The Blackjack Apprenticeship Podcast

Today we're talking to Andrew Uyal, the author of "Blackjack Insiders". He began his career as a pit boss in Las Vegas before learning to count cards from his supervisor. With insider knowledge from the casino operations side the two teamed up to count cards across the country and built a sizable bankroll. Andrew ultimately made the decision to return to casino supervising, where his firsthand und...

We're off this week but this is a favorite interview from the vaults that a lot of you may not have heard before. Enjoy! We talk about how a part time card counter and full time construction worker has earned six figures counting cards. He's driving the company truck to the casino, using casino money to pay for his wedding; all while getting a lot of comps (cruises, flights, hotels, TVs, and a Dys...

SD1 and Joe748 are joined by BCD and SmurfAP to explore how professional gamblers stay healthy on the road. They discuss balancing fitness with long casino hours, and navigating travel diets. Packed with tips and personal stories, this episode offers practical advice for thriving in a high-pressure lifestyle. This is the first episode of our 2025 series in AP Lifestyle Skills. Each month we'll dee...

Colin and Joe748 are joined with guest T. Dane to explore the evolution of casino surveillance and advantage play. T. Dane shares over 20 years of experience, from the shift to digital surveillance to catching card counters and uncovering techniques like hole-carding. They also discuss facial recognition, generational changes in players, and his journey writing books on the art of surveillance. If...

Today Joe748 and SD1 hang out with L_EC, a professional card counter. He was last here in 2021, a lot has changed since then. L_EC shares his journey from starting with a small bankroll and enduring a grueling 400-hour losing streak to eventually joining teams, playing solo, and mastering the art of advantage play. He reflects on the challenges of bankroll management, adapting to different team dy...

Colin is joined by SD1 to tackle more community questions on card counting, blackjack strategy, and bankroll management. They dive into creating convincing “acts” to stay under the radar, the pros and cons of working with investors, and strategies for managing multi-currency bankrolls. Between questions they dive into stories, including high-stakes splits, team play mishaps, and the importance of...

We hope everyone who celebrates has a great Thanksgiving! While we're out of the studio, enjoy one of our favorite previous episodes that you may have missed with Bootcamp graduate PingPong.  In this interview we discuss: – Learning to think ‘outside the box’ for $8 million – Advice for those considering transitioning from part time into full time card counting – Trusting the math while continuing...

In today's episode, Colin and Joe748 are joined by BJA member Johno, who shares his 30-year journey from a struggling card counter to a successful advantage player. He recounts his early mistakes, such as poor bankroll management and gambling behaviors, which kept him at a break-even level for two decades. Johno highlights how joining Blackjack Apprenticeship transformed his approach through prope...

In today's episode, Colin and Joe delve into the world of non-technical card counting strategies, focusing on topics like casino surveillance, countermeasures, camouflage, cover play, and legal considerations for advantage players. They discuss tactics to avoid detection, handling back-offs and trespass orders, and explore the limitations of certain camouflage techniques, especially with advances...

Joe748 and SD1 took over BJA this week and interviewed 5am, a former poker player turned professional card counter. 5am shares his journey from learning basic strategy as a child to becoming a full-time card counter with over six figures in winnings. He recounts experiences playing internationally, the challenges of variance, and navigating casinos that don’t always catch on to his strategies. 5am...

Colin and Joe748 tackle more audience questions. They dive deep into topics like how perfect your test-out skills need to be (hint: 98% isn’t good enough), how to handle betting strategies without raising casino suspicions, and whether deviations for different games are worth learning. Colin and Joe discuss real-world scenarios, like what to do when you encounter another card counter at the table...

Today we're revisiting a classic interview from 2019 with an AP who goes by the name “Yoshi.” For those who don’t know his story, Yoshi is a card counter who turned $3,000 into $1.2 million in two years of full-time play. He has recently taken an indefinite break from AP to pursue other interests. In this interview we discuss: – The road from beginner to pro – What led to his decision to step away...

