A different kind of gamble part 2

So $40,000 in the hole, no prospects and little hope, I found myself a bankruptcy attorney. I was brutally depressed and I think without the relationship I was in then, which turned into a marriage not to long after, I probably would have crawled into a bottle somewhere and and stayed. But that was indeed a turning point for me. I spent a nice chunk of time reflecting on my life, reading a lot (huge amount of Tony Robbins) and began looking for a new route to make a living. It didn't take to long and I was working in a small shop building machines that cut keys... nothing glamorous, but it was a nice change. I worked on two long tables facing a guy who worked on another two long tables, listening to music and putting together the intricate parts of the machine. The guy was a real ass, so we got along famously. I enjoyed the work immensely, and found that I was figuring out different layouts and tweaks to speed up production. Not to toot my own horn, but I got good, I was doubling the previous assemblers rate, and making 40 machines a month. I know it doesn't sound like much, but 40 machines at $5,000 apiece.... lets just say they were having trouble keeping enough sales to match my production. I approached the bosses about a raise ($13 an hour not really being enough to support my new fiance and her 2 kids) but was told no... I was later informed that they thought I was stuck there :) So I was off. I found another job, working in a foundry, pouring aluminum and brass. What an absolutely beautiful job. It's hot and nasty, but while you're pouring, it's magnificent.... like a small volcano, drooling lava into a hole in the sand... I loved it. Long story, slightly less long, the foreman went upstairs to talk to the bosses about giving me my 3rd raise and came down to talk to me. I remember he actually got choked up. He told me that he had told the owner I should get another raise, and he was told that it wouldn't happen, and that he would have to let me go. I didn't realize but this was the big economic downturn, i was the first of almost 2/3 of the staff to get laid off. They did give me a glowing reference, and with that, I was working again in days. This time a glass production plant. I was working on the receiving end of a heat treating oven, and it was HOT. The shifts were long, and the work was fast paced, but the money was good. I was finally making enough money to keep us ahead of the game, and my first cheque (excuse my Canadian spelling) was over $3,000. A few months rolled by and while the money was great, and we were actually ahead of the game, and the heat and pace helped me loose 35 lbs in just 2 months, the hours were brutal. But once again, things would change. I won't bore you with the details, but one night a foreman and I disagreed on what was legal and what wasn't in treatment of employees. She felt that screaming and belittling people was an appropriate management tool, and told me that if I didn't like it I could leave. The loss of pay and the fear of being jobless again was totally worth the look on her face when I handed her my radio and coveralls, wished my fellow employees good luck, and walked out the door. I got home early that night to an incredibly supportive, but understandably concerned wife. I took stock again, and went back to look for yet another job. That brings us to the current company I am working for. On that note I'll leave things until tomorrow :)

A different kind of gamble.

