Lackluster results/lack of motivation

[KJ]

I am in one of my "lack of motivation" periods right now. Just decided to not go out for a second day. Alternating between the swimming pool and AC in the house suits me just fine. I tend to have these periods when hot weather combines with really lackluster, stagnant or losing results that are starting to stretch from weeks to months.

At the risk of providing more fuel for JG to call me a 'crybaby', I am going to vent just a bit and share some results with you. First half of year, blackjack results: +$15,645, compared to $37000+ in expectation. I started the year slow and it never picked up. And from there I have gone downhill in the first 2 weeks of the second half. My blackjack winnings for the year now stand at $6260. A couple more days and I may be in the red. Yikes!

Now to put things in perspective, if I combine this year with last years results which were 50% above expectation and my best year ever (low 6 figures), I am almost dead on expectation. If I go back and combine my last two years with this first part of this year, I am still above expectation. But none of that helps me right now. Right now, the short term results of this partial year suck and I am just having a very hard time getting motivated. I know that I am not all of the sudden being cheated everywhere I play, nor have I grown really stupid and all of the sudden am a subpar player. It's just part of the game, part of the deal of playing blackjack for a living, and frankly has always been the toughest part for me. I am ok, with losing. Big losing days, losing weeks. It is when the weeks turn into months and I mean 4, 5, 6 subpar months in a row, that it just begins to weigh me down.

No need for words of encouragement. I am not looking for sympathy. And please, no suggestions that I use a higher count (that I will ask of you). I will climb out from under this sometime soon. I will climb back up the mountain. A few days of wins, even small wins, will turn to something significant and before you know it, I am within reach of expectation. But, not today. Today I lounge and vent and curse the BJ gods and those dealers pulling 21's out of their butt. Thanx for listening.

[Freightman]

Every so often, it simply hits the fan. When it happens to me, I usually take a day off after a big loss, and simply think of the next round as a new adventure. I know you keep records with basically the same info as me. You know what your results on average when your exceeding your benchmarks, below benchmarks which is where you are at now, and when at benchmark, as well as percentage if time in each category. I know mine also.

It turns around - it always does.

[ahjooma]

KJ,
have you thought about doing something else just part time like one day a week?
it will supplement your income and give you some break from BJ.
a lot of people change jobs after 5 years or so. I think many people start to feel stagnant
after doing same thing.

it seems like someone who is successful in making a living playing BJ can probably
Do many other things well.

[ZeeBabar]

My suggestion KJ, is to take a BJ trip out of Las Vegas. Play elsewhere for a few days, see some newer (and cooler) places, and your batteries will get recharged. When these things happen to me, often I have changed jobs (lived in 8 states and 23 cities) but remained in the same field. Its the same thing when your normal hunting grounds are las Vegas, go hunt elsewhere for a while.

When you cannot leave your job, cannot leave your home even for a vacation, then too many things are tying you down and this is disaster in the long run.

[KJ]

My suggestion KJ, is to take a BJ trip out of Las Vegas.

Just returned from 2 week trip east in June, ZeeBabar. Besides....no better place to be than Vegas in July/Aug

KJ,
have you thought about doing something else just part time like one day a week?

I do something else one day a week. I volunteer at the youth homeless shelter, doing laundry. The pay is not so good though. I am too stuck up to even take them up on the free lunch. I head to nearby Jerry's nugget for a burger and baked goods instead.

[DM21]

Hey KJ,
That is what we are here for. Card counters are in a unique situation in that you can't just vent to anyone. You can't talk to the guy next to you at the table or the dealer and tell them that the last six months you haven't made EV. The people that you can confide in that doesn't count cards have a hard time grasping the emotions that are brought about in this game. An insurance salesman going through a rough patch can talk to the guy in the next cubicle to someone that can relate.

With the amount that you play I am sure it is natural to get burnt out every now and then. Add in the fact that you are treading water makes it that much worse. Do you ever plan in breaks for a little R&R so you can stay refreshed and get your mind off of BJ for a while? I had a job that was high pressure sales with ridiculous hours and it was mandatory to take a week off every quarter. I didn't like it at the time because I usually had several deals that were processing but in hind sight it kept me from going crazy. You deserve a break so you shouldn't feel guilty for taking a few days off. Hopefully it will allow you clear your head and make you more focused when you do return.

I am in no way going to give you advice about playing BJ but have you ever considered cherry picking the very best games in your rotation and taking a pass on the more mediocre games when you are in a stagnant period?

