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Ben Mezrich Tells the MIT Blackjack Team Story
Who would have thought that a bunch of MIT bookworms could have the social polish and panache to outsmart the biggest casinos on the Vegas strip? It may come as a surprise to many, but in Bringing Down the House, Ben Mezrich reveals the true story of how a group of students from MIT did just that. This non-fiction novel explains how a brainy bunch of college kids formed a Blackjack Club, whose sole purpose was to learn the art of Blackjack card counting - and to use this knowledge to win millions of dollars on the casino floor.
Who were the MIT Blackjack Team Members?
The book’s main character is Kevin Lewis (real name, Jeff Ma, an engineering major), a part-Asian pre-med student who ends up living a double life in MIT. This amiable kid has a couple of friends who seem to be swimming in cash, despite the fact that they’ve recently lost interest in their studies. Noticing that Kevin is good at math, his friends introduce him to the world of the MIT Blackjack Club - a team sponsored by a shady character by the name of Mick Rosa.
With his superior mathematical ability, Kevin meets the team’s requirements with flying colors, and soon finds himself setting out with the team to Las Vegas for his first game of Blackjack at a real casino. After helping the team to win $100,000 in one weekend, Kevin is hooked, and in a short period of time, becomes one of the teams premier players
Bringing Down the House?
So how exactly did this Blackjack Team manage to outwit casino management? After all, card counting is not a new phenomenon, and big casinos have been clued in on how to spot card counters for decades.
Yet, Mick Rosa managed to develop an entirely new strategy, one that would lead the dealers to believe that the winnings were achieved through luck rather than mathematical ability. His technique involved splitting up the card counting responsibilities between several players. That way, the group could work together to win in ways that would have been impossible had they been working alone. Each team consisted of at least three members:
The Spotter - This student would act like a prudent Blackjack player, content to while away the evening placing minimum bets. The purpose of the Spotter was to keep a low profile and count the cards. When the deck turned hot or cold, it was the Spotter’s responsibility to signal the other players.
The Gorilla - This student posed as a wealthy and unstable gambler. He wandered up to a table and placed big bets. The trick to Gorilla success, is that he only came to a table when the Spotter gave him a signal, and quietly moved away when the deck got cold.
The Big Player - This student also posed as a wealthy blackjack player, but one who knew his stuff. He was called to the table on the signal of a Spotter, and then found ways to count the cards and increase his bets while he was there. This player didn’t arouse the suspicion of casino management like a regular card counter because he consistently bet big - he only came to the table when the deck was hot.
Sometimes, these teams would also implement the help of a Back Spotter, especially when the tables were crowded. The Back Spotter was typically an attractive female dressed up to look like the uninterested girlfriend of the Big Player. She would help count cards and give signals.
What Became of the MIT Blackjack Team?
Did Kevin Lewis and the MIT Blackjack Team meet with unfettered success? Well, not exactly. All good things must come to an end, and for the Blackjack Team, their winning streak ended when the casinos finally caught on to their techniques. That’s not to say that Kevin didn’t benefit significantly from his financial success. As the book “Bringing Down the House” indicates, his brief foray into the world of Blackjack made him a wealthy man. And although he likes to imply that his gambling days are over, you may still find Kevin (Jeff Ma), working the tables in small and unsuspecting casinos with his new team of winning players.
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