How many are playing on a replenishable bank and how's it going?

[Wino]

This post may may overlap with some previous posts about our individual blackjack stories but I am curious to know how many are currently or have in the past played strictly on reprehensible bankroll and how it went? How you felt emotionally, and if you were detached from the money as IT SHOULD BE if we are TRUELY playing on a replenishable bankroll and acting accordingly and not being concerned about temporary downswings. I'm in such a situation and I am thinking of either red chipping it with coupons and only playing a games heads up; essentially being very picky about when I play and slowly build over a very long period of time. Or to just play at a higher betting level and play to a 30-40K bank as I have already done for 100 hours; overbetting essentially. Some background, I'm going back to school and so additional sources of income and hours committed may be reduced. Third option is just to practice at home to stay sharp and only play in other cities with better rules when opportunities allow; I currently play a H17 No Surrending Double Deck mediocre to bad pen game at my local. Your opinions are very appreciated.

Wino.

[Bodarc]

only playing a games heads up

It is very hard to wong in and sit out of heads up games. I prefer to have at least one other player.

so additional sources of income and hours committed may be reduced.

This will lower your replenishable bankroll which if you are over betting now will surely have you over betting when you return to school.

I currently play a H17 No Surrending Double Deck mediocre to bad pen game

Unless your casino uses a slot, I have found that scouting dealers makes a world of difference. If you take the time to watch the dealers, you will find some that give better penetration. Concentrate on these dealers and you can improve your game.

Third option is just to practice at home to stay sharp and only play in other cities with better rules when opportunities allow

I see no reason to not play. The more you are playing, the more at ease and relaxed you become with the environment. This in itself can make you a better player. The trick is to find the best of the mediocre games, don't over extend yourself and use it as real life practice.

I'm going back to school

This should be your main concern. Concentrate on your school work (and girls) and only spend time with bj after all of your work is completed and you have spare time on your hands. You don't want to be thinking of losses you have had when you should have your mind on your school.

To answer your main queston, yes, I have always played with a replenishable bankroll. Not because I don't have more funds to allocate to it if I wished but I started with a certain amount and didn't want to add to it as an experiment, but I did compute a replenishable bankroll by saying I could add this amount to it weekly from my job if I desired to. Fortunately, I have never had to do that. I will say that I scout games endlessly. As an example, last week I sat at a table, not playing, for over an hour with the stop clock on my watch and timed dealer shuffles and rounds for a new program I am working with. Even with a mediocre casino, if you spend enough time watching and scouting, you will find a game you can beat. Keep your eyes open.

I am never detached from my money. If I have a losing session, I examine it thoroughly to see if there is anything I could have done to prevent it or to help in future games. Only then after I have exhausted all avenues do I put it aside and say, well it was because I never hit a large bet or the cards ran so the dealer always had a better hand. Then I lay it to rest.

I'm sure others will have better comments than me, but I hope this helps.

[ZeeBabar]

This post may may overlap with some previous posts about our individual blackjack stories but I am curious to know how many are currently or have in the past played strictly on reprehensible bankroll and how it went? How you felt emotionally, and if you were detached from the money as IT SHOULD BE if we are TRUELY playing on a replenishable bankroll and acting accordingly and not being concerned about temporary downswings. I'm in such a situation and I am thinking of either red chipping it with coupons and only playing a games heads up; essentially being very picky about when I play and slowly build over a very long period of time. Or to just play at a higher betting level and play to a 30-40K bank as I have already done for 100 hours; overbetting essentially. Some background, I'm going back to school and so additional sources of income and hours committed may be reduced. Third option is just to practice at home to stay sharp and only play in other cities with better rules when opportunities allow; I currently play a H17 No Surrending Double Deck mediocre to bad pen game at my local. Your opinions are very appreciated.

Wino.

I play with such a bank roll, a BR of about $40k (it's replenishable but I have not had to do it) and a max bet of only $200. I am slowly trying to increase my max bet. What stakes are you playing?

You are too young and probably addicted without knowing it. Have you tried staying away from the game for a couple of months? At your age, I was getting seriously addicted but back then, it was possible to run away from casinos as they were only in Las Vegas and AC, I moved away to Dayton, OH.

Be careful, cause if you get hooked, it will cause you serious problems with school, relationships and more. Early success at BJ and thoughts of becoming a full time pro enter, giving up career.

Sorry if I offended you but this game is not as it used to be 20 years ago.

[Wino]

Great advice Bodarc! Great advice from your own experience. I'll learn from that advice. Zeebabar, I don't think I'm addicted since I cringe at the bad rules and pen and lose any motivation to expose my Bankroll to such. But I am interested in staying sharp.

