Some of the World’s Famous Blackjack Players

In most games there are talented people who stand out. It's the same in Blackjack—some people have been recognized for their extraordinary talents and advanced technologies that are unmatched.

These talented people have proven themselves and have therefore been inducted as members of the well-known Blackjack Hall of Fame. A lot of interest has been shown in these players, even among those who do not play Blackjack.

Edward Thorp

You may have seen the movie 21 with Kevin Spacey as the lead actor or maybe read the book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich. Both are inspired by Edward Thorp’s life story. Born in August 1932, he proved to have a very powerful mathematical mind.

He was raised in a normal household with nothing remarkable about it. Edward excelled in his studies and eventually obtained a PhD. He then went on to become a mathematics professor and lecturer at MIT until 1961.

He became fascinated with the game of Blackjack, and his mathematical mind helped him master it. He learned FORTRAN, one of the first computer programming languages. Using the program, he was able to create databases of the various probabilities and mathematical computations involved in the Blackjack game.

He was the first person to make use of computer programming for gambling purposes. He also authored a book proving that Blackjack can be beaten using mathematics.

He experimented by making use of his theories when playing at land-based Vegas casinos, making a lot of money. As a card counter, this placed him in a dangerous position if he got caught by the casino goons. Using the information from his counting system and results, he authored Beat the Dealer in 1962. He also got into a series of exciting Blackjack escapades, which included training a group of MIT students to use his new counting system. He was also a genius in the stock market, which was very lucrative for him.

Ken Uston

Ken Uston is another mathematician whose talents attracted him to the world of Blackjack. He became quite famous and gained notoriety among casinos to the extent that he could not enter any without disguising himself. Mr. Uston still took millions from the casinos in winnings, even while disguised and at risk of being caught.

Ken, whose real name was Kenneth Seno Usui, led a normal life. He was accepted into Yale University and later joined Harvard, where he attained his MBA. He worked in the corporate world, except for weekends when he played Blackjack at the casinos. Ken’s girlfriend introduced him to Al Francesco, who was a leader in a card-counting team. He joined the team and later quit his job to become a full-time member. Eventually, he formed his own team. His team made millions, even under disguise.

His other achievement was writing books on Blackjack, which became popular among Blackjack players. Despite the millions he made, he made bad health choices—drugs, booze, and others—which led to a heart attack that killed him.

Stanford Wong

John Ferguson, who went by the name Stanford Wong, became a famous gambling author, professional Blackjack player, and the owner of Pi Yee Press, a well-known publishing company. He is also a recognized member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame. His teaching career at Stanford University left him discontented—the university paid him only $1 to be absent from faculty meetings so he could go to the casinos to pursue a gambling career. He created a strategy called “wonging,” which is banned in most casinos today.

“Wonging” is a strategy where a player will only step into a game when the decks are favorable and step out immediately as soon as the odds deteriorate. He has also published a series of Blackjack newsletters, first using print and currently through his website.