I’ve only been in casinos since I knew how to beat the game.”[4] Initially, Jones and Crawford attempted to discourage others from joining them, but eventually decided to create a team of individuals who were trustworthy, hard-working, and skilled at card counting.
They trained every team member to understand that every decision, including leaving a table, making a bet, and tipping a dealer, should have a justified business reason.
[2] Travelling to various casinos throughout the United States and Canada, the members sometimes carried tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes over $100,000, in their pockets or strapped to their bodies.
[5] Jones and Crawford trained their members to give honest answers when confronted by security guards and law enforcement.
[3] In 2011, Bryan Storkel directed a documentary about The Church Team called Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians.
On April 2, 2012, The Church Team's story was discussed on The Colbert Report, episode: “Yahweh or No Way: Christian Card Counters, Pope Benedict on Marxism & Pope Cologne.”[6] On June 8, 2012, Jones was interviewed by NPR's Ira Glass and Robyn Semien in episode 466: “Render Unto Caesar’s Palace What is Due Caesar’s Palace.”[5] In 2008, Jones and Crawford created a website, Blackjack Apprenticeship, to train others to count cards.