‘Holy Rollers’: New Movie Follows Evangelical, Card-Counting Gamblers
- Posted on November 16, 2011 at 5:11pm by
Billy Hallowell
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In some Christian circles, gambling is viewed as a negative — something that should be avoided at all costs. After all, the risk that’s involved in placing bets generally means that people will lose hard-earned money rather than allocating it for more viable purposes (charity, their churches — even to feed their families).
Enter “Holly Rollers,” a film that challenges preconceived notions about faith and gambling, while following around what may be the nation’s most well-funded and largest blackjack team. Most of its members, oddly, are evangelical Christians — something that will probably surprise the movie’s viewers. A portion of the film’s official description of the film reads:
It all started as a hobby for two friends, Ben and Colin, who wanted to do something interesting with their math skills and investment money. After making a living off blackjack for a several years, friends and family started asking to be trained as card counters under their professional blackjack expertise. Before long, word spread through church circles and an uncommon fellowship began to form. Led by team managers Ben & Colin, the team quickly grew to include more than 25 players based all over the United States.
In their first year, the Church Team acquired a bankroll of $1.5 million from outside investors, and the team was winning $100,000 a month.
The documentary, which premiered at this year’s Seattle International Film Festival, shows how the card-counting team members place bets, win tons of cash and rectify their actions with their evangelical Christian beliefs.
Business Insider has more:
The players describe balancing Christian values with their high-stakes gambling and evading casino surveillance who are on to the card-counting — which includes dressing in disguise.
One subject explains it like this: “Blackjack makes people reassess what Christianity is, in a good way,” while another reasons, “At least we can liberate the money from the clutches of those who would use it for ill purposes. I mean, that’s a start.”
In the film’s trailer, yet another subject says, ”Anyone who seriously wants to be a disciple of Jesus should learn blackjack.”
In a review of the film, Variety’s Dennis Harvey writes that the subjects are “convincingly idealistic” and that, rather than attempting to get rich quickly, they use their skills to support their loved ones and ministries. Still, Harvey says that viewers learn much more about the game than they do the faith that purportedly drives the team’s members.
Below, watch the film’s trailer, which will surely ignite some conversation both inside and outside of evangelical circles:
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Kenny1
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 10:23amHow can this be a legitimate Christian activity if they have to cheat? If this is not cheating, why do they wear disguises?
Has anyone thought about where the money they are winning comes from?
Report Post »It obviously comes from the people who are routinely losing money that they can’t afford to lose.
Is it really Christian to profit from the less fortunate?
THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 2:36amThos sounds avout right for the evangalicals…what do you expect from morons that allow ******* and dikes as pastors.
Report Post »MarsBarsTru7
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 1:48pmReading this/seeing this actually makes me physically sick.
If you want to gamble, fine, go ahead and gamble. But don’t pretend that it is Godly/Christian to do so. It is a vice. It is a sin. If this is something you choose to do, own it. Don’t pretend it is something other than what it is.
This kind of worldly sinful compromise reminds me of the speeches given by pro-slavery Southern whites prior to the Civil War, and the types of compromises being made in the church today to appease the LGBTQIA causes.
Every time I see something like this it hits me harder each time. I never imagined as a young man that adulthood would include the daily event of hearing/seeing evidence that all ungodliness is insanity. Will humanity never learn? Is there no capacity for honesty or accountability among such people?
I realize that people are individuals, and that each person is separately accountable versus the collective being responsible for every individual act. I thank God that I’m able to make that distinction in an age of growing collectivism. However, it is hard not to lump together what seem to be masses of people, who make a pretense of being morally upright, resigned to adopting blatant falsehoods to mask their behavior choices – along side of those who are openly amoral doing the same things.
Report Post »DudleyDoRight
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 2:23pmYou do understand that they are not gambling.
Gambling – betting on the possiblities
Card counting – trusting in the probablilities
I have been a card counter for years. In black jack the house (casino) has the edge and will eventually take all your money. Since black jack has a memory, if yu can count cards you take the edge from tht house and will make a very good living. Playing the stock market is gambling. Playing most games in a casino is gambling. Counting cards at a black jack table is absolutely NOT gambling.
Report Post »Diggyme
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 4:08amDo you want to know what blasphemy really is….blasphemy is making playing cards with the so-called face of Christ on them and using them to play poker…blasphemy is the picture at the top of this story….now that IS blasphemy because it misrepresents and mocks the Lord Jesus Christ… This is a false Christ from some very evil people.
Report Post »Diggyme
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 3:58amThere is a house in New Orleans they call the Rising Sun, and it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy and G-d I know I’m one…..in the very same Blaze we have people self righteously getting into a twit about the word Jesus written on a jersey while others think it is OK to go to houses of ill repute and gamble their money away…..this is why we are on the way down people, we have lost all sense.
Report Post »Carter John
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 10:43amI am against both. But this, this is just evil using a “Christian” tag.
