Blackjack Corruption: Cops and Casinos EXPOSED | Blackjack Advisors DSH #725

Summary

Podcast Summary: Blackjack Corruption: Cops and Casinos EXPOSED | Blackjack Advisors DSH #725

Podcast Information:

• Title: Digital Social Hour
• Host: Sean Kelly
• Episode: Blackjack Corruption: Cops and Casinos EXPOSED | Blackjack Advisors DSH #725
• Release Date: September 18, 2024
• Guest: Rick from Blackjack Advisors

---

Introduction

In this episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly delves deep into the intricate world of blackjack with Rick, a seasoned professional from Blackjack Advisors. The conversation navigates through advanced blackjack strategies, the operational dynamics of blackjack teams, encounters with casino corruption, and the challenges of maintaining an edge in both physical and online casinos.

---

Understanding Blackjack Strategies

Card Counting and Mathematical Edge

Rick begins by explaining the foundational aspects of blackjack card counting, emphasizing the necessity of accumulating extensive playing hours to realize long-term gains. He states:

“You need a lot of hours to reach the long run. That's the game. Right. Because we play with a small edge.”
[01:04]

Rick elaborates on his approach, highlighting a 2% edge gained through perfect mathematical play and counting:

“We switched that back into average 2% for the player.”
[01:36]

He underscores the importance of maintaining emotional control, asserting that blackjack is a solved game where each decision is mathematically optimal. Rick emphasizes using the count to adjust betting strategies, ensuring that players capitalize on favorable conditions while minimizing losses during unfavorable ones.

---

Building and Managing a Blackjack Team

Operational Structure and Revenue

Rick discusses the operational aspects of running a successful blackjack team, which comprised six members during the previous year, generating a gross revenue of over $50,000 per month. He outlines the team structure:

“We have four full-time players and two part-time players...”
[05:08]

Revenue distribution is straightforward, with profits split 50% to players and 50% to investors. This model allows team members to reinvest and scale their operations effectively.

Training and Expansion

Initially self-taught, Rick expanded his expertise by training trustworthy individuals, guiding them through the same rigorous process he endured. He notes the importance of memory in mastering card counting, breaking down the learning process into four key steps:

1. Basic Strategy (The Book)
2. Introducing the Count (Adding and Subtracting)
3. Dividing the Running Count by the True Count (Deck Estimation)
4. Deviations from the Basic Strategy Based on the Count

Rick shares that some team members master these steps in as little as three months with dedicated practice, while others, like himself, took longer.

---

Interactions with Casinos and Potential Corruption

Experiences of Being Backed Off

Rick candidly shares his encounters with casino management when employing his strategies. He recounts a significant incident in Washington State:

“I think this is what saved me. But the manager said, yeah, let him cash out... and they cashed me out. I got out of there with just a trespass.”
[11:14]

This experience highlighted the subtle yet palpable corruption between law enforcement and casinos, where management often dictates terms to advantage players without severe repercussions. Rick emphasizes that while some in the advantage player community have faced arrests, most interactions result in polite back-offs rather than legal confrontations.

Casino Policies and Their Impact

Rick explains how casinos implement various measures to counteract card counting and maintain their edge. Notably, he distinguishes between:

• Automatic Shufflers (Fine for Card Counters): These systems shuffle predefined multi-deck shoes, allowing card counters to maintain their edge.

• Continuous Shuffling Machines (CSMs): These pose significant challenges for advantage players as they disrupt the count, making it nearly impossible to gain an edge through traditional card counting.

He asserts:

“If you're just a card counter, the CSMs are a nightmare.”
[03:07]

---

Challenges in Online Blackjack

Unbeatability of Online Casinos

Rick addresses the viability of applying card counting strategies in online casinos, concluding that:

“It's not beatable online.”
[07:00]

Online casinos often modify game rules unfavorably for players, such as reducing the number of decks and limiting strategic options like doubling after splitting. These changes significantly increase the house edge, rendering card counting ineffective.

