Official partner · blackjackapprenticeship.com

Card counting is legal — and it really works.

Blackjack is the original advantage play: the one casino game where a skilled player can hold a genuine mathematical edge over the house. Blackjack Apprenticeship is the most trusted place to learn it — built by pros who've legally won millions.

See membership plans → How counting works

The Hi-Lo count

Assign a value to every card. A higher count means the shoe favors you.

2-6

Low cards

Good for the dealer

7-9

Neutral cards

No strong effect

10-A

High cards

Good for the player

−1

The math

Why counting cards beats the house

A deck rich in tens and aces is good for the player: you make more blackjacks (which pay 3:2), the dealer busts more often, and your doubles and splits pay off more. Card counting tracks whether the cards still to come are rich or poor — so you bet big when the edge is yours and small when it isn't.

Keep a running count. +1 for low cards (2–6), −1 for high cards (10–A), 0 for 7–9.
Convert to a true count. Divide by the decks remaining to gauge your real edge.
Bet & play the count. Raise bets as the true count climbs; adjust key decisions ("deviations").

The Hi-Lo card values — the foundation of the system BJA teaches. Source: Blackjack Apprenticeship.

In a typical six-deck game, each step up in the true count shifts the edge roughly half a percent toward the player. Around a true count of +1 the house edge is erased; by +2 the player is ahead. That's a thin edge — which is exactly why bankroll management, discipline, and avoiding casino detection matter as much as the count itself.

Watch & learn

Card counting, straight from the pros

Lessons and stories from Blackjack Apprenticeship's YouTube channel. Tap any video to watch it here.

Card Counting Fundamentals

Blackjack Apprenticeship · YouTube

Inside the Card Counting Life

Blackjack Apprenticeship · YouTube

Advantage Play at the Blackjack Table

Blackjack Apprenticeship · YouTube

Lessons From the Pros

Blackjack Apprenticeship · YouTube

The brand

Who is Blackjack Apprenticeship?

Blackjack Apprenticeship (BJA) was founded by Colin Jones and Ben Crawford, who from 2006–2011 ran a professional card-counting team known as "The Church Team" — the group featured in the award-winning documentary Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians. The team's run was chronicled by The New York Times, CNN, The Colbert Report, and Huffington Post.

After the team disbanded, Colin built BJA into the premier card-counting school, calling it "the largest repository of card counting resources anywhere." Colin also wrote the book The 21st Century Card Counter. Today BJA teaches thousands of students the same Hi-Lo system the team used to legally beat casinos.

$3.2MWon by Colin's team, 2006–2011

15+ yrsTeaching card counting

70+Training videos in the course

What a BJA membership includes

The BJA Video Course — 70+ step-by-step training videos, the cornerstone of the program.
Online training drills — practice counting, betting, and deviations to casino speed.
Members' forum & chat — a serious community plus quarterly cohort groups.
Casino411 — an insider database of casino conditions and games.
Results tracking & bankroll tools — manage risk like a professional.
Elite extras — pro betting software, a phone consult, and personalized bankroll coaching.

Join BJA

Membership plans — click to join

All tiers include the core training and renew at $299/year after the first year. 14-day money-back guarantee. Buttons go straight to BJA registration.

Starter

$397 first year

The basics, done right.

Full BJA video course
Core training drills
Members' forum access
Renews at $299/yr

Join Starter →

Apprentice

$597 first year

The complete training experience.

Everything in Starter
Full training suite & drills
Cohort group chat & podcasts
Renews at $299/yr

Join Apprentice →

Elite

$997 first year

Best value for committed players.

Everything in Apprentice
Pro betting software & Casino411
30-min pro phone consult
Personalized bankroll coaching

Join Elite →

Bootcamp, books & training tools

Beyond membership, BJA offers live training and physical products. Click any item to view it on their store.

Live training

Blackjack Bootcamp

A two-day, in-person Las Vegas intensive: live dealing, a 1:1 test-out, and Hall-of-Fame guest lectures.

$3,499

View Bootcamp →

Book

The 21st Century Card Counter

Colin Jones's book on modern card counting — strategy, mindset, and lessons from the felt.

$27.95

View Book →

Tools

Elite Training Kit

Green felt, a six-deck shoe, cards, and strategy charts — practice card counting exactly like the casino.

$149

View Kit →

Documentary

Holy Rollers

The true story of the card-counting team behind BJA — the award-winning documentary.

$19.99

View Film →

Visit the BJA store →

Pricing reflects BJA's published products and may change. Card counting requires real practice and discipline — BJA is explicit that it is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

Why learn card counting

The case for the original advantage play

It's completely legal

Counting cards is mental math — you use no devices and alter nothing. It's legal across the U.S. (Casinos can still ask you to leave; knowing how to avoid detection is part of the craft.)

A proven, lasting edge

Card counting has beaten casinos for over half a century. The math hasn't changed — and BJA's graduates have collectively won many millions over 15+ years.

Learn from real winners

You're trained by people who actually did it at scale, not theorists — including the team behind the Holy Rollers documentary.

Pure skill

No luck required over the long run. With a correct count, bet spread, and bankroll, the edge is yours and variance is just the price of admission.

Structured, not scattered

Course, drills, community, and tools in one program take you from zero to casino-ready in a clear, tested progression.

Try it free first

BJA's free How to Count Cards guide and mini-course let you learn the fundamentals before spending a cent.

Free starting point

Learn the basics today — for free.

Blackjack Apprenticeship's free How to Count Cards guide and mini-course walk you through the Hi-Lo system step by step, with a built-in drill to test yourself.

Start the free guide → Compare memberships →