Could I Make It As A Professional Gambler?

by gilwarrior 31 Replies latest jw friends

  • Englishman
    Englishman

    I've played poker in a casino and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've won and lost on different occasions. But, I was playing for entertainment with money that I was prepared to lose.

    This is the whole point, in casino gambling, the odds against you will eventually prevail and you will lose simply by playing too much.

    Take the fairest game in a UK casino which is roulette. You play at 36 to 1 but, there are 37 numbers, (1-36 + zero) which gives the house almost a 3% advantage. In some US casino's there 38 numbers - a single zero and a double zero which gives an advantage to the house of roughly 6%.

    You may win short term, I have actually won several hundred pounds from an initial stake of £5, but over the years I have lost money.

    I don't mind, I was prepared to pay for the entertainment value. But playing to actually win money alone is hopeless.

    Englishman.

  • clash_city_rockers
    clash_city_rockers

    I go to Lake Tahoe and Reno to play the sports book and bet on Football basketball and baseball. I never play slots or table games because the house has overwhelming odds. In the sports book you better know what you are doing you better know your teams know when to take a bet of the hook by buying the half point, know how to use the money line how to parley and all that. The best I did was take $4000 home. I also during baseball season will go to Vegas and test my skills I'll take $1000 stay at the Stardust and see how long I'll Last. My record was 19 days.

    Chance is not a being,
    jr

  • clash_city_rockers
  • Hmmm
    Hmmm

    Gil,

    I used to go to the casinos here in town (not Las Vegas) regularly. In US casinos, Blackjack has the best odds. However, with the rules I play, which are just about the most favorable rules you'll find, the house still has a 0.5% advantage (assuming you play PERFECT basic strategy). If you learn to count cards (not hard to do, but hard to hide that you're doing it) you can actually gain a 0.5 to 1.0% advantage.

    I had a spell where I could not lose. I was winning about $1000 every weekend. I figured, if I can win that much in two days, how much would I win if I quit my job and started going five or six days a week? Well just as I was typing up my letter of resignation from a well-paying job, I went on a bit of a losing streak. In a period of four months I lost almost everything I'd won the previous two. Nothing I did went right! (Though I did get to witness the astronomical occurence of seeing a dealer get 21 five times in six hands, including three blackjacks in a row, and a six-card 21.))

    I watched people cashing in their social security checks at the counter, and saw their bug-eyed desperation as they prayed for a winning hand. It was pretty depressing, and I said "I see these people down here all the time... they must have a gambling problem." Jokes aside, gambling is a losing proposition if you think of it as anything but entertainment.

    Lastly, I'm convinced that computer gambling games are rigged in your favor. They want you to have fun, and if you always lose all your money, you're not going to think the game was very fun.

    Hope this helps,
    Hmmm

  • gilwarrior
    gilwarrior

    Holy Cow! I didn't think that this would cause so many responses.

    Ok, first I have to apologize for tell all of y'all to screw youselves. Sorry.

    Anyway, as for being a professional gambler. Well, I thought about getting a job as a cab driver and practice my poker skills. I thought about going to a casino where you start with a $1 ante and bets are only of five and ten. This way I can practice without losing that much money.

    I would never dream of trying to make a living out of blackjack, roulette, or craps. All these games are geared to make sure the house wins most of the time. And forget about slots and keno.

    Poker seems to me like the only way you can possibly make a living. Of course this will take years of experience to master. I know that. I know that the probablity of me not making is very high. But it is something I want to try.

    "I have so much love to give, but no one to give it to."

    William H. Macy - "Magnolia"

  • BATHORY
    BATHORY

    Hey gilli

    I can understand your desire or itch to try your hand at proffesional gambling.

    You have not emailed so i assume you want to learn from your own mistakes. Ok.

    I will suggest a good option for you though.

    1 ) Choose a casino of your choice ( @ vegas, would suggest the venetian for serveral million reasons )

    2 )Open up a bank account with them by depositing say $ 5 000 into it
    ( you will automatically be noticed and will recieve many hotel benefits, its a perk.. )

    3 ) Discipline my friend is the key, trust me i know ! DONT GO TO THE CASINO WITH ANY MONEY!!!!!! withdraw say $ 200 from your account.