---

Training and Educating Aspiring Players

Educational Initiatives and Partnerships

Rick emphasizes the importance of education in sustaining successful blackjack operations. He mentions partnering with Blackjack Apprenticeship, a renowned platform for learning advanced blackjack techniques. Additionally, Rick’s team has launched a school focusing on live training sessions, allowing real-time interaction with professionals and addressing common misconceptions in the advantage player community.

“We've partnered with them. You'll find that through our Instagram bio... and then we launched a school focusing on live streams.”
[26:31]

Essential Tools for Advantage Players

Rick recommends the use of specific software to manage bankrolls and assess risk, stating:

“The software that is on there is mandatory... you'll be able to see, like, based on your bankroll size, what's possible with this bankroll...”
[26:43]

---

Personal Experiences and Insights

Travel and Lifestyle Perks

Rick highlights the lifestyle advantages of being an advantage player, such as extensive travel opportunities and forming lifelong friendships within the team. He enjoys experiencing diverse casino environments and appreciates the camaraderie that comes with operating within a trusted team framework.

“Half the fun of the job is like, you're coming through like this crazy little town... the money is great, but the camaraderie and friendships are even better.”
[16:20]

Handling Stress and Maintaining Focus

Acknowledging the high-stress nature of advantage play, Rick discusses strategies to manage pressure, including controlled alcohol consumption to maintain focus during long gaming sessions.

“If I'm gonna be drinking, it's because I want to last longer, not because I want to get drunk.”
[25:20]

---

Notable Quotes

• "Playing perfect mathematically is solved blackjack."
  [01:59]

• "The casinos are so powerful that they can dictate laws in some ways."
  [11:14]

• "The hard part comes later, but gaining the edge is manageable."
  [19:03]

• "Blackjack's pretty good. It's average 3% house edge because people don't play the book."
  [13:51]

• "It's a stressful endeavor. It's not easy money, but it can be good money when done right."
  [16:07]

---

Conclusion

This episode of Digital Social Hour provides an in-depth exploration of the strategic, operational, and ethical dimensions of advantage play in blackjack. Rick from Blackjack Advisors offers valuable insights into effective card counting, the intricacies of running a blackjack team, and navigating the complex relationships with casinos. His experiences shed light on the persistent challenges and rewards of maintaining an edge in both physical and online gaming environments. Aspiring advantage players can greatly benefit from Rick’s expertise and the educational resources he advocates.

---

Resources Mentioned:

• Blackjack Apprenticeship: [Link in Instagram bio]
• Blackjack Advisors School: Live training sessions and consultations

For those interested in mastering blackjack and understanding the nuances of advantage play, Rick’s advice and Blackjack Advisors’ resources offer a comprehensive pathway to success.

Transcript

[A]

Yeah, let him cash out. Said to the cop, and the cop just backed down, and. And they cashed me out, and I. I got out of there with just a trespass.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

So not. Not a trespassing ticket. Just if I come back, yeah, I'll be trespassed. So, yeah. Like, walking out of that casino, it was the first time I was like, wow, there can. I got to witness the corruption that can happen between law enforcement and. And casinos.

[B]

Right. They're probably in bed. All right, guys, we're talking blackjack today. We got Rick from Blackjack Advisors here. Thanks for coming on, man.

[A]

My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

[B]

You had a good run yesterday. We were just talking about it.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, it's good. So we just flew in yesterday. We got a couple podcasts to do, and we're gonna make a team trip out of it because that's what pays the bills these days. So.

[B]

Yeah. How long you've been doing blackjack for?

[A]

So, like, I started learning. I started learning in. In high school. So that was maybe six years ago. Actively playing. It's been about four, four and a half years. Yeah. With the interruption, with COVID and whatnot. Shutting down.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

A bunch of stuff, but, yeah, I would say four and a half years.

[B]

And were you successful at first, right off the bat, or did it take some time?

[A]

No, definitely not. So right off the bat, I mean, you need a lot of hours to reach the long run. That's the game. Right. Because we play with a small edge. So the edge switches about 2. Like. Like, whatever. It's average 3% for the house, and. And we switched that back into average 2% for the player. Um, so you need a lot of hours. So I. I didn't stay above zero. I had a bad run in the beginning. And after about six months of. And I was playing part time. Right. Cause I'm still working. Um, after about six months, I stayed above. Above zero.

