It's my claim to fame. It took me a little over 2 years to make $830,00 in 4225 hours, and was able to do it because of a specific rule called ES10 and in Moscow, ES which are still in place today believe it or not. I would have still succeeded without these rules, but just not made so much so fast. Casinos really are evil places and they ruin many lives. I am not even fond of charities raising money off of casinos which is off the backs of ruining peoples' lives. It's simply transferring sin around from one party to the next without ever effectively dealing with it. But like all things in good time, this will be done away with or handled properly. I was surprised, because in 1999 and 2000 I made $512,000 in 2388 hours and thought when I tried it again in 2007 and 2008, there was no way I could do as well because of the technology the casinos have. But in fact, I was making it at an even faster rate this time with hard work, employing even better techniques (some amazing trade secrets) and more efficient use of my time. It was fun. It was like an adventure while it lasted. Now I just invest it, poorly I might add, and have no intention of ever doing it again. I really don't even like being in casinos.

Just like Jesus Christ is a frustrating anomaly to the world system so too are card counters the frustrating element to casinos. Blackjack tables are the centerpiece of a casino. Without them, you're not a casino and can't attract as much business. But, it is the only game that is statistically beatable which gives gamblers a false sense of hope. You can't win at poker because the house keeps taking 5%. It's hard to overcome 5%, but if you could, it is no better than minimum wage, so go get a real job! Plus, it is different than trying to take money from an evil system (casinos) than sitting across from individuals trying to scam them who have children and have to put food on the table. The house edge at blackjack is only -0.35% with basic strategy (without any card counting or shuffle tracking or other secret though ethical techniques-it's a world unto itself) and actually an advantage in Moscow of +0.5%. With card counting and alterations to basic strategy you can get a 1.5-2.5% advantage (depending on the game), and if you shuffle track, plus use my trade secret the edge is nearly 4%.

Card counters keep coming in wave after wave. They stopped trying to kill us and holding us up at gunpoint for the most part, though there are still some incidents like the card counting team in Moscow held up at gunpoint, and the biggest card counter in Europe who almost died twice from physical attacks. Casino operators keep banning us and barring us illegally, taking all kinds of measures against us, for their lust for money. "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses" (1 Tim. 6.10-12).

This is discrimination against people who use their minds properly, not treating us like the gamblers in the house. A casino could very well provide a game of blackjack with rules to all where they would not have to discriminate, and the card counter would not even want to play it because it would not be beatable, but the casinos don't do that because they make more money by providing deep penetration and quick simple shuffles. We even save the gamblers money, because of the measures the house has to implement and change policies: adding more decks, cutting off more cards (so we have less information to work with) and creating difficult shuffles so we can't shuffle track as well. But I can still use my trade secret and create an edge even when all other traditional methods don't work. These measures make the game more difficult (increasing the house edge against counters and gamblers), cost the casinos with reduced business (less rounds per hour), and as the gamblers lose more and more often, they are less likely to bring their friends back to the casino and are not so deceived to think they can win. In fact, they don't come back. See how that works? It's an amazing process. Fine, I'll tell you my trade secret. You can even produce an advantage when the game is so horrible you can't win with traditional methods and there are automatic re-shufflers. How you ask? By playing other peoples' hands when they are afraid to double or split, and ask them if you can take the opposite side of their side bets and insurance so they don't play the house, but you. The casinos let you do this.