Over a few years in the 1990s, MIT students earned several million dollars by playing blackjack in Las Vegas casinos on weekends while taking on the lives of normal college students during the week. “I got to know them socially when we were in college. They always had cash, and were always going to Vegas. MIT Blackjack Team. One of the most infamous cases is the story of a team, which was made up of MIT students in 1979. They decided to discover a way to beat betting rooms at the 21 game. For many years, they were quite successful and their team significantly expanded. Bringing Down the House is the true story of how six MIT students turned gambling into speculation to fleece Las Vegas for millions. The best and brightest students are recruited by an eccentric former teacher with teeth like a picket fence of spades, diamonds, clubs and hearts to practice in a college backroom as the MIT Blackjack Team before.

When we think of gambling, the first thing that comes to mind is that the house always wins. But a group of MIT students proved that the system has its flaws, and it can be beaten. Nowadays, casinos have evolved and adapted their technologies to prevent card counters from taking advantage of the vulnerabilities, but it is still worth trying your luck at some safe and licensed platforms available in the UK.

  • Massar, a MIT member, was among the first few students at MIT who had attended the 1979 course 'How to gamble if you must' where the team had originated. He along with a few players had started the very first Blackjack team at MIT.
  • In this 2008 film, Kevin Spacey trains a bunch of bright MIT students in blackjack tricks and card counting. They go on to take Las Vegas casinos for millions in winnings. The story is based on the real MIT Blackjack Team, formed in 1979, but the script of the film took a significant artistic license, to say the least.

Keep reading to discover the true story of the infamous MIT Blackjack team that defeated the house.

The Birth of a Legendary Card Counter
Bill Kaplan, a former member of the team, remembers his mom’s reaction when he confessed to her that instead of going to Harvard, he would become rich from gambling. “Oh, God! What Am I going to tell all my friends?” she told him.

Kaplan was a math genius. After reading a book on card counting, he thought he could use the mathematical model to make a fortune from blackjack. It was not exactly what his mother was hoping that her straight-A son would do with his future. However, his step-father was quite impressed with his choice and challenged Bill to play against him every night and prove that he could win.

“I crushed him for two weeks straight and then he told my mother that he couldn’t believe it, but said that I could win at the game so she should just let me go!” recalls Bill Kaplan. His mother couldn’t do anything but comply, and Bill went to Vegas, where he spent an entire year. So, in 1977, Kaplan took off with $1,000 in his pocket and, within nine months, turned it into nearly $35,000. After his sabbatical year in the city of sins, Kaplan graduated from Harvard while still playing blackjack on any given occasion.

But it wasn’t until a leader of a student group from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who played around with card counting overheard Kaplan discussing his blackjack exploits in Vegas when his life took a turn to greatness. The MIT student asked him to train and be in charge of what would later become known as the infamous Blackjack Team.

By the year 1992, Kaplan and his squad were ready to beat the house and become millionaires overnight by exploiting the card counting strategy in the new mega-casinos that were booming at that moment. The team’s friends and partners that had previously seen a 100% win rate on small investments contributed $1 million to fund Strategic Investments. This company would train sharp students in the art of card counting and gambling. Then the new card counters would be sent strategically to unsuspecting casinos.

Mike Aponte – The Blackjack Hacker
Mike Aponte, one of the students trained by Strategic Investments, was a 22-year-old who had no idea what he would like to do with his life. After training hard with other MIT prodigies, he was handed $40,000 cash to gamble in Atlantic City on behalf of the team. After merely 10 minutes at the blackjack table, he had already lost $10,000.

“An executive casino host came to me right away and invited me to a penthouse suite. It was amazing – it had a jacuzzi and pool table. Despite being in awe of the room, I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I would normally have because I was upset about losing all that money.”

Mike’s loss is the perfect example that blackjack is a volatile casino game, even if you use a foul-proof system. However, after continuing to play using the card counting strategy taught by his teammates, Mike Aponte successfully returned home with a net profit of nearly $25,000.

From Student Dorms to VIP Penthouses
Casino moderators are always on the lookout for high rollers – clients that gamble massive amounts – and entice them with perks like free drinks, food, tickets, or rooms, no matter if they win or lose. So the members of the MIT Blackjack Team, who usually spent their week in class, sleeping in dorms and eating at the cafeteria, soon got used to the VIP treatment offered by luxurious casinos.

According to Aponte, being comfortable and dealing with the attention you receive from the casino hosts is more important than the math itself. Since he was Asian, he played the stereotype card that they are reckless gamblers. “My standard story was that I come from a rich family, and I was the spoiled son,” said the student.

As the students got used to living the luxurious casino life, they also became relaxed carrying vast amounts of cash. For instance, after some team members returned to class from a Vegas gambling trip, one of them left a paper lunch bag under his chair. The next morning, Kaplan received a call from that student, who told him that he forgot the paper bag containing over $125,000 in the classroom. The student ran back to the classroom to recover it, but it was gone.

