i hate my job

**SBR_John** · 09-20-06, 09:27 AM

I'm double you r age and have pretty much seen it all in the gambling world. Bubba, stay with your career! And I don't mean maybe.

Your young so make the next professional move and become a CPA and do something with your life! Gambling is a one-way ticket to no where...always has been and always will be.

**bubba** · 09-20-06, 09:38 AM

john, u sound like my parents. i know your right but sitting at a desk all day does not make me happy. maybe down the road with a big paycheck it would. i dunno. i love sports and would wanna do something with that but i guess almost every guy want to do something in sports

**Odds-Hunter** · 09-20-06, 09:40 AM

Originally posted by SBR_John

I'm double you r age and have pretty much seen it all in the gambling world. Bubba, stay with your career! And I don't mean maybe.

Your young so make the next professional move and become a CPA and do something with your life! Gambling is a one-way ticket to no where...always has been and always will be.

Agree 99% on all you said and Bubba stick with your career. but to say gambling is a ticket to no where is only 97% true. There are 2-3% of us that can and have been able to profit nicely over the long haul. Granted have only been at this 11 years but has provided my family and I nicely. But as JOHN says I still have a career and that will alwyas come first because of that weekly guaranteed paycheck.

**rolemand** · 09-20-06, 09:43 AM

Since your an accountant you must be keeping a spreadsheet on your plays. I'd be interested to see a breakdown of where your profits are coming from. You mentioned straight plays, scalps and there are probably some middles in there as long with bonuses.

Also I couldn't possibly recommend getting out of your day job unless you are reporting all of your winnings to the IRS right now and in the past. That could only lead to trouble.

I'd also like to see some type of track record here. OK you did it 1 year. Keep doing what you're doing and let's see how the next year plays out.

Look for trends in your play to see if they are consistent from year to year.

I couldn't recommend changing paths unless you've been consistent or improving for 3 years. This would give you a couple things.

Track record - to see what can be accomplished
Confidence - that you have done it and can do it again
Bigger bankroll - always important to start off with as much as you can. Right now your day job is paying the bills and contributing to the bankroll along with the gambling profits. Keep doing that for as long as you can.

Plus after a couple years in public accounting you'll have enough experience to move into private accounting which is completely different and I think you'll find that to be a lot more challenging. I'd recommend getting a job with a manufacturing company of some sort.

What areas of accounting do you find interesting?

inventory
payroll
job costing
fixed assets
etc.

**bubba** · 09-20-06, 09:53 AM

spreadsheet is a good idea and if i did this full time id have 1. but with like 10 different sites and the amount of plays/scalps i have some days, it would be extremely time consuming. the only spreadsheet i have is my total balance where i add up all my sites to see where i am at. as far as what parts of accounting interest me- nothing at this point. hopefully that will change in time. it was like i needed a major in college so i chose accounting cause every1 was like thats a good field and easy to get a job. but im getting the feeling thats not me

**rolemand** · 09-20-06, 09:57 AM

OMG. I can't believe you don't have a spreadsheet with TEN sportsbooks going. Get one fast. It may take you several weekends but I would go back as far as you can and recreate one.

**kiwi** · 09-20-06, 09:58 AM

Here http://www.arbforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl
you will find some people who are living successfully from arbing.

**bubba** · 09-20-06, 10:01 AM

wow. i personally would never post much info on my arbing cause that would cut into my profits no doubt. i am shocked there is a whole site devoted to this. thanks kiwi

**compaqDikk** · 09-20-06, 10:02 AM

cant waint till JJ chimes in. he's been there done that 3fold

suck it up and take some meds like anna nicole's son. it will numb you for the job and make it easier

**Dark Horse** · 09-20-06, 10:13 AM

Bubba, do what you love. If you made more with sports betting than with your job, go that way. I'm assuming you're good with numbers and data, since you're in accounting. No guarantees that every year will be good, but as long as you keep raising the bar each year you should be fine. Read up on everything there is to know (see gamblersbook.com), identify and improve your edges, and just keep playing them. All a numbers game. If you find out in a year or two that it's not working, you can always switch to something else. Just go all out and see where you end up.