While my choice in playing smart and close is well known now, I also have a penchant for sales which isn't quite as well known. I have always loved being in a position to buy and sell products and services people need. That being said I spent about 2 years doing direct marketing selling cheap, made in China, odds n sods to people I wandered up to "cold". Not the easiest way to make a living, but truly one of the high points of my working career. At least it was... I honestly believed I was selling quality products and while I was sure of that, I was on cloud nine. I loved going to work every day, I enjoyed training (even the idiots), and I genuinely felt as though I was a positive influence. The first few months went fantastically. I was making good money, and was surrounded by a great staff, I had the largest sales team in the office, all personally trained by me, and all loving the work.... it was awesome. But then it happened... The crash. One day I realized that a new product we brought out had a problem in it. It was flawed, to say the very least. We called head office in Toronto, and were told to blow them out anyway. The product was a steal, and even if 50% of them failed, for the price, nobody would complain. That's when I started slipping in my sales. I just couldn't get excited about selling something that I felt wasn't worth it. So that being said, the next 1 1/2 years really took a toll on me... mentally, physically and spiritually. I became depressed and could barely make enough in sales to cover my rent, food and cigarettes (yes I used to be a smoker, stick around and you may even find out a few other things you didn't know about me ;) )Eventually things got so bad, I couldn't train anymore and the sales team of champions, became the sales team of Chump... just me. After one particularly bad day, I managed to hurt my back, and it laid me up for a week. Now normally, a week off would suck, but not be the end of the world... normally. But for me, I was broke before I got hurt, I was "paid" daily, so I had no savings, and because of the place I lived in, I paid rent on a weekly basis. After 2 days, with no food, and more importantly (at the time) no cigarettes, I decided I was out of the sales business for good... by day 5 of no food, I was sure of it. I managed to contact my parents, and get some cash for a bus ticket back to B.C. When I got back I put together a resume and went to work in a warehouse, doing the 9 to 5 for just a little bit more than I needed to live on. To make a long story short, while I did enjoy the work, there was no challenge or thrill. I missed the interaction I had during sales, and the pride I felt went I first started, not to mention the money :) So it wasn't too long before a new opportunity dropped into my lap, and I was able to start my own business, with a pre-made sales list. No cold calls, and clients who new the ropes and wanted what I was selling. I was so happy and things were moving along so fast it was a major blur. I was making money like I had never made money before (my take home after tax was over 3,000 some weeks) and it seemed to be getting better every week. I had a full time employee a work van and was enjoying the "sales" game again. When I took over the business I failed to realize that there was a HUGE problem coming and I was nowhere near prepared for it. Christmas.... That may seem like no problem at all, and for a guy in the gift supply business, it was absolutely crazy. The week before Christmas was my best week to date, and my cash take home was near 4,000. I managed to get credit like I had never seen before, a line of credit for 20,000, a few credit cards with limits of 5,000 and store credit cards with a few thousand more. My Credit was fantastic, because I had learned that any time you get a bill, you over pay. Not a lot, just round it up to the next 5 dollars. Before too long I was getting calls from companies trying to give me credit, and I was eying a 78 corvette w/ T roof that I had wanted ever since I was old enough to appreciate cars. Things were going awesome. Enter Boxing day. I took Christmas day off, but boxing day was back at it (while the money was great, I found I had to be out and working every day just to make sure it kept coming in). $200. $200 *#$*@ dollars. That was my week after Christmas, before tax, before expenses, before my employees. It hurt, but I knew I could get it back. I didn't. My January sales were close to $400 and I couldn't figure it out. In 3 short months, I had maxed out everything.... and with a bill looming over my head of over $40,000 I was packing it in, and looking for a real job. Tomorrow I'll fill in the rest.... But here's where I am today While my choice in playing smart and close is well known now, I also have a penchant for sales which isn't quite as well known. I have always loved being in a position to buy and sell products and services people need. That being said I spent about 2 years doing direct marketing selling cheap, made in China, odds n sods to people I wandered up to "cold". Not the easiest way to make a living, but truly one of the high points of my working career. At least it was... I honestly believed I was selling quality products and while I was sure of that, I was on cloud nine. I loved going to work every day, I enjoyed training (even the idiots), and I genuinely felt as though I was a positive influence. The first few months went fantastically. I was making good money, and was surrounded by a great staff, I had the largest sales team in the office, all personally trained by me, and all loving the work.... it was awesome. But then it happened... The crash. One day I realized that a new product we brought out had a problem in it. It was flawed, to say the very least. We called head office in Toronto, and were told to blow them out anyway. The product was a steal, and even if 50% of them failed, for the price, nobody would complain. That's when I started slipping in my sales. I just couldn't get excited about selling something that I felt wasn't worth it. So that being said, the next 1 1/2 years really took a toll on me... mentally, physically and spiritually. I became depressed and could barely make enough in sales to cover my rent, food and cigarettes (yes I used to be a smoker, stick around and you may even find out a few other things you didn't know about me ;) )Eventually things got so bad, I couldn't train anymore and the sales team of champions, became the sales team of Chump... just me. After one particularly bad day, I managed to hurt my back, and it laid me up for a week. Now normally, a week off would suck, but not be the end of the world... normally. But for me, I was broke before I got hurt, I was "paid" daily, so I had no savings, and because of the place I lived in, I paid rent on a weekly basis. After 2 days, with no food, and more importantly (at the time) no cigarettes, I decided I was out of the sales business for good... by day 5 of no food, I was sure of it. I managed to contact my parents, and get some cash for a bus ticket back to B.C. When I got back I put together a resume and went to work in a warehouse, doing the 9 to 5 for just a little bit more than I needed to live on. To make a long story short, while I did enjoy the work, there was no challenge or thrill. I missed the interaction I had during sales, and the pride I felt went I first started, not to mention the money :) So it wasn't too long before a new opportunity dropped into my lap, and I was able to start my own business, with a pre-made sales list. No cold calls, and clients who new the ropes and wanted what I was selling. I was so happy and things were moving along so fast it was a major blur. I was making money like I had never made money before (my take home after tax was over 3,000 some weeks) and it seemed to be getting better every week. I had a full time employee a work van and was enjoying the "sales" game again. When I took over the business I failed to realize that there was a HUGE problem coming and I was nowhere near prepared for it. Christmas.... That may seem like no problem at all, and for a guy in the gift supply business, it was absolutely crazy. The week before Christmas was my best week to date, and my cash take home was near 4,000. I managed to get credit like I had never seen before, a line of credit for 20,000, a few credit cards with limits of 5,000 and store credit cards with a few thousand more. My Credit was fantastic, because I had learned that any time you get a bill, you over pay. Not a lot, just round it up to the next 5 dollars. Before too long I was getting calls from companies trying to give me credit, and I was eying a 78 corvette w/ T roof that I had wanted ever since I was old enough to appreciate cars. Things were going awesome. Enter Boxing day. I took Christmas day off, but boxing day was back at it (while the money was great, I found I had to be out and working every day just to make sure it kept coming in). $200. $200 *#$*@ dollars. That was my week after Christmas, before tax, before expenses, before my employees. It hurt, but I knew I could get it back. I didn't. My January sales were close to $400 and I couldn't figure it out. In 3 short months, I had maxed out everything.... and with a bill looming over my head of over $40,000 I was packing it in, and looking for a real job. Tomorrow I'll fill in the rest.... But here's where I am today http://www.empowernetwork.com/almostasecret.php?id=danloewen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYRBELWSOUA&feature=related Another roulette software, for free..... based on the Martingale? or is it Martindale? method... plays penny bets.... might be worth checking out too :)

