From $10k to $300k: The Baccarat Mastermind’s Journey
Discover how a professional gambler turned $10,000 into $300,000 by harnessing the power of mathematics, strategic play, and exceptional emotional control. In this interview, we delve into his background, his meticulous approach to baccarat, and the mental fortitude required to thrive in the high-stakes world of casino gambling.
Why have you chosen to remain anonymous for this interview?
I’ve already been banned from one Las Vegas casino, and revealing my identity could lead to more casinos catching on to how I play and barring me from playing. Staying anonymous allows me to continue applying my methods without additional scrutiny and prying eyes. Online, people know me as banksy or banksyforever and no not the artist although he is my favorite.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got into gambling?
I come from the startup world and started my own company when I was 18 because I’ve just always loved challenges. After successfully growing and selling my company, I was looking for my next big challenge. I got into baccarat thanks to my mentor. He was a mathematician and always would brag to me how much he would win playing baccarat. To be honest, I thought he was full of sh$t. I couldn’t see how anyone can make consistent returns gambling. The industry is meant to deceive you and crush your dreams and no one can beat that. But I trust my mentor more than anyone in my life and just thought to myself it was worth investigating. So once I had the time, I dove in head first to understand the game, how he played, and the math he was using behind it. The combination of math, strategy, and emotional control fascinated me, and that’s how my journey into professional gambling began.
Why baccarat over other casino games?
Well, baccarat is the closest to 50/50 odds of any casino game and it is extremely fast between hands so I can get in a new hand almost every minute and those two things play heavily in my favor. This is not about counting cards or knowing I am going to win the next hand. It’s all based on a math equation that allows me to understand with a certain size bankroll aka how much money I am coming into the casino with, the odds of losing the bankroll is so low whereas the odds of me winning enough to make small gains is extremely high. I play almost the opposite of most high stakes gamblers and base everything I do on statistics.
Once you dove in, what did you find out?
I went down a rabbit hole, that is for sure! I just didn’t believe it was possible to beat the odds but after a year of running simulations, visiting different casinos, and trying all kinds of variations of the equation I came to the conclusion that it was possible to consistently make money playing. I was quite shocked to be honest. I couldn’t believe it but once I knew it was possible I knew I had to take it a step further and go to the mecca of gambling, Las Vegas, and stress test it as much as I could. I decided to move to Las Vegas on a month to month lease with a $10k starting bankroll to see what I can do.
What was your initial strategy when you started with $10,000?
Well, that’s the secret sauce isn’t it? But what I will say is when I first started with $10k, my bets would range as low as $10 and as high as $500 if I had to. The way I play isn’t about knowing I am going to win the next hand but the combination of bankroll management, table odds, and how I decide what I am betting on. I would play what is called, Stadium Baccarat, which is played on a machine with a monitor showing a live table 25ft in front of me. The beauty of Stadium Baccarat is that there is multiple tables going at the same time so eventually I was able to play 4 tables at once to maximize my returns and actually mitigate some risk by pushing it across multiple tables. This allowed me to really start to generate quick returns.
Can you walk us through a typical gambling session? How do you make your decisions?
Typically I’d play 4–8 hours a day and only take breaks to use the restroom, grab a fresh squeezed juice, or eat a steak. I base all my decisions on the equation I use so I am doing quick math before every hand to make sure I am betting the correct amount where I need to. When playing in person there are multiple layers of math that you need to be able to do but it is very teachable and easy to pick up.
How do you handle the psychological pressure of high-stakes gambling?
Emotional control is critical to success because no matter what, it is inevitable that you will go on a losing streak and you just cannot let your emotions get to you. Your heart will start pounding, you will start sweating, and your head will tell you to start gambling, the key is to not let it get to you and keep playing the exact same way. It is harder than it sounds but for me I have ran the math so many times and played so many hours that I just do my best to tune those feelings out and play like a robot.
What were some of the biggest challenges or setbacks you faced during this journey?
To be honest, the biggest challenge I faced was just staying focused and not letting external things as well as my mind try and trick me into gambling. I never thought of myself as a gambler, I was just running math and sticking to it. I learned very early on that you have to stick to the math or else you can run a major risk. I remember one of my first sessions ever I was losing early on and go frustrated so I said screw the math and just made some big bets and ended up losing $18k in around 15 minutes and that was the moment I realized I have to always stick to the math. Outside of that, the only issue I ever ran into was asking for sparkling water and the waiter or waitress bringing me a vodka soda. That has happened to me countless times while I have been on a run and it can frustrating but it is critical to stay away from alcohol while you are playing as it can destroy your critical thinking ability and decision making skills.
What role does intuition play in your decision-making process?
None at all. I never ever go into a hand thinking I am going to win it. I leave my mind blank and just do the math as it presents itself.
How do you balance the thrill of gambling with responsible play?
To me, the key is to have a strategy that you have spent a significant amount of time developing. To gamble is an emotional action with no basis in logic so to me it is important to play in a logical fashion with the variables you can control such as what your bankroll is, how much you bet, and what you bet on. The key is finding something that gives you an edge on the casino and to me that all comes from mathematics.
Do you think anyone can succeed in gambling with the right strategy, or is there a certain level of innate skill required?
I do believe anyone can succeed with the right strategy. It does require some basic things:
- Patience: You won’t profit every hour or every session but the point is knowing that you will profit significantly over the long term if you can have the patience.
- Emotional control: No matter what you will hit rough patches, you just have to continue to play them out with the correct math in mind.
- A bankroll: If you don’t have the proper bankroll than you everything else goes out the window and the risk gets too high. But with the correct bankroll the odds are in your favor to work yourself out of any hole.
What are your future plans? Will you continue gambling, or are you looking to explore other ventures?
I ended up taking the simulations and software I created and turned it into an app that players can use as a helper to play live baccarat online. It does all of the math for you and allows you to play exactly how I play. So I am pretty damn excited to give people the chance to try it out for themselves. I never expect anyone to take my word for it and would much rather have you try it and see for yourself. Also I have started to teach a select few people how to do it in person which is super exciting as well but I’d like to keep that more exclusive. And when it comes to me playing, I plan on continuing to make trips to Las Vegas every few weeks and getting a few full days in so I can’t complain.
What advice would you give to someone looking to start playing baccarat?
First and foremost just start practicing and start playing for free and getting used to the speed of the game. From there, if you are interested in learning more about how I do it and want to give the software a try, visit my website and sign up for free and I’ll walk you through the process and get you up to speed.
How has this experience changed you personally and professionally?
It may sound cheesy but it has just taught me that if you really set your mind to something and push yourself to solve the problem, you eventually will. It may not be what you expect but you’ll find something of extreme value. I am just happy and excited to share it with others.