Blackjack is a highly popular casino classic. Millions worldwide love Blackjack for its straightforward rules and relatively low house advantage. And with the introduction of online casinos, players can now enjoy their favourite Blackjack title anywhere, anytime.
Over the years, the game of Blackjack has seen several players whose success stories have made strides in the gambling community. This article details the biggest Blackjack wins in the game’s history. Continue reading!
The MIT Blackjack team – $50+ million
The MIT Blackjack team takes the credit for having some of the biggest Blackjack wins in the game’s history. For those who don’t know, the MIT Blackjack team was a group of university grads from prestigious institutes such as MIT and Harvard.
Led by Harvard grad Bill Kaplan, the group used card counting and other complex betting systems to overcome the Blackjack house edge and get an advantage at Blackjack tables. It’s reported that the team members used disguises to avoid being spotted at the venues they operated.
It’s estimated that the MIT Blackjack team won more than $50 million during their operation in Atlantic City. The group, which had over 80 members during its peak period, was caught in the early 2000s. And this resulted in their winning reign coming to an end. Since then, the Blackjack dealer rules and the game of Blackjack have evolved to make some betting systems ineffective.
Kerry Packer – $40 million
An Australian businessman is one of the most famous casino players of the 20th century. In 1991, the tycoon took home $7 million in winnings by beating a renowned Las Vegas casino at Blackjack. But that’s not even his most impressive win we’re talking about here.
Packer is renowned for grabbing more than $40 million in winnings by playing high-stakes Blackjack at the MGM Grand on the Vegas strip. Even more interesting is that Packer grabbed that humongous amount in less than an hour.
His winning strategy was to wager $25,000 per hand and to play eight hands simultaneously. Experienced players would quickly guess this is somewhat similar to playing multi-hand Blackjack at online casinos.
Sadly, Packer also experienced huge losses in his casino gambling career. The Australian tycoon is known for losing over £27.4 million in less than nine months. Nevertheless, he still holds the record for having one of the biggest wins in the game’s history.
Don Johnson – $15.1 million
Don Johnson is highly acclaimed in the casino gambling community for his sophisticated strategies and betting systems. As the CEO of renowned gambling consultancy firm Heritage Development, Johnson had no problem wagering large amounts. But along with wealth, the CEO also had luck by his side.
It took Johnson 5 months to get $15.1 million in winnings. His strategy was to go with the most favourable hit and stand rules and to double his wagers whenever possible. Johnson’s calculated playing method resulted in him getting that humongous amount in winnings.
As you’d guess, the excessive wins led to Johnson getting banned from playing Blackjack at the casino. It’s said that he has now switched to playing high-stakes Blackjack online. Johnson is such a popular casino high roller that Netflix USA has produced a documentary about him titled The Player: Secrets of a Vegas Whale.
Ken Uston – $4.5 million
Uston is widely known as the “King of Blackjack Strategy.” And rightly so. He was one of the first players to master mathematical strategies and use them to garner consistent wins. Besides, Ken was responsible for developing the world’s first-ever Blackjack team.
In the 70s and the 80s, Ken led a team of card counters who wagered as much as $10,000 per hand. Their impeccable card-counting skills resulted in the group winning more than $4 million from US casinos.
Interestingly, Ken and his card counting group were why casinos switched to multi-deck Blackjack games. This was also when new Blackjack variants with the Blackjack Insurance option and other Blackjack side bets were introduced.
Other notable Blackjack wins
Here are some other big Blackjack wins that are worth noting:
- $2 million by Dana White
- $1.5 million at Treasure Island Casino by Shoeless Joe
- $800,000 at Hard Rock Casino by Ben Affleck
- $470,000 at Bellagio by Michael Geismar