After six months and investigations by the FBI and DEA, the team eventually got their money back from a cleaner that put it in his locker. The pressure soon started growing as more and more members of the MIT Team were banned from casinos. A private investigator was employed to find out who was responsible for the casino exploits. By analyzing the Boston addresses of many of those caught, he soon realized that the team of casino hackers were MIT students.

Most of the MIT Blackjack Team members were scared of getting caught, even though Aponte told them that the staff was harmless. “You would get a tap on the back, and the security would tell you that the management decided you can play any casino game except blackjack.” However, some security guards could become aggressive, mostly if the casino was outside the US.

Aponte remembers that once a new Ph.D. student who just passed the tests thought it would be a great idea to take his wife, who was also a member of the MIT team, to the Bahamas and try their luck at the casinos there. Once he got around $30,000 profit, the casino management found out that he was using a card counting technique, and called in the police.

“They put them in jail and confiscated not only all their winnings but also the team’s money that they had on them. That player and his wife never gambled for the team again.”

How card counting works
In blackjack, high cards represent an advantage for the gambler, while low cards favor the casino. As a card counter, you have to keep a running tally in your mind, adding 1 for lower cards and subtracting 1 for high ones. When the tally increases (more high cards are left in the deck), you should start placing higher bets.

Even though using this strategy won’t win you every bet, statistically speaking, the odds will be in your favor in the long-run. Card counting should always be applied in secret because the casinos don’t like it, and they are free to refuse to let you play, even if it’s not illegal.

In the 1950s, MIT professor of mathematics Edward Thorp researched this technique using computers. By 1962, he had a theory that he published in a book called “Beat the Dealer.” This publication forever changed the perception of the public regarding the game of blackjack.

The End of Strategic Investments
While most members of the MIT Team gave up after being caught, some of them took extreme measures to keep playing. Kaplan remembers a 21-year-old member that kept playing as a spotter – the person that counts cards and then signals their partner to place big bets when the opportunity arises.

“He shaved his head, put a wig on, dressed like a woman, and kept playing. He was a good looking guy!”

After the pressure kept increasing, Kaplan decided to put an end to Strategic Investments, and the company was dissolved in December 1993. At that time, the team already had 80 members, so it was about time to call it quits.

“As a blackjack player, it’s an amazing experience, but as the manager, we had 10,20 or even 30 people playing in different casinos, some in Vegas, some in Canada, and some in Canada. We had to keep track of their revenue, ensuring that none of them was stealing money,” said Kaplan in an interview.

So, he decided that the best way to evolve and keep making money was investing in real estate or other businesses. His wife was the happiest since she was in charge of telling members what to do if they get kicked out of a casino.

After Strategic Investments was dissolved, Mike Aponte formed a new team of card counters, which focused more on the personalities of the students they recruited. According to Mike, their revenues were over the roof. Eventually, he became too well-known as a cheater so that he couldn’t play anymore, but he still makes a lot of money from blackjack. In 2004, he became the World Series of Blackjack, and many people and casinos seek his advice.

The biggest irony of Mike Aponte’s life is that he became best friends with the very people that were hunting him down. “We pulled off something that very few have achieved. Everybody knows that the golden rule is you can’t beat the house in the long run, but that’s exactly what we managed to pull off!”

As online blackjack is such a popular gambling game around the world, it’s no wonder that different people try their luck in this amusement, especially students. There can be numerous appealing offers for 18-25 years old guys and girl alike, who enjoy placing bets.

Blackjack – Huge Variety of Options

As there are a lot of options, it’s needed to highlight the most common versions you might come across:

  • Chinese Blackjack – each player should collect at least 16 points, a dealer can reveal certain hands and hit further before even accepting new bets from players.
  • Spanish 21 – also has a significant change in rules. The deck is 10 cards less (48 instead of 58). There are additional payouts and an opportunity to double down.
  • European – this one is played with 4 decks. There can be a round of bets when the cards aren’t even dealt. If a dealer has an ace, it’s possible to buy an insurance (special bet) for players.
  • Pontoon – is popular entertainment in Asia and Australia. The rules are quite similar to Spanish 21.
  • Double Exposure Blackjack – the first two cards of the dealer are exposed.
  • Pitch BJ – has a single deck.
  • Multi-hand – it allows you to play up to 8 hands at once.

Online 21 with Real Bets

Any of these blackjack alternatives are not only for fun, but also for real money. The non-free modes are very popular, as they give an opportunity to not only entertain but get real winnings.

Practice Fun Mode

For newcomers or just the ones who want to play without the risk of losing money, there is a practice mode that requires no funds. From there, you can learn the basic rules and some peculiarities of the game.