**jjgold** · 09-20-06, 10:15 AM

I will have more later on this topic

Current not working, kind of feel like a victim of society.

Its BS

**bubba** · 09-20-06, 10:22 AM

thanks dark horse. the way i see it is if i dont try it then i will never know. and if this could work for me id sure as hell rather do this that work for someone else. but its still a tough call.

**kdmfox** · 09-20-06, 10:52 AM

I agree with John ... Trying to earn a living at gambling is a road to nowhere ... As for the accounting, I can vouch for it being boring ... I graduated from an accounting school after high school and then got caught up in the Army for 3 years overseas as an infantryman as a war was on ... After the Army I went to work as an accountant but it was too boring pushing figures and paper around ... Back to school on the GI Bill ... Hang in there.

**RabidDog** · 09-20-06, 11:16 AM

Find a new job, you have a degree your young, don't do something you hate.. I had a buddy who was in accounting, he hated it and decided to become an real estate agent..

**SBR_John** · 09-20-06, 11:31 AM

If you are smart enough to arb, which happens to be another very boring procedure, then you are smart enough to pursue real life challenges. Gambling is not a real life viable career no matter how much lipstick you put on the pig.

**MrX** · 09-20-06, 11:34 AM

The primary reason I became a gambler was also career dissatisfaction (environmental engineering in my case). I've been a full-time professional gambler for (oh god) 13 years now. I can't recommend it enough if you can pull it off. Contrary to what you're mostly hearing around here, it can be a great stable life. I am extremely happily married. I either play hockey, kayak, rock climb or mountain bike 3-7 days a week. I make way more money than I ever would have in industry. I can say with absolute certainty that I am many many times happier and healthier than I would have been with a 'real' job.

That said, others on here are correct when they say that hardly anyone pulls it off. And I'll also say in all honesty, something about your posts makes me think that you wouldn't pull it off right now. You don't sound ready. But who knows? I could be wrong about that. My sample size in predicting successful young gamblers is very small and I'm trying to make a judgement about you from, like, 4 paragraphs.

So hey, you're young. If you want to give it a shot, why not? If you do here's some advice:

1. Do not borrow money while your a gambler. Ever. From anyone. Period. If you need a new car, pay cash for one you can afford. If your bankroll gets too low to reasonably make a living off of, get a job. Think of the job as temporary if helps you get through. No debt. Ever. Have I been clear enough about that?

2. Always have a plan. You're running a business now. Almost all businesses fail without a very solid plan. You'll need to be much more methodical with your record-keeping. Figure out what your edge should be. What kind of action can you get down safely with your bankroll. Based on that, how much do you expect to make. Will that be enough not only to pay the bills but to grow? How bad will your bad streaks be? Can you survive them? Think very seriously about what you're getting into.

3. Study A LOT and keep an open mind. I wasted 8 years of my gambling career playing poker because I was very closed minded and thought that all other gambling was for suckers and that poker was the only way to go. I'm being a little facetious about wasting 8 years, it was a good time for the most part, but after opening my mind to other areas my career really took off. Most great gambling opportunities come in cycles, and if you're not aware and open-minded enough you'll miss a lot of boats. And if you don't study enough, you won't understand how to recognize and take advantage of the opportunities.

4. Okay, this has kind of been covered, but if you start to get in trouble, bail out responsibly. Get a job, any job, long before you get into a serious pinch. If for no other reason, it would be very embarassing to have to own up to gambling debt. Gambling debt is much more embarassing than normal debt. You don't want it.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.

**bubba** · 09-20-06, 11:38 AM

thanks mr x.

as a full time gambler how much do u wager on a typical game.

**Willie Bee** · 09-20-06, 11:47 AM

Maybe you should get out there and start hustling up an accounting job in a sports related industry. From teams to league offices, agents to media outlets, and everything in between, they all need good bean counters in their mix.

**scottyy11** · 09-20-06, 11:48 AM

I disagree with some here, gambling is a viable career but don't even think about unless you have a huge bankroll of atleast 100k hopefully more built up.

**bigboydan** · 09-20-06, 12:13 PM

Go back to School, and get another degree in something. Your still young enough to go back. Just make sure it's something you like.

