By Michael Dalton.
On August 10, 2024, the annual Blackjack Ball (BB) was held again in Las Vegas. This year we honored Ed Thorp and the late Al Francesco, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 90. The BB is the annual gathering of the World’s finest blackjack players and legends of the game. It is an invitation-only event. This year’s event was once again held at the spectacular Geary-designed Lou Ruvo Center – only a few short minutes from Downtown Las Vegas and the Strip. The BB is sponsored in part by Luc Belaire.
The BB has always been an event to meet and network with new and old friends of the trade – blackjack and advantage play gambling that is! It is an honor to be invited. The main organizers of the event, Max Rubin and Richard Munchkin should be commended for keeping alive the memories of all those who have and who are still beating the casinos with legal advantage play techniques. If it were not for the BB, history may well have forgotten these fascinating individuals and their stories.
card Counter (WFCC) Contest” src=”https://static.bjrnet.com/images/blackjackball/2024/WorldsFastestCardCounter_BB2024_100.jpg” alt=”Worlds Fastest card Counter (WFCC) Contest” width=”100″ height=”79″/>card Counter (WFCC) Contest” src=”https://static.bjrnet.com/images/blackjackball/2024/WorldsFastestCardCounter_BB2024_100.jpg” alt=”Worlds Fastest card Counter (WFCC) Contest” width=”100″ height=”79″/>This year’s BB dress code was “tropical” smart-casual. This departure from the previous year’s formal event was much appreciated and it made for a more relaxed atmosphere. Also, this year had several changes and twists including a revamp of the Calcutta team betting, a “World’s Fastest card Counter (WFCC)” competition and even BINGO called out by the legendary Edward O. Thorp. Also, Jason England, a master of the dark arts, was on hand again to demonstrate some classic sleight-of-hand casino cheating moves!
card Counter 2024″ src=”https://static.bjrnet.com/images/blackjackball/2024/JohnChang_GoldAward_300.jpg” alt=”John Chang – World’ Fastest card Counter 2024″ width=”248″ height=”299″/>card Counter 2024″ src=”https://static.bjrnet.com/images/blackjackball/2024/JohnChang_GoldAward_300.jpg” alt=”John Chang – World’ Fastest card Counter 2024″ width=”248″ height=”299″/>
As I got to the BB early, I got my name down immediately for the WFCC. This competition was a single-elimination “March Madness” style competition where each player competed against one other player at a time. A single deck was used and you couldn’t use an Ace-5 count! After announcing the count you were using, the clock started until the first person said “stop”. Then, you would announce what the missing card was. In my case, since I use the Hi-Lo count, I had to say small, big or neutral. Short story: I said “stop” early in an attempt to beat my opponent’s time but messed up with identifying the missing card. Oh well, maybe next year! In the end, the winner of the WFCC was the legendary John Chang (former MIT Team manager) who received the gold medal. Stan, a BJA Pro, won Silver and Justin won Bronze. Because Chang won this contest he automatically became a contender for the Grosjean Cup contest later in the evening.
As I looked around and decided on a table to sit at, I easily recognized Blair Hull, who is in the Blackjack Hall of Fame and the founder of Hull Tactical Funds (HTUS), an ETF with the objective of producing long-term appreciation through investments in the U.S. equity market. As I own a few shares of HTUS, I thought I might ask him a few questions. Also at my table were Bill Erb and Bob Bright. I was indeed at a table with legends of the game. Many believed that a well deserving Bill Erb was going to win this year for the Blackjack Hall of Fame.
Onto the serious part of the evening was a short presentation from Keith Whyte, Director of the National Council on Problem Gaming. On March 15, 2022, the Blackjack Hall of Fame became a 501c3 non-profit corporation which allows the BB to have a charitable purpose. Thus, donations to the Blackjack Hall of Fame are tax deductible. In the old days, the cost of admission to the Blackjack Ball was a quality bottle of champagne. Today, to cover expenses and to provide funds for charity, the minimum cost of entry was $350 with reserved tables upward of $5000 – $10000.
Of course, the culmination of the evening was the selection of the 2024 Blackjack Hall of Fame winner. Ballots were handed out and the possible candidates included Bill Erb, Bryce Carlson, Colin Jones, Mark Billings, Norm Wattenberger, Rick Blaine and Robert Loeb. I think it was a close contest but in the end, Rick “Night Train” Blaine became the newest member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame. Rick Blaine is a skilled, disciplined and winning blackjack player who has taken professional play to new levels, while staying under the radar. For more information on the 2024 nominees visit the official Blackjack Hall of Fame web site.
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