Holy Rollers Blackjack Movie – Director Bryan Storkel Interview

Holy Rollers Movie

BlackjackChamp.com interviews Bryan Storkel, the talented director of Holy Rollers, a riveting documentary movie that follows an unusual team of professional blackjack card counters.

A few weeks back, BlackjackChamp.com reviewed what we consider to be the best blackjack documentary feature released for the silver screen – Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians. (see: Blackjack Movie Review: Holy Rollers – Card Counting Christians.)

For those readers not in the loop, Holy Rollers is a documentary which for four years follows members of the largest and one of the best funded blackjack card counting teams in the United States. (watch trailer here: Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians.)

Brief Summary of the Holy Rollers Blackjack Card Counting Action

The card counting team has a $1,500,000 bankroll and averages about a $100,000 monthly profit. There is of course a bizarre twist – every member of the blackjack card counting team we meet is not only a deeply religious Christian, but is either a pastor, worship leader or at the minimum dedicates the majority of their free time to the church. If this wasn’t a true story, the concept would be too farfetched and hard to swallow even for science fiction fans.

The documentary shows the dynamics of a blackjack card counting team as well as profits, loses, team security measures, casino security hidden camera footage, members getting caught. All the questions about blackjack card counting will be answered for the many readers who still aspire to one day be a part of such a team or work as a freelance card counter.

Interview with the Director of Holy Rollers, Mr. Bryan Storkel

BlackjackChamp  – Hello Mr. Storkel, thank you for taking the time.
BlackjackChamp  – What are your thoughts about how the television/film industry sees blackjack advantage players?

Mr. Bryan Storkel – Movies have often given a false image of what card-counting really is, and I wanted to show a more accurate picture. I felt that telling the story of this team would be interesting to viewers and also uncover some truth in this subject.

BlackjackChamp – Tell us how you’ve found this amazing topic or did the story find you?

Mr. Bryan Storkel – One of the (blackjack card counting) team managers, Colin, was a childhood friend of mine. After several years of him telling me fantastic stories, I had to make the film. It was about card counting Christians…what more did I need?

BlackjackChamp  – After four years filming advantage players and smart strategies, would you say that blackjack card counting is a viable career?

Mr. Bryan Storkel – Many of the people in the film turned blackjack card counting into a viable career and others just used it as part time supplemental income. The majority of blackjack advantage players on the team used it as a full time career for 1-2 years and made enough money to pay the bills. None of them really got rich off card counting. They treated it as more of a steady job, and the profits they made at the casino blackjak tables were split between the managers, players, and investors.

BlackjackChamp  – Many of our readers are quite interested in blackjack card counting. What secrets can you share?

Mr. Bryan Storkel – I’ve realized that there aren’t really any secrets to card counting. All the information is out there. It just takes a lot of practice. Many of the card counting team members practice for months before they are allowed to play with investor money. If you know all your numbers and have a little self-control, you can definitely make money card counting in blackjack.

BlackjackChamp  – In your opinion, what (if any) traits do card counters share?

Mr. Bryan Storkel – I think the typical card counter tends to be a white male in his 20s-30s…at least those were the people I filmed for the documentary. {Nick Meisher/Editor: Hmmm… I think there is more to this one.}

BlackjackChamp  – Did you play blackjack before becoming involved in Holy Rollers, and how about now?

Mr. Bryan Storkel – I never played blackjack before filming Holy Rollers. The closest I’d come to it was dropping a few quarters into a slot machine while I was in Vegas for work. When I started filming Holy Rollers, I was also training to play blackjack, and practicing card counting systems with the team. I tested out and played part time for about a year or more.

It was fun and it helped me to pay for the film and gave me some great comps. I enjoyed parts of it (taking huge chunks from casinos and getting comps) but there were parts that I didn’t like (the stress of not knowing when you’d get backed-off). Overall, it was definitely a good experience.

BlackjackChamp  – Will your next project be directing another feature film or directing a blackjack card counting team of your own?

Mr. Bryan Storkel – Definitely film. I am going to stay away from casinos as much as possible. I prefer Hollywood to casinos, even though both can be pretty corrupt.

BlackjackChamp  – Are there any plans for a reality TV series based on Holy Rollers?

Mr. Bryan Storkel – We are in talks with some TV companies, but there are so many factors that go into it that it seems unlikely. The blackjack card counting team you see in the film has pretty much come to an end. Some of the people may play blackjack in some way, but the majority of them have moved on to new ventures.

BlackjackChamp  – Our readers enjoy watching casinos getting crippled by card-counters. Are there any panoramic shots of some husky casino owner chewing a cigar stub on his knees in front of his casino screaming at the sky ‘I am ruined!!’ as the camera pans to a rickety church bus driving away?

Mr. Bryan Storkel – We’ll have to save this for the Johnny Depp re-make of Holy Rollers the narrative film.

BlackjackChamp  – Thank you Mr. Storkel. Well there you have it folks. Now go see Holy Rollers, I have, and believe me it’s a natural blackjack.

Where is Holy Rollers Playing Now?

For the next few months, Holy Rollers:The True Story of Card Counting Christians will be on the film festival circuit across the United States.

If you are in tone of the areas below, make sure you catch a screening of Holy Rollers and meet Mr. Storkel along with some members of this amazing card counting team.

July 15-17 – Las Vegas
July 20-24 – Tulsa United
July 22-30 – AOF Film Fest- Pasadena, CA
Aug   9-14 – Rhode Island