Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians

I REALLY LIKE THE CHURCH TEAM.

I REALLY ESPECIALLY LIKE HOW WE GOT THE NAME "THE CHURCH TEAM".

ONE OF OUR FRIENDS-- WHO DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH CHURCH--SAID...

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS-- LIKE, THE FUCKING CHURCH TEAM?"

HOW IT LOOKED FROM OUTSIDE

MUST'VE BEEN THAT IT HAD MORE TO DO WITH CHURCH THAN BLACKJACK.

SO, UH, THE LABEL JUST KIND OF STUCK.

THE LABEL "CHURCH TEAM" IS ONE OF THE REASONS

THAT ACTUALLY SWAYED ME TO JOIN.

I KNEW THAT THERE WERE GOOD, GODLY PEOPLE

WHO CARED ABOUT JESUS, WHO CARED ABOUT INTEGRITY,

AND CARED ABOUT ME.

THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT I JOINED.

IT'S A BLACKJACK TEAM THAT IS CALLED "THE CHURCH TEAM".

THOSE TWO THINGS GOING TOGETHER NEVER GETS OLD.

**

THE IDEA OF BLACKJACK, UM... STARTED WITH ME,

WITH JUST THE IDEA THAT YOU CAN BEAT THE CASINO,

THAT YOU CAN LEARN A SYSTEM THAT CONSISTENTLY WORKS

WHERE YOU KNEW THAT YOU HAD THE EDGE

AND HAD THE ODDS AGAINST THIS GIANT THING

THAT SEEMED SO BIG AND UNCONQUERABLE.

MY FIRST REAL ENCOUNTER WITH BEATING IT--

OR HOW TO BEAT IT MATHEMATICALLY--

WAS THROUGH A BOOK CALLED...

HOW TO MAKE $100,000 A YEAR GAMBLING.

AND I READ A CHAPTER ABOUT HOW TO BEAT BLACKJACK.

IT TOOK ME ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO READ,

AND I SAID, "HEY, I COULD DO THAT."

IS THIS BLACKJACK?

BLACKJACK. LET'S DO IT.

THERE'S TWO THINGS WITH BLACKJACK THAT MAKE IT INTERESTING FOR ME.

ONE IS BEING SELF-EMPLOYED,

AND THE SECOND IS THAT IT'S BLACKJACK.

I THINK NATURALLY MY PERSONALITY IS--

I DON'T MIND GETTING IN TROUBLE,

AND I LOVE OUT-OF-THE-BOX THINKING.

AND CARD-COUNTING IS EXACTLY THAT.

YOU'RE GETTING IN TROUBLE, AND IT'S OUT-OF-THE-BOX.

WE JUST WANT TO PLAY SOME BLACKJACK.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED PLAYING BLACKJACK,

I HAD NO DREAMS OR THOUGHTS

ABOUT IT EVER GOING BIG AT ALL.

I THOUGHT IT WOULD JUST BE ME,

AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A FUN SUMMER POSSIBLY.

I NEVER, EVER IMAGINED BLACKJACK BECOMING A BUSINESS,

OR BECOMING A COMPANY,

OR ME ACTUALLY MAKING MONEY OFF OF IT.

HE TOLD ME HE'D BEEN READING A BOOK ON IT,

AND, OF COURSE, I'D JUST GRADUATED WITH A MATH DEGREE,

SO IT SOUNDED REALLY COOL

FROM AN ACADEMIC STANDPOINT.

BEN WAS AT A PLACE WHERE HE WAS WILLING

TO PUT HIS MONEY TOGETHER WITH ME,

AND WE STARTED OUR FIRST BANKROLL TOGETHER.

A GUY THAT I HAD TAUGHT HOW TO PLAY BLACKJACK PREVIOUSLY

CAME TO US AND SAID, "DO YOU MIND IF I PLAY FOR YOU?"

AND WE SAID, "SURE."

I FLEW OUT TO VEGAS ONE DAY.

HE MET ME THERE,

AND WE DROVE BACK TO THE CASINO IN A LIMOUSINE,

AND I WAS, LIKE, "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?"

BEFORE HE KNEW IT, HE TOLD ANOTHER GUY,

AND THOSE TWO GUYS EACH TOLD ANOTHER PERSON.

WE HAVE FRIENDS THAT TELL FRIENDS,

FRIENDS THAT TELL BOSSES, FRIENDS THAT TELL THEIR PASTORS.

