# Friday night, $2,000 at the casino **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 27, 2025, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555 "2025-04-27T06:39:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/241 "2025-06-03T03:45:46Z")
Why not? Convince us you keep track of wins and losses. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/242 "2025-06-03T03:46:51Z")
Would you ask a teacher that? A construction worker? An EMT? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/243 "2025-06-03T03:49:00Z")
> [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > Would you ask a teacher that? Go ahead and ask me. The question really is do you keep track of your wins and losses in an organized manner. Based on this thread I don’t think you do. I really don’t care how much the amount is except you claim it is enough to make you a semi-professional. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/244 "2025-06-03T16:30:11Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > The question really is do you keep track of your wins and losses in an organized manner. Based on this thread I don’t think you do. I really don’t care how much the amount is except you claim it is enough to make you a semi-professional. Semi meaning half. He keeps track of his wins. If he was a full professional, he’d keep track of his wins **&** losses. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/245 "2025-06-03T23:35:21Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > What were your net profits last year? > [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > Why on earth would I share that info? > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Why not? Convince us you keep track of wins and losses. > [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > Would you ask a teacher that? A construction worker? An EMT? The difference is that it’s hard to make profits as a professional gambler (and we are also concerned you may have a gambling addiction.) I don’t mind sharing my salary (which was of course guaranteed, unlike gambling…) I’ve been retired for 16 years now. Before that I was a teacher at a private school. In my last year 2009 I earnt about £40,000 (about $54,000.) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/246 "2025-06-04T00:27:51Z")
Most uber drivers are losing money if they properly accounted for the cost of their car. Since they don’t they think they’re making money. Oops. Working hard at a job that makes you poorer is not a wise way of life. Many people do it, so it’s evidently an easy mistake to make. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/247 "2025-06-04T01:12:01Z")
I learned early on as a 1099 worker that I had to charge a lot more money than I was. I was young and dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/248 "2025-06-04T01:39:47Z")
I don’t think this is quite true, but I suspect it’s almost true. Minimum wage in my area is about $18 per hour and I seriously doubt that the average Uber driver nets more than that. Or usually even comes close. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/249 "2025-06-04T01:44:40Z")
Why the hell not? How are we to know if this type of employment, that _you_ insist on talking about, is worth it monetarily? ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/250 "2025-06-04T01:52:52Z")
If he took all the money he bet and put it in an account or invested it.. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/251 "2025-06-04T13:29:21Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Most uber drivers are losing money if they properly accounted for the cost of their car. Since they don’t they think they’re making money. Oops. > > Working hard at a job that makes you poorer is not a wise way of life. Many people do it, so it’s evidently an easy mistake to make. IRS mileage reimbursement is 70¢/mile & I’ve long heard that is under what one’s true cost is to use their personal vehicle. Even if we go with that figure, if you do a 10 mile trip (& don’t forget your mileage getting to the pickup location & then back from the dropoff location, when that’s food or people) then the first $7 for that trip shouldn’t go into your pocket but into your maintenance/vehicle replacement account. I’ve never driven for any of 'em but it’s my understanding that is about 50% of what you make. Kidlet was GrubbyEatDashing; when I 'splained that to him, & when he needed new tires he realized I was right & stopped. No he didn’t need tires solely because of that but it definitely contributed to their needing to be replaced, & his weren’t cheap, either. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/252 "2025-06-04T13:41:14Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > The question really is do you keep track of your wins and losses in an organized manner. A person who is truly serious about making money at any form of gambling will have a log. A DETAILED log. They will account for every gambling dollar and all the related expenses. If the casino is 39 kilometers from their house, that will be accounted for. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/253 "2025-06-05T00:16:06Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > 70¢/mile & I’ve long heard that is under Dunno, but remember that “true cost” in business accounting is much more than “marginal cost” in school pickup or dashing. “true cost” includes investment substitution and model-year depreciation. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/254 "2025-06-05T17:24:39Z")
Correct. My point is that professional gamblers and other people who have unconventional sources of income also deserve privacy and respect. It isn’t all that common to ask people who have “normal” jobs what they make. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/255 "2025-06-05T17:28:10Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Most uber drivers are losing money if they properly accounted for the cost of their car. Since they don’t they think they’re making money. Oops. > > Working hard at a job that makes you poorer is not a wise way of life. Many people do it, so it’s evidently an easy mistake to make. The golden days of that kind of gig work was in the early and mid 2010s, when you could buy a decently used Honda Civic just for $3,000. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/256 "2025-06-05T17:28:50Z")
How private are you being with this thread? Do you really expect us to take whatever good news you have, ignore whatever bad news you provide…and not question _any_ of it? ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/257 "2025-06-05T17:33:16Z")
Even I have lines that I won’t cross, when it comes to privacy. My answer is “no” to your other question. That’s unfortunate. Most people are too cynical and misanthropic when it comes to people like professional gamblers, Only Fans women, YouTube influencers or whatever. Even if they are making just a little money. It seems at every level, people assume there’s some kind of dishonesty going on behind the scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/258 "2025-06-05T17:42:10Z")
Yeah. Bosses have been telling their employees that their wages are really private and they must _not_ discuss anything about them with co-workers for _years_…until they were called on it. If you want to push your way of (possibly) earning money, it sure would be nice to know if this venture was at all feasible. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/259 "2025-06-05T17:47:49Z")
Here is a chart showing the minimum wage by state. [Minimum Wage Rates by State 2025](https://www.minimum-wage.org/wage-by-state) Would you say that, based on a 40 hour work week, and subtracting losses from wins, that you at least earn your state’s minimum wage? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555/260 "2025-06-05T18:07:08Z")
I kept a detailed spreadsheet when I was playing poker. I made a long term profit. As I recall, I made something like $2.30/hour. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-2-000-at-the-casino/1017555.md?page=14)