What are some useful resource for someone looking to travel the US and Canada playing blackjack full time?
CVBJ: already have for practice
CVCX: already have for analysis
BlackJack apprenticeship: worth it for Casino411?
BJ21 Current Blackjack news: worth if over casino 411 or get both?
APPS
Hurdlr: for milage and expense tracking
gsuite: gaming records
Random
AMEX and good rewards card for points and discounts.
Any input is appreciated.
-CBJN, a def...use it as an aid when scouting.Originally Posted by notFromTheMidWest
-Excel or other Spreadsheet data processing application is good enough. Keep it for tax purposes.
-Do you fly a lot? Do you drive, dine, shop a lot? Answer that question when you are looking for rewards systems. (NOTE: always read the fine print!)
Has anyone come up with a cost (of being a traveling AP), the hourly required and the BR required to make a living as a traveling AP? It’s one thing to consider an occasional trip to places like Las Vegas, AC, Tunica etc, where there are multiple casinos within 10 miles and another to go from small town to small town playing in 1-3 casinos spread out in each town. Get to some of them on a weekday and you might only find one or two $5 minimum tables open before the late afternoon and placing a $100 bet would have the pit call surveillance and then hover at your table.
Course, playing in Chicago, ST. Louis, KC, PA is possible betting bigger but not like it is playing the strip in Las Vegas.
Yes, there are a lot more casinos in the USA but they are set up for locals and tolerance of anonymous big bettors is not high.
A good network will be very useful if your going full time. Being able to share info, exchange chips and cut expenses or use others comps can cut expenses substantially. It’s a good idea to get some kind of credit card that offers a decent sign up bonus, and lounge access. I use the Amex platinum and find the benefits pay for the high annual cost of the card ($200 flight credit, $200 Uber credit). More importantly this gets me access to Amex platinum lounges as well as priority pass, and TSA pre check - saving substantial time and effort while traveling. BJA membership is also useful as are the multiple AP discord channels.
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I like the Capital One Quick Silver Card. I just signed my wife up for one with me as an authorized user. You get $150 sign up bonus and 1.5% cash back on all purchases. We used the sign up bonus and added a few more bucks for Hurricane Dorian relief. Never would consider paying an annual fee for a credit card.
Best Credit Cards.
https://www.nerdwallet.com/best/credit-cards/rewards
By the way, what is lounge access? My closest airport doesn't even have bathroom access after you go through security.
Last edited by Midwest Player; 09-19-2019 at 09:43 PM.
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Neither did I, until a couple if years ago. Westjet Elite MasterCard, primarily for Canadians. Annual fee of 119. Banking package reduces to 80. Automatic additional discount of .03 per litre of gas at Petro Canada reduces annual fee to 0. Welcome cash bonus of $250. 1 to 1.5% cash back applied to air travel. Roughly 3-4 times per year, additional 50 thrown into my account to induce air travel on Westjet. Annual companion pass for $99 anywhere Westjet flies in North America, I think 399 to Europe. The normal rental card insurance. No charge travel medical for infinite trips max 15 days. My private policy was 200 per year. No luggage fee first checked bag, both ways was worth $60.
I use the card liberally, pay in full monthly, fly several times per year below market, just got back from a USA vacation with the wife, using the companion pass. In fact, I’m flying very shortly at a very reduced price for bj purposes.
I get my money’s worth.
Same here, until I got the Chase Sapphire Reserve card several years ago. Fee is $400/yr, but you get $300 back with your first travel or restaurant purchase each year, so it's a $100 fee in reality. In addition, they pay the $100 renewal fee for my Global Entry/TSA precheck every 5 years, so when you amortize that, it's an $80 annual fee. With that, I got a $1K sign-up bonus and it includes a number of other perks that make it worth it to me (such as lounge access, mentioned above), particularly their Ultimate Rewards booking site for airfare and hotels, where with the card I get 3 points for every travel dollar spent, then on the back end, get a 33% discount when booking hotel/air/car rental, etc.
Last edited by 21forme; 09-20-2019 at 06:06 AM.
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