Sailing is the most 'sure' way to make gold, as long as you can.
A. Sink enemy ships.
B. Make port before you sink

Its the most sure way because you will always get something when you port.
But the amount will vary, and the amount of time will vary a great deal.

How to get gold the fastest depends on your pirates level, and resources. If you have alot of cheat cards, and can get to padres, blackjack can fill your pockets quick (see Blackjack guide in cards forum).

If you have a Voodoo Staff, an hour of blasting the navy vets will usually get you a few grand gold too.

ummm.... katie, i need to go sailing with you sometimes lol. :)

sailing without a doubt

The only problem with sailing for gold is it takes too long.

That immediate gratification at the blackjack table.. oh yeah.

On a 'gold' per hour basis, playing cards (and being good at it) runs circles around sailing.

Black Jack only if you have enough cheat cards.

Ugh. I should have read it more carefully. The best way would be sailing - the fastest way is blackjack (I voted blackjack, but meant sailing.) FWIW, I didn't learn just how ridiculously easy it is to get a lot of gold very fast at the PDF blackjack tables, until AFTER I had my first two war frigates.

Maybe a better poll would be to have separate ones for sailing, lvl up grenades at KH, lvl up staff at KH, blackjack on PDF. Then perhaps separate series for things that don't work as well, like lvl up cutlass on KH or poker on PDF (with generous friend) or poker on PDF (without generous friends) or blackjack on port royal. One poll a week for each of them, as "Your most gold per hour at xxxxx: -100 to 0; 1 to 100; 101 to 1,000; 1,001 to 2,000; 2,001 to 3,000; 3,001 to 4,000; 4,001 to 5,000; 5,001 to 10,000; 10,001 or more."

I know I've never broken 4,000 per hour sailing. But I know for grenades and staff, I've broken 4k per hour on KH. Poker with friends, I've donated more than 10,000 per hour. Blackjack (recently) I made more than 15k/hr (but the 65k limit really gets in the way.)

Blackjack is the easiest way IMO without cheat cards.

Uh...
Enemies which is a duh answer.
I can make 250 gold in about 2 minutes of fighting just undead level 33 brigands.
Oh look I just got 38 gold in under 20 seconds.
Wow.
If you said sailing I think your more caught up in the fun of it. :)
I can see why.

Should have read it better and I did. lol
I put sialing for best way but posted the fastest.

if u just got wither on voodoo staff, head to kingshead and go to the pack of veterans. Use wither over and over till you kill the pack. Repeat this and u will get a lot of treasure. happy hunting:pirate2::sign0200: