Gutted

[RUDE]

Hi All,

I know nobody will care that much but here goes.

As of 09:00 tomorrow morning I am an employed man and I'm gutted about it.

It's not that I mind working or that I wont be grateful for the reliable income but more that I'm gonna miss out on some of the great banter that comes with playing the fruits.

I have, today, driven back from a "long" weekend in sunny Bognor with a group of fellow players a day early. To be honest, the thought that, while I'm getting up at 7.30 and putting on a shirt and tie, they will just be going to bed after some serious drinking and slotting is incredibly depressing.

Yesterday for example (and I'm sure many others recognise this scenario). Get up at 11am, chill out for a bit, we all went to the pub for a mixed grill lunch, a couple of beers and a casual punt. A few hours playing fruits. A game of bowling with more beer, some pool, another resteraunt meal, then off to the bars til 4am getting thoroughly wasted and checking out the women. TOTAL Spent : about £300-£400, total cost to us £0.......Great banter and all paid for, those who know me will know this is my idea of heaven!

I know I couldn't continue with the lifestyle forever but I just wanted to see if any others on here who have gone from "pro" to "employee" have found the change quite so depressing!

[keno]

Where are you going to work at/do?

[RUDE]

Where are you going to work at/do?

I'm going to be working as an insurance broker. I was a mortgage consultant before I got made redundant about 2 years ago (when I turned "pro" as it were)

[Mattb]

Good on ya mate, i'm quite close to a full-time job now, though my lack of lifeguarding badges may prevent me getting the job i've applied for. Fingers crossed they help sort me out with it.....if they do, then another one bites the dust!

[oldskool]

Takes a little bit of adjusting, but you are guaranteed an income, can get a mortgage (if you want that) and don't have the awkward conversation with people when they ask what you do for a living.

I used to love the good days, but the good days became rarer. I used to have at least one day a week that I would make £500+.

The other side is that I have had days when I dropped money. The times in between systems when I'm searching for anything remotely playable or having a limited amount of machines and finding out that the machine has gone. Gutted.

I love emptying machines and I still get a buzz when I find an unchipped machine I know I can empty, but playing machines is definitely something I do part time now. If a decent emptier came out I might try and get a couple of weeks off work or pull a couple of weeks sick, but I couldn't go back to being a full-time fruit machine player again.

[RUDE]

Wise words. I think with me it's more about the lifestyle than the money. Anyone who knows me knows that I would rather go out all day with a couple of mates. Play, drink, dine out, have a good craic and only make £50 rather than go out all day by myself, drink cokes and make £200.

This weekend at Butlins has been a good case in point. We could have made a couple of hundred quid but we had a laugh, spent HUGE sums on food, booze and the craic and ended up just below evens.

I'm sure one day I'll look back on the amount of money I've wasted and equate it to hours in the office but at the time it's such a good craic and that's what I'll miss.

[HorseRacingKing]

Good on you fella, few more people should take the hint

[anfield road]

[quote="&quot"]Good on you fella, few more people should take the hint[/quote

luekstar lol

[bigpokercouk]

I dont need to work right now but know eventually it will come.

I respect you for being honest, good luck to you in the future

[Mr McStreak]

Yeah all the best, its the right move, and eventually everyone will be forced into it. Once you've adjusted you'll be fine.

[anfield road]

Bet your back within 2 months full time player again lol,anyway good luck! and remember your fruit machine title is now:munter

[betchrider]

Ive been in my job for a bit now and all i can think of is collecting big banks out and getting up when i want etc,etc,etc it was/is difficult to adjust but i am in the fortunate postion of havin a good few quid more than my fellow employees saved up.What work is doing is stopping me from chasing round for days on end(cos to be honest was bugging me anyway)and not spending anything.I will of course play part time and local there are still enough hours in the day for if anything good comes out but apart from that im not fussed.

[James Drop]

I took a full time job last year after losing my contacts within the "industry" and totally agree with your comments.

Where it was easy for me to walk into an establishment and clean out the select machines, I would always stop for beers / food etc or use the facilities in question (snooker hall etc etc)

The mundane world of "real work" lacks the buzz of the pro lifestyle but I think has a lot of benefits for carving a secure future...

That said, if my contacts get re-established I know exactly what I will probably do

[quizard]

If you have a proper career that you enjoy and where you are likely to see your real income increase over years and get a nice pension at the end of it fair enough. But as someone else once said your worst day as a pro gambler is better than your best day doing a shit job.

[ridye]

...But a day in a shit job is better than day of visiting 100 pubs and finding Maximum in 95 of them!