Rigged machines, programmed cold cycles, and server based technology??

[mickeycrimm]

We hear so much about "advantage plays" but frequently missing are discussions from the "professional" and "semi professional" players about their income requirements, standard of living, health and retirement, vacations and what security they have.

Rent, utilities, cable, internet and phone runs me $700 a month. I'm a frugal liver. It's an AP move because I can't predict the future and what the opportunities will or will not be. I've personally had the crappiest of years this year. Only 48K gross. It's mainly because I took the whole summer off. I guess you could call that a vacation. Expenses on roadtrips (gas, hotel, meals) runs about 20% of the earn. I consider my bankroll, low six figures, to be my 401K. I add to it as much as I can. I'm just middle class. And I'm happy with that.

And here's a dirty little secret. Any idiot with a $2000 bankroll can do what I do. That is, if they know the plays.

PS: I've been eligible for SS for almost two years now but still haven't filed.

[blackhole]

Rent, utilities, cable, internet and phone runs me $700 a month. I'm a frugal liver. It's an AP move because I can't predict the future and what the opportunities will or will not be. I've personally had the crappiest of years this year. Only 48K gross. It's mainly because I took the whole summer off. I guess you could call that a vacation. Expenses on roadtrips (gas, hotel, meals) runs about 20% of the earn. I consider my bankroll, low six figures, to be my 401K. I add to it as much as I can. I'm just middle class. And I'm happy with that.

And here's a dirty little secret. Any idiot with a $2000 bankroll can do what I do. That is, if they know the plays.

PS: I've been eligible for SS for almost two years now but still haven't filed.

Considering time and time again you self-proclaimed yourself the KING of KINGS when it came to machine AP, what could we uninformed (non ap) gambling fools (me for one) expect other less talented machine AP’s to pull in?

I’ve read on forums where a well-known alleged forum AP lost a 6-digit cash bankroll in a safety box when the twin towers went down. Some saying they were making more than their lawyer, doctor, etc. I was told of a 50k to 70k play being made in less than 10 hours that went on for weeks. AP’s bragging how they get to fly around the globe in first class, and how the casinos pay for their 5 star RFB / shows either comped or earned by play.

Are today's casinos this fn lame? Are they that far out of touch of what’s actually taking place in their own casinos? Are their billion dollar investments in today's modern technology, surveillance, game monitoring, dealer observance, meaningless when it comes to AP's?

The exposed claim to fame AP move made by the knuckle head Phil Ivey and that woman while playing baccarat is what many AP’s fall back on for proof of great success. I’d like to know how many AP’s would have been able to put all those needed conditions together to even try and pull that off. The only reason the casinos did it, was cause their Intel confirmed Ivey was a fn degenerate gambling idiot. (and still is) We know how the courts ruled, but regardless how anyone views this, edge sorting appears to be one less play the AP’s had, now gone.

So, Mickey I guess my question to the King of AP machine plays would be, why with your talents would you settle for a simple middle class life in the middle of Montana? I know because I read your posts where you also expose your love for alcohol, loose woman, etc. Why wouldn’t you want to be flying first class around the world in designer clothes, staying in five star resorts, drinking and eating all you want for free, while screwing beautiful top of the line woman readily available and not like some of the woman you yourself described in frightening detail?

My guess is your post might be one of the more honest AP posts ever written. I believe the James Grosjean, Phil Ivey, MIT teams, days are dwindling. There certainly will be no end of attempts by gamblers. But, with all the aid the casinos have technically along with just regular gamblers have just by reading forums on the WWW, I suspect most AP plays will eventually be prevented by the casinos, (at least the ones they care about) or by to many AP’s catching on and killing plays which already is being spoke about often.

[redietz]

I guess the same question blackhole asks of mickey crimm could be asked of Edgar Allan Poe. If you can do A, B, and C and make this amount of money or get this amount of respect, why do what you do when the tangible rewards (to the consumer mind) seem so much less?

These are personal choices about what to do with one's limited time, energy, and lifespan.

Some people don't dig first class flights, designer clothes, and Russian supermodels (oh, sorry, almost made this a political post). Or they've seen people crash and burn aspiring to do just that. As Clint Eastwood says in Magnum Force, a man's got to know his limitations

I mean, since we're in the Christmas spirit and all, Matthew 4:1-11.

