Tommy Hyland: Counting Cards, Back Offs, & Suing Casinos [INTERVIEW]

Ben Crawford sits down to interview card-counting legend and hall of famer Tommy Hyland. They talk about hole carding, tipping, getting backed off, suing casinos, and his biggest regrets.
Filmed October 2016
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[@A1-BJ]

Absolute legend. I heard recently that when they ask him for ID at the door, Tommy will act like he can't hear them since he's getting a bit older now. Such an AP move!! 😎

[@johnnyeboy33]

Could listen to this guy for about 8 hours straight!! So interesting, wish he could have told more stories of his life !! Thanks for the upload

[@xrogu3_sniip3rx81]

Maybe if he didn't say uh after every word then yes very interesting

[@dreadlocksoutdoors492]

Interesting interview, thanks Ben.

[@885Blackjack]

Cool video Ben. I learned some great information from this conversation. I love how he sues them and wins. Reminds me of Ken Uston and some others. What an achievement.

[@qanonsarmy4577]

Thanks for all the great info

[@chuckecheese4124]

Great interview!

[@frankieg4572]

Awesome interview. Tom seems liked a wicked chill dude. It would be cool to play a few hands with those two.

[@Ashley__Rose]

Crazy I’ve been watching you guys for 4 years now

[@joey86bu1]

Dude is spot on with the lawsuits, if you don't fight back against a bully they will never stop.

[@adamarriola7305]

Great interview I got interested in Card Counting after watching the Breaking Vegas episode about Tommy Hyland over a year ago, since then I bought and studied the Playing Blackjack As A Business book and hope to apply the 5 count and Plus Minus this week at a real casino. Tommy is definitely one of my main inspirations!!!

[@dogguy8603]

I have been looking everywhere for that video lol, cant find it on KZbin

[@zechariahhatten4219]

Y’all are an inspiration!

[@supernatural653]

"There is something very un-American about presenting to the public a game of skill and saying come in and try to beat us and then watching for anyone who looks like they can play skillfully and throwing them out." Arnold Snyder

[@jimkline746]

Hypocrisy at its finest.

[@885Blackjack]

Amen.

[@AnonimusGuyNamedIvan]

I’m sorry, but I can’t think of anything more American than that.

[@gstacks510]

Actually that sounds very American...

[@bonusman]

@@gstacks510 So much for everyone loses.

[@FilthyFingers42]

Wow that was really interesting that he doesn’t do hole card games... I understand not seeking them out. But a sloppy dealer is completely legal. Al Francesco said it’s probably the best AP move today. But fantastic interview! That guy is a legend!!

[@priayief]

Very much enjoyed this video. At the end of the video you called this practice a "blackjack craft". Truly appropriate. The more I learn about people who try to earn a living do this, the more I realize that it takes a special set of skills. Many many have talents in one particular area of the overall strategy, but it's more than just a numbers game. There's the psychological part: the ability to handle the losses/slumps, the ability to handle confrontation and criticism and the grind and the travel and all that other crap. i KNOW that I could do the arithmetic, but I doubt I could, on an on-going basis handle all that other crap. Kudos to those that do it. And more kudos to you for showing us what it's really like.

[@claimjumper7866]

You can get some really good insight just listening to a guy like that.

[@FilthyFingers42]

Omg Ken uston and Tommy hyland are my inspirations for counting! Rip Ken. I CAN NOT WAIT TO WATCH THIS!!!! Is Ben coming back to the game???

[@jimkline746]

Chill the fuck out. Ben is just an ordinary guy. Nothing more.

[@divanreed]

Nice! Interesting. Good combination of conversing and interviewing. I loved this guy's vulnerability and self awareness.

[@stonewallstorys8906]

The legend

[@marilynsartadventures3956]

Wow, that was awesome, my dad was a gambler, he loved the horses and casinos. Brought back some nice memories for me!

[@jasonclark5856]

Card counting or card tracking. Each side has their own fair chance in the game. If someone puts the time and effort into learning how to count or track, then they deserve to have their shot at making money with it. With that being said even though someone has the tools they need, they still need to concentrate throughout a shoe. That is easier said than done. Not only that, I work behind the tables and I treat everyone with dignity and respect. You just have to be careful. You are easy to spot with table supervisor. Best spot for a counter is 3rd base. You can gather your count and make your estimate with all hands on the table, then make your signal and focus on the dealer's down card and hits. I've lately decided to try to bring a buddy to track the faces while I track 2 thru 6. It actually gave me and edge when I noticed my count on 2 thru 6 was very high with about 2 decks left in the shoe. I played 6 decks. So I just said hey, there's 96 faces/ten value in the decks. Then the other number cap is 120. Then without drawing too much attention, I open up 3 hands when I discover one count has an extreme advantage over the other. If my face count is high, I'll hit. If my 2 thru 6 count is high, I'll stay on hard numbers regardless of the up cards. You realize how precious face cards become when you see the bust cards leave the shoe much quicker than they do.

