Poll: How Much Did You Make per Hr at Blackjack Over the Last 5 Years Before Expenses

[Midwest Player]

I just was wondering what the purpose of the poll is. Is it to get a representative picture of the blackjack activity of all forum members or only of the active players. The poll seems to assume that everyone here is a part time or pro player, which is IMHO not the case.

The purpose of the poll was to get a longer time period than just a year. For recreational players who have full time jobs, it is very difficult to get much more than 200 hours of playing time in a year. I was hoping that by making the time period longer we could get into the thousands of hours instead of just the hundreds of hours. It is very easy to have a very good year or bad year, but over a longer time period things tend to average out revealing what one is actually making per hour.

I will share my results for the last 5 years. As I have stated many times before, I play mostly at the red chip level. Green chip tables pretty much are not available in the upper Midwest except at the larger casinos. However, at times I do play at green chip tables. Anyway for me, the last 5 years have all been winning years. I don't know how 2019 will turn out yet, but as of right now it is in the black. Now out of last 5 years two of them have been way above expected value with one year just shy of $60 an hour. Pretty damn good for a red chip player. Now two of the years were pretty damn awful. They were just hundreds of dollars above breakeven. I could have done better on an hourly basis picking strawberries for 6 cents per quart like I did in the early 1960's. As far as 2019 goes, I'm pretty much at expected value, but a couple of bad trips could put me in the red.

It is hard to sim just how I play because sometimes it $5 min tables and sometimes $10 min and sometimes two hands instead of one. However, I ran a sim (should say looked at archived sim) which mostly closely represents my play. Here it is.

Results 2015-2019.JPG

Over the last 5 years I have played 1,344.5 hours and made $19.28 per hour which is pretty close to expectation.

[Counting_Is_Fun]

A certain poster here is sticking up his nose at making $10 an hour at blackjack. I always thought $10 an hour at blackjack was nothing to sneeze about. Anyway, I got to thinking about how many folks are really doing quite well over a longer period of time, like say 5 years. I decided to do another poll covering the last 5 years. Lets make it the years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and YTD for 2019.

This poll is similar to a poll I did last year that only covered 2018. You can see that poll here.
https://www.blackjacktheforum.com/sh...efore-Expenses

Note: This poll does not reveal your handle.

Ok since Midwest Player won't say who he is talking about...I will admit it's me.
Yes, I do question anyone who likes spending a lot of their life playing BJ for $10/hr or less. I'm not looking down on you...I just don't understand it when we all only have one life to live.
If it's your hobby and you enjoy it, then to each their own I guess.
Midwest Player how do you think $10/hr is a great wage for any job? I seriously do not understand you most if the time. And that is before expenses ?
I am no super high roller...but I don't play any game unless the EV is around at least $75/hr usually much more.
Also you seem confused about the true EV of your games? After so many years playing ?
Cvcx can easily help you get specific even when you play one hand or two. Fyi I didn't look at your cvcx yet.

Ok I just looked at your cvcx...50% pen is not good. And you truly wong out at TC -1 always? And are you really getting 100 hands per hour with side bets at a probably mostly full table?

[Dog Hand]

<snip>Ok I just looked at your cvcx...50% pen is not good. And you truly wong out at TC -1 always? <snip>

Counting_Is_Fun,

Look again: the Back Counting box is unchecked, so Midwest Player's CVCX results are for play-all, not wonging.

Hope this helps!

Dog Hand

[Counting_Is_Fun]

Counting_Is_Fun,

Look again: the Back Counting box is unchecked, so Midwest Player's CVCX results are for play-all, not wonging.

Hope this helps!

Dog Hand

Ok even worse lol. Does Midwestern Player know it’s unchecked? Or does he foolishly play all on this game?

[ZeeBabar]

The OP just asked s question. Answer it or move on to another thread. A hell of a lot of posts just take pot shots at the OP. This need to attack and/or humiliate reflects more poorly on the person doing the attacking. Just f$&@ing move on!

If you can’t understand why someone is OK with $10 an hour, that is your issue. Some play as a recreational activity because they may already be a billionaire and others play to keep their mind sharp and stave off Alzheimer’s. You may have a need to make $75 per hour, I don’t. You don’t need to figure out why everyone is not like you.

[RTR2021]

The OP just asked s question. Answer it or move on to another thread. A hell of a lot of posts just take pot shots at the OP. This need to attack and/or humiliate reflects more poorly on the person doing the attacking. Just f$&@ing move on!

If you can’t understand why someone is OK with $10 an hour, that is your issue. Some play as a recreational activity because they may already be a billionaire and others play to keep their mind sharp and stave off Alzheimer’s. You may have a need to make $75 per hour, I don’t. You don’t need to figure out why everyone is not like you.

Amen. If I was filthy rich, I'd still play. But would probably be drinking, having fun, making a ton of mistakes, and as a result making 10 bucks an hour and happy with it.

[refinery]

Ok even worse lol. Does Midwestern Player know it’s unchecked? Or does he foolishly play all on this game?

It's not great but it is DD. The most unfortunate part of the sim is the n0 though. I'm expecting sub 10k if I'm playing DD.

[21forme]

It's not great but it is DD. The most unfortunate part of the sim is the n0 though. I'm expecting sub 10k if I'm playing DD.

Yeah, that is pretty bad, but on the plus side, he's playing with chump change.

[Eye of the Eagle]

The OP just asked s question. Answer it or move on to another thread. A hell of a lot of posts just take pot shots at the OP. This need to attack and/or humiliate reflects more poorly on the person doing the attacking. Just f$&@ing move on!

If you can’t understand why someone is OK with $10 an hour, that is your issue. Some play as a recreational activity because they may already be a billionaire and others play to keep their mind sharp and stave off Alzheimer’s. You may have a need to make $75 per hour, I don’t. You don’t need to figure out why everyone is not like you.

Well said. It's to bad there are such people that know it all and if you do something different they look down on you. These people wish they had your bankroll. Most of these people problem have never played in a casino other then playing on the software. Just wait until they play for real money they will get a rude awakening. Easy to sim something but lets see how you do when you have to shove you $1500 in one hand for splits and double downs. I forgot and you lose.

[Freightman]

Well said. It's to bad there are such people that know it all and if you do something different they look down on you. These people wish they had your bankroll. Most of these people problem have never played in a casino other then playing on the software. Just wait until they play for real money they will get a rude awakening. Easy to sim something but lets see how you do when you have to shove you $1500 in one hand for splits and double downs. I forgot and you lose.

I think that it’s fair to say that we don’t see eye to eye, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Your comments are right on the mark. Further, for those that your comments are directed to - when they lose that big hand with splits and doubles, they tend to leave skid marks in their shirts.

[PinkChip]

I'm wondering if it's really feasible (tolerated) to have a spread of 16 in a double deck game.

[Freightman]

I'm wondering if it's really feasible (tolerated) to have a spread of 16 in a double deck game.

Depends on the store. I’ve spread far more, and I’ve spread far far less. Note that even with the spread, SCORE and DI are low. The store is not likely stupid, so, they are aware that this crappy dd game with 50% cut and 3 players, that a big spread with its accompanying large issues of variance could well break counters not sufficiently capitalized - and that with a long term poor return.

So, a smart store really wouldn’t give a shit. Now, if at some time, the store determined that MWP is well funded, they may take action at that time.

[ZeeBabar]

On my last trip to Las Vegas, sat down at a $25 minimum table at Silverton’s and the dealer calls “Checks Play” on a $100 bet.