What does "Ahead" really mean to you?

[jsm2016]

It's been a few months now, and the data are in: A net loss of $2. People will say, "Your numbers jsm. How did you figure your bottom line?" Here's my answer.I went back to October of 2015 and started at the beginning of that month. Then I made a list of all the casinos to which I drove or rode and tallied my overall win or loss for each. I figured in the $125 loss on a dollar machine that paid $10 over 60 pulls of the lever and the "Big Kahuna"--a 4 Deuces hit on a $1 machine. After that, I summed up all the miles I drove and figured an item called "driving expense." There were the buffets and the drinks, along with incidentals; these were given names like "buffets expense," "drinks expense," and so on. There was the question of tax. But because I had no W2-Gs, income tax expense/payable was zero. The bottom line: behind by $2. And this leads me to ask (especially the advantage players): What does "Ahead" mean to you and how do you figure your take?

[FAA]

I prefer to think in calendar year periods. I got a full pay Royal Flush in 1Q 2015 and 2016. So I can afford a few wipeouts in subsequent months. I'm officially done with these beatings, however. ATM will stay HOM. Add the last E for Enlightened. I simply can't afford any more disasters while in a VP trance.

[billryan]

I'm new to this, but I track my dinner and drink expenses under entertainment. Gambling results are wins or losses minus tips. Living in Vegas I have no traveling expenses.
I currently track free play and cash back independent of wins and losses.
Life is one giant session.
By the way, I'd say you are doing quite well for a beginner.
I hope my results are similar.

[DAAnMAAn]

Life is one big session...its true, but at some point, have to take an assessment. I kind of judge it by the month with daily and weekly results. I don't factor drinks or gas...but then again in Vegas, my local casino is 3 minutes away and drinks are comp'd. If I had to drive a significant distance, I'd factor it in. But basically I go in with one amount, come out a different amount, and I add or subtract the difference. I do not factor in food or tips.
Cheers

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=DAAnMAAn]I don't factor drinks or gas...but then again in Vegas, my local casino
is 3 minutes away and drinks are comp'd. If I had to drive a significant
distance, I'd factor it in. [/quote]Good to hear from you again.  I enjoy your posts. You guys in Vegas play in a different world than we do out in the hinterlands. Full pay games, dozens of casinos to choose from, comps all over the place and no travel expenses seems so far from reality it's hard to fathom.   I have never seen a video poker game with odds better then 9/6 jacks.  My drive time to the closest casino is an hour an a half each way and the best quarter odds are 98.9% deuces wild.   This changes the meaning of being "Ahead" considerably.  Still, it is possible.  I keep my calculation free of extra expenses and only count my actual wins and losses.  It's taken me a long time to accumulate my VP bankroll.  If it goes down, I've lost.  If it goes up, I've won.  It takes a lot of luck to stay ahead in my VP world and you have to take some chances to make it happen. This year I started playing max coins all the time and have moved up in denomination.  My bankroll is now making much bigger swings.  Thanks to a recent big hit, it's positive so far,   I don't expect to win at this game, but I do expect to have fun and get my money's worth.  I've been very lucky in VP.  If my luck runs out and I find myself losing more than the enjoyment I get out of it, I'll quit and find something else to do for fun.

[olds442jetaway]

Cash I left with vs. cash I come home with. Usually, the only expenses I have are for tips. Everything else usually comped. Lately, I haven't had to count. Hope that changes soon. I may be switching casinos to see if that helps.

[onemoretry]

   I have never seen a video poker game with odds better then 9/6 jacks. 

I'm assuming you mean in Florida, as you have indicated you played NSU deuces in Colorado?

[DAAnMAAn]

[quote=DAAnMAAn]I don't factor drinks or gas...but then again in Vegas, my local casino
is 3 minutes away and drinks are comp'd. If I had to drive a significant
distance, I'd factor it in. Good to hear from you again.  I enjoy your posts. You guys in Vegas play in a different world than we do out in the hinterlands. Full pay games, dozens of casinos to choose from, comps all over the place and no travel expenses seems so far from reality it's hard to fathom.   I have never seen a video poker game with odds better then 9/6 jacks.  My drive time to the closest casino is an hour an a half each way and the best quarter odds are 98.9% deuces wild.   This changes the meaning of being "Ahead" considerably.  Still, it is possible.  I keep my calculation free of extra expenses and only count my actual wins and losses.  It's taken me a long time to accumulate my VP bankroll.  If it goes down, I've lost.  If it goes up, I've won.  It takes a lot of luck to stay ahead in my VP world and you have to take some chances to make it happen. This year I started playing max coins all the time and have moved up in denomination.  My bankroll is now making much bigger swings.  Thanks to a recent big hit, it's positive so far,   I don't expect to win at this game, but I do expect to have fun and get my money's worth.  I've been very lucky in VP.  If my luck runs out and I find myself losing more than the enjoyment I get out of it, I'll quit and find something else to do for fun.






[/QUOTE]Thanks for the positivity. Yes, it's the old three magic words for business...location, location, location lol Sounds like your doing allright with mediocre paytables. If I was in a place with mediocre tables, might think about setting aside two bankrolls...one for the mediocre tables, another a savings account for a trip once in a while to a nearby place with the good ones...And yes, VP players, especially in Vegas, should be thankful for their opportunities. But even VP players in this town play terrible pay tables, don't know how to play correctly and don't care. That's what keeps the good ones in imo. To each their own. But a royal can be hit just as easily on 7/5 jacks as 9/6 jacks. And if you can get enough comps and goodies, or a high progressive, might be good to go anyway...Cheers

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=onemoretry]I'm assuming you mean in Florida, as you have indicated you played NSU deuces in Colorado?[/quote]Oops, forgot about that one.  Yes, they do have NSU deuces at the Monarch in Blackhawk and we hit them hard when we're out there.  In Florida, 9/6 Jacks is the best I have seen and it's never in quarters. [quote=DAAnMAAn]If I was in a place with mediocre tables, might think about setting
aside two bankrolls...one for the mediocre tables, another a savings
account for a trip once in a while to a nearby place with the good
ones...[/quote]That is exactly what I was doing with CS and we all know how that went over on this forum.  When the odds were less than 98%, I played CS quarters to save money.  All else was max coins all the way.  It worked great at preserved my bankroll, but some people didn't take the time to think about what I was doing.   If you want to lose your bankroll in a hurry, play lousy games with max coins and keep pumping in money until you're totally broke.  Works like a charm.  The best way to avoid this problem is not to play bad games no matter how many free rooms and plane rides they give you. 

[FAA]

I held my nose and played 8/5 JOB today at Tropicana. Fortunately I hit a max coin quad to come out $22 ahead on the machine, but it felt very uncomfortable. The only thing more uncomfortable was the 9/6 dollar JOB in the high roller room, as I had a small budget. Mostly min bets. I like the cozy relaxed environment. It feels clubby. One guy had his small dog on a seat. He was doing hand pay paperwork and the dog was barking. I guess if you're a high roller you can have a whole kennel along. I lost $22 in the room, which took the joy out of my quad. It came fairly quick. I trust the machine. I will simply bring a decent bankroll if I return! Good time overall apart from yet another craps collapse. Still battling this new effing addiction. I'm never even successful at it with super conservative play. Encore Caesars VP session was brutal with a $66 loss. Trying to make consecutive years RF there. The dream. I may have a better chance of pulling one off at Tropicana.