Hang in there, I know you will get your mojo back and everything will be right again. There is a couple of $10k shoes out there waiting for you .

Take care,
DM

[Zach Black]

Maybe a road trip to a venue with more moderate temps for a few days to clear the mind is in order.

Both Reno/Tahoe and San Diego both have more moderate temps and the possibility of positive EV.

[ZenKinG]

I am in one of my "lack of motivation" periods right now. Just decided to not go out for a second day. Alternating between the swimming pool and AC in the house suits me just fine. I tend to have these periods when hot weather combines with really lackluster, stagnant or losing results that are starting to stretch from weeks to months.

At the risk of providing more fuel for JG to call me a 'crybaby', I am going to vent just a bit and share some results with you. First half of year, blackjack results: +$15,645, compared to $37000+ in expectation. I started the year slow and it never picked up. And from there I have gone downhill in the first 2 weeks of the second half. My blackjack winnings for the year now stand at $6260. A couple more days and I may be in the red. Yikes!

Now to put things in perspective, if I combine this year with last years results which were 50% above expectation and my best year ever (low 6 figures), I am almost dead on expectation. If I go back and combine my last two years with this first part of this year, I am still above expectation. But none of that helps me right now. Right now, the short term results of this partial year suck and I am just having a very hard time getting motivated. I know that I am not all of the sudden being cheated everywhere I play, nor have I grown really stupid and all of the sudden am a subpar player. It's just part of the game, part of the deal of playing blackjack for a living, and frankly has always been the toughest part for me. I am ok, with losing. Big losing days, losing weeks. It is when the weeks turn into months and I mean 4, 5, 6 subpar months in a row, that it just begins to weigh me down.

No need for words of encouragement. I am not looking for sympathy. And please, no suggestions that I use a higher count (that I will ask of you). I will climb out from under this sometime soon. I will climb back up the mountain. A few days of wins, even small wins, will turn to something significant and before you know it, I am within reach of expectation. But, not today. Today I lounge and vent and curse the BJ gods and those dealers pulling 21's out of their butt. Thanx for listening.

So what are you trying to get out of this by posting your suffering? lol

[Three]

In other words, play with the best possible odds "and" relax to enjoy your summer.

It is not really KJ's style. He mixes max bets and lots of other things for different venues. That comes with some crazy variance. If you have the BR and put in the necessary time you will make EV. That wild variance can go both ways. KJ has been on both sides of the wild variance. He chooses to play this way. He knows what the pluses and minuses are in doing so. When you should be at EV but you are winning at your smaller max bet venues and losing at your larger max bet venues you get those big negative swings were you may have been at EV if you had used just one betting strategy uniformly. He can't play bigger at the stores he uses the smaller max bets for longevity's sake. Playing lower at the other stores cost him the increased EV of being able to bet bigger and may make some games unplayable. I think KJ fully understands and accepts this but when he is on the sh*t end of the stick it sucks. Most likely he has a run at the other side of wild variance before the year is out. At least he is still in the green for the year. We all get our turn at the wrong end of the stick. The way you manage your BR will determine just how bad that can be. Over 32K under EV is tough but he will play enough to meet his EV eventually. From the sound of it he is at EV for the last several years.

Keep with your tried and tested plan of attack KJ. This kind of variance on both sides comes with your plan. I trust you will see the other side of that soon enough.

[Ouchez]

KJ, thanks for the interesting post, by the end of the year I bet you will be just fine.

Best,
Mr.O.

[KJ]

So what are you trying to get out of this by posting your suffering? lol

I certainly am not suffering, ZK. I am struggling a bit with a very stagnant period. That's part of the game, part of the business. Not my strong point though. But, I also have 5 figure income, from the non-BJ portion of my AP activities as well as rental income from renting out my second house (paid for by blackjack), so it would be pretty insulting to those people who really are suffering to say that I am suffering. I am just having an off year (at the moment) after several above expectation years.

What am I getting out of posting about it? Not a whole lot really.... I thought I might hear a story or two about how some other full-time AP's deal with the situation, but I haven't. But if nothing else, I shared this little part of the AP life, which those thinking about it, may not have considered. It isn't all roses, ya know.

[Ouchez]

Kj's goal is to log lots of EV and lots of hours. He is BRed enough to accept a higher RoR and variance to meet these goals. Ranging far on either side of EV is part of the deal. He better be comfortable with that. If he isn't he should alter his plan of attack to make things more comfortable for him.

You mean like your super duper count??

O

[KJ]

You mean like your super duper count??

O

Oh boy.....