Gambling With an Edge

This is a throwback episode that I cut from 2 episodes in 2019.Vagabond has played in over 100 countries. A former Air Force interrogation analyst who spent five years at Fort Meade working for the NSA. He talks about how that training shapes the way he questions dealers, how he moves cash across borders.Show Notes00:00 Introduction — Vagabond, 100+ countries (and a bad mic)00:45 How he got started — Deuces Wild in Finland, The Frugal Gambler02:07 Moving to blackjack — overcoming shyness, talking to dealers04:50 Intelligence background — NSA, Fort Meade, interrogation analyst07:19 The Don Johnson inspiration08:49 Avoiding backoffs — travel anywhere, leave when heat comes10:06 Carrying cash and customs — Vietnam, the $100 ask14:27 Currency traps — Colombia, Argentina pesos, Peru soles16:34 Staying connected — SIM cards, Google Fi17:34 Cambodia — tracking two eight-deck shoes, $40,000 win20:30 Favorite and least favorite countries — Mexico, Vanuatu, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Trinidad23:58 The 15% loss rebate game — triple-down, multi-card surrender, $100K swing29:59 Madagascar — $70,000 declaration, tiny limits33:29 Traveling with his wife — and her two passports35:24 Cheating abroad — Mexico City, Cambodia second-dealing37:09 Currency headaches — Peru, Chile, India42:04 Taking notes — detailed casino notes, information broker45:08 Backoffs abroad — Griffin/OSN, polite Korea tea ceremony47:49 Coupon AP — Lowe's, Kellogg's, Starbucks, Walgreens56:36 Staying safe traveling with cash60:06 Wrap-up

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/Wj1DTHlkaIAhttps://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/3W7mZyLShow NotesShow 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 PodcastBooks Referenced:Advantage Player by Gina Fiore - https://amzn.to/3W7mZyLBlackjack for Blood by Bryce Carlson - https://amzn.to/4z16nrjMillion Dollar Blackjack by Ken Unston - https://amzn.to/4yrGkbrGina 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 bootcampsLinks:blackjackapprenticeship.comlasvegasadvisor.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 BookieLinks:http://cdcgaming.com/writers/buddy-frankhttp://willyallison.com/post/white-paperRecommended:Ann Patchett's Bel Canto - https://amzn.to/4yjWGDfArt Manteris' The Bookie - https://amzn.to/4hFHObM