[blackhole]

redietz,

Thanks for your personal opinion, but looking forward to Mickeys.

Can I ask you a question and get an honest answer? Do you smoke a lot of weed? I hear the crap them smoke today is really out there.

[mickeycrimm]

BH, your post is certainly interesting. I'll try to answer all the questions. My calling myself the king of AP's is just bravado. My personal "best day" as an AP was in August of 2007 where I netted 37k in less than 24 hours. Gambling machines in Montana is a 1.3 Billion dollar industry. I fleeced them for 48K this year. There is only one other AP I know that works Montana and he isn't making any more than me. If you look at what we earn compared to what the industry earns we are just a couple of fleas on a camel's back. With our income level we just are not hurting the industry.

About living in Montana not exactly a big time gambling destination. You mentioned James Grosjean who many, including myself, consider to be the best AP out there today, and has worked all the big time casinos around the world. James has said that some of his best plays were so far out in the middle of nowhere that his cell phone wouldn't work. I guess I have that in common with him.

Why have I settled for a middle class life in Montana? I think my age has something to do with it. I'm pushing 64. I know I have the talent to go much higher. But I'm just not willing to do what it takes to go higher anymore. I'm happy with living in Montana and with what I have.

BH, about all this supposed bigtime AP stuff going on in the country. I consider myself to be one of a very rare breed. My guess is there are less than 200 people in this country that do what I do. That means we are not really hurting the industry at all. We just don't put that big a dent into them.

PS: The reason I haven't filed for SS yet is a pride thing. Once I file I can no longer say my entire income is derived from gambling.

[Rob.Singer]

Funny stuff all around. People actually wanting to believe the stories Mickey makes up--this time a fantasy about himself....and even THAT lacks dignity.

Mickey HOLDING OFF on collecting SS? Ha! First off, you have to actually work and have FICA tax deducted from your paychecks, and this is where mickey "fake-storied" himself into another one of his corners. How many times has he bragged about being the "AP's AP" with phony stories of "gambling lore" in the '80's & '90's? So that might give the clown about ten years of low-paying slug jobs, and who here thinks a drifter of this type ever had the ability and wherewithal to go out and get a job? And the amount of SS one gets is based on income. So please forgive me if I LMAO!!

Point is, while he babbles on about why he "doesn't take SS yet because of xxxxx" what the real world tells us is even if he DID draw on it, he wouldn't be seeing more than a hundred bucks a month. Best guess is he's holding back because he is claiming to make what is it--$48k yearly now, after previously saying he had a 6-figure income every year, and he never files a tax return even though the IRS requires ALL gambling income to be reported. No doubt he's fibbing and 100% collects welfare, living assistance, food stamps, and is on Medicaid. I've already confirmed half of it, and now that he claimed to be making money every recent year, he's talked himself into trouble. I've already submitted this info and this forum's postings to the IRS.

Almost forgot: the funniest part of all this is how even when Mickey makes this income stuff up, he thinks "$48k" is some kind of middle class. I get two thirds of that amount in SS alone after Medicare deductions! And since when can anyone use a "low six figure" supposed bankroll as retirement?

Conclusion: mickey is as low a class slob as he portrays himself out to be, and he pisses away his Obama income on booze and gambling. I'd say women, but he's a lifetime loser in that dept. as well.

[redietz]

Rob, God bless you, you do know "mickey crimm" isn't his actual name, right?

[james40]

Rob, God bless you, you do know "mickey crimm" isn't his actual name, right?

I had to laugh, a guy with a fake name, sending a report in to the IRS on another guy with a fake name about some happy horseshit he saw a guy posting on the internet. Even though he says the stories are made up. Again, you can't make this shit up.

Rob was able to stay away almost a full day from posting though, even thought he was going away till after the first, family calls etc. He still had to come back to get his fix though. My guess is Rob is never too far away from his internet connection and Mickey has him hooked.

Maybe those comments about the his wife are not too far off.

[coach belly]

My guess is Rob is never too far away from his internet connection and Mickey has him hooked.

That's your guess, but from what I've seen, Mickey is the one that's hooked...between him and Rob it's not even close.

