Bored and sensing a shift in the management wind at the casino where he worked, author Andrew Uyal learned how to count cards from his supervisor, Mark Stevens, an expert blackjack player who beat the gambling joints on his days off. Twenty-five-year-old Andrew was recently divorced, had a young son to support, and was ready for a challenge that offered mental stimulation, financial profit, and even a taste of danger. Andrew and Mark started small, with low stakes and hit-and-run incursions into the Las Vegas locals' casinos. Their familiarity with the inner workings of casino personnel allowed them to quickly determine what their antagonists behind the tables were doing and why they were doing it and how Andrew and Mark could use that knowledge against them. Their intimacy with casino procedures, however, didn't protect them from the adversity that came with being a card counter