Poll

[For The Lead]

It just so happens I can answer this poll question from experience, not from conjecture or speculation.

Ok, first the story.
In this story I am not going to talk about exactly what the key to “riches” was because it doesn’t matter. These “riches” are long gone so it doesn’t matter and it would be too lengthy to try and explain. These “riches” did NOT involve horse racing. I’m going to tell this story in an effort to answer the poll question, which I will do at the end. Oh, one more thing. Regardless of what you might think, what I am about to tell you is 100% FACT!!

Back in about 1996, slot machine manufactures developed some new slot machines games. Yes, they had the same old “reels”, but there were some “extra” monetary features built into these games. These machines were all over the country, wherever there were casinos. In Delaware as an example, they could be found at Delaware Park, Dover Downs and Harrington. In Mississippi, they could be found in the casinos in Biloxi or in the casinos in Robindale, throughout the mid-west and naturally, in Atlantic City, Reno, Tahoe and Las Vegas.

There were a group of machines In “Resorts” in Atlantic City, that if you only played them on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you were “guaranteed” to earn between $1,800 and $2,400 every single weekend. And these were $0.25 machines. Why the weekend? Tourists, aka CUSTOMERS! This was a very important ingredient. I “heard” a story that a guy in Reno got shot over these same machines, with the exception that the machines there were not $0.25 machines, but $1.00 machines. You do the math. These were but one group and one type of machine from many different types of machines.

“Riches” to one person may not be “riches” to another person, but it was extremely easy to earn $100,000 a year and all you had to know is when NOT to play a machine, when TO play a machine and when to STOP playing a machine. Simple!

When this first started, there were a handful of people that knew about these games. Now I happen to know a guy that weighed about 400 lbs., maybe more, and he had this penchant for oriental girls that weighed about 90 lbs soaking wet! He figured the only way he was going to meet and spend time with any of these girls was to tell them about the slot machines. Show them how they should be played. Harmless enough, right? Except for one thing, these girls had boyfriends, friends, relatives and etc., and they weren’t keeping the “secret” to themselves, so after a while, everybody and their mother knew about the games. It got so bad in Las Vegas, that some of these people were harassing the casino customers, trying to get them off a machine that had become playable. Obviously, the casinos are not going to stand still for that, so in the end the games were removed and the same thing happened all over the country. End of “riches”. It lasted for about 6 years.

So this is the measure by which I will answer the poll question, but I will not cast a vote.

Would I sell the secret? NOT ON YOUR LIFE!
Would I share it for free? NOT ON YOUR LIFE!
Would I share it with a select few? YEAH. MY WIFE AND MY SON!
Would I keep it to myself? YOU BET YOUR “A—“ I WOULD. Except for my wife and my son.

So there is a true story and that story is the basis for my answer.

Now, perhaps Mikesal57 would like to put up another poll based on this story, with the question being not "IF" you had the secret, but "YOU HAVE THE SECRET" and I explained what the secret was, what it was worth and what happened as a result of what took place. Would you now answer the poll question the same of differently?

[partsnut]

Mike,

A lot of people profess to having the magic bullet and the key to success.
My question is, how credible are they?
So when I read about those that are willing to share, it's meaningless to me. What have these people accomplished? Why are they teaching and what successes and experiences have they had and why they are being so open about sharing the key to the mint? What will be my eventual cost?
FTL is correct when he says "there's no free lunch".

I have found that you can't tell a horse player much of anything.

We all have our way of doing things and most of us are set in their ways.
I will offer something good, if and when I find it, to those very few exceptions, (people) that exhibit interest, an open mind and those not fixated on a specific method or methodology. The people I have befriended, that have a willingness to learn and try new things. My only gratification would be their success. I don't exploit anyone and share what I feel is best with a full heart.

[alydar_ David]

Although slightly off topic I'm reminded of a quote.

The wealthiest man I know said, "Never take financial advice from someone who's still working."

[JimG]

If you ever post, or make available for purchase, a detailed winning method (little to no judgement required) on a public board that can be duplicated, even if it is a spot play, it will no longer be profitable. I personally witnessed this in 2004 with Jcapper. It just takes one big bettor to turn a positive expectation bet into a negative one over time.

I would not be surprised if there are people that have taken Bill V.'s specific paceline selection method, run it in Val4 or RDSS, spit the output into a database and sliced and diced it looking for long term profitability.

It is not a matter of a "free lunch". People are always looking for profitable approaches that they can create database rules (which by the way can be a lot of work on the front end) and then spit out spot plays with or without betting criteria.

Jim

PS. FTL, I enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing.

[Dorianmode]

Originally Posted by For The Lead

“Riches” to one person may not be “riches” to another person, but it was extremely easy to earn $100,000 a year and all you had to know is when NOT to play a machine, when TO play a machine and when to STOP playing a machine. Simple!

I found that an interesting statement, because over the years, some, (many), of my younger friends have said to me, "oh you're so lucky, you have everything, if only I had .... bla bla bla". I usually point out to them that they need to think about how they will see things when they GET something/"everything".

In Economics, there is the concept of "marginal utility"...which "approaches zero", the more you have of something. That means the more bucks you have, the more ONE more, means less and less. For many, it really does not take a LOT of $$ to get to the point where the marginal utility of another dollar, really IS "0". So I agree with the point, "riches" depends on where you are coming from. If one has had some success, then more $$ is no longer an issue, and meaning and satisfaction come from "mentoring", and assisting someone to move along, and gain self-confidence, and is FAR more satisfying, than a few, (or even a lot), more dollars.

My advice to my nieces and nephews, is that you damn well better be doing what you find fun, interesting, and satisfying, cuz when you DO get some riches, you're going to be awfully bored and unhappy, if all you wanted was the "riches", (a by-product...not a direct goal)... and not be involved in something you are passionate about.

My most humorous example of this was my wonderful godfather, (uncle), who loves cars. He went to Europe with his buddy, and they watched their Lamborghinis come off the line, all excited. When he got it home, turns out it was SO uncomfortable, due to his bad back, he couldn't drive it. Better watch out what ya wish for, ya might just get it.

A bit off topic but, here is a "secret to riches" ... (which Dick Mitchell put me on to years ago)...
The "secret" to riches, is patience. If you open an option account, and wait...wait for a geo-political/financial , "event", the market will drop dramatically, for at least a few days, (9/11, the recession of 2007, the S & P downgrade of the US bonds, etc etc.) If you buy "just" out-of-the-money 'Puts', your % return will be astronomical. It happens maybe about 3 times in ten years. Fear is stronger than greed...pateince is the key.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...market_crashes