Big Casino Wins and Jackpots

[regnis]

Sorry Redietz--until you gamble away your sexual organs you are just a wannabe.

And congrats to the man who has organs--not organ.

[Alan Mendelson]

I never posted my actual win loss statement but a few years ago I did have $1.29-million in W2Gs and my loss that year actually matched the expected return (loss) playing that particular game which was 9/5 Double Double Bonus. I mentioned that particular year in a discussion about expected return.

I have never had a profitable year gambling. However I will say that hitting two $100k royals in two years closed the losing gap to a very small amount.

For the record in the past year my free play offers from Caesars were limited to $300 or less per month.

[coach belly]

However I will say that hitting two $100k royals in two years closed the losing gap to a very small amount.

You were down over 6 figures at one point each year in 2 consecutive years?

[james40]

You were down over 6 figures at one point each year in 2 consecutive years?

My guess he's in a much higher tax bracket than you coach.

[regnis]

Unless the Coach is Jim harbaugh at around 9.5 million per year.

[coach belly]

My guess he's in a much higher tax bracket than you coach.

Sounds like he Romped Through Town and out of a 6 figure loss...when you're down $100K bump your game up to $25 per credit.

[coach belly]

Unless the Coach is Jim harbaugh at around 9.5 million per year.

I am like Jim Harbaugh...just not as nice.

[Alan Mendelson]

You were down over 6 figures at one point each year in 2 consecutive years?

Not necessarily down by that much... but after winning so much there is no fear about continuing to play.

[blackhole]

I admit the degenerate adjective before compulsive was a little over the top while describing my opinion of Alan. Yet, I’m certain Alan understood my point. We’re both old timers and been around the gambling world likely longer than most here.

Someone asked if I was a compulsive gambler earlier. Like Alan I was and still do have the funds to justify my stupidity in the past. But, if I didn’t snap out of my stupidity of believing the losses were just a result of my chosen form of personal entertainment I felt entitled to, I’m not sure how much damage I may have done.

Alan knows exactly what I’m saying, and 100k gambling losses for a year are average and expected.

Every person’s level of play of course is different. Based on what I’m reading in this forum, most here can’t even relate to Alan's level of play, both time and money invested.

[Alan Mendelson]

I'm actually speaking prematurely about 2016. It's possible I could have a profit this year. But working against me is my "royal count." I had only three this year and two were $1 royals ($4,000). If I have a bad run between now and New Year's Eve at higher limits I could go into the red. I was not doing well up until that $100K royal.

[coach belly]

most here can't even relate to Alan's level of play, both time and money invested.

I can't understand playing at a level where losing 6 figures a year is expected, and only getting $300 per month in free play offers.

[Alan Mendelson]

up until about a year ago I was getting $2500 a month in free play.

If someone wins $100K in a jackpot, but then loses $101K during the rest of the year, their loss for the year is only one-thousand dollars.

Here's another example: you lose $50,000 during the first half of the year, then win $100K, then lose $51,000 during the second half of the year, and the loss for the year is $1,000.

[RS__]

Alan, did you ever get the 4x$2500 / month FP? I think Caesars stopped sending those out 1.5-2 years ago. (I never got in that bracket, started playing towards the end of that...bastards!)

[Alan Mendelson]

I never heard of a promotion that gave 4X $2500 a month. The maximum I ever got was $2500 for one visit during a month.

[Rob.Singer]

Interesting how various people have little problem embracing--and indeed, cuddling up to--others who admit to being losers at vp. Alan's already explained his bad luck (I mean, in jbjb's terminology, "unexpected distribution") when it comes to successful marriages, and the same people have fun with that. I guess if he said he actually lives in Reseda or some other flop house-littered struggling community, it would make everyone feel even better.

It is VERY true vp winners are few and far between, and it's very obvious everyone here understands why. Virtually no one can win and stay ahead, because after they've fallen under the spell of the casino, its slot club, the ambience and of course the extreme addiction of playing the poker computers, no matter where that casino is located, the reasons and excuses and "nothing else really matters" justifications simply drive the problem gamblers back to that casino over and over and over again. Until they're broke, they've lost all including their families, and even their self-dignity. And all that makes for fun reading on the Internet.

So it's a shame people never understand the power of discipline and determination when playing video poker. Again I ask all you losers: had you quit while playing on every single machine you've ever played the first time you got ahead (whether it's a nickel, a dollar, or $4000....) how much better would your results be today?
And no whining about how "most of the time that wouldn't have even been worth my time" or "that usually wouldn't have even covered my gas" or "I also make those trips to stay for a few days of other type entertainment too!". If you understand what this means, you're smart enuf to understand how using a better strategy that is driven by this simple concept can be an enormous positive to your results.

