Mark Billings: The Ultimate Edge — Beating Blackjack in the 1980s

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