Now if I can only get casinos to think about us in the same manner.

Avocation versus Vocation

There exist people who are full-time professional gamblers. There are those who are heavy players and make extra money playing, but maintain a separate profession. And there are occasional players who simply want to play the game correctly and enjoy beating the casino at their own game, but do not make a significant amount of money from play. I have tried to create a book useful to all categories. I will say that I would never try to talk anyone into becoming a pro. It is difficult, often tedious, it involves a great deal of travel, you will find yourself dealing with unpleasant people, you may find yourself alone for long periods, and it is difficult to avoid paranoia. It ain’t the glamorous life in the movies. On the other hand, it makes a great hobby. And like many great hobbies, a profit is possible.

Some major differences between a pro and a hobbyist: The pro must play at a far lower risk of ruin and must have a good-size bankroll or play on a team. Also, the pro must worry more about speed. He is not there for fun. He needs to make a profit. Also, the pro will likely be barred more often. If you are a pro and are not getting barred, you are probably using too much cover, and this eats into your profits.

Level I versus Level II

Beginning players are usually tempted to go for the more complex strategies. I wanted to add a few words about stepping up to a level II strategy. At first glance, the difference does not appear great. You sometimes add or subtract two instead of always adding or subtracting one. However, adding one to something is not the same as adding any other number, as adding one is simply counting. Your brain doesn’t access an addition table or handle carries. (You sometimes add a pair of ones, but this can be handled by counting twice.) The difference sounds subtle, but not when you are keeping a running count very quickly. Level I and level II strategies are handled in a fundamentally different manner by the brain. Incidentally, the same is true for early computers. An “incrementer” had a fraction of the circuitry of an “adder.”

 © 2009 Norman Wattenberger