[B]

Wow. So you have a 2% edge.

[A]

2% edge, yeah. And so the idea is, if you have a 2% edge on each hand, play as many hands as you can.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And you'll come out ahead. So the same ideology that the casino is using against everyone else is what we're trying to use against them.

[B]

And that edge is from counting, counting out.

[A]

So perfect mathematical blackjack with the count.

[B]

So you just follow the numbers. You don't even. No emotion involved. It's just pure logic, for sure.

[A]

Yeah. And then. So you try and make it emotional. But as far as what you're actively doing, the Game of blackjack is, is solved. It's been solved for a while. There's a correct decision for each hand, so you're playing perfect mathematically. And then adding the count in is going to help with your betting. So it tells you when it's in your favor and when it's not, you bet accordingly.

[B]

And you said 90 of tables in Vegas are winnable?

[A]

I would say yeah. Yeah. Like so the wide majority, almost every casino has something beatable for blackjack.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But then every casino is going to have something beatable. In general, we focus on beating the game of blackjack.

[B]

That's impressive. So what are the odds that make it unwinnable? Is it a certain ratio on the payouts?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So if you want to talk about like six to five blackjack, that's going to be terrible for the player. Although you can still beat this table even just with card counting. It's going to be, it's going to be much less worth your time. And then as far as like CSM machines go, you can beat those two. It's not going to be with card counting, but yeah. So if you're just a card counter, the CSMs are, are a nightmare.

[B]

What's the CSM?

[A]

It's the big machines that you see on the table that's just constantly cycling, cycling through cards. So you'll notice they play, they play a few hands. They take the cards out of the discard tray and put it into the shuffle machine.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

So it's a constant. So even the gamblers. The reason why you don't see these much. Well, in Vegas for sure, you don't see these much is because the gamblers are just not a fan of them. They know it worsens their edge as well. Right. Even if they're still maybe playing a losing game. Right. They want to have the best chance to win. So they don't like them either. And that's kind of why Vegas stays away from them.

[B]

That makes sense. So those deck shufflers, like are those a problem for you if you see those, those automatic shufflers.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And so there is a slight difference between like an automatic shuffler is it might look like something where dealer takes maybe a six deck shoe and there's just already six decks shuffled and then they put that into the shoot. So those are fine. The big machines that you see on the tables, Those are called CSMs. Yes, those are the problem. And although there's advantage players that have beaten these machines in different ways, if you're just a strictly a card Counter. Yeah, yeah. You're not gonna be able to beat them.

[B]

Does a number of decks matter for you?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So on, on average, the lower the amount of decks, the better the house edge for the player. The better the game is, the more it's going to be worth as a card. Counter.

[B]

Got it. Because you can keep track easier of the counting.

[A]

Not only that, it's just you're reaching the long run faster. So we need to see. So if you're playing a six deck game, what you're doing is you're just keeping the count. And then what we call it is you're dividing by how many decks are left. And then what this does, this step just makes every, any amount of decks you use the same process. So in double deck, you're only dividing by two. It's just speeding up the game.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

And then even single deck, I, I don't even know if there's any single deck in Vegas anymore. I don't think there. But yeah. So single deck would be, be the best. The best on average.

[B]

That makes sense. Now you built this operation of $50,000 a month. Is that profit or is that revenue?

[A]

So that's going to be gross. Yeah, that's revenue.

[B]

That's impressive.

[A]

Gross. And that's as far as last year we averaged. Well, myself, I was able to average, yeah, a little bit over 50k per month. And that's running a blackjack team. Total of six members.

[B]

So there's six you guys, you spread out to each casino and then hopefully you guys make money. That's the whole theory.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. So just like, just like any greatly profitable business, you start off with yourself and you learn how to do it yourself. And then the next step, if you want to keep growing, is to expand. So, so, so that's what I did with, learned how to do it all myself. Grew up my personal bankroll and I started teaching people, teaching trustworthy people in my life. Yeah, Perfect mathematical blackjack. And then started bankrolling those players and.

[B]

They went staking them almost exactly. Yeah.