Report Post »Diggyme
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 3:55amYou KNOW WHAT MY HEAD IS GOING TO EXPLODE….AGAIN. In the same Blaze we have people whining about Tebow’s jersey having the name Jesus striched onto it…..and here are some Christians who think that it is fine and dandy to support the tawdry awful SINFUL lifestyle of gambling…..have they never heard THERE IS A HOUSE IN NEW ORLEANS, THEY CALL THE RISING SUN AND IT’S BEEN THE RUIN OF MANY A POOR BOY, AND LORD I KNOW I’M ONE….the only thing a gambler needs is a suitcase and a jug and the only time he‘s satisfied is when he’s on a drunk…….people STOP PLAYING GAMES. JESUS IS COMING SOON.
Report Post »I Own Guns Do I Scare You
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 11:12pmI kicked this guy out of the casino I work at a couple of months ago. This guy was a complete a** hole. I say he is doing this for himself
Report Post »snooop1e
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 11:10pmMark 10:21-22 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Report Post »I Own Guns Do I Scare You
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 11:09pmI kicked this guy out of the casino I work at a couple of months ago. He was an ass hole. He is doing this for himself
Report Post »juemcoky
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 10:53pm“Enter “Holly Rollers,” a film that challenges preconceived notions…” Holly Rollers? Sounds like a bunch of folks making joints out of Christmas foliage..
Report Post »truemedia
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 10:21pmProverbs 13:22 the Wealth of the wicked is turned over to the RIGHTEOUS. Who is righteous? none its only when your in Jesus. he makes you Righteous.
Report Post »truemedia
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 10:19pmThere is no scripture that dennounces gambling only that anything that controls you instead of you controlling it is a sin. Lots were used to pick another apostle after judas killed himself. its not a action but the attitude.
Report Post »hi
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 9:47pmEvangelical Gambler is an oxymoron
Report Post »W@nd@
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 2:12amemphasis on moron…
Report Post »gain the whole world and lose your own soul…
playing with fire might just consume you in the end!
Cesium
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 11:49amLike christian metal bands… WTF, Christians are stealing all the cool satanic stuff! Christian Metal, now Christian Gambling…what’s next Christian Porn? Being a jew is boring.. we don’t do any of that stuff. Thankfully christianity gave us demonic imagery so we could make cool movies!
Report Post »Pbizzel
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:57pmThis is awesome. I am all in!
Report Post »Diggyme
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 4:02amYou obviously didn’t read the post above…..to lose one’s soul is to spend eternity in the lake of fire….good luck there (there you will need luck)
Report Post »Kaoscontrol
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 7:56pmTrusting in a person’s “Luck” is very different than trusting God. But since card counting is a math skill and doesn‘t rely on ’luck’, it’s probably more reliable than, say, the stock market.
Report Post »I do have a problem however, with the deceptive part of what these Christians employ to pull this off. That, and the mistaken idea that ‘blessings’ are based in riches. You can‘t serve God and mammon or you’ll learn to love the one and hate the other.
yiddishlion
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 11:45pmYour comment was perfect.
Report Post »Assunta
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 7:53pmBlasphemy!
Report Post »Captain Crunch
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 10:18pmIf they can do with a clear conscous before God then more power to them. No different than a Christian buying an occasional lottery ticket. No harm done as long as the person isn’t entrapped or enticed into bigger things.
Report Post »Chr1st14n
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 7:34pmhow dumb
Report Post »netmail
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 7:30pmGambling odds straight up…you lose. Cheat…you win. In our upside down world today, what could possibly be more Christian than this???
Report Post »teebubba
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 7:45pmBlackjack is the one game where the “House’s” advantage is at a minimum. And while the “House” has no genuine appreciation for “card counters” it is because they hold the potential of actually winning more than they lose which is an anathema to those hosting the game for profit. I do not think that the mental energy which is required to do true card counting and bet assessing is actually “cheating” even when done with fellow collaborators and conspirators…so is it “un Christian”….I think not.
Report Post »netmail
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:17pmTeebubba…No casino that I know of is going to allow an expert card counter to frequent their tables and consistently win day in and day out. I know all about the odds on Blackjack. They vary according to what cards have been played and which cards are left in the deck(s)…and if you know basic playing strategy or not. “Minimum house odds” on Blackjack?? I think it‘s a brutal game even if you know what you’re doing. Gambling is suppose to be for entertainment but it’s a sickness more than anything else. They have all the time, all the money and the odds in their favor. The only way to beat them is to manipulate the odds yourself and over the long run, the house doesn’t take kindly to that.
Report Post »teebubba
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 9:58pmNetmail…I agree with everything you assert although I don’t believe the player really manipulates the odds for himself but rather recognizes the rare opportunities when the odds shift in his favor and bets accordingly.
Report Post »netmail
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 2:19pmTeebubba…you be 100% right about that. I was never a great counter when I was a regular gambler, but better than most. If there were ten ways to win and two to lose, I excelled at finding those two ways to lose. Math is math but luck is mystical sometimes. Also, I don‘t believe there is anything ’Christian’ about the self absorbed thought processes that come from gambling. Have a good one.
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