Sigh!
People, did you carefully read Part 1? Did I say that you could still take up VP like we did 25 years ago and make tons of money?
PLEASE STOP WRITING THAT VP IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT USED TO BE! Yes, I am shouting. But this is not news. Anyone who is even half-way knowledgeable about good VP paytables knows this. And we who are trying to play at an advantage struggle with this fact constantly.
So, let me repeat what this series of articles is about. It is about whether a gambler can still find VP plays where he/she can at least break even and enjoy some comps. I am using Brad’s and my beginning experiences to see how much of our success is still possible for VP enthusiasts today. In Part 1 I talked about having a passion for this activity, having a modest goal, and having a “start-up” bankroll entirely beyond what you need for your living expenses.
Now – let’s talk about our limitations of 25 years ago. We were not math whizzes. No riverboats or Indian casinos in easy driving distance meant we had to travel far to find good VP plays, usually flying to Las Vegas or Reno from Indiana. There was no computer software to check whether we were playing an accurate strategy or no Internet sites full of data to help us find the best games. Very little writing on the subject of playing advantage VP was being done. If we would have had access to books like those in the Frugal Gambler series, we would have progressed to a high skill and profit level many years sooner.
Skip to the present – and look at all the possibilities and resources available. You still don’t have to be a math whiz – the numbers and percentages are all available on the Internet, in books, and with VP software. Back when we started I read everything about gambling I could get my hands on. And that is still the key to success today, and not just for beginners. The research element in successful gambling never becomes unimportant or unnecessary.
An old dog can learn new tricks. I feel a lot of players don’t look for new opportunities when old ones dry up. Don’t waste your time bemoaning what-used-to-be. Start searching for new games you might learn, different casinos you might visit, old techniques you might take up again.
Okay, so much for the “lecture.” In Part 3, I will give specifics.
Kevin, thanks for the clarification. And I’ve been disappointed but somewhat amused by their backwards marketing strategies. One wonders what possibly makes them think that’s the way to go.
Hi Rod, to answer your question, I play much, much less than I used to. I play some breakeven or slightly better games for the minimum amount to get mailers, and I play some .25 FPDW now and then, but that’s about it. In the past, $2-3K/month was adequate compensation for my efforts, but now, I could barely earn $8/hr, unless I was willing to more than quintuple the stakes for which I play, and I’m not willing to do that. (Jean’s experience is almost unique in that she’s a $25/hand advantage player, but hasn’t experienced a wave of barrings/no-mailings/etc. The vast majority of the time, you can count on being crushed like a grape if you play +EV VP at the dollar or higher level.) That aside, a major factor in the reduction in my play is that several casinos that I used to give a lot of action to have decided that because I play good games (the games that they offer!), I should be treated like dirt. There are a dozen Vegas casinos that I will never set foot in again. Also, I don’t stay in any hotel-casino that charges resort fees, nor am I inclined to give them my gambling business. Vegas casinos have responded to hard economic times by doing the exact opposite of what rational businesses should do: they’ve raised prices and cut service and quality. Screw ’em.
So, Kevin, why did you do it? Are you still doing it? If so, why? I have appreciated your knowledge and insight in your comments to many of Jean’s posts. However, lately you seem much more negative and I just wonder why you’ve continued to play (that is, if you have continued).
Saying that it’s still possible to play VP without losing is about as germane as being in a crashing airplane and saying, “No worries, we haven’t hit the ground yet.” Casinos have become extremely hostile to not just the advantage but also the breakeven player. Even 99% games are becoming scarce. If a friend asked me for advice on playing VP, my reply would be succinct: “Don’t.” Anything I taught him would be obsolete the moment he arrived at his favorite casino and found that the VP offerings were now 6/5 Jacks or Better with an 0.00001% slot club (free doughnut, no sprinkles, for every $100,000 coin-in). This year, I’ve had at least half a dozen decent plays disappear WHILE I WAS PLAYING THEM. I’ve been denied a BUFFET COMP after running $14,000 through a 99.7% machine. “Can you still do it?” Yes–if you have a bankroll of 500K or more and are willing to possibly lose all of it. It’s AT THE MOMENT still possible to get up to, say, 100.2% at a few places (and yes, I know that there are still a couple dozen .25 FPDW machines in Vegas–for now). Doing even that will make you the target of casino hate, and you will be no-mailed and possibly even shown the door. It’s time for all of us to think of some better way to spend our time besides gambling (and even when we all could play at +EV, what was the value of all the hours we spent doing it? My yearly intake during the good years averaged 27K, but what was the value of all the hours I spent not only playing, but driving to and from casinos, perusing the paper and the internet for good plays, clipping coupons, etc. etc. etc.?).
You are so correct that things do change. Some time ago I realized that the casinos were continuing to make many changes so they would remain profitable. My play changed to whatever I could receive i.e. meals, rooms etc. while maintaining my modest gambling budget. My other change was to join the casinos and profit with them. I now own various amounts stock in several casinos which have proved to be quite profitable. I do not beat the odds, I receive modest perks, and I make make money as the casino stocks rise and pay dividends. I also sleep better at night while still having fun.
Thank you so much for your writings I enjoy them very much!
Can’t wait for Part 3
George