[A]

So they go through the exact same steps I went through and they, they, they get to start where I'm at. Right. So they get to bet more and it's going to be worth more for them.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So yeah.

[B]

So at the end of the night, you pull all the money and just split it evenly.

[A]

Pretty much. So, so what we do mostly is we have four full time players and two part time players. So the two part time players, their hours and their earnings are pooled and then for the four part time players, some started at different times and whatnot. So a lot of the time everyone's kind of out on their own. Maybe someone's in America, someone's in Canada, someone's going to the UK and so they're just kind of battling it out there on their own. And then whatever the stake amount we agreed on, and I can talk about that with my players, it's 50% goes to players, 50% goes to investors.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

So any of my players can add as much money, put as much skin in the game as they want to, and buy back some of the investors portion of it. And then as a player, they are also earning 50% of the profits.

[B]

Interesting model. Does this work online? On online casinos?

[A]

So of course there, there has been online casinos that have, that have been beaten at blackjack. But overall, I mean casinos, they're, they're good, right? They're smart. So they know what they're doing and so they counteracted it. They pretty much butcher the rules on online blackjack. They cut the shoe in half. It's, it's a terrible house edge when you're playing online blackjack. So for the most part, no.

[B]

Oh wow.

[A]

It's not beatable online.

[B]

So they raised their edge online?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Significantly.

[B]

How did they do that? Is that even legal? Because I thought it had to be a certain edge.

[A]

No, no, it's, it's legal. So like what they'll do is just like, like here in Vegas, like you can go to six deck game and they offer surrender, resplit, ace, stand, 17, whatever. They take all of that out online. So some games aren't even letting you double after the split.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah, they just butcher it. They make it so like, so no matter what, what you do, even if you, if you have the count, then you're not gonna be able to beat it. Yeah, that just never becomes advantage for the, for the player.

[B]

What is the average amount of time you're in one casino before you get backed off?

[A]

So the way it works is I'll talk about here in Vegas. So we have a, we have like trip routes pretty much that we're following.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

And then on average you probably like at the end of the trip, if you can get two hours average per casino, you're do really well. But what the day to day actually looks like is that it might be 15 minutes. 15 minutes. Like maybe you're playing sister properties and you played the first one and you got a good amount of day. Maybe you played that casino all day. But Then now it's going to be really tough to play their sister properties. So on average, yeah, it's gonna equal out to like two hours. But I mean I've, I've camped casinos for, for a month before and.

[B]

Oh, wow. And they couldn't find you.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, they just slower casinos. One in particular was a brand new opening. So it was just everyone was.

[B]

Yeah, they didn't have the cameras.

[A]

Yeah, they didn't really know what's up. But yeah, eventually they figure it out.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And really it's not that we're trying to fool them, it's that we're trying to play, we're playing aggressively and obviously for a short period, amount of time and going to the next one. And there's 2100 casinos in America and yeah, you just keep it moving.

[B]

So you try to leave before it gets to that point.

[A]

No, we, for the most part we are playing until they tell us they don't want us.

[B]

Oh, really?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Wow. And as any of those led to something like an arrest or anything.

[A]

So there's people I know in the space that, that have some crazier stories with as far as arrests go and whatnot. But the law is on our side. So the wide majority of time it's a very polite, polite back offs with these casinos. Now. Yeah, we have had some extreme situations. So I can remember early day in my career, I was in Washington state. I was playing at, playing at this casino. It was all going normal. I was using my spread, won some money, got backed off. So I'm walking up to the cage and it's all cool. And then as they're cashing me out, the cashier sets aside a thousand dollars just off to the side and then starts paying out, paying out the amount minus the thousand bucks. And so I asked like, of course, what's, what's with the thousand dollars? You set off to the side and they go, oh, you were overpaid, so we're not, we're not paying you that part. And so of course I was like, well, surely you guys got to show me some proof of this or whatever. Right. So I was fighting it, I was pushing it. Eventually the general manager just called, called the police.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And then the police showed up. So they don't just bring one police officer. It was, it was five police officers for this, for this occasion.

[B]

So I would have left.