[Alan Mendelson]

I have some problems and comments about this post of Rob's.

Mickey HOLDING OFF on collecting SS? Ha! First off, you have to actually work and have FICA tax deducted from your paychecks, and this is where mickey "fake-storied" himself into another one of his corners.

I don't know if Mickey's story is fake or not, but Rob is correct that you have to have declared employment income to have Social Security contributions, and it does take many years of contributions to build up any significant amount of social security. I'm also 64 (65 in a few months) and if I were to start collecting SS now, even with a 5% penalty for claiming SS before age 66 my monthly benefit would be about $2,500 a month, and I have had the maximum SS income for contributions for many, many years.

he thinks "$48k" is some kind of middle class.

Actually $48K a year is certainly middle class and depending on the neighborhood Mickey lives in that could be a very comfortable life. Several months ago I considered moving to Vegas. I found very nice two bedroom, two bath condos in the Summerlin area priced at $78,000 and I fell in love with a great rental community in the Summerlin area with a two bedroom, two bath apartment in a complex with an outdoor pool and an indoor pool, plus tennis and greenspace priced at $990 a month. A one-bedroom in the same community was $895 a month. $48K is about $1,000 a week which can easily afford that rental community, and I am going to guess that in Montana the cost of rentals could be even lower.

Now regarding the comments about forwarding info from the forum to the IRS. Are you kidding me? The last person on this forum who wants any kind of link to the IRS even though he claims to have a relative working for the IRS would be Rob Singer who claimed he managed to hoodwink the IRS into thinking groceries and backyard parties and dining out with his wife were business expenses. I'm not saying Rob didn't get away with it once, but if he has any brains he wants to keep this dust under the rug.

[jbjb]

I hope you all realize, that since an AP is considered self employed, they do pay quarterly taxes. That includes FICA.

[Alan Mendelson]

I hope you all realize, that since an AP is considered self employed, they do pay quarterly taxes. That includes FICA.

From the IRS website:

Self-employed individuals generally must pay self-employment tax (SE tax) as well as income tax. SE tax is a Social Security and Medicare tax primarily for individuals who work for themselves. It is similar to the Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from the pay of most wage earners. In general, anytime the wording "self-employment tax" is used, it only refers to Social Security and Medicare taxes and not any other tax (like income tax).

The question becomes does Mickey declare his income from gambling?

[blackhole]

I hope you all realize, that since an AP is considered self employed, they do pay quarterly taxes. That includes FICA.

The question becomes does Mickey declare his income from gambling?

Personally, if anyone here believes that Rob.Singer would go out of his way to contact the IRS even if he knew who Mickey Crimm is, and that the IRS would listen, care, or pursue it, would confirm you have rocks between your ears, and should request a scan of your skull before you hurt someone.

Once I was being falsely charged and investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SEC, and the IRS. All charges were dropped but the IRS was called in during the investigation suspecting I could have evaded paying taxes and facilitating tax evasion for someone else. The IRS would never go away and I had to hire separate and specialized tax lawyers to deal with them.

None of the IRS claims could actually be confirmed without a doubt, and eventually it always comes down to some type of settlement with no charges to end the case. Additional Legal fees vs. Settlement is usually an easy decision. Settlement is the safer bet.

My tax returns since the time they actually meant anything, were always done by accountants. My returns (never knew how far back they went) were scrutinized and involved a couple of different agents.

For many years, my wife and I had signed many W2’s at casinos. Every year we had confirmed wins, (most from her slot play) I would file casino win/loss statements against the wins. The loss side of any statement was always overwhelming any wins. I remember my accountant telling me how it might not fly. Yet, during the entire investigation other than one comment made by an agent when he and I were sitting at the table waiting for everyone to get back from a break, he said about the year we were already and still discussing quote, “wow, looks like you had a bad year gambling” other than that comment, never once did he or anyone else ever discuss any of the win / loss statements. My guess is they will work if you could back up the losses.

I also would predict, regardless what all you willing and righteous gambling taxpayers want to claim, 99.999% of all gamblers will never file unrecorded cash wins. Also, most if not all gamblers are certain to avoid SAR’s and CTR’s especially at banks and casinos. Personally, I don’t think any casino would blow any whistles on good customers, but I still wouldn’t trust them.