Blackjack with Live Dealer

Recently a live dealer blackjack has appeared on the betting market, attracting thousands of excited customers. Such amusement has all the basics, but it’s enhanced with the presence of a live dealer, who deal hands (just like in land-based casino rooms). It’s quite unusual to have a real-time playing session with other people, with whom you can actually interact online.

Video Streaming

It gives casino customers an opportunity to watch the gaming process in high quality and real time. Dealers are situated all over the world, and you can play with them online. Just choose the resolution.

Player Options

There are various live dealer options for the player. However, they may differ from one staking hall to another. Usually, a gamer can choose the table by the photo of the croupier, with needed bet limits, languages, and even play in multiple windows at the same time.

Mit Students Play Blackjack

Bonuses for Students

Web betting houses, which have a diverse audience (including students), offer different bonus programs for their customers. Such promotions greatly help during the gaming session, because of extra cash or free plays.

Match Deposit – 100%-200%

Matching deposit bonus has become a traditional encouragement in the majority of online betting houses. It adds some money to your balance, depending on how big is your deposit. For example, 100% (or even 200%) matching bonus will at least double the initially contributed sum.

Mit students blackjack movie

Gifts for Pros

There are special rewards, like the high roller and VIP benefits, for customers who are experienced gamblers playing with large sums. With these promotions, you can get thousands of dollars as a reward.

Wagering Requirements for Each Bonus

Blackjack

For each kind of bonus, there will be specific demands you should satisfy, they’re called wagering requirements. Depending on the type and the size of the promotion, a player ought to wager a certain amount of money (up to even 50 times more, than the value of a given bonus). Only free spins for slots can be wager free, but read carefully informational block. Therefore, it’s better to become familiar with such tricky conditions before accepting anything.

Playing Blackjack for Crypto

Not so long time ago most of us have never thought about playing blackjack for something different than usual money. Welcome to the age of cryptocurrency! Every gambling platform now easily accepts Bitcoin. And reasons are quite clear: gamers can withdraw it much faster, having total anonymity.

The Way It Works

Besides the fact of depositing crypto money into account, but not the usual ones, bitcoin blackjack is completely the same. So, if you’re good in it, you can try your luck with some different rates.

Mobile Apps

There are plenty of crypto blackjack applications for mobile, so it wouldn’t be a problem for a real gambler to find his way to luck. Because of using Adobe Flash by developers, we can’t enjoy every game from cryptocurrency casinos on iOS, but still, the range is quite wide.

Card Counting in Blackjack

They say experienced gamers can derive some benefits when thoroughly following the flow of cards in BJ. Several mathematical algorithms can help beat the casino. Nowadays all betting houses are aware of such cheating methods and therefore they’ve created enhanced systems of detecting such players. However, there are some people who know how to overplay the dealer.

MIT Blackjack Team

One of the most infamous cases is the story of a team, which was made up of MIT students in 1979. They decided to discover a way to beat betting rooms at the 21 game. For many years, they were quite successful and their team significantly expanded. Its members played online BJ not only in the US, but worldwide and managed to return with outstanding sums of money.

Card Counting Online

As 21 is a game that has very little opportunities for cheating, especially online, it’s quite difficult to outplay the computer, which generates random numbers, by counting cards. New smart technologies, and the features of multiple decks in the shoe decrease opportunities for getting some advantage by predicting the possible outcome. It is unlikely to discover the results even in live dealer gambling houses, as shuffling is done regularly.

Blackjack Tournaments

There are even special tournaments for this game. Many players all over the world take part in them, as the prize is much higher than usual. One or several casinos together usually organize such tournaments. They can be seasonal, regular (daily or even hourly) or just periodically.

21 from Different Software Providers

As this amusement is so common on the gambling market, many providers make their own versions. Here are links for the best 21’s by different soft developers.

RTG

RTG is a supplier that has created various BJ games for different Internet gambling houses. The main advantages of its products are various configurable options and great graphics quality.

Rival

This company has few options for online blackjack, however, they are gilded with the most advanced features and high-end image quality.

Pragmatic Play

Being a relatively young brand in this industry, it’s already gained some following. Pragmatic Play makes such projects that are the easiest to access, allowing many users worldwide to enjoy its amusements.

Wagerworks (IGT)

Wagerworks creates games and whole platforms that can be used in various Internet betting cabinets. As a part of IGT, it’s considered a reliable software developer.

Mit Students Blackjack Movie

NetEnt

NetEnt is a well-known provider of software for online betting rooms, its products are beloved by many gamblers, especially a series of BJ entertainment with a 3D look and useful options.

Playtech

The majority of online casinos choose Playtech versions of 21, as this company creates such entertainments, which allow selecting tables, hand numbers, and other features.

Microgaming

As the leading company in the online gambling industry, Microgaming offers a huge range of such card amusement. It’s developed many variations, so everyone can find a suitable option.