[A]

Yeah. And so they, they walk up and I remember the first thing the cop said to me was, if you don't get the out of here, I'm Going to arrest you.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

And so at that point, yeah, I just, I went, I shut up. I asked general manager because he was getting ready to like, grab me this cop.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I asked him, is it good? I'll. I'll cash out. You guys will never see me again. And so before that, we were chatting. We were having a good conversation with that manager. And so I think this is what saved me. But the manager said, yeah, let him cash out. He said to. To the cop. And the cop just backed down. And. And they cashed me out. And I, I got out of there with just a trespass.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

So not, Not a trespassing ticket. Just if I come back, yeah, I'll be trespassed. So, yeah, like, walking out of that casino, it was the first time I was like, wow, there can. I got to witness the corruption that can happen between law enforcement and, and casinos.

[B]

Right. They're probably in bed together. Right?

[A]

Like you hope not always. Right. But yeah, there's definitely some. Like, these casinos are so powerful that, I mean, they can dictate laws in some.

[B]

Yeah, money talks. Because in some cities, the casinos are probably the number one revenue driver for sure. Yeah. Vegas is probably one of them.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. So luckily I'm like, Like, I know a lot of people have seen like the movie 21. Right, the card counting movie. Yeah. They kind of painted the picture like you're. You might be taking the risk of like, you know, getting your legs broken in the back room, but no, we've never even not been cashed out from the casino because like I said, the law's on our side and. Yeah. Yeah. So for the most part, they, they pay you out and they just don't want you back.

[B]

Yeah. Times have changed. The mobs aren't running the casinos anymore.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. It's good for you. Now, do the people at the table matter? Because some people get pissed if you don't play by the book and they think it's your fault. Does that actually matter to you?

[A]

So, yeah. So talking from the math perspective, they do not matter. The only thing that would affect it is I want to be playing heads up because it's a faster game. I'm getting more rounds. It's worth more for me. But as far as playing at a table, no, it is. Half the time that bad decision is going to help you, and half the time it's going to hurt you. And it all is going to even out in the long run. Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that's the, the law that we're abusing is Numbers are predictable over a long period of time, so. Yeah. Although the dealer maybe takes the. Or, sorry, the. The anchor at the table makes a bad move, and the dealer gets 21. Yeah. In that hand. It affected it. But over the long run, no, it does not.

[B]

Thank God you busted that myth, man. People make you feel bad, you know, if you make the wrong move, because I don't know the book, I just play.

[A]

Yeah. I might get some heat for that one from all the gamblers because. Yeah, but no, it does. It does not affect it. I've played just around 2, 000 hours of blackjack.

[B]

So what do you think about the book? Everyone tells you to play that if you're a beginner. Is that the move?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. So basic strategy, right? You're talking about the book. Yeah, yeah. So I've heard lots of myths that. Oh, the casinos created. Created the book. They want you to play that way. It wasn't the casinos who created the book. It was the computers that created the book. People ran simulations and said, tell me the best way to play basic strategy. And that's the book. And so now if you're keeping the count, you can deviate from the book in certain situations, and that's all through math. But no, as far as learning the book is the fundamental part to learning how to count cards.

[B]

Got it. So if you play the book without counting, the casino still has a 3% edge.

[A]

Yeah, on average. So. So blackjack's pretty good. It's average 3% house edge because people don't play the book. But if they were playing the book and you have the great rules here in Vegas, the casino only has a 0.5 advantage over you, on average, depending on the rules, it's going to change a little bit, but. Yeah. Yeah. So it's almost a coin flip. Right. It's just slightly in their favor if you're playing the book.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Any spots you played out where you thought it was a little fishy, you thought the casino was doing something weird?

[A]

Yeah, there's been times where I thought about calling it quits, going through bad variants. And you're not sure. Maybe the casino has that reputation of the past. Maybe they've had some. Some court cases that went down. Yeah, there's. There's a casino that I've avoided in.

[B]

Vegas or in Florida. Oh, in Florida.

[A]

In Florida that I avoided because there's just too much controversy over this casino.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But for the most part, these casinos don't want to be breaking the laws to make their money. They just don't want to take that extra risk. I mean, they pretty much have a license to print money, right. So why take that extra risk of committing fraud to. To make the money. They're going to make it anyways, so. So, yeah, if there's casinos that are cheating out there, I would have to think that it's extremely rare.