    4 ) Express your desire and play as you please. Craps is the best game if you understand it well. Anyhow as soon as you have say $ 400 in your hand, GO DEPOSIT the 200 you withdrew and keep doing this every 200 bucks you make. If you loose the initial 200, well thats beyond this discussion and is covered in gambling for intermediates.

    The trick is to know when to play and when to watch. Here in australia, unlike usa, the only way i play bj ; is to play at least 4 boxes at a time, with minimum bets on the last box which you can use as a sacrifice box to save the others if you are skillfull enough.

    Also if you look for a really good player ( usually a chong ) we can bet behind his bet, so we are benefiting from his gameplay, so you gota look for a good player to back.

    By doing this for about 6 years, i have at the moment around $ 390 000
    in my account at sydney casino ( started with $ 20 000 ).

    Every time i go i only withdraw $ 10 000 and usually at the end of the night after shouting many a table to midori splices and neat white sambuca i still get to bank about $ 28 000.

    Lastly always remember there is luck in odd and prim numbers

  • gambler
    gambler

    Gill you are right to pick poker to play profesionaly.Out of all games you can make a living out of only three, poker,blackjack and sportsbeting.Blackjack is the easiest to learn profesionaly but poker if done right can be the least expensive.I deal blackjack for a living and if you have any ? email me after I unlock it.

  • Englishman
    Englishman

    MMmmm...ever thought about becoming...

    I never wanted to do this in the first place!
    I... I wanted to be... A LUMBERJACK!

    (piano vamp)

    Leaping from tree to tree! As they float down the mighty rivers
    of British Columbia! With my best girl by my side!
    The Larch!
    The Pine!
    The Giant Redwood tree!
    The Sequoia!
    The Little Whopping Rule Tree!
    We'd sing! Sing! Sing!

    Oh, I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay,
    I sleep all night and I work all day.

    CHORUS: He's a lumberjack, and he's okay,
    He sleeps all night and he works all day.

    I cut down trees, I eat my lunch,
    I go to the lavatree.
    On Wednesdays I go shoppin'
    And have buttered scones for tea.

    Mounties: He cuts down trees, he eats his lunch,
    He goes to the lavatree.
    On Wednesdays he goes shoppin'
    And has buttered scones for tea.

    CHORUS

    I cut down trees, I skip and jump,
    I like to press wild flowers.
    I put on women's clothing,
    And hang around in bars.

    Mounties: He cuts down trees, he skips and jumps,
    He likes to press wild flowers.
    He puts on women's clothing
    And hangs around.... In bars???????

    CHORUS

    I chop down trees, I wear high heels,
    Suspenders and a bra.
    I wish I'd been a girlie
    Just like my dear papa.

    Mounties: He cuts down trees, he wears high heels
    Suspenders and a .... a Bra????
    (mounties break off song, and begin insulting lumberjack)

    Girl: (crying) I thought you were so rugged!

    Hope that this has helped.

    Englishman.

  • larc
    larc

    Hmm,

    My son is an expert Black Player and can count cards. He has made one basic mistake. He did not set aside his winnings for a stormy day when nothing worked in his favor. So, with a slim bank roll, he eventualy busted. Now, he wants me to back him. I am retired and my retirement account which is in mutual funds as taken a hit. There is no way that I will front him the money to make it. I can't take that risk.

    My son has quit playing for awhile, and someday he may return to the game. In the mean time, I am not going to risk my retirement on his behalf.

    Gil,

    Playing on a computer if very different than playing with real money.

  • ThiChi
    ThiChi

    I play poker quite often. Remember, it is very different than playing with a program. I would first find a good game with a 1-5 dollar limit and see what the pressures feel like at a live game.

    You have the power bluffers, who will bet into you no matter what hand they have. There is an art to recognizing this and betting around this type of player. Also, subscribe to Poker Player magazine to start understanding playing strategies.

    I know of persons who do make a good living from poker.......

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