I MET COLIN JONES THROUGH THE WORSHIP PASTOR AT MY CHURCH.

THE PASTOR SAID THAT I SHOULD MEET HIS BASSIST--

COLIN JONES. I WAS STOKED.

I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A TEAM OF BLACKJACK PLAYERS

THAT WAS ALL CHRISTIANS.

IT JUST SEEMED LIKE GOD AT WORK.

THERE WAS ACTUALLY A CHURCH PLANTING CONFERENCE IN OUR TOWN.

THEY TOLD MY HUSBAND AND SOME OF THE OTHER PASTORS

ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING,

AND MY HUSBAND LITERALLY HAD TO STOP THEM

AND CALL ME ON THE PHONE BECAUSE HE KNEW THIS WAS SOMETHING

THAT I WOULD BE SUPER-EXCITED ABOUT.

WE WERE AT A COMMUNITY GROUP FROM OUR CHURCH,

AND HE AND HIS WIFE HAD TO SKIP OUT EARLY,

AND I WAS, LIKE, "WHERE YOU GUYS GOING?"

AND THEY BOTH LOOKED AT EACH OTHER, AND FINALLY HE SAID,

"WELL, WE'RE KIND OF TAKING SOME BLACKJACK LESSONS."

AND I WAS JUST, LIKE, "WHAT?! WHAT?!"

MY FRIEND MIKE FOSTER--

WHO I KNEW THROUGH CHURCH PLANTING--

TOLD ME THAT HE WAS A PROFESSIONAL BLACKJACK PLAYER--

WHICH, OF COURSE, MY INITIAL REACTION

WAS THAT HE WAS MOST LIKELY ON CRACK.

IT'S SO FAR INTO LEFT FIELD

TO THINK THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE A PROFESSIONAL BLACKJACK PLAYER,

LET ALONE HAVE A WHOLE TEAM.

AND THE FACT THAT EVERYONE WE KNEW

WAS IN MINISTRY OF SOME SORT WAS JUST AWESOME.

IF IT HADN'T BEEN NAMED "CHURCH TEAM"

AND IT WASN'T A BUNCH OF CHRISTIANS

AND PEOPLE SERVING IN THEIR CHURCH, HELPING PEOPLE

AND CARING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT.

THESE PEOPLE THAT PLAY BLACKJACK FOR US--

BEFORE BEING OUR EMPLOYEES, THEY'RE OUR FRIENDS.

WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THIS TEAM THAT ARE HELD TOGETHER

BY A MUCH BIGGER THING THAN BLACKJACK.

WELCOME TO THE TEAM MEETING.

WE'RE GONNA EAT, WE'RE GONNA TALK. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S, UH-- LET'S PRAY.

GOD, THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD.

UH, LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE TEAM, OUR PEOPLE ON IT.

GOD, IT'S A GOOD THING THAT YOU GIVE US, UH,

WAYS TO PROVIDE FOR OUR FAMILIES

AND TO, UM, JUST MEET THESE AWESOME PEOPLE.

SO, UH, AMEN.

THE CHURCH TEAM IS AMAZING IN A LOT OF WAYS.

I LOVE THE PEOPLE ON OUR TEAM.

I LOVE WORKING WITH THEM,

I ENJOY HANGING OUT WITH THEM, LIVING LIFE WITH THEM

AND TALKING ABOUT FAR DEEPER THINGS THAN BLACKJACK.

ONE OF THE CRAZY THINGS IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ON OUR TEAM

ACTUALLY ARE PASTORS AND CHURCH PLANTERS.

TO BE INVOLVED IN MINISTRY USUALLY TAKES A LARGE AMOUNT OF TIME,

AND IF YOU HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY

TO FLY TO VEGAS FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS

AND MAKE AS MUCH AS YOU NEED

TO LIVE OFF OF FOR A MONTH IN THREE DAYS,

THEN YOU CAN SPEND THE REST OF THE MONTH

SHEPHERDING THE PEOPLE THAT ARE A PART OF YOUR CHURCH.

Computer voice: AMELIORATE. AMELIORATE.

AMELIORATE.

I HAVE TO SAY THIS WORD.

AMELIORATE. AMELIORATE.

AMELIORATE.

"TO MAKE OR BECOME BETTER."

THIS GOSPEL AMELIORATES DISTRESSING SYMPTOMS.

AMELIORATE.

I PASTOR A CHURCH CALLED SEVEN HILLS.

I'M TRYING TO START A BUNCH OF CHURCHES

HERE IN CINCINNATI, OHIO.

