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PrintableRodeoSchro said: Also, my dad made his living gambling before he married my mom. In fact, he had to push the wedding back a week because he lost his dough in a poker game. Fortunately, he made it back the next week and they got married.
He was a great card player. Gin rummy, poker and blackjack were his best games. For gin rummy and poker, it's all about knowing what the other guy has. You have to be real good at math and REAL observant to succeed. In blackjack, my dad taught me a unique way to play. Now, every "book" out there has odds tables and probabilities. They'll tell you what to do in every circumstance - hit, stand, double or cry. But my dad's philosophy was that the only absolute certainty in blackjack is that you cannot win if you bust. Even if the dealer goes on to bust, if you busted first, you lose. Think about that - the house still wins even if they lose. So his deal was to avoid busts whenever possible. If he had a 12, 13, 14 most of the time he'd stand. You'd be surprised how many times he won a hand with a 13, while all the players that went by the "book" busted and lost. That strategy isn't going to tip the odds out of the house's favor, and you well get some grief from so-called "experts" at the table, but I've found I do better than they do when I play. Just make sure you don't sit in the last spot. People will get (wrongly) pissed if you pass on taking a card that would have busted the dealer.  | |
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In the end the house always wins.
Making your living gambling is a gamble itself. Once you have done it for too long, you get addicted and you will find that whatever you once won, you lost too. Many lifes have been ruined that way. | |
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Tremolina said: In the end the house always wins.
Making your living gambling is a gamble itself. Once you have done it for too long, you get addicted and you will find that whatever you once won, you lost too. Many lifes have been ruined that way. If you're playing Texas Hold 'Em, you're playing against other people, not the house. Not that what you say doesn't have merit, but the professional gamblers I've known have reduced their odds of losing and honed their skills so they're incredibly good at the game(s) they play. But you're absolutely right...most people aren't like that and do run the risk of losing everything. | |
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Efan said: Tremolina said: In the end the house always wins.
Making your living gambling is a gamble itself. Once you have done it for too long, you get addicted and you will find that whatever you once won, you lost too. Many lifes have been ruined that way. If you're playing Texas Hold 'Em, you're playing against other people, not the house. Not that what you say doesn't have merit, but the professional gamblers I've known have reduced their odds of losing and honed their skills so they're incredibly good at the game(s) they play. But you're absolutely right...most people aren't like that and do run the risk of losing everything. Yes, there are definitly some very good pro's out there, but by and large, gambling for a living is a gamble itself. | |
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I know a guy who makes a reasonable living out of sports betting, particularly football, (that's proper football where you kick the ball, not the oddly named American thing where the ball is thrown and carried most of the time).
A big chunk of his time is spent scouring the bookmakers for the ones offering the best odds. He obviously also spends a lot of time studying player form, injuries etc. Any stakes placed are rated on the return available, betting big on the more likely results but being cautious with the long shots. He has good months and bad months but he's been doing it for 8 years now and has been decently profitable every year. He looks to make a 10% profit for the year, so if you want to make a living, then you need to have some cash to invest. RIP  | |
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Graycap23 said: Do u know anyone that gambles 4 a living? Are there any major dos and don'ts 2 the game?
I know a professional poker player, all I know is he is ALWAYS needing a dealer.  | |
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I knew a few in Vegas. It totally controlled their lives. One guy would always tell me when he won money but would never talk about what he lost. He was a lonely sort who would sit at poker tables for hours and hours just to win $100 or so. The other guy was a slime.
Vegas is full of losers. | |
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