Just out of curiosity, as a beginner, how many of you out there can actually claim that you are making a living out of playing blackjack?
It seems an impossible dream for me at the moment.
I play mid level green to mid black stakes and not the high stakes that many professional play. I also am not making big money that many make or that you may be dreaming about. My goals are a little more modest. Make a comfortable living, mid to upper five figures, which I have been able to achieve for the past few years. But my top concern is longevity. I want and hope to be able to do so for a few years to come.
I think it is probably more difficult than it used to be, especially for a solo player. I am sure many players decide their efforts can be put to better and more profitable use in other fields.
I played less at the States. I did... quite well... with my gf/partner for the past few years.
2010: We made about US$1,360,000 fron two non USA casinos. We were barred by both. We played by our own betting up to $10,000 a hand.
2011: We were seperated for half a year and did team each. Then we reunited and joined a hole card team at US. We made total about US$380,000 betting up to $10,000 a hand.
Our combined bankroll over US$2,000,000 and I had been a full time AP for about 20 years at 64 countries and 800 casinos so we are not a good "typical" AP example though. I myself had written 10 Chinese gambling/travelling books and had a gaming column at a Macau newspaper and will start my gaming column at a LV Chinese newspaper next month. I had written several articles for blackjackforum and been interviewed by richard Munchkin I gave lecture to a Macau Gaming Institute and gave speeches annually at LA Chinese Book Fair.
Hi,
I've read about your adventures and early days in Korean casinos. So fortunate to be you. In one of your interview, you did mention about blackjack in Cambodia, but didn't elaborate at all. Bad blackjack there?
Thanks.
Hi,
Thanks for sharing. I'm just an aspiring beginning counter living within 1 1/2 hour drive of four casinos, which only one offers decent double deck game with good penetration, but with minimum $25. So, I have no choice but to bet green. When I start several months ago, I spread only 1-4, then 1-6 and now trying 1-8. So far, I am down about $6,500. So sad.
One day I hope to be like you, making decent money. I am not greedy. If I can play 1-8 green chips, I am a happy lark.
What geographical area?
Which system are you using? If you don't mind sharing. I am using kO.
switched 'up' to a level 2 count RPC, for a period of 18 months and then switched back to hi-lo about 4 years ago. I play mostly shoe games and the difference is minimal. Hi-lo is adequate for my needs and allows me the room to occasionally side count and do other things.
Playing with the guys from Jersey.
Keep your top bet to 2x$300 or less and you should last a while...beware the casinos communicate private customer information with their competitors (illegally).
Casino secens chnaged much... from very playable deteriorated to not good. I won't play there against low limit there.
Hi BP,
I just play one spot, which I should play two sometimes. I hope I could last for another 5 years. After I retire and sold my business, then I can move to LV area!
Hi,
My local casino have good DD games. As for shoe games, they just switched to 8 deck with H17. That sucks.
Which area are you playing?
BP,
In our opinion, playing solo, how much of a bank roll would it require for one to make a very decent living (maybe making $60,000 a year) playing 3/4 full time?
Thanks.
I cannot compete with BJTraveller but I make 6 figures quite regularly. I work completely on my own. Accumulated profits 1.2 million.
Francis Salmon
Francis,
Since you are a very successful "high roller", do you get the royal treatment complimentary of the casino like written in BJ books?
How long did it take you to gain that much? Did you have a humble beginning too?
Thanks.
$150K to $200K.
i play once or twice a week and never bet more than 100 per spot and make at least 1000 a month- not a living but good for a hobby. this is much lower risk than trying to make a living and risking bans, big losses etc.
My max bet is usually 3*200 or 2*300 but in situations where I have only one spot at my disposal I would go as far as 500.Even like this the swings are pretty wild as you can see from my career description.
Betting substantial amounts will in many cases yield dinner invitations but once you are discovered as a ccounter they might drastically change their attitude giving you bad pen and eventually barring you.
In my first year as semi-professional in 96 I was lucky enough to win 50k but in 97 after reaching an alltime high at 75k I suffered a terrible setback and was almost back to level at the end of the year (With -42k 1997 has been my only losing year so far)After 1998 when I made my first 6 figure result, I decided to quit my job and moved to a strategically better location.But at the end of 99 I experienced another horrible losing streak that brought my down by 60k. The year 2000 brought me again 6 figures and from then on, my career has never been in danger.Setbacks of 30k or so are still quite frequent though.
Francis Salmon
