So you want to be a pro!

[elmo]

A lot of people say that they would like to be a full time roulette player.
What does that entail? This is real life and not the movies, we are not james bond and we can't perform miracles, so taking that into account, can we look at what practical steps we would need to take to help us along the way.

First of all, this means you are going to be self employed. Now self employment can have its rewards but unfortunately not every one is cut out for it.
What skills do you need for self employment.
1) Motivation
2) Organization
3) Discipline
4) Desire
There are many more on this list but a lot of people would find it more easy to go to a 9-5 job and have the boss tell them what to do and pick up a paycheck every week than have to organize everything for themself.

Let's now look at the financial aspects.
The average wage in my country is about 20k a year give or take. So you are looking at about 400 per week.
How are you going to achieve this through playing full time roulette.
If I work 5 days a week for 400 then I know that is 80 per day. It does not matter if I have a good day at work or a bad day at work, I am safe in the knowledge that I have just banked another 80. There is probably something comforting in that.
What happens if I have a bad day at the table, chances are I will suffer a loss. (I suppose this is dealing with the emotional aspects of gambling as well) So how well mentally are you able to deal with this?
The way I look at is is you can break everything down into smaller targets. That 400 is only 40 x £10 units. So you only need to win an average of 8 units in a working day to reach your average wage.
Do you have sufficient capital to start up your business?
Have you considered what you need to get started?
Have you proved to yourself that your plan is viable?
As you can see there are loads of questions that need to be HONESTLY answered before you can really start appraising the situation to see if this will work for you or not.

The emotional side of it all.
How well equipped are you to deal with setbacks?
Can you afford to lose all the bankroll and what will the consequences be?
Do you enjoy working alone?
Can you work well under pressure?
Just some more questions to throw into the melting pot. There are more questions than answers, or so it seems.

So this is what you need to be asking yourself before you start thinking about giving up the 9-5 to become a full time player or indeed if you are just fresh out of college and think you would like to lead a lifestyle where you can make your money at the tables.

My advice.... Treat playing roulette as fun, it does not have to be all or nothing and you can play as a hobby, if you are any good at it, you will supplement your income rather than be under pressure to rely on it to make a living.
If it fails, well so what, you gave it a shot and you are not going to be homeless, you still have a job to go to and your family are still talking to you. 
I am saying all this because a  lot of people I speak to in roulette forums and gambling forums in general seem to think it will be easy to play for a living. IT IS NOT. In today's world where there are not many jobs and times are hard for some, it is probably even more appealing. Think carefully and remember the old saying.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

[vito7]

Hello, Elmo.

What you say is okay.
I just got curious, have you ever tried it?

[elmo]

Vito, to be frank with you, I am mostly playing on the betting exchanges nowadays. There is a section on this forum called "trading+markets". I will write up some stuff on there. If you can think on your feet, the exchanges offer you the opportunity to make a profit whatever the result. At other times, you can trade out for a small loss if things look to be going wrong.
To consistently make money, be it roulette, blackjack, exchanges etc.... you need an edge. This requires hard work. There are NO get rich quick schemes no matter whatever anyone promises you.
I spent a long time looking at roulette and it became apparent early on that none of the old methods/systems would produce a positive return over the long term. You could get lucky for a year or longer but you can't call yourself a pro if you are mostly relying on luck. I started to think outside the box trying to create things that I thought were original. To be honest when it comes to roulette, there is nothing really new under the sun. It is pretty much fixed odds. However you arrive at your bet, if you are outlaying 12 chips on 12 numbers. You have a 12/37 chance and you are only getting paid out at 35-1.
So eventually you do look more towards the physical side of the game. I have tried to combine the best of my methods with the physical side thrown in for good measure. So far it has worked out ok. I have realized however that my creative side can be put to much better use in other areas of gambling. (ie. the exchanges) I think that is all part of growing and learning. It does not pay to get stuck in a rut. There are probably all different kinds of AP methods being discovered in todays technological era. It is a case of finding your own and being a leader rather than a follower. It is no good learning to count cards now and opportunities for the older style of VB play including bias wheels may be thin on the ground.
So I suppose to answer your question Vito, I am still a work in progress but heading in the right direction looking to carve out my own niche. That is where the future lies.

[vito7]

I see, Elmo

Well, it's always nice to talk with clever people.

[vito7]

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