Is Mickey paying taxes? Really guys are you fn serious talking about this in any serious way? First prove to me any self-proclaimed AP even wins consistently. Then we’ll discuss taxes and social security.

[RS__]

99.999% of gamblers avoid SARs and CTRs? I understand avoiding a CTR, but no way do 99,999 in 100k gamblers avoid CTRs. Hell, there probably aren't even that many gamblers who play big enough to try to avoid a CTR. Not sure what you mean by avoiding a SAR.....that doesn't even make sense.

Rob would probably go out of his way to contact the IRS. Idk about any of the other stuff (if they'd listen & pursue it). Then again, Rob has a way of making up stories....everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt.

[blackhole]

SAR / Suspicious Activity Report is when a bank notices suspicious irregular or regular transactions in your account, and notify the treasury department. Unlike, signing a Currency Transaction Report when cash transaction is over 10k, the bank files a SAR without you knowing about it, and the treasury (feds) investigate you, all under the pretense of money laundering.

I stand by 99% of all gamblers will avoid cash CTR's.

[redietz]

I'm not sure how relevant this is to the points made, but I believe Rob's son-in-law works for the IRS. Is that correct, Alan?

[james40]

I'm not sure how relevant this is to the points made, but I believe Rob's son-in-law works for the IRS. Is that correct, Alan?

Slight correction, he SAYS his SIL works for the IRS. It's just another unverified claim. My SIL works for V. Putin. See how easy it is?

(To be clear I don't have a SIL that works for V. Putin).

[Alan Mendelson]

I recall Rob saying his son in law works for the IRS.

My own history with the IRS and Cash Transaction Reports:

About 13 years ago when I had a website called MoreDeals.com with partners (CBS made me get rid of it when I worked for CBS), the website company was audited by the IRS. As part of the audit, our personal tax returns were also audited. Two IRS auditors sat in our accountant's office for two days going over the website's books and our personal tax returns. My tax returns included the year when I had $1.29-million in W2Gs plus I reported my non-W2G wins and I showed a loss for the year, which was honest and true. Our accountant was concerned that my gambling would raise a red flag, but it didn't. In fact, there was no comment from the IRS auditors about our personal returns or our business return -- everything was on the up-and-up.

I later discussed this with some high ranking IRS folks who said to me that unless you won the lottery or megabucks their assumption is everyone loses at casinos.

Frankly, I agree with the IRS high ranking folks. Even with my two $100,000 royals over two years I still have a loss gambling. It's not a big loss, but it's a loss. In retrospect, had I quit each year after I hit those $100,000 royals I would have had modest profits on the year -- not big profits -- because I lost money prior to hitting the big ones.

Regarding CTRs: A few months ago I had a nice run at Caesars and went to the local bank branch in Vegas with about $15,000 in cash. The teller filled out a CTR. What bothered me was that the teller said on the form that I was a TV producer -- and did not indicate these were winnings from a casino. I was concerned about that because I don't want the IRS to think I accept cash in my TV business.

Regarding the so-called APs: yeah I think they could have a profit because they are not recreational players like I am and treat their play as a business with serious discipline. I believe Rob Singer when he says he had a profit of, on average, $100,000 a year. Although when he tells me he wrote off all the profits with business expenses such as groceries and going out to dinner with his wife, I become very skeptical about everything. I also believe that certain professional poker players who win mega tournaments with payoffs of $100,000 or more can also be profitable players.

I have serious doubts about the profits of so-called low-limit APs. I have a friend who describes himself as an AP but plays only 25-cent video poker and low-limit poker. Several times he has told me he had a bad run and was broke.

[a2a3dseddie]

Now regarding the comments about forwarding info from the forum to the IRS. Are you kidding me? The last person on this forum who wants any kind of link to the IRS even though he claims to have a relative working for the IRS would be Rob Singer who claimed he managed to hoodwink the IRS into thinking groceries and backyard parties and dining out with his wife were business expenses. I'm not saying Rob didn't get away with it once, but if he has any brains he wants to keep this dust under the rug.

Once? Wasn't it for 10 years?

[Alan Mendelson]

Once? Wasn't it for 10 years?

He might have claimed those deductions every year, but I think he was audited only once.