[B]

Yeah, I feel that.

[A]

Yeah, I know there's some other people in the AP space that think differently. AP Advantage Player. Advantage player space that. That might think differently about certain situations, but. But no.

[B]

Well, sometimes you're just gonna run bad, right? Like, I'm sure you lose some days, some nights.

[A]

Yeah, for sure. So, like, last year, we had. We had 11 good months and one terrible one. Right. So we play blackjack, right. Hundreds and hundreds of hours and come down after a month. So. So, yeah, you need a lot of hours to reach this long run. But, yeah, it's easy to think, right, that, like, when you're going through a terrible space, it feels like you're playing so much blackjack. Right. And you have the edge. And so to come down from it is just. It's hard to process in the mind. You go through those battles, so I can see where they're coming from. Right. When they think the casino's cheating. But, no, from my experience, I. I've never even witnessed it.

[B]

Wow. Yeah, you got to control that tilt when you're losing, too, right?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah, it's. It's a stressful endeavor. It's not. It's not going to be easy money. It can be good money when done, right? Yeah, but, yeah, it's. It's a stressful job.

[B]

Stressful. But I think there's perks, too. You get to travel the world, which is awesome.

[A]

Yep. Yep. Yeah. So you get to. Yeah. Like, a lot of the benefits. I mean, yeah, it's a. It's a free reason to travel the world. Right. You can go to these places and. And make money from them. It's. That's awesome. I mean, more perks from it. Like, especially with the starting your blackjack team or being a part of a blackjack team, you get that camaraderie.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So it's like, the money is great. Right. But you guys have to trust each other to a core. Right. And so when you do get this team, I mean, like, you have a team here and everyone seems great.

[B]

Yeah, you.

[A]

You would know what I'm talking about. When you do get that team, it's like, yeah, you guys get to share the money, but just having that Team. And like those lifelong friends is. Is even better.

[B]

Absolutely. Absolutely.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And now you're training other people how to do this, right?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, that's right. So I started alone. I grew up my bankroll. I learned all the nuances of beating casinos because, yeah, once you do learn the perfect mathematical blackjack with the count, it's kind of like you're armed with a hammer at the job site, but you've never been to the job site yet. You really don't know what to do.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So I learned it for myself. And then a couple years after that, maybe two years after that, I started teaching people the same process I did and sent them out on the same routes I did. And was just able to guide these players.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Through the exact same experiences that I went through.

[B]

And how long would it take to really master this, in your opinion?

[A]

Yeah, so it's a good question. Um, so it's all memory. Right. So none of the math goes above, like, third grade level, so it's just gonna be dependent on a person's memory. Uh, for me, it took a little bit longer. I. I do not have a good memory. Um, but I mean, for some of my most recent teammates, like, the quickest one got it done in three months.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah, so he was. He was practicing quite a bit. Probably. Probably like three hours a day. Right. And he was able to learn it in three months. And then for. For myself, it took about nine months to learn it.

[B]

So when you say memory, you're just trying to memorize all the different scenarios.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So it's like there's like four steps. Four steps of beating, card counting, or beating blackjack. First step is the book. Like, you talked about basic strategy, so you got to have that down pat. Second one is introducing the count. And so first of all, first step is just memory. Right. Second part is the count. So just adding and subtracting, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Third is going to be the dividing the running count by the true count. So like deck estimation, just making any number of decks. You're just relating it to a one deck game. Right. And then the fourth step is going to be deviations. So when you deviate from the book. And again, that's just more memory. So it's strictly. It's just strictly memory as far as beating blackjack goes.

[B]

Interesting. So you got to memorize four different things at the same time.

[A]

Yep, yep. So just mixing it all in together is. Is the part that takes a bit.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Doing it in real time in a casino environment, but yeah, like, it's that's the easy part of the job. That is very. As you start for the viewers, if you're, if you're learning this process, if you're interested in it, you'll notice that it's very manageable. Like actually beating the game of blackjack.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The hard part comes later. But as far as gaining the edge over the casino, getting that hammer in your tool belt. Yeah, it's, it's manageable for, for the average person, for sure.

