Blackjack Online – Biggest Wins In History
Online Casino, Gambling
Blackjack has captivated the world for well over 100 years. It’s one of the few casino games where observing basic strategy can pay off and knowing when to hit and when to stand is always going to stand you in good stead.
At first glance, a new Blackjack online Canadian player may assume that it is simply a game where the cards you’re dealt are all that counts, which is true to some extent. But those that are familiar with the game on a deeper level will know that there is an incredible amount of strategic thinking involved. So much so, in fact, that those that know what they’re doing can potentially win some incredible payouts.
Let’s take a closer look at some of these massive wins, learn more about the players, and get a better idea of how they managed to achieve such big wins. The instances we’re about to discuss weren’t achieved in Blackjack online, but the digital version of the game available at Spin Casino have much the same rules. They do however have added features and enhancements, so you can imagine just how well these players could do online!
Kerry Packer
Most Canadians have already heard the name Kerry Packer. Having passed away in 2005 at age 68, he is well known as having been an Australian media tycoon, multi-billionaire, and eccentric personality. There are many interesting stories of his brazen gambling exploits, some of which are enough to make the average Blackjack online player faint in disbelief.
The story we’re looking at today is a notorious one, involving Packer scoring $40 million playing Blackjack in just a few brief minutes of time.
In 1995 Packer visited the Las Vegas MGM, apparently set on making some big, risky bets. He took up a spot at a public table, soon gaining the attention of nearby gamblers. As his game progressed, more and more strangers stopped to watch, enthralled by the unbelievable spectacle unfolding before their eyes.
The story is that Packer played with 8 simultaneous hands, putting down a bet of $250,000 on each. At one point during the session, he managed to hit a serious winning streak, grabbing 20 consecutive wins. This netted him that $40 million.
He decided to quit while he was ahead and left to the sounds of excited cheering.
Special mention of the fact that he dropped his croupier a $1 million tip.
Packer Analysed
Any avid Canadian Blackjack online player that heard this story would probably have a few things to say. The truth of the matter is that, on this occasion, it simply appears as if Packer was very lucky. That isn’t to say that he doesn’t have some skill, but 20 consecutive wins is unusual as far as Blackjack is concerned.
It is a game that involves a certain number of unavoidable losses, and in his case, he just seems to have had luck on his side. He certainly did the smart thing by walking away when he did, since probability would have kicked it at some point. As the smart player knows, professional gambling is about the long term, not the short term.
Exploring the man’s history with games of chance a little deeper, it can be seen that he wasn’t always as lucky as he was that night. In fact, he went back to the MGM a year after this event, and on the second occasion managed to lose $10 million. Additionally, it is also know that he was never as lucky playing Baccarat. Various accounts say that he lost $27 million playing Baccarat over the course of a few months.
Hence, in the case of Packer it seems as if he is more of a spontaneous player, perhaps a little light on strategy, and big on risky, potentially well-paying bets.
Smart Blackjack online players know that the game can be far more consistent when playing with patient strategies, rather than big risks.
Shoeless Joe
Many Blackjack online players are probably familiar with the legend of Shoeless Joe. It is a story retold frequently, detailing the journey of a man that has remained unidentified to this very day. If all the details are accurate, or have perhaps been exaggerated, isn’t clear.
But the finer points of the tale are enough to get a pretty good idea of what occurred…
A man entered into a casino, so down on his luck as to be literally barefoot. He brought with him a $300 security check, apparently having just been thrown out of the house by his disgruntled wife. He then sat down at a Blackjack table, cashed the $500, and started to play. But those who watched say that Shoeless Joe clearly had no idea how to play, disregarding all traditional strategies. He doubled down at inappropriate times, split when he should have avoided it, and otherwise made poor decisions. However, Shoeless Joe was another man that had luck on his side, at least at first. He managed to turn his $300 into $1.5 million.
Those watching were astonished, cheering him on and commending him for his incredible luck. But, despite many suggesting that he take the money and go back to his wife, Shoeless Joe kept playing. He lost most of the $1.5 million before finally heading home.
The MIT Team
Virtually every Blackjack online player will have heard this story. Or at least will have seen a few of the movies based on the legend. If you haven’t seen 21 starring Kevin Spacey, it’s a great watch, even if it isn’t very accurate as to what actually happened.
The story goes that a number of exceptional MIT students banded together, formulating a card counting tactic that involved groups of cooperating players. The sophisticated system required that “scouts” spread out to various tables in a casino, keeping track of the deck, and waiting for it to be “hot.”
When this happened, a roaming accomplice would jump in, make a few big bets, and leave again. The technique is, of course, illegal, but given that this took place over the 80s and 90s, many casinos were not yet familiar with the method.
Reports say that the MIT card counting team sometimes scooped as much as $500,000 in a single night, without casinos catching on. At least, the casinos didn’t catch on at first. As word of the team’s incredible success spread, authorities quickly began to figure out what was going on, and the illegal winning spree was brought to a decisive end.
Don Johnson
From impressive cheats to true, unquestionable skill, we have Don Johnson. Johnson, CEO of Heritage Development, is widely considered to be one of the most successful players in the world and aspiring Black online players would be wise to look in to how he managed such incredible wins.
Between December 2010 and April 2011 is it estimated that he took home $15.1 million.
The key here is that, first and foremost, Johnson understood the game incredibly well. He attests to the fact that he never deviated from strategies, struck when the iron was hot, and always stuck to tables with beneficial rules. He pointed out on many occasions that the biggest benefits he found were rules enforced by the casino itself, meaning that he never had to cheat, he simply knew what he was doing.
Though, regardless of having never actually broken any rules, casinos were still not impressed by his incredible winning streaks. Johnson was banned from many top casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Dana White
When hearing the name Dana White many will probably think of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC.) He is, after all, the President of the world-famous organisation. Others might also be aware that he is an exceptional gambler, having a similar story to Don Johnson.
White is as skilled a player, sticking to the rules, understanding the strategies, and managing to score some serious wins. He went on a number of winning streaks, scooping millions in the process, but was eventually banned from the Palms Casino, Las Vegas, in 2012. He disputed the ban, repeatedly pointing out that his wins had been 100% legal. The casino, however, would not hear it, perhaps suspecting that he was cheating in a way they simply couldn’t detect.
Eventually the Palms Casino got a new CEO in 2014, meaning that White’s ban no longer applied. He quickly headed back and once again started playing, this time managing to grab a cool $2 million over just 3 months. More than enough to once again get him a ban. This time, however, the ban was for life.
According to White he has never cheated in any way and insists that every hand he ever won was via skill alone. Regardless of whether he did or didn’t cheat, the UFC CEO used the publicity to his advantage. He had a customised UFC belt made, which he displays for the amusement of the public. The belt says that he dominated the Palms Casino at Blackjack.
Whichever game you decide to play at Spin Casino, Blackjack online or otherwise, be sure to always play responsibly.
