Reasons to quit...?

Hi all,
Long time since my last post. Essentially, I've made a killing over the last year. A lot of swings, as expected; probably more positive variance than negative; and all around some good experiences. I got trespassed at Mohegan Sun, nearly flat-betted at Twin River). I finished school (Dr. Arcticfun!!) and got a job which starts in a few months. And honestly, all I can think is that I don't want to continue this gig anymore. The question I have is (*especially* kewlj): what keeps you going? BJ is not a terribly healthy activity -- you sit hours on end, generally have a poor eating schedule, you inhale a lot of secondary smoke... The money was fun while I was in school but that lifestyle is ending. In any case, payouts are not guaranteed and you're often pissed due to bad variance. I have this voice in the background that's compelling me to spend time on other hobbies and create value with my free time rather than play cards. Is BJ the only hobby for some on this forum? Ace, I know, goes to town from time to time for the funz. 1BB, I can't tell... Romes seems to take it seriously as well but it's probably not your day job.

I realize this is somewhat of a random stream-of-consciousness... so to keep it short, what percentage of your free time do you spend counting cards? And have you ever thought of quitting?

Quote: arcticfun

Hi all,
Long time since my last post. Essentially, I've made a killing over the last year. A lot of swings, as expected; probably more positive variance than negative; and all around some good experiences. I got trespassed at Mohegan Sun, nearly flat-betted at Twin River). I finished school (Dr. Arcticfun!!) and got a job which starts in a few months. And honestly, all I can think is that I don't want to continue this gig anymore. The question I have is (*especially* kewlj): what keeps you going? BJ is not a terribly healthy activity -- you sit hours on end, generally have a poor eating schedule, you inhale a lot of secondary smoke... The money was fun while I was in school but that lifestyle is ending. In any case, payouts are not guaranteed and you're often pissed due to bad variance. I have this voice in the background that's compelling me to spend time on other hobbies and create value with my free time rather than play cards. Is BJ the only hobby for some on this forum? Ace, I know, goes to town from time to time for the funz. 1BB, I can't tell... Romes seems to take it seriously as well but it's probably not your day job.

I realize this is somewhat of a random stream-of-consciousness... so to keep it short, what percentage of your free time do you spend counting cards? And have you ever thought of quitting?

Let me be the first to say, congratulations DR. articfun =). I won't attempt to answer for kewlj, but having put a lot of time in to the game (even as a part time player), and having previously thought about doing it professionally, I can at least share my opinion. In life, if you find you're really, really, good at something you enjoy... You should figure out how to make money doing it. For me personally, I like blackjack, which is why I've played for nearly a decade as a counter, and will continue to play so long as the games are "beatable." If I had the bankroll and desire to go pro, I would imagine one good reason (of course) is the money. Not everyone has a fancy smancy doctorate to fall back on ;)... and perhaps they couldn't possibly make as much money as a professional blackjack player doing anything else. If it's something you love, something you're good at, and something that provides more income than a job you don't like, aren't good at, etc, then I wouldn't see any reason not to continue doing it as long as you could.

If you have a voice telling you to move on to bigger and better things, then you should! You bring a lot of good points about sitting, smoking, stress, etc... but at the end of the day you have all the bad, all of the good, and each individual needs to use their own scale to see which one outweighs the other. If your time is done, then take everything you can from the experience, and you should have one hell of a great story to tell friends/family/grand kids =).

Also, as you've more/less said before, you play hard and fast, with huge spreads, and frequent limit jumping. Most professionals I've had experiences with don't generally jump all kinds of limits, nor run 1-20 spreads at the black chip tables =P. Even though you came out on top (congrats!) you might still be feeling the wounds of all of your variance hikes up and down. It's like a boxer who sticks to a game plan, takes little damage, and wins the fight... Where as you're going in there throwing hay-makers (which makes for a more exciting fight, and bigger wins) but you'll take a lot of shots yourself (variance) due to a lack of a consistent steady game plan.

Without droning on too much... I was in a similar spot. While I was in college I played a lot, and technically it was my main source of income (I was playing quarters, not too high stakes). When I was coming up on my graduation I had a good computer engineering job lined up, but I had a passion for blackjack and knew if I could grow a bankroll I could play blacks, spread appropriately, and probably make more than the standard salary for my field out of college. I chose to let the idea of professional blackjack go, but that by no means meant I had to give the game up entirely. That's when I moved on to new hobbies, like MMA, continued to play in sports leagues with friends, etc. I cut back a lot on my blackjack, but even to today, I still play, and I enjoy doing so. That was just how my weighted scale worked, you'll just have to figure out if yours is telling you to play, move on entirely, play part time, or just play for fun on trips randomly. No matter which road you chose, just make sure it's the one you want and you think will make you happiest in life. Best of luck, doctor!

I too want to congratulate you on your educational achievement, Dr Arcticfun. Education should be a priority. It provides you with options and options are always a good thing. :) Personally, I believe counting cards and blackjack AP works best as side thing. A hobby were you can make a little coin or at best a secondary or supplemental income. Like a second job, but one where you don't need to touch that money for living expenses. That will eliminate most of the stress associated with the swings and make those times when you are on the 'dark side of the curve' not as big a deal.

Now, having said that, this is obviously not the path I took. I really didn't have many options. I wasn't in a position to further my education after high school and left a low paying retail type job to pursue a career playing blackjack. I really think few are able to pursue card counting as a career. Not that it takes any great skill or brains, I am proof that it doesn't. lol. But you kind of went into some of the negatives associated with this career choice.

Some of the issues you mentioned, you do have some control over. Eating for example. I stick to a pretty typical eating schedule. I do eat my bigger meal of the day in the afternoon, rather than evening, sort of the retirement crowd schedule. But that is by choice. It works into our schedule better. I also moved to Vegas, so I wouldn't have to travel as much as most career blackjack players do. I prefer to sleep in my own bed and try to live as much as I can by a somewhat regular routine. There are a few days each month when, I have to work the night shift, to spread out my play and that kind of wrecks my schedule for a few days, but that's no different than some factory guy or even casino workers who work different shifts. It's part of the business.

Inhaling of smoke: Very simple. I try not to breath while in the casino. lol. I have my short session, hit & run style of play down so pat that I can almost get in and out without a breath. lol. I am kidding. That is one of the hazards that I don't have a lot of control over. But really, short sessions does help. Short sessions also helps with other players that may annoy you a bit.

In the end, it comes down to the fact that it is a job. There are probably some negatives associated with most career choices. The thing that keeps me going is that I do love blackjack and I do love supporting myself in this manner, even as I conclude what is the worst year I have experienced in quite a while. Pursuing this career choice can't be just about making some coin. You have to be really passionate about blackjack to play for a living (IMO of course).

You will note that I didn't get into the swings and variance and all. Having just wrapped up my 11th year of supporting myself from blackjack play, I was going to post about my year anyway. It was a very rough year for me. The worst results I have experienced in my 5 years of living in Vegas and my worse year since year 4 when I was playing much smaller stakes, spreading red to green. It will probably be titled something like 2014: a very humbling year. Lol