Learn from your mistakes people, and don't just keep repeating them. Understand what you're doing by losing is EXACTLY how the casinos want you to act. Know that by staying on casino radar by using hosts, signing up for casino credit or check cashing, using casino ATM's, or running back every time a casino sends you an offer, all you're doing is becoming a facilitator to your own losing.

I won over $25k on a stopover at South Point in early June. I've been back in once last month and won nearly $2k. Still no offers. I called yesterday, they gave me VIP, and I asked why. This person had no clue, so I asked "if I come in for a night in Dec. can it be comped"? She said yes. So I asked "and since I rarely come to LV any longer, could you see if we could get a $500 comp to Michael's"? She said she had to check with someone on that, and a guy came on and said yes.

So how many times have we seen idiots on vpfree and elsewhere claim they got all their comps "erased" and how they've been "86'd" for being "feared advantage players at SP who are four figures ahead"? It's obviously all BS. And this should put to rest Dan's claim that it's unusual how he is supposedly getting more than he deserves so he's been shut down on comps....if in fact that's what he's saying.

All casinos are different, and this is where Dan's inexperience with the vast amount of casinos around Nevada is hurting him. If you stay attached to one casino or chain you will never understand that the true advantage is in exploiting ALL of them in their own ways, and not simply staying foolishly addicted to one and then constantly complain about it.

Watching Dan and his continuous P-A-I-N with CET is like watching mickeycrimm trying to navigate around his cabinet of cheap whiskey as he dreams up more of his make-believe gambling tales.

[Alan Mendelson]

Rob you haven't been in Reseda lately. It has million dollar houses like the rest of LA.

I don't understand the rest of your post. I think what you're missing is that many if not all recreational players aren't going to casinos to win a nickel or a dollar or even a hundred dollars. They're going in pursuit of the big win and have set aside a budgeted amount to try to get that big win.

Recreational players are different from professional players. Pro players must have their strict discipline for showing a profit. The recreational players will play their budgeted amount and enjoy the ups and downs.

Don't think all recreational players are problem players. Some people really do have a good time at casinos, win or lose.

[Rob.Singer]

My example was a baseline. People SAY they want to win but they really don't. They're there for that one big hit like you said, and when they get it even THAT overwhelmingly doesn't make them quit. People win and they want to win more. They crave that need for even more gratification. It is stupid beyond words. A lack of self-discipline at its finest.

You usually play on after a big hit, setting lower points of being ahead before you leave. While that makes little sense to me, it is FAR better than what the vast majority of players always do by playing on with no goals or reason other than to experience the intermittent gratification of another big or bigger win that usually does not come.

And I'm not someone who readily believes you lose.

[Alan Mendelson]

Rob there's nothing wrong with playing and losing if it's fun and affordable. When you spend $200 to play golf I hope it's also fun and affordable. When you go RVing I hope it's also fun and affordable. Profit is not a measure of entertainment. I never had a profit after going to a movie or comedy club. I saw the new Tom Hank's Inferno movie last night. Had fun -- no profit.

[jbjb]

I've profited off of WWF events and the Stanley Cup Finals one year in the 90's. EBay was lax back then on limits you could sell extra tickets for.

P.S. I really would've loved to get Cubs World Series tix for resale.

[Rob.Singer]

Alan that's what's called entertainment expense as you know. We all have that to different degrees. Lots of people get all excited about going to their Friday night poker games, where they hope they win but if not then it's an entertainment expense of one degree or the other.

But the purpose of ANY internet gambling forum is not to talk about gambling's "entertainment value" but to glean as much info as possible in an effort to become a better player....i.e., to Win Money. Not to see how many comps one can accumulate so players can apply needed values in order to pretend they've had a winning year or to claim they've justified all their play by performing this magic trick in front of others.

Others come here to teach common sense to players, and that's what I've always done. When you always have a winning year playing a particular way after having nothing but losing years playing a very popular but very flawed and misleading method, it is not a burden to keep explaining why. It's also why I never had a problem writing a free weekly Gaming Today column for nearly 8 years, and why I've never charged a cent to anyone I've trained both at the machines and thru other forms of communication.

So posters can ignore, praise, criticize or say anything they choose to about what I say--I KNOW from the massive amount of emails I've received over the years and even today, that a difference has been and is being made in both the winning and enjoyment levels. And you can see it in the posts of those who sit at the altar of losing: they HATE and chase anyone who has the courage to say anything positive about others' improvement in entertainment and/or winning because of my teaching. The rest simply stay away and only choose to talk to me--including at least 3 of the members here who would probably feel totally embarrassed if their handles got out.

That alone is pure entertainment!