**Yoshi** · 09-20-06, 01:36 PM

scalping is not as boring as it seems, and you can do other stuff as you improve at the same time, like watching DVD

Its better than a lame ass job imo, and you can make a lot of money if you put time into it and learn all the tricks.

**Justin7** · 09-20-06, 01:56 PM

If you're serious about a gambling carreer, take a very close look at Blackjack. I know about 10 pros who built up their bank playing BJ.

**pokerpj06** · 09-20-06, 02:00 PM

Have you thought about a career in the gaming industry? There are alot of fun and exciting jobs within the gaming industry and it would also give you a different perspective on making gambling a career.

**Yoshi** · 09-20-06, 02:01 PM

Originally posted by Justin7

If you're serious about a gambling carreer, take a very close look at Blackjack. I know about 10 pros who built up their bank playing BJ.

Thats a joke right, or am I missing something?

**rm18** · 09-20-06, 02:07 PM

counting cards maybe? but seems ridiculous to me

**pokerpj06** · 09-20-06, 02:25 PM

I was bored in my career and I enjoyed playing poker. A friend of mine suggested becoming a poker dealer. I have been dealing poker for 2 years now and I can not imagine doing anything else. Not only do I get paid (very well) while I work but I also get to see hundreds of hands a day all while working on reading tells. It has also helped my bankroll as most dealers are notoriously bad players so there is a stereotype there that I am a bad poker player which creates more action and money for me. Just some thoughts.

**bubba** · 09-20-06, 03:02 PM

how much could a poker dealer at a casinoi make. ii have never been to a casino but i always though that was like 10 bucks an hour plus some tips

**scottyy11** · 09-20-06, 03:37 PM

I'm not sure but the amount people tip it looks pretty good at times.

Maybe find something that you can do part time and see if you like it. I started a business that way and ended up quiting my job when it got very profitable. I would not quit my job over a good year gambling however. One year is nothing in gaming but on the other hand i dont think its good to stay in a job you hate regardless of pay as life is just to short. You have to look for something else and work towards it.

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day your life in . - Confucius

**bubba** · 09-20-06, 04:11 PM

i like that quote, thanks

**Chuck Sims** · 09-20-06, 04:38 PM

bubba, disregard those that say betting on sports will lead you nowhere. Almost every superstar athlete has a story about the people that told him he would'nt make it.

I am here in Las Vegas. There are people here that make a good living betting sports. The MGM/Mirage shutdown their phone sportsbook. The sharps were getting the best of them. I say give it a go. A couple of questions: What % of your bankroll is your avg. bet? Question 2. What % of your bankroll was your largest bet?

Note: Every pro I've heard talk always mentions the time or two he went broke early on.

**pags11** · 09-20-06, 05:17 PM

bubba,

hang in there...

**Yoshi** · 09-20-06, 05:20 PM

I kinda agree with Chuck and Pags. I always felt that if i lose too much, i can make up for it with scalping - and i was correct.

**MrX** · 09-20-06, 06:15 PM

Originally posted by bubba

thanks mr x.

as a full time gambler how much do u wager on a typical game.

Well, nowadays, a lot. A ridiculous amount when I take the time to think about it. But a couple years ago, not so much. In two MLB seasons, I've been able to grow my bankroll by over 16x using a slightly toned down Kelly betting system, so my bets in the beginning were 1/16th what they are now.

How much you can make obviously depends on your bankroll, your expected edge (how good is your handicapping), and how many bets you can get down at that edge. 10% would be an unbelievable edge, but if you only find one game per month at this edge, you're going to need a big bankroll. 1% doesn't sound that great, but say you're betting baseball and you can get 1% on 12 games a day, you could make some money.

I suspect you probably don't have a very good idea what edge to expect long-term on your games, which makes it very hard to know how much to bet to effectively grow your bankroll. I'm a big advocate of serious research and back-testing, not only to determine if you're handicapping has value at all, but to figure out what that value is and how to maximize your return.

Feel free to PM me if you want any advice on your particular situation.

**bubba** · 09-20-06, 06:28 PM

id say my average play is about 1/40 my bankroll. and the highest i have done was over 1/5th my bankroll. dont know if those are good