Blackjack

E466 - Blackjack

Published: April 26, 2026

Duration: 1:04:36

The casino game everyone thinks they can beat.

Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

Prologue: Host Ira Glass and producer Robyn Semien get a blackjack lesson from Andy Bloch, who played for the MIT blackjack team. He teaches them the basics of card-counting, the technique that gives players an advantage against the house — enough of an advantage that most casinos will ask you to leave if they catch you doing it. (9 minutes)Act One: Jack Hitt tells the story of the Christian card-counting team featured in the documentary Holy Rollers, and wh...