If you've ever worked at a grocery store, you'd be struck by some of the
similarities. Yes they have loss leaders but did you know that they also ask
people who buy only the loss leaders not to come back? And if you're
selling lots of items that you're not making a profit on to stay competitive,
how do you stay in business over the long term? You don't.
I'm afraid I have to agree with Bob Dancer's arguments here. The casinos
don't owe AP players near- or better-than-100% games. They don't care if
they lose the AP business because AP is only break even. So what if AP players
put through a lot more volume. A 500% increase still nets out to zero. I'm
not saying anything that everybody on both sides doesn't know.
We also have the option of not showing up. If you can't or won't exercise
this option then you need to reconsider what your long-term goals are.
When I started gambling in 1994, I made myself a promise that I would
gamble only if I had a decent chance of coming out ahead. Two years ago that
decent chance narrowed to near break even & I've been losing due to the
narrow margins & changes which the casinos have enacted. It is still possible to
be a long-term winner but it requires more discipline, traveling & work
which is not for me. If I'd been true to my promise I would have quit two
years ago when I saw the changes coming but I enjoy it too much to quit so now
I have a different model which involves including friends & family on what
are essentially cheap vacations & I've used these to hold a lot of
get-togethers & family reunions. Yes, I'm still losing but it's less than what I
would have had to pay out-of-pocket for all these events.
I do miss the good old days where the games were much better but I never
was in it to be a full-timer even though I realized how lucrative it could be
early on. My goals were to come out ahead & have fun doing it. By using
comps, promotions, drawings, etc. I was able to achieve both & I'm still
having fun (but I still have problems with my temper during losing streaks).
The significant change in the model are the number of trips that I take
now. I used to average 10 - 14 days per month. This year I've only had 2 trips
for a total of 7 days & this trend will probably continue even though I've
had plenty of good offers. Passing up these offers has become a lot easier
with the recent rallies in the stock market (it made letting the offers
expire seem insignificant).
This model works for me but I don't advocate it for everyone else. However,
I think everyone should periodically do an honest reassessmnet of their
goals in light of the current & future changes. Then come up with a model
that fits your situation knowing that the good old days aren't coming back.
PS I forgot to mention that I try not to swim upstream. If casinos make
changes which are highly detrimental, then I change too. In the last 2 years,
I've shifted my heavy play to some new casinos. Still losing but at least I
feel the love. Moral: If you can't win, go for love.
In a message dated 3/5/2012 7:02:36 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
vpFREE@yahoogroups.com writes:
_Re: Gambling With an Edge _
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vpFREE/message/119688;_ylc=X3oDMTJzOWNjdnEyBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzQ2NDEwMTcEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxN
zA1MDY1NzMyBG1zZ0lkAzExOTY4OARzZWMDZG1zZwRzbGsDdm1zZwRzdGltZQMxMzMwOTU5NzQ5)
Posted by: "Bruce Cohen" _brucedcohen2002@yahoo.com _
(mailto:brucedcohen2002@yahoo.com?Subject= Re:%20Gambling%20With%20an%20Edge) _brucedcohen2002 _
(http://profiles.yahoo.com/brucedcohen2002)
Sun Mar 4, 2012 3:44 pm (PST)
The grocery store carries plenty of items they don't make a
profit on, to stay competitive.
Milk in California cannot be sold for less than cost (silly)
because it was such a loss leader.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
