A team of professional blackjack players managed to win millions of dollars from casinos back in the day. This was no ordinary team – it was the MIT Blackjack Team. They showcased their exceptional performances in grand style in print media, Hollywood blockbusters, television shows, and periodicals.
Films like The Last Casino & 21 are well-known. Many books have been written on the subject, including The House Advantage: Playing the Odds to Win Big in Business, Bringing Down the House, and Busting Las Vegas. Next, we'll take you behind the scenes to explore the incredible accomplishments of the MIT team, their origins, and some of their famous members.
Back in 1979, a group of MIT students who enjoyed playing poker decided to attend a short-term course. It was titled How to Gamble if You Must. They wanted to learn about blackjack. During the course, the students learned card counting strategies. Then, they started playing blackjack in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Unfortunately, they didn't perform well, so the team broke apart.
Later on, one of the team's members – J.P. Massar – and another blackjack player met up. Together, they formed a team to take advantage of Atlantic City's rules and regulations that permitted card counters. The rules stated that casinos were not allowed to restrict entry to card counters.
Ready for the challenge, they sought out an investor, and he put up $5000 for them. The pair turned the money into a handsome profit from blackjack card counting, as legend has it. At that point, they actively went on a recruiting spree to get more players to expand the team. Finally, the new blackjack team took to the tables in Atlantic City, typically over the weekends.
Around this time, the team was making a profit playing blackjack. Despite this, some team members quit because it was difficult to emotionally process all the pressures of extended playing sessions, particularly during losing streaks. These occurred frequently. Plus, earnings were inconsistent, and the tension never relented.
When J.P. Massar met Bill Kaplan, a Harvard graduate, things changed dramatically. Bill now lived in Las Vegas and profitably ran his blackjack team. In addition, he had created a statistical model, which he used to analyze the game and make accurate betting decisions.
Together, Massar and Kaplan created a brand-new blackjack team. It mainly included Massar's current team members, but Bill Kaplan assumed responsibility for managing the group according to strict rules. Kaplan wanted to run the team like a business. That meant strict rules and a playing system requiring player training with checkout procedures.
Around 1980, this new MIT blackjack team came to be. It featured a substantial bankroll of $89,000 and a team of highly competent players. They played blackjack in Las Vegas and doubled their bankroll in just ten weeks. In addition, undergrads who were part of the team earned an average of $80 per hour. Recruitment continued until about 30 team members played their part in Kaplan's MIT blackjack team. Throughout the 1980s, this team racked up many wins at the casinos.
Another milestone achievement for the MIT blackjack team occurred when John Chang, Bill Kaplan, and J.P. Massar created Strategic Investments. This Massachusetts-based Limited partnership was designed to capitalize on the opening of the new Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Reports indicate that investors put up $1 million to finance the MIT blackjack team.
The MIT Blackjack Team implemented the Following Playing Strategy:
A spotter took a seat at a blackjack table and started counting cards. As soon as the count was positive, the spotter would signal to a controller. The controller then entered the game with a small bet, confirming the spotter's running count. As soon as the confirmation was approved, the controller would notify a Big Player (BP) whose job it was to place big bets when the count was positive.
An MIT student named Sarah McCoran joined the team around 1983. Her job was to train and recruit players from the West Coast. Some 80 players formed part of the MIT Blackjack Team at this stage. As expected, the hard work was paying off. Profits began rolling in, but casinos were wising up and blocking several team leaders. On December 31, 1993, the Strategic Investment Partnership was dissolved. The partnership paid out profits to investors.
Mike Aponte stated that the company broke apart because it wasn't performing according to expectations. By 1994, independent teams had formed. The Amphibians Team was one such team, led by Spotter Andy Bloch, Big Player Semyon Dukach, and Comptroller Kaite Lilienkamp.
Mike Aponte spearheaded another independent team. It was known as the Reptiles Team. These teams had $1 million bankrolls and featured an impressive array of 50 team members combined. Reports suggest that these two teams were hugely successful at the casinos.
With success came recognition, and casinos didn't take kindly to Bill Kaplan. By 1984, he couldn't play blackjack at casinos anymore. He left the team. By 2000, the MIT Blackjack Team stopped playing altogether. The players went their separate ways and got on with their careers.
A-Z list of Most Famous MIT Blackjack Team Members
- Mike Aponte
He joined the Strategic Investments team, eventually forming The Reptiles team with Manilo Lopez and Mes Atamian. He managed to win millions of dollars playing with The Reptiles, according to accounts. By 2004, Aponte won the World Series of Blackjack. In addition, he established the MikeAponte.com website, which provides information on his live virtual coaching, blackjack card counting classes, and private blackjack training.
