Katie Byl spent nearly a decade legally beating the casinos as part of the MIT Blackjack Team, a fact that perennially fascinates her students at UC Santa Barbara. The world of high-stakes advantage play feels like a real-life James Bond adventure—comps for ritzy hotel suites, Omega watches, private flights, wearing disguises, and long hours after dark spent memorizing cards, estimating odds, and signaling teammates. At the height of her career, Katie was arrested at Casino de Monte-Carlo and told she was formally banned from the entire principality of Monaco. These days, Katie lives near the so-called “American Riviera” with her husband, son, and two dogs, Mouse and Merlin, who all inspire her crossword construction for venues that include The New York Times, Universal, USA Today, and Apple News+.