What a great 2015 (so far)
My non-blackjack machine play AP efforts are off to a huge start as well, as I won a drawing several weeks ago that will pay my mortgage for the remained of 2015. That will work out to low 5 figures, although half of that amount actually belongs to my partner, I just haven't figured out exactly how to compensate him yet.
I also accepted an offer to sell my second Vegas property which I have been renting out since I purchased it a year ago, which will net a decent profit and get me out of the landlord business, which I never intended to be in.
Last year was so down for me, based on previous years and this year is starting off so well. It is amazing how things go in cycles. :)
Quote: odiousgambitwow, OK! it was getting to be a bummer reading your "humbling 2014" entries LOL
Yeah, if this 6 weeks (2015) had occurred in the final 6 weeks of 2014, there would have been no "humbling 2014" thread. My BJ numbers would have been very close to EV and my total income more than double back up to the six figure years that I enjoyed in 2012 and 2013.
It's this concept of breaking up time into segments that the BJ gods don't recognize, but the US tax code does. LOL.
Quote: beachbumbabsReally nice to hear you're on the upswing, Kj!
Yeah...this week, bba. Who knows what next week, next month, next fall will bring. lol. It is interesting to look at the wild rides involved this game (better to look at it when your swinging up than swinging down). Last July, I was in the RED for 2014, 7 months into the year. This year a very fast start. The swings are enormous, and of the guys that I know that play for a living, I am on the lower end as far as stakes (midlevel stakes of green to mid black). Just imagine the swings of those who play high stakes. Yikes!
Quote: BozGreat to hear. From everything I read from you, you work hard and earn what you get. Congrats!
Thank you for that, Boz. I do work hard. I think a lot of folks don't realize all that is involved in playing blackjack for a living. It isn't just about playing the game. There is a lot of record keeping and planning and tracking just where you have done what and where you might be drawing attention. And then there are days you just don't feel like playing.
Overall, it SEEMS like I work harder when I am losing. Probably just seems that way. :/
keep up the good work!!!
Quote: kewljThank you for that, Boz. I do work hard. I think a lot of folks don't realize all that is involved in playing blackjack for a living. It isn't just about playing the game. There is a lot of record keeping and planning and tracking just where you have done what and where you might be drawing attention. And then there are days you just don't feel like playing.
Overall, it SEEMS like I work harder when I am losing. Probably just seems that way. :/
There a lot of inside info in this quote... I didn't realize until a couple years ago just how important tracking every statistic you can is. It really is a great indicator of how you're playing, where you fall in your variance/standard deviations/etc.
For someone who's so well informed on what you do, it really does make me happy to know you are continuing your successful career, and out of the "down swing" =P. As you already mentioned, had you had these last 6 weeks in 2014 it would have been another great year. You couldn't have worded it better that the BJ math doesn't care when tax season is lol.
I wish you continued success, and of course, positive variance :).
Quote: kewlj
It's this concept of breaking up time into segments L.
You need to do your gambling figures on 3 year segments,
1 year is just too short. The old Soviet Union used 5 year
segments. 1 year is too short for almost anything.
Quote: kewljYeah, if this 6 weeks (2015) had occurred in the final 6 weeks of 2014, there would have been no "humbling 2014" thread. My BJ numbers would have been very close to EV and my total income more than double back up to the six figure years that I enjoyed in 2012 and 2013.
It's this concept of breaking up time into segments that the BJ gods don't recognize, but the US tax code does. LOL.
kewlj, you actually report and pay taxes on your blackjack wins? The government would have no idea what you make on the tables, unless you tell them.
Quote: stabworldkewlj, you actually report and pay taxes on your blackjack wins? The government would have no idea what you make on the tables, unless you tell them.
I have reason to believe that statement isn't exactly accurate.
If you can cheat the casino and get away with it, then good for you! Well, not exactly...
If you cheat the taxman, that's a different story, frequently with an unhappy ending...
Quote: stabworldkewlj, you actually report and pay taxes on your blackjack wins? The government would have no idea what you make on the tables, unless you tell them.
Yes I pay taxes. First, don't you think the government is going to want to know how you are supporting yourself, buying houses, cars and food?
Secondly, when you play professionally there are some transactions at both bank and casino, CTR's, that are reported to the government. Some players try to avoid these, which is actually a crime (structuring). I try to limit them, but not to hide anything, but rather because they are just inconvenient. There is a second set of transaction reports that may be generated and sent to the government, without you even knowing about it, SAR's. If you are generating these reports but not accounting for them, that would be a huge red flag.
More importantly is that I have to satisfy a higher authority, myself and I do that by contributing my share to society and that means paying my share of taxes, among other things.
Quote: kewljYes I pay taxes. First, don't you think the government is going to want to know how you are supporting yourself, buying houses, cars and food?
Secondly, when you play professionally there are some transactions at both bank and casino, CTR's, that are reported to the government. Some players try to avoid these, which is actually a crime (structuring). I try to limit them, but not to hide anything, but rather because they are just inconvenient. There is a second set of transaction reports that may be generated and sent to the government, without you even knowing about it, SAR's. If you are generating these reports but not accounting for them, that would be a huge red flag.
More importantly is that I have to satisfy a higher authority, myself and I do that by contributing my share to society and that means paying my share of taxes, among other things.
I knew about the CTR's, but never heard of SAR's. Wow, I guess, I haven't reached the point, where I have to worry about taxes yet. Interesting.
Quote: kewlj
More importantly is that I have to satisfy a higher authority, myself and I do that by contributing my share to society and that means paying my share of taxes, among other things.
That is very noble of you.
Quote: rudeboyoiThere's nothing noble about paying taxes. It's okay to pay taxes out of fear but realize if you're doing it for any other reason you're being duped. Given your profession, teaching others to count or at least handing out basic strategy cards to others would be noble.
