The Blackjack Apprenticeship Podcast

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 proper strategy, community support, and rigorous practice, ultimately enabling him to retire comfortably as a part-time player.

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 in facial recognition technology. Tune in to learn whether to play side bets for cover, the impact of bank policies on cash management, and using casino intelligence tools to maximize success while staying inconspicuous.

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 also reflects on the ups and downs of the profession and how blackjack, despite its swings, offers a more consistent edge than poker.

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 and how to wong in and out without drawing attention. Finally, they explore how larger vs. smaller casinos can affect your play, and how much heat you can expect when scaling from green to black chips.

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.

– The road from beginner to pro

– What led to his decision to step away from advantage play.

– His perspective looking back at the last 2 years

– His advice for other card counters and APs

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 of profiting off vulnerable players, and the role of advantage players in the system.

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 and business ventures.

If you want to see Colin and Phil compare professional Card Counting and Poker head over to the Blackjack Apprenticeship YouTube channel and watch that video!

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 the challenges and rewards of being a professional card counter.

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 covers the pros and cons of taking investment, team dynamics, trust issues, handling backoffs, and the financial implications of their career choices.