MIT Blackjack Team – Earnings & Where Are They Now?

For a decade, a group of MIT students, professors, and Harvard alumni teamed up to play blackjack and shook Las Vegas casinos to their core. This team was established in August 1980 and used a card-counting strategy to beat casinos in blackjack. 

With a cash injection of $89,000 (£70,000), the MIT Blackjack team accumulated millions of dollars through a card-counting strategy and went on to become the stuff of legends for years to come, even after they were caught. That then begs the question: where are they now?

In this blog post, we will look at what happened to the MIT blackjack team, how much they made from the games, who was on the team and also discuss where they are now.

MIT Blackjack Team Earnings – How Much Did They Win?

The MIT Blackjack team first began as a way for MIT students and faculty members to earn some money. According to Hirshtick, a team member, the first advertisement he saw read, “Earn $2,000 to $6,000 over the next six months playing blackjack with a professional team.” 

So, what started as a way for the students to earn a bit of money while they completed their studies turned into a 30 people team of professional blackjack card counters who generated thousands of dollars on each trip they made to Las Vegas.

The team is estimated to have made about 250% turnover for their investors and between $100,000 and $180,000 for each person. Their biggest known win was in the summer of 1992, where they won $1.5 million at the Las Vegas Desert Inn casino. They also often received gifts and hotel stays owing to their incredible wins.

Therefore, it is impossible to say with certainty how much the MIT blackjack team made in all those years.  

Who Was On The MIT Blackjack Team?

The members of the MIT Blackjack Team were primarily students and alumni of MIT. The team was founded by J.P. Massar and Bill Kaplan, who went to Havard with a bunch of MIT students.

Over time, the team expanded and ended up having up to 30 members who had exceptional attention to detail abilities, were mathematics enthusiasts, and had a keen interest in blackjack.

Among the notable team members were Mike Aponte, Jeff Ma, Jane Willis, Johnny Chang, Semyon Dukach, and Laurie Tsao. The joint effort and dedication of these members and the rest of the team ensured the lasting success of this blackjack team.

What Happened To The MIT Blackjack Team?

The MIT blackjack team went on to become the most successful team of their time, up until they were caught. While the team enjoyed their success with little to no hurdles, with some members being banned from some casinos now and again, they eventually caught the attention of law enforcement.

A few casinos enlisted the help of private detectives and were able to identify some of the members and tailed them. Eventually, the team could not stay together because casinos increasingly made it difficult for them to use their card-counting strategies. 

With extra decks used, frequent reshuffling, and the ban of the identified team members, the rest of the team burned out and eventually disbanded in early 1990.

Did The MIT Blackjack Team Go To Jail?

No, the MIT blackjack team did not go to jail. Technically, what they did was not illegal. It is frowned upon by the casinos because it unfairly tips the odds to the player’s favour and can considerably diminish the house edge.

It also gives the card-counting players an unfair advantage over the ordinary players. However, while the MIT blackjack team did not go to jail, they had several instances where the casino security would detain them, and they were subsequently banned, something Hirschtick called being “back roomed.”

Besides card counting, the team played within the confines of the casino and blackjack rules. Remember that before the MIT team, card counting was not explicitly banned because, until then, it was not very common.

Where Are They Now?

After the team disbanded, each member pursued various interests, some of which aligned with mathematical prowess and the ability to form well-run organisations. While some team members stopped playing blackjack, others continued playing. 

For example, John Chang continued playing blackjack professionally, where he may have allegedly tried to use card counting strategies he learned from the team. 

It is also rumoured that, at times, he disguises himself as someone else to avoid being kicked out. Several other team members went on to become successful investors in property and businesses, business people, public speakers, and authors.