Roll on the Line. The time has come

[KJ]

First of all, why are you guys assuming Buzzard's wife is HUGE. That seems harsh.

Moving on, you only live once and sometimes you have to take your shot. Otherwise at the end of your life, you look back with regret. But, you want to give yourself the best chance of success when you do take your shot and this is where your plan has some shortcomings, Buzzard.

Financial: I beleive to give yourself a reasonable chance, a year's expenses, plus a BR of 50 grand is needed. With expenses of $2500/month, a year comes to $30,000. That leaves you a BR of $40,000. A little light but do-able, wthout getting into your specific situation.

Knowledge: In addition to being properly funded, you need to have acquired the knowledge to succeed. And this isn't just about reading a few books or participation on websites. That's a start, a foundation, but the real education you need is learned by experience. IMO, this works best as a natural progression, playing part-time with smaller stakes and learning the ins and outs as you move up in stakes. I don't know your history, but by statements and questions, it doesn't seem like you are there.

Timing: Now despite my initial statement about taking your shots in life, your timing is way off. This is best attempted earlier in life, when you are in your early 20's, single, with minimal responsibilities and expenses or a little later in life, maybe your 50's, once the kids are off to college or off on there own doing whatever. At 38, with kids and a wife, is not the time. You made a commitment, that needs to be honored, IMO. Instead this might be an appropriate time to go that part-time route and really prepare for a later attempt.

The playing plan: Playing 35 hours a week spread over 4 stores is unrealistic. You will have a short career. I've been there, not long ago. I was living on east coast, Philadelphia and played a small rotation consisting of 4 Atlantic City casinos. That's all that was playable in the area at the time as Pa had casinos but had not yet approved table games. It is just way took small of a rotation. You will see the same faces too often, and you will be noticed and unable to play before long. You must have a larger rotation of games. There are two ways to do this. One is move closer to a larger number of games, as I chose to do, and the second is to travel a lot.

35 hours a week: Playing blackjack for a living is not a 9-5 job. Getting in 35 hours playing time will require much more than 35 hours. As much as double. Few players put in that kind of time. I did for a number of years, but even I have cut back in recent years. It wears you down. And you can't put those hours in during the day and be home to the wife and kids in the evenings and weekends. You have to spread your play out, playing all shifts and hours. The reality of it is that playing blackjack for a living isn't a job, it's a lifestyle. Blackjack must be your mistress, your companion. This is another reason, why this is best attempted in your 20's before you settle down with a human companion.

I would really re-think your plan if I were you.

[ZenMaster_Flash]

You are rather considerably more likely to fail than to succeed.

You are planning on playing far too many hours at too few casinos.

No Casino Manager wants a non-losing player "camping-out"

and turning their blackjack tables into someone's office.

I have been 86'd and trespassed virtually everywhere in PA

It appears to be a dead certainty that the PA casinos

are all communicating with each other re: backoffs.

Contact me for actual proof of same.

[redbuck]

Buzzard, would you attempt this if statistics showed that you would fail 95% of the time? Or 90%, 0r 85%???
What % do you think that you have to still be doing this (successfully) is 5 years? Wish you the best, but just curious...