Legendary Blackjack Wins That Made History
Blackjack has long been considered one of the most thrilling casino games ever created and has produced some amazing winning streaks among its players – both celebrities and average Joes alike have left their mark in blackjack’s rich history.
Ken Uston is a legendary blackjack player known for using card counting techniques learned from Edward Thorp’s book Beat the Dealer to win millions and inspire the MIT Blackjack Team.
Dana White
Dana White, president of UFC, is widely known for being an accomplished blackjack player. He can often be seen at tables placing enormous bets and winning millions in just one night; sometimes as much as $7 Million! Not only does he dominate at the tables himself; he also trains other players on how to beat dealers and make money through blackjack.
His winning streak at Palms Casino earned him a custom-made championship belt to honor his blackjack skills, but not without controversy: some people accuse him of becoming addicted to playing and may have CTE, an condition known for altering behavior impulsively.
White has strongly denied accusations against him as being a card counter and uses only legitimate strategies when playing blackjack. Nonetheless, he still enjoys beating dealers at casinos while giving generous tips to them all.
Kerry Packer
Australian billionaire Kerry Packer was best-known as a media mogul and cricket pioneer, yet also had an avid passion for high-stakes gambling. His signature blackjack wins made casinos reel, while he was known to give generous tips – even purchasing a car for valets and covering mortgage costs for cocktail waitresses!
Packer was often unsuccessful at casino gambling, yet never afraid to test his luck again. One notable win took place in 1995 at MGM Grand Las Vegas: He is reported as having spent up to $40 Million within an hour playing. Even for one of the world’s wealthiest players this amount would be astonishing!
Shane Smith
One player managed to build their fortune through skill and luck alone with only $400 social security check. Joey Johnson entered Treasure Island barefoot and used double-downs and splitting to multiply his winnings – his success led casinos to change their rules to accommodate him!
Shane Smith, founder of Vice Media, is no stranger to high-stakes wagers or living an extravagant lifestyle; in fact, he’s known for boasting about his significant victories and celebrating them publicly.
MGM Resorts International revealed on an earnings call that someone had spent $300,000. On Wednesday, Bloomberg revealed it to be Smith. Each bottle of wine cost $20,000. MGM Resorts has yet to respond publicly about this report.
Ken Uston
Ken Uston was an renowned blackjack card counter who won millions at casinos across the U.S. during the 70s and 80s. Known for his team play strategy and for redefining blackjack into an art form – his life story is compelling indeed!
Al Francesco introduced him to team play in blackjack, enabling him to bypass counting detection at casinos and start making huge amounts of money. Soon he became a great player who won big amounts.
He quickly gained prominence, with stories of his success appearing in newspapers and on radio programs. Eventually he left his job at the Stock Exchange to devote full-time attention to blackjack gambling, living an extravagant life with limousine rides, parties, comped casino suites and comped suites but ultimately never feeling fulfilled by life itself. Additionally he wrote many books on blackjack strategies as well as video game strategy guides in the ’80s for Apple II computers running CP/M and Tandy TRS-80 consoles.
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