[B]

And which table do you prefer? Because there's different minimums, right?

[A]

Yeah. So for the most part, I'm just looking for a table that is going to be heads up. So just me and the dealer. Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That's going to be moving the fastest. So that's oftentimes high limit rooms. In the beginning days, my career, I couldn't afford maybe a hundred dollar two hundred minimum. So I'd play out on the floor where it's just more busy because that's what I could afford. But yeah, for the most part, high limit is also going to have the best rules. So these days. Yeah. We're hanging out in, in the high limit rooms of casinos.

[B]

Yeah. And do you leave if a bunch of people sit at your table?

[A]

If there's an empty table next door, I will. Empty table, you know, right beside.

[B]

Yeah. Then just way faster. That makes sense.

[A]

Unless I've built up a relationship at the table like with, you know, maybe like the casino whale. And we're just having a ton of fun together. I mean, now the casino doesn't want to kick me out. Right. Because they'll look bad in front of the whale. So. So then I feel like I could last longer.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm just having this relationship with their, their favorite player.

[B]

Smart. You use the guy as like your friend, right?

[A]

Yeah, for sure. So, yeah, like I talked about, like earning your hammer. Right. And showing up to the job site, you know, none of this stuff. Right. But then actively doing it day to day, you learn all this stuff. Because the hard part is getting time in the casinos. Like they're, they're not dumb, right. They, they, they've seen it all before. And you have to get creative to, to get time in these casinos.

[B]

Right. They, they know exactly what to look for. Right. The dealers probably know, if you're counting.

[A]

Yeah, Yeah. I mean, well, sometimes a lot of the times I think it may feel like that, but I think we're probably giving them too much credit at times.

[B]

They're just there for their.

[A]

But the more experienced ones. Yeah, they're going to be able to spot. Spot a spread and they'll at least know. Okay, well, maybe, maybe this is an advantage player. They can let someone know.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But yeah.

[B]

Are you taking advantage of the comps too?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

[B]

Those are nice in Vegas.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. Cuz like, we're doing great. Our numbers are growing. Yeah. We still keep expenses low and whatnot, Especially for the members on the team that aren't making as much. They're still in the early stages. Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So, yeah, you want to keep expenses low and. Yeah, in Vegas. Yeah, you get good comps. So like we're here for a week and a different casino is paying for our. Our hotels.

[B]

Way to do it, man. Because if you had to pay for those be 300 a night, so.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And some of them are like, crazy, right?

[B]

Yeah. 300 night times six people. That's 1800 a night.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Plus meals. They comp those sometimes.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. The comps here, especially in Vegas, are good.

[B]

Really good, man.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Do you have a favorite city or country to gamble in?

[A]

Yeah, that's a good question. The so going country by country is like, there's so many differences as far as favorite cities in America. I'll talk about.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So favorite. I like. I like San Diego a lot.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

San Diego. Sweet. Denver. Denver. Miami. I had a ton of fun in Miami. And then I love Vegas as well.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

But, yeah. Yeah, it's what I love is experiencing the good and the bad. Right. So like, half the fun of the job is like, you're coming through like this crazy little town. Um, and it's just like, wow, this is. This is different. Right. So that's fun too.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But then, yeah, as far as like, some of my favorite places to play. Yeah. I love Florida. California is great. Nevada. I'd say our top three.

[B]

Have you ever gambled on a cruise?

[A]

No, but a member of my team actually has for the most part. For what look we're looking for. They're. They're not amazing, but yeah, we've had. I had a teammate do it. And the problem is, is if you get backed off, you might be stuck on this thing for six hours. Right.

[B]

That's why I asked that.

[A]

But yeah, he just. He just did it for the fun of it. And yeah, it was actually decent.

[B]

Wow. Yeah, I'm going on one in August, but I don't want to get kicked off the ship, man. That's funny. Have you gambled in other countries at all? Asia or anything?