http://www.roulettebotplus.com/ Not a paid link, just something I'm checking out tonight.... Roulette Bot.... while the idea sounds fine, I don't hold out to much hope of it being legit.. I mean really, free software, and free support? I wouldn't be surprised if the Casino's it are linked to allow a few wins, to help you raise your bets, when your balance is high enough "Poof" the Bot looses all your money.... :) We'll see and get back to this later :)

So I've realized something lately.... I need more time :) I am also sorely under-taught in the art of web page development. Sigh... But it is still on my list, and I am currently trying to learn what I can to get the page up and running (thinking WordPress) But just so you know, I haven't given up and am still trying to move forward. Also I currently have over 600 Gambling and Casino related guides and documents to share :) So it will be good. Thanks for being patient.

I haven't forgotten...

Hey there!!! I haven't forgotten, or given up. I have been swamped.... taking on more projects than I have time for. But I have added a couple of talents to the mix I hope to be putting to use soon, and some newer ideas which I think will rock the house :)So don't worry, I'm not going anywhere!!!

5 tips to winning at video poker

"Video Poker combines both Luck and skill. The luck part is the cards that are randomly dealt to the player. The skill part encompasses much more then simply knowing what to hold and what to fold. In this article we'll discuss some of the things every video poker player should be doing, regardless of their game play strategy. 1. Only Play At Full Pay Machines One of the smartest things any potential video poker player can do is to check the payout schedule before he or she starts playing. The payout schedule tells you how much you'll be paid for each winning hand. In a Jacks or Better Video Poker game 9/6 is considered full pay. That simply means that 9 coins are paid out for a Full House and 6 coins are paid out for a Flush. Many casinos pay out less then 9/6, meaning that in the long run, you'll simply win less money. 2. Always Play Max Coins A Mistake many novice players make is to play fewer coins, thinking this will keep them in the game longer. The problem with that theory is many machines will give you proportionately more coins for hitting a Royal Flush with max coins then they will for hitting with less then the max. If you're worried about going through your bankroll too quickly, play at a low coin size. Or, if you're really not sure how to play, us a play for free version of the game until you've gotten your feet wet. 3. Plan How Much You're Willing To Lose --And Stick To It. There is a lot of luck involved in winning Video Poker. Unfortunately, too many players keep pumping coins into the machine, thinking their luck is bound to change. Successful players know that some days you have it and some you don't. Before you start playing, have a set amount that you're willing to lose, once that money is gone quit playing. 4. Take Your Time Video poker is a game of man against machine. Always remember that there is no time limit. Make sure that you carefully review your cards, with each hand. Take as much time as you need, no one is waiting for you so don't feel pressured to make your move. Don't hit that draw button until you're ready. 5. Take advantage of the "Play for Free" Games Novice players need experience; obviously the best way to gain experience is to play. Fortunately, many online casinos offer "Play for free" versions of some maybe even all of their video poker versions. Take advantage of these and develop your strategy before you plunk down your money."DL