- Andy Bloch
The stellar performer has two MIT engineering degrees and a Juris Doctorate in law from Harvard Law School. He is internationally celebrated as a world-famous poker player with many tournaments. While at MIT, he teamed up with the MIT Blackjack Team. He was a central figure in the iconic book Bringing Down Las Vegas, winning $100,000 playing blackjack in one session alone.
He was also referenced in another book – Busting Vegas – as an MIT team member who competed in Monte Carlo. Andy Bloch can also be seen in a card counting DVD titled Beating Vegas and a documentary – The Hot Shoe.
- John Chang
John Chang replaced Bill Kaplan as the MIT blackjack team manager. He was also one of the big three that launched Strategic Investments Ltd. Chang has garnered cult-like status as one of the most successful blackjack players. In 2007, his peers elected him to become a member of the internationally celebrated Blackjack Hall of Fame at the Blackjack Ball. It is his home away from home – apparently, he frequently attends.
- Lori Chang (nee Tsao)
Lori Chang is the wife of legendary blackjack player John Chang. She also goes by her maiden name Lori Tsao. She spent a considerable amount of time managing the MIT Blackjack team.
- Semyon Dukach
Russian-born Semyon Dukach studied at Columbia University. He later joined MIT. As part of the Strategic Investments Team since 1992, he later assumed leadership of the team. Dukach was featured as the main character in Busting Vegas, which detailed the experiences of the MIT Blackjack Team. Once Strategic Investments disbanded, he created his team. It was known as Amphibians Investments. This team used various blackjack techniques, including card sequencing and card counting. In the late 1990s, he quit playing blackjack professionally but remains active in the speaking circuit. In addition, he created the Blackjack Science website and coached 'Blackjack Techniques' to players.
- Bill Kaplan
Bill Kaplan graduated with an MBA from Harvard University. He was inspired by Ed Thorp's book, Beat the Dealer and started card counting Las Vegas. He was running a successful blackjack team in Las Vegas by 1977. Later on, he teamed up with Massar, and together they created the original MIT blackjack team. Kaplan was responsible for introducing scientific gameplay, including tactics, strategies, and management. This boosted the team's overall success. After he quit the MIT Blackjack Team, he launched many successful businesses that generated millions upon millions of dollars – far more than he would have made playing and managing blackjack teams.
- J.P. Massar
J.P. Massar also went by the name Jeff Ma. He was one of a few players who joined the short course – How to Gamble If You Must – at MIT. It is said that he was the one who created the very first MIT blackjack team. It included MIT students. He took a gap year from college, moved to Las Vegas, and started playing blackjack as a card counter. While there, he met with Bill Kaplan. They created a brand-new MIT team that enjoyed tremendous success.
For approximately ten years, he stayed with his team. Indeed, Jeff Ma's story captivated our attention in the Hollywood blockbuster, 21. However, after he stopped playing blackjack with the team, his genius emerged as a serial entrepreneur. He also served at ESPN in 2014 as a predictive analytics expert. In addition, he is the successful author of The House Advantage: Playing the Odds to Win Big in Business.
- Jane Willis
Jane Willis is a mathematics expert. She graduated from Harvard University in 1991 and enjoys ranking status as one of the most successful MIT Blackjack Team spotters. It is said that because of her presence on the team, they were able to go undetected for so long. The reason is casinos tend to think that women aren't so good at mathematics. After playing on the MIT Blackjack Team, she attended law school and now works in legal practice in Litigation and Enforcement. She was named Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in 2018.
Several other MIT Blackjack Team members have achieved exceptional levels of success over the years. In 1999, team member MIT Ted won the illustrious Third Annual Blackjack Ball competition. He was also given the auspicious honor of Most Feared Man in The Casino Business. In addition, a book titled The Blackjack Life was written by Nathanial Tilton – a student of Semyon Dukach and Mike Aponte. The book provides insights into his training and playing days with the MIT Blackjack Team.
I have had the distinct pleasure of being a regular invitee to the Blackjack Ball. While there, I've had the honor of meeting many members of the MIT team. They are a fabulous group of folks – men and women – who legally beat casinos at blackjack. If you'd like to learn more about card counting techniques used by professional blackjack players, look at Chapter 10 of my Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide – you'll find it plenty helpful!
