The Professional Gambler

I want to start out by telling you who this article is about, or rather, who
it is not about. The Professional Gambler is not the flamboyant player you
see making a lot of noise and calling attention to himself. He, or she, will
not be the player making the extravagant high-roller bets. No, the real pro
is a quiet, reserved, serious player. The professional gambler knows that to
stay ahead, it is necessary to treat gambling as a business; a profitable
business.

The professional gambler does not "go out for a night (or day) of gambling."
You see, the pro would never assume that he or she would be out playing all
night. In fact, the pro will usually know within the first 30 minutes of
play whether to keep playing or to call it a day. When a professional
gambler goes to play, it is with the specific intent to win, not to
entertain himself and others. This is work. This is a job. You see, there is
no way to determine how long it will take to either win enough (or lose
enough), but the pro will know when either one of those limits is reached
and will have the discipline to recognize it and act accordingly.

You may have on occasion, played next to the professional. No, you probably
would not remember it. There is nothing to really call attention to the
professional player except for the fact that he gets ahead and then quits!
He doesn't hang out and continue playing because he or she is "out for a
night of gambling." If professional gamblers want to be entertained, they go
see a show or a movie. Gambling is not an "activity" like so many tourists
look upon it. You go to Vegas or Atlantic City and you gamble all night.
That is what the recreational gambler will do. They find it very easy to
rationalize.something like this; "Well I played all night and it only cost
me $200. That is not so bad for a night of entertainment with free drinks."
This is the tourist mentality. Oh sure, you might hear stories of how
someone went to Vegas and won thousands. It can happen. But more than likely
you hear the all too familiar account that goes something like this:

"I was up 3 or 4 hundred but I lost it all back." You will never hear a
professional make a claim like that. If one is gambling to make a profit,
then they will recognize that 3 or 4 hundred is a very healthy profit and
will be long gone.

The professional gambler is a guerilla fighter. They are not there for a
marathon playing spree. Once again, the pro is there to win. Winning or
losing usually doesn't take that much time, certainly not all day or night.
Sure, they might catch a winning streak and believe me; the pro will
recognize it and ride it to the end. But more times than not, the play of a
pro will last only long enough to make the days profit or to lose the max
for that day. When a professional wins big, there is no chance that the
casino will ever see that money again. The pro is much too smart to give the
casino that chance.

As far as systems go, the professional is also too smart to think that there
is really a system that can consistently beat the casinos no matter what
game you are playing. Instead, the professional gambler will use proven
strategies and betting methods to enhance his or her chances of winning.
Very few decisions will actually be made at the time of play. Most of the
pro's decisions are made before they approach the game. They will stick with
their basic strategies and betting methods or progressions. You will not see
a pro ever "chase his money." A pro can, and will, accept the occasional
loss. It happens. I like to compare the professional gambler to a
salesperson that works strictly on commission. There will be days when you
will make no money or even lose money if you take into account travel
expenses, etc. The professional gambler instead, learns to look at the
cumulative total of play. It is not "how much did I win or lose today?" but
more like, "how much am I ahead for the month or year?"

I'd like to add a word here about professional poker players. They are in a
class by themselves! In fact, some poker players do not consider themselves
as gamblers. These players contend that poker is a game of skill and that
they are very skillful. All that I have written above does not really apply
to the professional poker player. I will probably, in the next few months,
write an article about them. A very interesting breed, indeed!


Anthony Mancuso


Anthony Mancuso is a 10-year veteran of Las Vegas casinos, having been
employed as a dealer, boxman, floorman, pit boss and assistant casino
manager.

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In the casino, everyone thinks they're an expert. An expert is a guy who knows 47 ways to make love, but can't find a girlfriend. - From Wit & Wisdom To Help You Win, by John Gollehon -