Be the Seventh Player: Joel Block on Risk and the Advantage-Player Mindset

What can professional blackjack teach entrepreneurs about taking risks and making better business decisions?

On Driven: Unscripted Success, Nareman Hamdan sits down with Joel Block, a former professional blackjack player and card counter who went on to work in venture capital, hedge funds and business deals. Joel describes his “seventh player” principle: instead of guessing, learn enough about the game to assess the odds and recognize what others miss.

The conversation explores why Joel prefers business opportunities where he can retain influence over outcomes, how pattern recognition informs his decisions and how he worked with legal counsel through a prolonged dispute. He also discusses his definition of an “advantage player,” the standards he expects from high performers and his current work advising on deals and capital strategy.

Joel shares how he structures his days to preserve creative thinking, why he still enjoys the deal business after retiring from running his fund and where readers can find his writing.

Connect with Joel: https://theadvantageplayer.com | Joel@TheAdvantagePlayer.com

#Entrepreneurship #RiskManagement #BusinessStrategy #DealMaking #Leadership #DrivenUnscriptedSuccess