Driving expense is approx 50 cents per mile.
Really? Then, I have one store in my rotation where my trip expenses are 25 cents (each way).Originally Posted by blackjack avenger
Actually less, because I usually walk when visiting.
One day I will post a trip report.
On a serious note: As most of you know, I made the decision to relocate close to the games that I play to practically eliminate expenses. For you guys that have to drive an hour or more to each location....I don't know how you do it.With the price of gas, just too much expense eating an already slim profit margin.
Really? Then, I have one store in my rotation where my trip expenses are 25 cents (each way).
On a serious note: As most of you know, I made the decision to relocate close to the games that I play to practically eliminate expenses. For you guys that have to drive an hour or more to each location....I don't know how you do it.
This may sound like degenerate talk but I'll tell you how I cut expenses. And I have no doubt, based on a similar post/thread over on Wongs message board a while back others do it as well.
When I take LONG road trips 8-12 hours driving each way. I pack a cooler with all the food I need like fresh deli meats, fruit ,water,and juice or anything else that sounds good. I do try to eat healthy and very seldom eat in a restaurant. But I won't turn down a free buffet once in a while.
I bring along an air mattress, a sleeping bag, and sleep in my vehicle. These trips are compressed into 2 or 3 days at the most. So I'm really not getting a lot of sleep. I scout and play as much as possible. A couple of places give some comped rooms and I do take advantage of them when I can. Mostly I'm playing unrated. A normal trip will cost between 200-300 hundred dollars.
I think blackjack avenger is right .50 cents per mile is very accurate.
Last edited by Solo player; 09-18-2012 at 09:33 PM.
"I think, therfore I can't play blackjack."
Arnold Snyder, Blackbelt in Blackjack pg. 229 (2005)
I'm lucky in that I have enough stores close to me that I don't need to travel more than an hour or so in order to play. What I do travel for, and have found to be very profitable, are tournaments. In fact, trips to tournaments have become the focus of my play over the past few years. If the EV of the tournament is high enough, I will drive up to 12 hours (can be done in 1 day). Lodging and food is almost always discounted and often comped. I focus mainly on blackjack tournaments, but some of the strategy principles apply to other games as well (baccarat, for example). And, of course, poker tournaments probably offer the best skill/luck ratio for skilled players.
It's a different kind of beast than other forms of AP however. While the money is good, it comes as a (sometimes long) series of small losses (entry fees) followed by a large win. If you need a steady(ish) stream of income, tournaments may not be appropriate as your only source, but if you're an AP, I highly recommend learning some of the basic (as in simple) strategies and playing tournaments when the opportunity arises. If you engage in enough play during the course of your normal routine, it's not hard to get comped in. If you then combine the tournament with your normal AP during the trip, the tournament then becomes a 100% positive EV addition.
Tournaments are also a completely different way to play some of the games where we normally grind it out, often requiring additional mental dexterity and creativity as one encounters new situations to deal with. That part of it makes it fun, which is an important part of the equation for me.
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