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Ever wondered what the biggest blackjack wins ever are? I tell you all about them in this post.
You’ll read stories about a shoeless legend taking a Vegas casino for over $1 million, UFC boss Dana White making bets that would scare most punters away, and an Aussie businessman who likes to play eight hands at a time.
These are the biggest wins ever on blackjack, presented in numerical order.
Michael Geismar – $470k for Breakfast
Bigwig investors and money managers are the right types of people to be on a list of the biggest blackjack wins of all time. They tend to take a mathematical, analytical approach to odds rather than relying on pure luck.
Investment manager Michael Geismar did exactly that, turning a $300 initial stake into $470,000 over breakfast at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Geismar allegedly used a progressive blackjack strategy, doubling his winning bets and pulling back strategically.
Luckily for him, he went on a roll and took home one of the biggest blackjack wins ever.
Shoeless Joe Takes Home $1.5 Million
Shoeless Joe is somewhat of a legend in blackjack circles and in Las Vegas. Nobody knows his real name, but this shoeless gentleman entered a casino in Las Vegas and won $1.5 million with a $300 starting bankroll.
Allegedly, Joe had been kicked out by his wife and was so poor he didn’t even have shoes. He took his $300 social security check and played until he had $1.5 million in chips.
Sadly, Joe lost most of the money again but still left better off than he walked in. He lost due to rookie errors like splitting and doubling at the wrong time. You can avoid such a fate by reading this guide to mastering blackjack.
UFC Boss Dana White – The $2 Million Blackjack Champ
It’s a well-known fact that UFC boss Dana White is banned from several Las Vegas casinos due to his extraordinary blackjack skills. Many casinos have accused him of card counting and have refused to pay him or have banned him from playing.
White has denied the accusations of card counting. He claims he uses a basic blackjack strategy and depends on lady luck for the rest. Do you believe him? I’m not so sure.
Ken Uston and His Blackjack Team Win $4+ Million
You’ve heard of the MIT blackjack team, right? I’ll get to them in a minute. Long before they came onto the scene, Ken Uston led a team of card counters that took casinos across the United States for more than $4 million.
Betting in excess of $10k per hand, this team’s activities allegedly forced casinos to introduce multi-hand blackjack to stop similar schemes. Honestly, I say it’s fair game. If the house has an edge and you can turn it around on them, you should do so.
Unlike many other casino games that rely on pure chance, blackjack is one of those in which math skills can make a difference. His team’s skills netted one of the largest blackjack wins ever.
Gambling Boss Don Johnson Wins $15.1 Million
Don Johnson is the CEO of a hugely successful gambling consultancy and analytics firm called Heritage Development. He’s such a renowned casino whale that there’s now a Netflix documentary about him called The Player Secrets of a Vegas Whale.
Naturally, a man like this has no problem placing huge wagers, and over the course of five months in late 2010 and early 2011, Johnson used his skills to win more than $15 million at the blackjack tables.
Like many others on this list, Johnson ended up banned from the casino because of his excessive wins. He probably just switched to playing some of the high-roller online blackjack games instead.
Kerry Packer Makes $40 Million in an Hour
$40 million is more than most people will see in their lifetimes, yet Australian businessman Kerry Packer took that home in under an hour by playing high-stakes blackjack at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Packer bet $25k per hand and played eight hands at the same time. Talk about multi-hand blackjack! For their troubles, the tycoon left the dealers a $1 million tip.
Unlike some of the other biggest blackjack wins of all time, Packer won his in a single night. By contrast, the biggest-ever win, which you’ll read about next, took years to pull off.
The MIT Blackjack Team Wins $50+ Million
If you’ve never heard of this team, you might want to watch the movie 21. This team is legendary, having used math and card counting to win more than $50 million and possibly as much as $100 million.
Bill Kaplan led this team of quants from MIT and other prestigious colleges. They used wigs, disguises, and other clandestine methods to avoid detection for years while rinsing the casinos for millions.
Ultimately, the team was caught, and their reign came to an end. Still, with approximately 80 members to divide the spoils between, they made out good.
Play Blackjack Online
Fancy scooping some big blackjack wins for yourself? You won’t have to travel to Las Vegas or anywhere else – you can play for real money at the best blackjack casinos online instead. They all offer live casino card games and offer free chips to get you started.
Of course, you shouldn’t be fooled by the stories in this article. Losing is the more likely outcome when you play blackjack.
I recommend checking my post on the biggest blackjack losses of all time to get a more balanced perspective.
