Professional Gamblers

Quote: iwannaiguana

I was just thinking about all the kinds of professional gamblers. I can only think of 3: blackjack, poker, and sports betting.
Are there any other games you can find in a casino where people make a living nowadays?

Okay, a few posters are willing to add Video Poker but most are not since its simply too difficult to find a real full pay machine and too difficult to get actual time at it since such machines are being hogged all the time.

So lets get to the nitty gritty.

Blackjack: Do people really play Blackjack for a living? They are undoubtedly going to have to be counters and if so they must be "heat dodgers" who alter their play when needed.

Poker: Is this limited to grinding out pennies stealing blinds and meeting occasional visiting fish? Low limit games wherein a night's "wages" makes Pornslapper look interesting.

Sports Betting: Massive bankroll to start must be a requirement, correct?

So overall, its really something you do for fun because darn few can do it for a living. Small time card counting at blackjack seems a fools errand, poker takes heaps of practice, sports betting can be fun but without massive capital its a bit of a joke to think it can be a career.

play poker buddy.. it's max return on bankroll..

Quote: FleaStiff

Blackjack: Do people really play Blackjack for a living? They are undoubtedly going to have to be counters and if so they must be "heat dodgers" who alter their play when needed.

BJ teams are still around and they make money,
but I think most of it is in Europe and Asia. Its
very hard to make serious money in Vegas playing
BJ. All you need is any kind of rep and you're done.

Quote: Clownkeeper

Maybe this would be a good idea for reality TV. Give 4 or 5 contestents $50,000 each to live and gamble on for season/year to see if it can be done. Cant be any worse than watching people sell their stuff to a pawn shop.

Currently, gambling is hated among the US worse than Satan...so this would never fly.
However, I sure in the hell would watch it.
I would agree with the other poster..give them challenges and immunity from getting axed..similar to other reality shows...
I think there IS one like this..except it's just someone following around Phil Ivey (Called "Life of Ivey")

What about other games played agains't players like bridge, gin rummy, mahjong , backgammon and various foreign card games? There are also many websites where people can compete in skill games like Bejewelled or Plants versus Zombies for a wager and some of the people I've played agains't on these sites seem to be making decent money hustling video games. Would you consider people playing Yu-Gi-Oh or Magic the Gathering professionally to be gamblers? Many people also make a living hustling pool games. As long as a game involve skills and someone has enough skills compared to his opponents to make a significant return it should be, in theory at least, possible to make a loving from it if the player can find enough people to play agains't. You could also consider investing in futures, warrants or with a lot of leverage to be gambling. There are also many websites that connect investors and poker playerswith limited bankrolls and let the investors use poker player's abilities to make a potential return, would you consider that gambling?

Some people seem to hustle prediction markets too.

If your definition of gambling is anything that involves a risk and monetary reward then are almost an infinite number of activities that could be considered gambling. I'd say for the purpose of this post and/or theoretical gameshow gambling should be limited to activities within a casino.

Quote: TIMSPEED

Currently, gambling is hated among the US worse than Satan...so this would never fly.

Really?

Gambling is hated?

Tell that to the hordes who pack the tribal and other casinos that dot the land.

Hate to lose, maybe ...

Quote: FleaStiff

Some people seem to hustle prediction markets too.

Interesting! That would be a show I'd watch.

Quote: MrV

Really?
Gambling is hated?
Tell that to the hordes who pack the tribal and other casinos that dot the land.
Hate to lose, maybe ...

Trust me they hate the GAMBLING part of it...they're their for the booze and social interaction...
A lot of people I work with, go to the local indian casino frequently...but when I mention I go to Reno frequently, it's all of a sudden I'm THE WORST HUMAN ALIVE!
It's no different...except I'm GETTING something for my money, where they are getting NOTHING (Indian casino = bad payback and NO comps/mailers)