THE BEST WAY TO TELL PEOPLE HOW BIG YOUR CHURCH IS--

IF SOMEONE ASKS, YOU JUST TELL THEM,

"WE'RE RUNNING UNDER 500 RIGHT NOW."

IT HAPPENS TO BE TRUE IF YOU HAVE 15 PEOPLE.

I WAS IN A TRANSITION, TRYING TO FIND A WAY

TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME AND ENOUGH INCOME TO START A CHURCH,

AND LOOKING FOR A JOB THAT WOULD DO THAT.

AND I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING.

THEN MY FRIEND TOLD ME ABOUT THIS BLACKJACK THING

AND THAT, THROUGH HIS PASTOR,

THEY WERE GONNA LEARN HOW TO PLAY BLACKJACK PROFESSIONALLY.

SO, BLACKJACK BECAME AN OPTION SUDDENLY.

PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO CONTROVERSY.

THAT'S ONE REASON I AVOID TALKING ABOUT WHAT I DO OR A LIVING,

AND I PLAY ON A BLACKJACK TEAM, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW.

AND, NATURALLY, THAT RAISES A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

FIRST OFF, HOW COULD A CHRISTIAN PLAY BLACKJACK?

ALL THE MORE, HOW COULD A PASTOR DO THAT?

YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE SECRETS ABOUT WHAT YOU DO,

ESPECIALLY AS A PASTOR, BUT AS A CHRISTIAN ON THE WHOLE.

SO, IT'S BEEN HARD TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT

BECAUSE IT'S A LONG CONVERSATION.

YOU TALK TO SOMEONE FOR AN HOUR,

YOU THINK THEY'RE WITH YOU, AND THEY HAVE A BUNCH OF NEW IDEAS

THAT CROP UP IN YOUR HEAD THAT YOU ALREADY DEAL WITH.

IT'S IRRITATING TO HAVE TO KEEP EXPLAINING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

SO, MY TEMPTATION TO NOT TALK ABOUT IT IS MORE FOR THAT REASON

THAN FOR SOMEONE LOOKING DOWN ON ME OR WHATEVER.

THE REASON THE CAMERA CREW IS HERE IS THEY WANT TO DO A DOCUMENTARY

ABOUT OUR BLACKJACK TEAM.

ONE THING THAT MAKES OUR TEAM VERY DIFFERENT

IS THAT WE'RE MAINLY, ALMOST ENTIRELY, MADE UP OF CHRISTIANS,

AND OUR MOTIVATION FOR WHAT WE DO

IS THAT WE'D SEE THE KINGDOM GO FORTH.

AND THE WAY WE TRY TO WORK

IS IN A WAY THAT GLORIFIES GOD.

WHAT I'M HOPING WILL COME OF THIS

IS THAT PEOPLE WILL SEE

THAT THE GOSPEL ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY

CHANGES EVERYTHING,

AND THAT REDEMPTION CAN CREEP

INTO THE MOST UNEXPECTED PLACES.

COME ON IN, GUYS.

MY NAME IS KEN REED. I'M DIRECTOR OF TABLE GAMES

AT FANTASY SPRINGS IN CALIFORNIA.

GREW UP IN ATLANTIC CITY-- THAT'S WHERE I STARTED.

AND, UH, 28 YEARS LATER, I'M STILL DOING IT,

SO I DO ENJOY IT,

AND BUSINESS HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME.

AND I'VE MET A LOT OF INTERESTING PEOPLE,

A LOT OF INTERESTING CUSTOMERS.

HEY, SHELDON. WHAT'S UP? SMILE.

THE BEST PART ABOUT YOU IS,

YOU'LL BE HERE TOMORROW, TOO.

I'VE BEEN ACTUALLY VERY FORTUNATE.

FROM CAESAR'S TO GOLDEN NUGGET TO FOXWOODS--

I'VE WORKED IN THREE OF THE BIGGEST PLACES IN THE WORLD AT THAT TIME.

I THINK I'VE SEEN IT ALL, BUT I SAY THAT,

AND THEN NEXT WEEK I SEE SOMETHING ELSE AND I SAY, "OH, MY GOD."

SO...

I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I SHOULD GET INTO IT.

TO BE A GOOD CARD-COUNTER, YOU'VE GOT TO BE PATIENT.

LET'S JUST PUT IT THAT WAY.

ALL IT TAKES IS A LOT OF PRACTICE.