Well, I guess I better weigh in. My retreat from counting was short-lived. In the past 5 days I have had 9 bj sessions:
6-deck $650
6-deck $425
6-deck $225
6-deck $325
2-deck $500
6-deck $200
6-deck ($500)
6-deck $500
6-deck $1,400
6-deck $225
My background goes like this:
I began gambling as a young kid when another kid beat out of a couple dollars at pool. I practiced and practiced until I could beat that kid, which I did. But during that practice period, some other clever kid snuck up on me and beat me for a few more dollars. So after I beat the first kid, I began practicing to beat the second kid, which I did. But during that practice period, a third kid snuck up on me and beat me for a few dollars. This went on and on as I became more and more proficient. Somewhere along the way I learned the professional gambler's insight that the money is made before you begin the game; that is, making a game where you have the clear advantage is the secret to being a good money player, NOT how well you play. Unfortunately, that concept was limited to pool.
When I would visit Vegas I would play slot machines of every variety and I would play blackjack. My strategy for playing slots was to look for a "hot" machine. My strategy for blackjack was to mimic the dealer, that is, hit everything except 17 and above. Needless to say, I didn't win many times at blackjack. But by this time I had a great job and no financial worries, so it was purely entertainment, and although I wanted to win, I did not know how.
So upon being introduced to AP blackjack by a friend, I took to it with my mixed background, part ploppy and part AP. The reason I showed you the chart of bj wins above, is to explain, too, that I blew three hundred playing VP and slots, even though I knew I was at a severe disadvantage, especially with the slots. KJ was right. I have a problem with gambling to some extent despite the fact that I can play purely AP at blackjack. Four years ago, before I learned counting, I was a total slot machine sucker, one of those people who go to Vegas with the notion, "I will limit my losses to $500, and who knows, maybe I'll get lucky. They don't build those big casinos if people can win." I am far better off now than I was then. But I still fall into weak periods where I "try to get lucky" against prohibitive odds. Believe me, I am working on it. I can visit casinos many times without touching even a VP machine, but when I am ahead at counting, or when nothing I do at blackjack seems to work, I am vulnerable to slots and other gambles, like baccarat, which means I am pretty much vulnerable all the time.
Part of the problem is that I do not play for a living. When I played pool for a living, I never consciously made a bad bet, at pool or anything else. The pressure of winning the rent, gas and food money kept me focused and intent on winning at every thing I did. I did not have the luxury to make a bad bet as I now do. There were not many role models for this. Many of the big gamblers were already rich, so betting sports and prizefights was a normal part of their everyday lives. Others who were not rich swung between flush and flat broke. I never had an extra dollar to waste on even money or worse bets. I played pool, poker, and had a few other bets where I always had the best of it. Many of the more successful gamblers who rose from nothing were also cheaters-- at cards, at pool, at dice, or had some other income from criminal activity anywhere from "laying the note," to check fraud, to drug sales, to counterfeiting. I didn't want to go that route. I eventually managed to pull away from my unsuccessful gambling career to get an education and a good job. I never wagered on more than an office football pool for 27 years, with the exception of those trips to Vegas where I went with the idea of only losing so much and no more.
Now in retirement I plunged back into the world of pool looking for something I loved to keep me active. I bet modestly and was able to pull in several thousand a year playing pool, which for me served more as a recreational outlet than a source of income. As other players became more and more aware of my skill level, the money dried up. Then a friend introduced me to AP. He himself was not an AP, but through him I became interested and learned how to count cards. In blackjack I found a new "gamble" where I could have both the best of it and a recreational outlet. So here I am today. I can readily relate to kewljason, because AP is his livelihood and there is no room for making bad bets. I hope now he can relate to me, and understand why I sometimes have to wrestle with the urge to gamble. Nowadays, I don't have the pressure of making ends meet to keep me from gambling; what I do have is a strong desire to win and this urge to bet against the odds endangers this objective. If confession is good for the soul, maybe I am now a little closer to being 100% in the winner's column. If all else fails, I will call 1-800-gambler. :laugh:
Wasn't my place to do so and you don't need to answer to me or anyone but yourself. (maybe spouse...lol)