Learning

Every few weeks I ask myself why i am writing this blog. Right now there are very few readers. One conclusion that I came to is that I really enjoy learning new things.

Most people enjoy doing things. They enjoying doing things with family and other people. I enjoy learning new things.

When I was about 35 I had learned everything about the investment business that I possibly could. I also got my golf handicap down to about 3 playing on a amateur circuit cleverly called deTour (yes I could tell folks I played on deTour). On a really good day, I could get 2 shots a side from the bottom level Hogan Tour players and take a little of their money.

I remember thinking “is all I will ever do is pick stocks and hit practice balls”? Then in 1992 I heard that riverboat casinos would be coming to Louisiana and Mississippi. I needed a new hobby.

What followed was 25 years of learning:

1. I learned to become a semi-pro blackjack player. I learned several different card counting systems, and more importantly learned how deploy them without getting caught. I read every significant blackjack book ever published. The bankroll required was $25,000 which was a substantial part of my net worth. I could make maybe $40/hour, but after 5 years it became to much like work.
2. Luckily they opened Lone Star Park in 1997. I knew nothing about horse racing, but I started to read every book. I also had the benefit of my marketing guys owning a nice NY-bred filly, so I could learn the ownership side of the business. I distinctly remember the thrill of reading Davidowitz, Beyer, Quinn, and Ragozin for the first time.
3. While I continued to learn horse racing, but I also started to play competitive chess in 2002. I had played for 6 months during the Fischer boom while in junior high. In 2001 we hired a new analyst that was good player, so once again I started to read all the books. I got to about 1650/1700 in USCF/FIDE. On a good day I could draw with 2000 players, on a bad day I could still lose to 1200 players.
4. During my chess days, the poker boom started and I had to jump in. I read all the Sklansky and Miller books, but never got too good. When the internet action stopped, I decided to bail before I lost too much. I loved the strategy, but did not have short-term memory skills you need to play poker.
5. I had played a local fantasy baseball league since 1992, but in 2014 I came across NFBC. In these leagues the entry fee is $1500 per team, and the players are the best in the country. You need to know the backup catcher for every team if you want to compete in these leagues. I had a lot of fun watching baseball games to evaluate players.
6. The Supreme Court ruled that states could allow sports gambling on my 60th birthday May 14, 2018. I took that as an omen that I should learn sports gambling. I started to write a blog about learning sports gambling, but stopped when COVID came around. There were many different sports gambling ideas i wanted to try, but I am glad I quit early.
7. Now I am trying to learn the business of buying and owning horses. I try to learn a little every day. It is complex business. I could just call a bloodstock agent and have them buy a horse for me. That would not be any fun. I enjoy getting up every day and learning something new.