John Chang of the MIT Blackjack Team

John Chang of the MIT Blackjack Team

A few decades ago, John Chang, an engineering student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was looking for ways to build his bankroll when he stumbled upon a flier on campus. Convinced by the flier’s promise of a quick $300, he eagerly responded to the offer.

John arrived at the venue only to discover he had responded to a recruitment into the infamous MIT Blackjack Team rather than a job as he had thought. He listened to what they had to say, but little did John know he would later become one of the most formidable blackjack players in history and the team’s manager.

Today’s casino news updates you on Chang’s pivotal role in the MIT Blackjack Team’s incredible success.

John Chang: The Unseen Force in the MIT Blackjack Legacy

In 1979, J.P. Massar, an MIT alumnus who had just finished his Master’s in computer science, created the MIT Blackjack Team, a group of 4 individuals. He and his colleagues gathered a group of students and taught them blackjack strategy. They also recruited more players.

After many sessions of teaching and learning card-counting techniques, the team’s first mission was to visit Atlantic City’s casino games. There, the team suffered a neck-breaking defeat. They could not beat the house and lost much money. Moving into the early 1980s, they recorded a few wins but couldn’t compensate for their loss due to poor strategies and leadership.

Then, in May, Massar was having leisure time in a Chinese restaurant when he met Bill Kaplan, an MBA graduate of Harvard Business School. Kaplan had a card-counting team in Las Vegas with a solid winning track record before they finally parted ways because of the pressure placed on them in the Nevada casinos.

Massar persuasively invited Kaplan, who immediately noticed the error in the gameplay of his blackjack friends. Kaplan said the team used unnecessarily complex strategies. Massar immediately transferred the team’s management to Kaplan. He accepted but on the condition that the team be run like a corporate business.

John Chang in the MIT Blackjack Team

Kaplan’s rule was strict and demanding while running the team as a full-fledged business, tracking every gameplay. He drew in several students, including John Chang. In 1981, John Chang joined the MIT Blackjack Team, lured by a promising bulletin flier.

However, the need to make $300 kept him on the team. He was one of the five students recruited and the only one who made it to the final list of Kaplan’s team. It was initially difficult for John Chang to join the active playing group, but he became incredibly good over time.

Taking Over the MIT Blackjack Team

Fast-forward to 1984, Kaplan had reached a peak where every casino recognized him. He could no longer lead the team. During this period, John Chang’s approach to card counting was so strategic that he gained the trust of the MIT Blackjack Team to be their leader.

John Chang was undoubtedly an exceptional player, but management required him to learn how to deal with people. This was a challenge, but he got it right later. He took the MIT Blackjack Team to the next level.

At one point, the team won over $400,000 within one week of visiting Las Vegas casinos. In the summer of 1992, the team visited the Las Vegas Desert Inn casino, where they won $1.5 million. With his expertise, John Chang helped the team grow their bankroll to an impressive $5 million in just one year. Under his leadership, the MIT team became the most successful blackjack group.

Disbandment of the MIT Blackjack Team

As the team kept winning, so did their news spread. They tried to disguise themselves to play games but couldn’t help being detected by Griffin Investigations.

Chang then divided the team into smaller groups and began playing abroad in foreign casinos. However, smuggling large sums of money across international borders became increasingly challenging for the team. They couldn’t evade security.

In the mid-90s, members of the MIT Blackjack Team began moving to different careers and professions. Some continued to play the game, tilting towards blackjack online real money games, but no longer came together as a group.

In 2008, Hollywood released a movie titled “21,” an account of the MIT Blackjack Team’s exploits. While the movie was interesting to watch, it incorrectly depicted some of the team’s complex card-counting techniques and failed to capture the nuances of their strategies.

John Chang highlighted the movie’s inaccuracies, including several characters not part of the real team.

John Chang’s Personal Achievements

After the team’s disbandment, John Chang continued playing blackjack professionally. Chang’s mastery of card counting was fully displayed at the 2005 Max Rubin’s Blackjack Ball. He stunned the audience with his super card-counting skills. He counted a two-deck shoe and identified all the missing cards in just 33 seconds!

This feat solidified Chang’s reputation as a living legend in the game. Unsurprisingly, he got a seat in the Blackjack Hall of Fame in 2007. He retired officially in 2017.

John Chang’s success as a card counter forced casinos to rethink their approach to the game and security. Check out the Vegas Aces Casino guides if you want to change how you play online blackjack games.

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