Candid responses
How many miles do you travel in a year?
That varies considerably. I travel from the East Coast to NV and MS a good deal, and those venues require air miles. Many other destinations are reached via "white-line fever" Let it suffice to say that I enjoy a lot of free airline trips, especially as I use an Airline Credit Card to earn additional free trips. I fly 2 or 3 round trips monthly.
How many places have you banned from/identified as a counter?
The number of "back-offs" at casinos is huge. Trespasses are far more significant. I have been trespassed at only two joints in Las Vegas and one in Connecticut.
Are you married?
Yes. Current spouse of 4 years is an ardent poker player. Not a Pro player by any stretch of the imagination, but has been playing a pretty good game in the last 2 years, showing a slim net profit. I play poker as well but my skill level is not high enough to play professionally.
Have you ever had a year when you have lost money or made less than your
living (not to mention travel) expenses?
Yes, in the last 18 years I had 3 years where the casinos kicked my skinny butt.
I have averaged $46.5K per annum (losing years included)
The income has ranged widely though, as one might expect.
My worst year had me losing 29K and my best year had me winning 81K
That year exhibited the most extreme swing that I experienced. It was a year in which I made 240K [at one casino that offered a fine shoe game and (back then) was not 86'ing hardly anyone], and then lost back most of it in Las Vegas - due to my overly optimistic sub-optimal "over-betting". Almost needless to say, that was early in my career.
Incidentally, while I earned more when legitimately employed prior to 1992, I have never had regrets re: my "turning pro". For me it is NOT primarily "about the money" It is about having the freedom to live completely as I see fit. That makes me "self-employed" without all of the obligations, stress, and demands that are normally part and parcel of working for one's self. In a sense, I live the secretive life of an "outlaw", but there is nothing to the romanticized picture of the outlaw life as portrayed in movies and novels.
I enjoy tutoring (gratis) highly motivated / smart players, in the finer points of playing blackjack advantageously.
How many different cities and casinos do you play in a year?
That varies a lot but in recent years my action has mostly been in New Jersey, Nevada, and Mississippi, in that order. How many casinos is a difficult question to answer, as the majority of my play is currently limited to about five properties that receive about 90% of my play; but over time that always changes due to numerous factors, e.g. with Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Delaware all set to offer Blackjack later this year that will alter my schedule and itineraries. If I answer by including ALL of the "stores" in which I risked any money at all, I played in approx. 20 casinos last year.
Any other questions ?