The Blackjack Apprenticeship Podcast

Colin and Joe748 are joined by BJA member Gilgamesh to share how a lucky first trip to Las Vegas led him from casual blackjack player to full-time advantage player. After training with BJA, attending a boot camp, and counting cards part-time while working long hours as an engineer, he left his $128,000-a-year career and committed to life on the road. He discusses the successes and failures of playing solo and on multiple teams, including a failed Vegas-focused bankroll, high-stakes team play, and the trust and culture required to survive major swings. Gilgamesh also explains why the freedom and control over his time have made the risk worthwhile, while cautioning that full-time advantage play is not the right path for most people. This is a VIDEO podcast, watch it on the BJA Youtube Channel

Colin and Joe748 sit down with BJA member Jaw5reaker to talk about how he went from a rough first Vegas trip to winning over $100,000 counting cards in less than 300 hours. They get into his early training, what changed after joining BJA, learning to handle backoffs, bankroll decisions, playing above EV, splitting 10s, sleeping cheap on the road, and why the human side of advantage play matters once the technical game is solid. This is also available as a video podcast on the Blackjack Apprenticeship YouTube channel!

Joe748 and SD1 talk with Australian advantage player DoubleAny2, who explains how he adapted when continuous shufflers made traditional blackjack harder to beat in Australia. He describes finding a major edge in electronic blackjack machines by combining card counting with creative ways to estimate deck depth, exploit promotions, and avoid attention, ultimately winning well over $700,000. The conversation also highlights how valuable it can be to look for unconventional opportunities outside standard casino table games. This is actually a video interview.Watch it on the BJA Youtube!

Steven Bridges is a UK-based professional Street Magician turned Blackjack Card Counter. We had the pleasure of meeting Steven back in 2018 when he attended one of our Blackjack Bootcamps. Since then, he has taken on the exciting challenge of going from beginner to pro in the world of professional card counting. Steven has documented the entire process from the beginning training to getting kicked out of casinos in his video series “Beat the Odds.” Steven takes us behind the scenes discussing the ups and downs of the journey, techniques, & strategies he's employed to become a successful Card Counter. Watch the video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDGqlb-weEI Follow Steven's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@stevenbridges

How do the trials of a married card counting duo compare to the endeavors of the typical solo card counter? Joining Colin and Joe748 are BJA member Flewster and his wife and they discuss: The heat difference between husband and wife, The flexibility of full time, The effect of card counting on their marriage, Getting in local hours, Second thoughts after losing half their bankroll, and more!

Colin, SD1, and Joe748 talk with Blackjack Hall of Famer Darryl Purpose about how he got his start in card counting as a teenager after reading Beat the Dealer, eventually joining Ken Houston’s blackjack team. Darryl shares stories from decades of advantage play, including team dynamics, international trips, and memorable casino moments. The conversation also covers how blackjack has changed over the years and why understanding expected value and longevity is key for successful advantage players.

SD1 and Joe748 kick off the first mailbag episode of 2026, answering a wide range of questions from the BJA community. They dig into topics like deck estimation, one hand vs. two hands, advanced counting systems, session length, loss limits, CTRs, new tax laws, and whether double‑deck is worth playing with crowded tables. They also talk about comps, resizing bets mid‑session, and the reality of playing infrequently with a “rechargeable bankroll.” Jump over to YT and sub to our new podcast channel @BJAPodcast

Joe748 and SD1 answer more questions form BJA Forums and socials about casinos not cashing your chips out, choosing the most profitable blackjack games, and whether other players’ decisions affect your results. They also explain how to handle back-room situations and the smartest ways to store or move money when you're working with large bankrolls.

Joe748 and SD1 sit down with BJA member Bluejack to talk about his journey into card counting. Bluejack shares how he went from discovering BJA, starting out slow, and eventually moving into high-stakes double-deck play. He discusses heat, avoiding ID, backoffs, huge wins, painful downswings, and the importance of networking with other APs.

In this episode, Colin and Joe748 are joined by full time card counter Markopolo212, and they discuss: Starting with a small bankroll, Almost losing his whole bankroll after hundreds of hours, Attending a bootcamp, Regrets from playing double deck, the midwest meetup, and more.

In this episode originally aired on 9/28/21, Colin and Joe748 are joined by a former casino employee and current AP that goes by 'Phantom'. Their discussion includes: The skill level of the average casino employee, What could trigger a call to surveillance, How he protected the game from card counters as a floor supervisor, Casino backoff procedures, and much more!

Colin interviews legendary MIT Blackjack Team pro Mike Aponte about joining the team, rebuilding it after the failed “Strategic Investments” era, and how ruthless training, selective recruiting, and disciplined team play turned a $300k bank into multimillion-dollar wins. Aponte details his checkout gauntlet, cover tactics, and why intangibles (calm under pressure, “firing the bets”) matter more than math alone. Mike also teases Housebreakers, his feature documentary exploring advantage play across casinos, poker, sports analytics, and finance. This interview was done in person, if you'd like to watch rather than just listen click here to see it on the BJA YouTube.

In this episode, Joe748 and SD1 sit down with StaticBlackjack, RobertMoser, and Badluck to discuss their journey from solo card counters to running a coordinated blackjack team. We dive into bankroll building, team rules, handling casino heat, trust-building, EV-based profit splits, and the perks and challenges of team play. We dig into road trips filled with burritos and back-offs, the trio reveals what it takes to succeed together in the world of advantage play.