Comments on: Life Lessons From Blackjack

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 08:11:04 +0000

This is a great article, but the REAL way to make money in blackjack is to take the money other players leave on the table. Here is an example: In blackjack, the guy to my left (third base) is sitting on A7 against a dealer’s 4. I ask him if he doubles. He say’s “No no no my luck has been dreadful today”. So I ask him politely if he wants to be partners and allow he to double down for him since he’s not going to need a second card no matter what. He draws a 5 and looks at me with a grunt as though if I ruined his hand.

But then I point to the dealer’s hand as he turns his hole card being a 10 and draws another 10 to bust! I tell third base “See? I brought you luck! He would’ve had 19. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.”

From then on everytime someone was delt a soft hand against a dealer’s 3, 4, 5, 6 (or ever 2) they would ask he if I would like to “build a partnership” and “bring them luck”. This one time I doubled someone’s 11 against a dealer’s face card, took a 4. The dealer had 12, draws a 4 and an eight to bust.

By: Boxing Alcibiades

Boxing Alcibiades — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 02:03:50 +0000

Just a quick note before the Carnival goes up: this is the best I’ve seen from you. By a large, large margin, and not because the others were bad. Beer’s on me if you pass through Dallas — you know how to reach me.

By: Jack

Jack — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 02:08:42 +0000

Wow, great piece of writing. Really love the comparisons drawn here that it’s hit me so much harder than the usual “don’t be afraid to fail” rants.

I must say the idea of card counting appeals to the nerd in me too. Any book recommendations for a newbie?

By: JT

JT — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 15:23:07 +0000

Steve,
Another great article. Inspirational as allways, thank you.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 18:04:19 +0000

This is just brilliant. Thanks for writing this.

By: memer

memer — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 13:24:08 +0000

Thank you. This is a brilliantly different perspective and, in my case, quite timely.

By: Steve Pavlina

Steve Pavlina — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 19:47:34 +0000

@Michael: I first learned card-counting when I was 21, but I didn’t meet my future wife until just before my 23rd birthday. She and I probably made around 30 trips to Vegas together before we finally moved here last year.

By: Michael Muryn

Michael Muryn — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 18:23:30 +0000

And… you met your girlfriend (now wife) at 18 or 21. Just wondering if there is any link with that article?

By: Bill’s Blog » Blog Archive » Life Lessons From Blackjack

Bill’s Blog » Blog Archive » Life Lessons From Blackjack — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 14:49:46 +0000

[...] Quick post to an interesting post about blackjack and life that could just as easily apply to poker. [...]

By: Crimson

Crimson — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 04:12:18 +0000

Great, great post (and I’m not saying that just because I love Vegas!:) ). In many ways, it reminds me of your post where you draw a parallel between living life and seeing your life from the perspective of someone controlling a game. You make great points, but there are a lot of people who “go with the flow” and allow things to happen to them rather than taking a “3rd person” view of where they are and what they want to accomplish. Well, full disclosure…I’d been one of those people for a long time, mostly because I never found anything that “inspired” me.

All the typical paths in life felt boring and uninspiring — getting typical job, getting a house in the burbs, retiring at 65 and sitting around till death. I still don’t know that I’m inspired or if I ever will be in the way many people describe the emotion, but I do enjoy forging new paths and (trying to)build something new.

Also I think you have to come to terms with the fact that you may not get what you want. You can fail. But you have to realize that unless you’re talking death or amputation, it’s probably not that big a deal. People fear failure and that’s what makes mediocrity appealing.