Colin is joined by Loudon Often, SD1, JCnote, Joe748, and Nickels, to discuss the morality of casinos. The discussion is centered around two BJA forum posts—one condemning casinos as “evil” for taking advantage of intoxicated/unskilled players, and a counterpoint that emphasizes that not all casino employees or situations are harmful. They explore whether casinos are inherently immoral, the ethics...

Colin takes a break from blackjack and talks to legendary high stakes poker pro Phil Galfond about his journey in professional poker. He shares how the game has evolved to advanced solvers and emphasizes the importance of adapting strategies to opponents. Phil also shares insights on the mental challenges of poker, his proudest achievements, and balancing his passion for the game with family life...

Today we revisit an interview with BJA Bootcamp Grads "BCD" and "SmurfAP" that many of you may have missed the first time around in 2019. In this podcast we discuss: - How to handle winning and losing as team members - Playing Blackjack after taking a break - Bankroll Goals - Business and Passion

In today's episode, Joe748 and SD1 interview GoFlamesGo, a BJA member who joined in 2020 and quickly transitioned to full-time card counting. GoFlamesGo shares his journey from discovering blackjack during the COVID-19 lockdown to attending a bootcamp and quitting his job to pursue card counting full-time. He recounts his early experiences in casinos, the support he received from his family, and t...

Today Joe748 and SD1 are joined by LightningMcAces and SolidestDawg to discuss their transition from solo card counting to forming a team with an outside investor. LightningMcAces shares his journey from discovering card counting during quarantine to perfecting his skills in 2023. SolidestDawg recounts how the movie "21" inspired him to start card counting and his early experiences. The discussion...

In today's podcast, Colin interviews Don Johnson, a former horse jockey, racetrack CEO, and Blackjack Hall of Famer known for winning $15 million in Atlantic City by negotiating favorable lost rebates. Don shares his journey from horse racing to professional blackjack, detailing how he identified and capitalized on advantageous betting conditions. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the...

We're revisiting a classic episode where BJA Pro "The Phoenix" shares his incredible journey, revealing the side bet that earned him $300,000 in 10 months. He discusses what he's been up to since achieving his financial goals, the events leading to his discovery of the lucrative side bet, and how he almost quit the game altogether. "The Phoenix" also delves into his unique strategy for maintaining...

In this mailbag episode, Colin and Joe748 sit down with SD1 and address questions about advanced play strategies, including the importance of “wonging out” during negative counts, and the impact of technology on card counting. They also discuss handling verbal abuse at the tables and secure cash management practices. As a bonus, the guys dive into how they invest the extra income generated from ca...

In this episode, Colin and Joe748 are joined by SD1. The conversation delves into SD1's transition from part-time to full-time Advantage Player (AP), the pros and cons of this lifestyle change, and his strategies for balancing work and AP play. SD1 shares insights on sales tactics applied to card counting, the value of diversifying AP skills, and the importance of a supportive community in the AP...

RickFromCanada returns with team members Goodyear, Andrea, and Kev to join Colin and Joe748. The group dives into their card counting experiences, discussing the formation of their blackjack team and the professional challenges they’ve faced. Rick details his journey from a novice to a mentor and now a team leader, while the team members share their initial hesitations, the learning process, and h...

Today Colin and Joe748 interview Highl0w20, a BJA member who decided to pursue a nomadic lifestyle with his family. Highl0w20 shares his journey of transitioning from a regular job to becoming a blackjack AP, facing setbacks such as backoffs and losing streaks, and eventually achieving financial stability that allowed him to work less and spend more time with his family. The episode delves into th...

Colin sits down with Peacock, who has been a BJA Member for several years now, is a multiple time Bootcamp attendee, and ran a two man team with another Member. One thing that makes Peacock’s story unique is that he fits in being a card counter around being President of a fairly large-sized company. But he enjoys the hustle of beating the casinos just as much as the next AP. In this podcast we dis...

Colin talks with Anthony Curtis, a former professional card counter and Blackjack tournament expert who founded the Las Vegas Advisor and Huntington Press. Anthony discusses his gambling success and his inclusion in the Blackjack Hall of Fame. We also discuss the MGM hack, where Anthony was interviewed by "60 Minutes". The discussion delves into why MGM and Caesars made different decisions regardi...