I'm a mid-career professional who has just been laid off from my job and I'm considering playing BJ full-time. I'm tired of the corporate "rat race" and office politics and want to do something where I make my own hours and control my own destiny. I enjoy the casino environment and have been playing BJ regularly for 20 years (basic strategy only). I've read dozens of BJ books and have been fascinated with the game for quite a while and have considered going pro in the past - point is, this is not an idea that came up on a whim or a passing fad. I feel as though I have the determination, aptitude, and discipline to try and make a go of it but want to seek the advice of those who are currently doing it. I live on the east coast, a long drive (or short flight) to AC and also have a few other casinos within driving Distance. I also have a family (kids are early teens) and would like to try and keep my working schedule to about 3 days per week.

I realize it's a big jump from basic strategy to counting but I'm willing to put in the time necessary to train/practice if it means that I can work for myself and make a living doing so. I . I've been absorbing as much as I can lately from these forum sites but still have many questions, mainly revolving around the financial aspects such as if my bankroll is sufficient and how much $$ I can reasonably expect to make. Below I've listed some questions/assumptions that I have and welcome the community to respond and also to add any other advice, tips, warnings, etc.

1) I have a $20k bankroll- is it reasonable to assume that my base unit bet could be $20-$25

2) based on above, is it reasonable to believe that if I play the system correctly, find decent games, and play an average of 25 hours per week that I could make $40/hr, $1,000/wk. I will not need to pull any $$ out of my play for the first 4 months but after that I will need to pull about $4k/month.

2A.) is 4 months (400 hours) enough time for the law of large numbers to kick in- meaning that after 400 hours of play can I reasonably expect to be on the positive side of things ( again assuming good play)? After that initial 4 months, how much deviance can I expect - is it likely that I could go 2-3 months without making money?

3) what do you recommend as the most appropriate counting system for someone starting out.



4) is it reasonable to assume I could play 25 hours per week in 3-4 days?

5) with the proliferation of gambling in the US and more and more states allowing casinos, is it getting easier to find good games or are casinos taking xtra measures to prevent counting

6) how much heat will a $20-25 per bet player receive assuming he takes reasonable precautions?


thanks in advance for your input.