Gambling With an Edge

Mark Billings — author of The Ultimate Edge — joins Bob Dancer and Richard Munchkin to talk about beating blackjack in the 1980s: shuffle tracking, hole-carding, and computers strapped to players' legs. Mark tells the stories behind the plays, from the "slicing and dicing" cut-card move to the shoe computer busted at the Desert Inn — including the gaming agent who went on TV and completely made up how they caught the team. Plus the time Richard's brother Jake had to stand up in a casino and swear he wasn't a card counter. Originally aired April 4, 2013.

Show Notes
[00:00]  Throwback episode context
[02:03]  News about a structuring charge
[04:31]  Munchkin’s brother, Jake, was asked if he was a card counter
[07:04]  Introduction of Mark Billings, advantage player, and author of The Ultimate Edge
[10:03]  Slicing and dicing hand cuts
[12:12]  Shuffle tracking with computers
[16:49]  The small world of card counting in Las Vegas and Atlantic City
[18:25]  Sharing advantage play secrets
[21:10]  Shuffle tracking computers in shoes
[25:13]  Casino eavesdropping on in-room phone calls
[27:45]  Building shoes for the computers
[30:00]  Richard’s shoe making story
[31:50]  The Ultimate Edge method, computers and video laws
[38:34]  Does Mark feel like his teams caused device laws to change?
[42:07]  How is blackjack different today?
GWAE Episodes Referenced:
https://youtu.be/Wj1DTHlkaIA
https://youtu.be/PrrFP3-XwB0

This week we sit down with Gina Fiore to discuss her new book, "Advantage Player: A Memoir of Blackjack, Backrooms, and Beginnings".

Get the book - https://amzn.to/3W7mZyL

Show Notes

Show Notes[00:00]  Introduction of Gina Fiore, professional gambler and author of Advantage Player
[01:05]  Dealing Blackjack in Nevada and California
[02:35]  What prompted Gina’s move into advantage play?
[03:22]  Learning about card counting
[05:21]  Hole carding and signaling
[11:08]  The All-Stars and edge sorting
[16:07]  Selecting team members and managing a team
[18:18]  Work ethic 
[21:49]  The benefits of having been a dealer
[23:14]  A bitter custody battle
[26:55]  Inspiration for writing Advantage Player, writing process 
[29:09]  Player banking strategies in California card rooms
[37:26]  Playing in the Party Pit
[40:39]  Advantage Player pre-order, release date (10/27), and related events
[46:54]  Recommended:  The Invite, Land Man, Lioness, and Risk Takers Podcast

Books Referenced:

Advantage Player by Gina Fiore - https://amzn.to/3W7mZyL
Blackjack for Blood by Bryce Carlson - https://amzn.to/4z16nrj
Million Dollar Blackjack by Ken Unston - https://amzn.to/4yrGkbr

Gina Fiore Links:
https://linktr.ee/ginafiore

This is an episode that originally aired in 2013. It has been reedited. 

They were Christians. They counted cards. And they took millions from casinos. Colin Jones co-founded the Church Team — the blackjack team featured in the documentary Holy Rollers — and went on to found BlackjackApprenticeship.com, where he's trained a generation of card counters. In this episode: the disguises (including Hollywood makeup tricks), how the team tested new players, card-counting training and apps, and what life looked like after the documentary.

Show Notes

[00:00]  Notes on editing
[00:45]  Playing in disguise
[08:38]  Introduction of Colin Jones from blackjackapprenticeship.com
[09:10]  More on playing in disguise, using makeup, accessories, mannerisms, etc
[14:14]  Blackjack apprenticeship.com content, training, and forum
[19:52]  Does Colin still play blackjack?
[21:20]  Can people make a living counting cards?
[23:55]  Casino 411, a Yelp for card counters
[29:53]  Developing a Google Glass app
[34:01]  Blackjack bootcamps

Links:
blackjackapprenticeship.com
lasvegasadvisor.com/gambling-with-an-edge

Many casinos are resetting slot machines after players have built up free spins or other bonus features.  We speak with Buddy Frank, a former slot director who contacted the Nevada Gaming control Board about this.  In addition we talk about some of the new things Buddy saw at the annual Global Gaming Conference.

Show Notes
[00:00]  Introduction of Buddy Frank, experienced slot and casino operations executive
[00:51]  Are casinos illegally resetting slot machines?
[05:57]  Evidence of Money Balls being reset
[09:34]  Checking Phoenix Link reset numbers, repeated RAM clearing
[12:53]  Lack of consequences for casino corporations that cheat players
[16:50]  G2E, facial recognition, eConnect, prediction markets
[23:00]  Lack of persistent state slot machines at G2E, new version of Sigma Derby, 
[26:45]  Roll to Win Craps
[29:53]  Marble Run by Interblock, wide area progressive slots
[32:02]  New offerings from Zitro and Light and Wonder
[33:28]  Buy a bonus features, Buffalo Power Play
[35:52]  Higher W2G limit impact on ambiance and Blueberi Gaming's jackpot speaker system
[38:42]  Self pay for W2G's, $1999 jackpot machines
[42:04]  Ainsworth Playboy theme, popular themes, and copycats
[45:00]  Licensing fees for Dragon Link versus Spooky Link
[47:20]  Skill-based slot machines
[49:32]  Recommended:  Ann Patchett's Bel Canto, Art Manteris' The Bookie

Links:
http://cdcgaming.com/writers/buddy-frank
http://willyallison.com/post/white-paper

Recommended:
Ann Patchett's Bel Canto - https://amzn.to/4yjWGDf
Art Manteris' The Bookie - https://amzn.to/4hFHObM

Laurance Scott has been beating roulette for over 30 years.  He was first on our show 13 years ago. (Link below to that episode) He is now retiring, and joins us to talk about his start and how the game has changed.

Show Notes[00:00]  Introduction of roulette player, Laurance Scott
[00:48]  Getting started in roulette
[06:00]  Playing Huxley wheels
[07:27]  Roulette teams
[09:12]  Device laws outside of the U.S
[10:32]  Mistakes made by beginner roulette players
[15:40]  Surveillance of wheel watchers
[18:24]  Timing back door
[23:00]  Playing in France
[29:04]  Playing in Macau
[36:48]  Playing biased wheels and distracting dealers 
[41:56]  Contacting surgeons to implant a computer
[47:12]  Games and heat in Las Vegas

Links:

Laurance Scott episode from 2013  
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4082481490083758475/9122198373771667070

Interview with Keith and Marty Taft
https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/gambling-with-an-edge/interview-with-keith-and-marty-taft/?srsltid=AfmBOooeWKDCJlJPx-KphISabY621YkT1Qh7Yt_Vth2YZfdnN4j6JxHZ

http://mezzobistro.com

Checkmate by Ben Mezrich https://amzn.to/4ce7xq1