Measuring a "session"

[muffdiver]

I think EV is important to those who look at it as a job. For me, since I have a full time job, I ask myself whether I would be earning elsewhere or doing anything else that I am giving up to sit at a table and the answer is NO. I like playing BJ and if I am not at the table, I am being a couch potato reading a book or watching TV. So, as long as it is positive EV, whether it ends up $10 an hour or $200 an hour is irrelevant.

it takes time to keep such detailed records. I understand it's essential for the folks who do it full time but for those who play recreationally, it does not need to be so detailed. I would think hard about why I would need each piece of information before I start spending too much time on it.

Easy answer--------------so you know how much to pay in taxes.

[Thirdbaseman]

I think EV is important to those who look at it as a job. For me, since I have a full time job, I ask myself whether I would be earning elsewhere or doing anything else that I am giving up to sit at a table and the answer is NO. I like playing BJ and if I am not at the table, I am being a couch potato reading a book or watching TV. So, as long as it is positive EV, whether it ends up $10 an hour or $200 an hour is irrelevant.

it takes time to keep such detailed records. I understand it's essential for the folks who do it full time but for those who play recreationally, it does not need to be so detailed. I would think hard about why I would need each piece of information before I start spending too much time on it.

Like you, I play BJ as a hobby.
However, I like to compare my actual results to my EV as a check that I am playing properly.
After 2000 hours, the fact that my actual results and EV are pretty close gives me some comfort that I am playing according to plan.

[Exoter175]

I track date / house / game / buy in / cash out. I also note if I'm redeeming any extra value - free chips, matchplay chips, free slot play, etc.

I cut an 8.5x11 piece of paper into 8 pieces; each little paper nicely fits in my wallet - each is slightly smaller than a money. If you're worried about the appearance of writing down your action, do it in the bathroom.

New slip of paper for every day / house. Game is typically either "2d", "6d", "vp" (often with a note on paytable & denom, or if I found unplayed multipliers on UTX).

Using a blank page means I can also add notes on whatever else I like - dealers, pit crews, house rules, table limits, etc.

I track mine in a similar fashion in regards to "extra value" like promotions etc, I do this because I like to also monitor what I'm taking "advantage" of in the eyes of my Host and the Casino Marketing team.

As some know, I play more than just APBJ so my record keeping is pretty complicated, a typical entry might look like this....

12/31/2014: BJ 200BI +275, VP/SM 200BI +225, +XXX Points, DL'D $50 VP/SM Promo, ate buffet for free. FI 7:00AM/FO 3:15PM.

Each "date" entry goes into each individual "casino" log, and then I write about a two paragraph entry for my own sake in case I had noticed something like a sloppy dealer, "9-5PB" or other stuff along the way.