[Ryemo]

You are too young and probably addicted without knowing it. Have you tried staying away from the game for a couple of months?

Geez Zee! Not everyone is a gambling addict!

[Nikky_Flash]

Where on earth does he show signs of gambling addiction ? Ha ha , that cracked me up ...

I remember dating in college ... now there's an addiction that everyone shares... proceed with caution...

[Romes]

I play on a replenish-able "theoretical" bankroll. My partner and I have agreed to go say our bankroll is X and further agreed to fund it as needed, though we don't have X on hand. It has been going well, and we've had our swings for certain (damn left side of the bell curve is our best friend unfortunately). Overall it has been going fairly well, could be better, could be worse. We have lost our session bank rolls a couple times, but it's rare. Playing on a replenish-able bankroll is 100% fine and doable, so long as you're willing to back it up when needed.

[Stealth]

How you felt emotionally, and if you were detached from the money as IT SHOULD BE if we are TRUELY playing on a replenishable bankroll and acting accordingly and not being concerned about temporary downswings.

Some thoughts.

While I support the concept, proceed with caution with a "replenish-able bankroll", it should not be taken to mean UNLIMITED. There should be boundaries that are adhered to in a disciplined fashion. So, set a "virtual" bank size and design your play to fit it. In your planning, understand the "range of outcomes" you may experience and be prepared to, in fact, experience those outcomes.

Thoughts like "detached from money" are not helpful and can contribute to an illusion. You replenish-able bankroll money was likely earned by hard work that you were trained to do and dedicated your time to do, blackjack money is of no less value. Covet it, protect it and go get it. After all it is how we really keep score.

Psycho side of variance is the euphoria of kicking their ass and the absolute anguish of losing that causes me to "talk to my steering wheel on the drive home"! Many things have similar characteristics. Consider a pro golfer. He plays today and shoots 70, a nice competent 2 under par. But, if you really analyze what happened you will find that he hit 18 shots "THAT WENT IN THE HOLE" and 52 shots that did not. His objective was to hit in into the hole on EVERY shot. So, he failed 75% of the time. I promise you he agonizes over those misses. Your win rate at blackjack is higher than that.

So, I make this analogy to say that we are not unique in the ups and downs of our endeavors, we just need to understand and prepare for it.

[ZeeBabar]

I think Zee is either a gambling addict or is really worried he is a gambling addict. Any of use might warn of addiction if the signs are in the poster's history. But only those that are or are worried about being an addict see it everywhere without the signs.

Tthree, you may be right but first an explanation. If you see your 21 year old son drinking Jack Daniels at Noon, he may not be an alcoholic but you would worry. When a nice young man, still in college is thinking about funding his education through BJ, you worry a bit.

Regarding myself or others, not many know we are addicted. Heck, lots of folks do not know how they are addicted to their job until they retire, go through depression because nothing else substitutes for the job they used to do. Many die early after they retire.

Some play BJ, go broke and quit. Some addicts cannot quit so, despite losing a lot of money, they go back and play and maybe win. Is this because they have great will power or is it because they were too addicted to quit?

No, I do not play more than 6-10 hours per week and I go away on business to countries where no BJ is possible and I don't play for weeks so maybe I am not an addict but then again, how do I know unless I can stay away from BJ while still near casinos?

On the other hand, I have planned trips to Las Vegas, intended to play a certain number of hours each day, set a loss amount for each session (taking a break of a few hours), sleep a certain number of hours at certain times and as soon as I landed, abandoned the schedule that I had planned. Am I an addict?

many here claim they play short sessions and yet claim they won 10 sessions in a row. I think what happens is that they play short sessions while winning but longer ones (till they come out ahead) when losing and thus have this huge 10-1 winning to losing sessions. Maybe it's the addiction that kept them long enough to get the fix (win) they needed.

[Stealth]

On the other hand, I have planned trips to Las Vegas, intended to play a certain number of hours each day, set a loss amount for each session (taking a break of a few hours), sleep a certain number of hours at certain times and as soon as I landed, abandoned the schedule that I had planned. Am I an addict?

Providing a major characteristic of a gambler and then verifying that is what you did makes this is a self answering question.....

[fjrider]

Gambling addict or Gambler? Both a problem in my book.
If you know you are playing with an advantage, and have the discipline to do it without "gambling", i.e. "taking a chance", "trying this just once"....etc., then I don't consider that gambling, I consider that working a sure thing.
And abandoning your schedule is a major loss of discipline. Not necessarily gambling, if you still played correctly while playing. But for me, that "addiction" to discipline is paramount.
I know I play with an advantage and that has to be preserved above all else. I refuse to be a "gambler" See too many of them sitting at tables being stupid.