card counter

is it really possible to make a living playing BJ? Because I have had some bad runs. Any help greatly appreciated.

It is possible, but very difficult if you limit yourself to just blackjack.

"Because I have had some bad runs."

It's called standard deviation. And it's expected along the way. That's the reason you need a large bankroll compared to your unit size. All the good books will stress this.

I Suggest you read and fully digest the following, in no particular order: Blackbelt in Blackjack by Snyder, Blackjack Wisdom by Snyder, Professional BJ by Wong, Blackjack Attack by Schlesinger, Blackjack for Blood by Carlson, 100 Proof Blackjack by Bootlegger is also good.

And as PM suggested: "Don't give up your day job". At least not yet.

Hope I didn't piss off anyone!

JB

You have to be willing to travel. A lot. High quality games only. If you go somewhere and the game isn't as good as it was supposed to be...leave. You can help prevent this by going to areas that have 2 or 3 casinos with supposedly good games. CBJN news is essential for an individual player.

Million Dollar Blackjack by Ken Uston. I think it and Playing Blackjack for a Business by Lawrence Revere are the two best blackjack books ever written. My advicd is not to quit your day job. If you elect to go ahead and try and make it as a blackjack player, have all your bills for a year in the bank as a cash reserve and a bankroll of at least 800 units----or preferabley 1,000----for playing purposes. You'll have to limit your travel expenses to an absolute minimum.

If it weren't for craps and poker, I wouldn't be able to afford Blackjack.

... I sincerely doubt it's advisable to try to make a living through card counting alone. You'd need a lot of luck and a larger bankroll than you could justify.

Don't get me wrong. You can get an edge with counting. It's just not enough to translate into putting a roof over your head and three squares a day on the table.

You need to expand your horizons. There are several other AP techniques you can apply to blackjack, as well as other games.

ETF