be away for, say 7-10 days, I much preferred going to sleep each night and waking up each morning with the nice feeling of being comfortably ahead, instead of the very opposite, somewhat lousy feeling, of being in the hole for the entire trip.

And anyone who tells you that it shouldn't matter, and that we're just putting in time and earning e.v., and that we play with no emotion and like robots, is, of course, entirely full of shit.

Happy New Year, my friend.

Don

Don thank you for all the work you've done.

If I was going to break even for a trip I'm the opposite of you. To me it feels better to be losing and get it back than to be up and lose all of the profit. But everyone is different.

 

[KewlJ]

Don, I am NOT on house arrest unable to leave Las Vegas. I moved here so I could minimize travel, but have not eliminated it. This year i had 6 trips consisting of 3+ nights. And i can assure you that I slept no differently on winning or losing days.

If you believe in the math as all serious players do, then short term variance is completely meaningless, whether a session, day, week or a couple days on a trip.

Surprising to hear you of all people argue otherwise with that odd "sleep better" statement.

Not to pick on anyone else but we already have a guy in this community obsessed with short term results. When he has a losing day he screams everyone is cheating him and when he wins he is the GOAT and presumably sleeps better.

Believe in the math and stop those sleepiness nights Don.