[@canik9224]

That sign language was slick

[@cooler1854]

Meant Guy doing video. Colin from blackjack apprenticeship right ?

[@thejeffkershner]

Ben, are you still involved with BJA?

[@GaryCameron780]

Kudos for suing the casinos. Sad that you had to do it twice to the one establishment. Big companies don't learn or change until they start losing money.

[@cooler1854]

Hello Guy in video your main guy from blackjack apprenticeship ? Right ? Or no ?

[@user-lj5gl7le9d]

Very smart man no splitting 10s no matter the count 🚩

[@ianandersen265]

I feel bad for any non-counters who scare the casino personnel because their name just happens to be Tommy Hyland, some other big time card counter, or a lesser known guy.

[@jimkline746]

What count system did Tom use?

[@guitargod259]

High low. It's the industry standard

[@NA-dh3dn]

Also, i don't count cards, edge, or anything like those advantages. How many days a week should I visit one particular casino and how much in winnings could a casino tolerate ? Do you think I could actually live and retire off of being a pro gambler? I don't require counting or examining the cards, although I will look to see if the dealer is dealing correctly the game of Baccarat. It doesn't matter if they change the shoe or demand flat betting, I'd still win.

[@GaryLuKOTH]

How exactly do you win without counting cards? There is no proven strategy that works in the long run without that.

[@CornPopsDood]

Famous last words 😂

[@donaldlyons17]

No people who sue when told to leave don't even deserve respect. When on private property when in someone else place whatever they decide should be respected if possible. So telling someone to leave and not come back should never be an issue. I think the best thing to do is warn everyone they are on probation when entering so they can be let go at any time for any reason as guest.

[@paulklemer]

How long does it take to learn how to count cards?

[@Reloadeez]

It varies, the average person should be pretty proficient after about 100-150 hours of practice. After 300-500 hours of play you should be at a very high level.

[@Dremekeks]

Here's what I got from this. Moral of the story if you are going to count cards: Be absolutely jacked and nobody will give you shit

[@tronghungdao251]

❤😅😊

[@paulklemer]

When is he going back to the casino that he sued 2x times? 😊

[@Gamenetreviews]

Lol, he’s gonna play Blackjack after the interview.

[@daves2520]

At the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, the casino has placed tip containers at the cashier's cage. Why would a person want to tip a cashier? I can't recall ever seeing this at the casinos in Las Vegas.

[@NA-dh3dn]

Could you please elaborate on how much I should cap my daily winnings at most casinos, so I'm not backed off? I plan on doing extremely well in the game of Baccarat.

[@paulsuprono7225]

Any answer yet ? Great question !

[@danielguyer3186]

Dont back yourself off. Every new counter wants to avoid getting backed off by spreading so low that you barely have an advantage, if any. We’re not here to play blackjack, we’re here to make money, and its up to the casino to limit your time, not you. If you have the bankroll necessary to generate massive ev per hour, why limit yourself in the hopes of getting more time?

[@danielguyer3186]

On second thought, i realized why there were no replies to your question...

[@variancejunky]

A lot of blabla but not much information.

[@ryanrobinson8682]

Smart people trade in the stock markets, the odds are massively more in your favour than any casino game.

[@majorleagueblackjack27]

Yeah but we make money much much faster with a smaller risk to our investment. And this is not to say we don't also invest in the stock market. Plus it's not like we feel like we have to do this. For a lot of us this is just a hobby that we really really enjoy doing. Just like the stock market. Making money at something you enjoy is going to bring quality to your life unlike anything else.

[@tggtyujh]

trading is pointless. and unless you're a multimillionaire your return will be lower on any investment i've heard of.

[@Solitude47152]

I agree, if you are trading companies with solid financials the odds in the long term seem to be in your favor.

[@jasonfelix7645]

I wonder if anyone kept the count on how many times he said, “uh” or “you know” throughout the interview? Lol... I guess being well spoken is not a trait for an advantage player.

[@jimkline746]

Ben and Colin only care about potential customers to invest in their training. Their social element is merely irrelevant. They don’t care about talking to their fans. It’s ironic, because if they did care about talking to their fans, they’d make more money and have more people invest in their training. It’s sad. Grow up guys. You’re not in middle or high school anymore.

[@FightforTogether]

I quit blackjack training about 5 years ago and am fully retired from this business - Ben

[@jimkline746]

@@FightforTogether That’s good. I’m happy for you.

[@andrewshepherd1579]

@@FightforTogether Ben, why did you give up card counting man? There are so many casinos in the US....guys like you can generate hundreds of dollars an hour in EV? I can't imagine never playing. I am in this for life.

[@majorleagueblackjack27]

Hey you might be right but that was the best money I ever spent hands down. Now I consider Colin Jones and Ben Crawford heros of mine. Just like Tommy. Here is a question, what makes someone want to watch a video if they obviously aren't interested in anything besides dragging people in the comments? Not trying to be rude but literally wondering why you clicked on this video.