[A]

Not Asia. So we will Be doing UK for the first time this year. And then we are also. So we're from Canada.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So we started in Canada. You can gamble at 18.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

So I was gambling. I started at like 19.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

The gambling experience there is completely different.

[B]

How so?

[A]

So like here in Vegas, right, It's like you like pull out your phone at a table and it's just like everyone's like, whoa, whoa. Right. Like no phones at the table. It's like very. There's a ton of laws. Right. Because it's all like do to prevent cheating or prevent any corruption like that. Right. As far as back home, it is just like a lawless gambling atmosphere. So you could be like sitting at the table and sure, a lot of them are going to have the same rules, but for the most part it's like you could be on your phone doing whatever. It's just. Yeah. It's so different that there's just like no rules. There's more comparison to here.

[B]

Interesting.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I didn't know that those Canadians are more laid back, huh?

[A]

Well, at least where I am. Yeah. So I'm in. I'm in Alberta and Yeah, it's kind of like the, the Texas of America they call it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So. So yeah, they're chill there.

[B]

Yeah. You could drink at 18 there too.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I remember going to Montreal when I was 18.

[A]

Right, yeah, yeah, Montreal. Sweet.

[B]

Yeah. When you're that age, that's the spot to be for sure.

[A]

Montreal, Toronto, people are beautiful there.

[B]

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't remember much beautiful people.

[A]

How old were you when you.

[B]

I was 18.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because you have to be 21 here, right. So we drove there from Jersey.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

That was a fun trip.

[A]

Montreal is a good time.

[B]

Do you drink on the job?

[A]

For the most part, no. Especially if I'm going to be driving like stop to stop. But so some things have picked up. So I'm walking up to a table, right. And like if I walk past just like an empty beer bottle there, I might just grab it and have it in my hand so that I'm walking up to the table with the drink. And then when the server comes up, I'll pass through that drink, order another one and then just be specific when you're taking the drink. So just like any time like the, the dealers or the pit boss, right. If you have some heat, like you're just drinking, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Just to add that hopefully it helps, right. You just.

[B]

Interesting. Look drunk, you're playing a mental game.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. If I'm gonna Be drinking. It's because I want to last longer, not because I want to get drunk.

[B]

Wow. Yeah. You're playing chess out here when you're.

[A]

When you're out there, like, this is my work. Right. So. So when we're at the casino, we're focused on. On gaining hours and making money from them.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Yeah, we're definitely not there too. I mean, if you can have fun in the process, like, and we do often, yeah, that's great. But yeah, this is how we, like, pay the bills.

[B]

I love that. Where can people learn from your. Your course and teaching?

[A]

Yeah, good question. So. So I learned from Blackjack apprenticeship. They've been around for a while. So Blackjack apprenticeship is the ultimate way to learn how to beat the game at. How to beat casinos at blackjack. So luckily, more recently, we've partnered with them. So you'll find that through our. Through our Instagram bio. It's on there if you sign up through us. Yeah, it helps us. And then we'll give you free consultation, one on one. And then as far as what we do, we've launched a school and so what we focus on is like the live streams and like I said, this is more recently. Yeah. But my team member, Andrea. Andrea runs this. She runs our social media. So. Yeah, so she launched this school and we focus on like, live training. So you can come train with pros and it's just going to speed up that process for you. Yeah. You can get your questions answered in real time. Right. And there's a lot of misinformation out there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So it's a good question. Yeah. Like, I recommend Blackjack apprenticeship and our school.

[B]

Cool.

[A]

It's all linked into one and you'll be able to learn it.

[B]

We'll link that below. Any other links or things you want to promote?

[A]

No, no, that's pretty much. Yeah. Like, the software that. That is on there is mandatory. If you are taking this serious. Like, you're gonna need to be able to run your numbers and you'll be able to see, like, based on your bankroll size, what's possible with this bankroll? How much risk or ruin am I gonna have? And yeah, it's just. It's just mandatory for any serious advantage player.

[B]

Perfect. We'll link it below. That was a fun episode. Thanks for coming on, man.

[A]

Hey, thank you, man.

[B]

Yeah, thanks for watching, guys. As always, if you're interested in Blackjack, click the links below. Otherwise, see you tomorrow.