The reason's kewlj is paying his taxes, (contributing to society, and doing his part) is noble. Paying taxes in general dosen't qualify as being noble, the reason in which kewlj explained he is paying taxes is noble. Paying taxes out of fear, is just living conservative and not wanting to risk possible consequences from the government.
I am not sure what you mean by your statement "Given your profession, teaching others to count or at least handing out basic strategy cards to others would be noble." You totally lost me on that.
Quote: stabworldThe reason's kewlj is paying his taxes, (contributing to society, and doing his part) is noble. Paying taxes in general dosen't qualify as being noble, the reason in which kewlj explained he is paying taxes is noble. Paying taxes out of fear, is just living conservative and not wanting to risk possible consequences from the government.
I am not sure what you mean by your statement "Given your profession, teaching others to count or at least handing out basic strategy cards to others would be noble." You totally lost me on that.
Thinking youre doing something noble does not equate to doing something noble. At its very best government is an extremely poor run charity. Let's take the gasoline tax as an example. Something I'm familiar with as "who will build the roads" argument comes up often. Gasoline taxes collected by the state are used to pay for the roads. Only 30% of the taxes collected actually goes towards paying for the labor and materials for building those roads, the other 70% is used for "administrative" costs. It's a con game with a middle man where there doesn't need to be one. Let's look at war. 27% of federal income tax goes towards war. If you think there's anything noble about killing millions of people may god bless your soul (I'm an atheist by the way that line just felt appropiate).
Doing something noble requires a bit of self-sacrifice. His profession is counting cards. In what way can he sacrifice a bit of himself (by potentially hurting his bottom line)? He can educate others.
Quote: stabworldI knew about the CTR's, but never heard of SAR's. Wow, I guess, I haven't reached the point, where I have to worry about taxes yet. Interesting.
Cash out $9900 at the cage a few times and watch the SARs fly.
Quote: rudeboyoiThinking youre doing something noble does not equate to doing something noble. At its very best government is an extremely poor run charity. Let's take the gasoline tax as an example. Something I'm familiar with as "who will build the roads" argument comes up often. Gasoline taxes collected by the state are used to pay for the roads. Only 30% of the taxes collected actually goes towards paying for the labor and materials for building those roads, the other 70% is used for "administrative" costs. It's a con game with a middle man where there doesn't need to be one. Let's look at war. 27% of federal income tax goes towards war. If you think there's anything noble about killing millions of people may god bless your soul (I'm an atheist by the way that line just felt appropiate).
Doing something noble requires a bit of self-sacrifice. His profession is counting cards. In what way can he sacrifice a bit of himself (by potentially hurting his bottom line)? He can educate others.
I agree with your statement "thinking your doing something noble does not equate to doing something noble." I disagree with your view on paying taxes, and what the government does with the taxes is kill millions of people. I'm not challenging your percentages of where tax dollars go to.
On the subject of tax dollars used for war - those dollars are used to protect you, your family, myself, and my family's freedom in this country. Those tax dollars are used to pay the salary's, pensions, and medical care of military men and woman who came back from war risking there lives to protect your safety, freedom and well being. It's used for military bases, technology, to protect us.
It is also used for weapons, and I do agree that America does sometimes stick their nose into other country's affairs, but just the statement you made in regards to killing millions of people, I can't agree with that. By the way, the subject is a little touchy for me as I am a Marine veteran.
Quote: stabworldI agree with your statement "thinking your doing something noble does not equate to doing something noble." I disagree with your view on paying taxes, and what the government does with the taxes is kill millions of people. I'm not challenging your percentages of where tax dollars go to.
On the subject of tax dollars used for war - those dollars are used to protect you, your family, myself, and my family's freedom in this country. Those tax dollars are used to pay the salary's, pensions, and medical care of military men and woman who came back from war risking there lives to protect your safety, freedom and well being. It's used for military bases, technology, to protect us.
It is also used for weapons, and I do agree that America does sometimes stick their nose into other country's affairs, but just the statement you made in regards to killing millions of people, I can't agree with that. By the way, the subject is a little touchy for me as I am a Marine veteran.
If you wish to continue this conversation further please post in the "voluntaryism" thread.
Quote: rudeboyoiThere's nothing noble about paying taxes. It's okay to pay taxes out of fear but realize if you're doing it for any other reason you're being duped. Given your profession, teaching others to count or at least handing out basic strategy cards to others would be noble.
Well, I think that you've overlooked most of it.
Taxes are for things for everyone, including the taxpayer in question directly and indirectly. He may not attend any schools at the moment, let alone of higher education, but the persons who put in the real hours over many years to then be available and act responsibly in case he requires hospital care, eg, require the subsidies.
Absolutely nothing to do with nobility, let alone self-professed nobility. Apparently, he has completely forgotten also the persons who came before him. The ones who "built up and guarded the country" with sweat and blood, and sometimes their helplessly miserable lives. The "ploppies", if you will.
I'm no self-professed blackjack hotshot or academic in the usual sense, but I do understand the concepts of social contribution and nobility. Heck, and that filling out a bunch of casino/government paperwork wouldn't be the way to go were I actually earning a deceptively smart living by it. (Eons ago, even I debated on the related issue of welfare recipients' and kids' paying of the same usual taxes.)
A gambling forum has to be the safest place in the world to go on with such nonsense. Why should anyone who works so much harder to carve out a gainfully employed niche in the community believe any of it? In my opinion, a lot of tip-toeing and overly academic complication to compensate for it in specific and general. Inbreeding of thought, if you will.
Add-on: I wonder how Alan's coming along with the dice problem? The Eastern Front, if you will.
Add-on 2: 333° + 3*3*3° = 360° --> (333° + 3*3*3°)/2 = 180°. Neat.
