Mike Aponte and the MIT Blackjack Team
Mike Aponte did not come from a card playing background. He came from an army family and moved around the U.S. and abroad where ever his father was stationed. He finally graduated valedictorian from Ewing High School in New Jersey and then went on to attend MIT as an Economics major. His career with the MIT Blackjack Team began when Mike Aponte was in his senior year. A friend told him about a club at MIT that developed mathematical techniques to win at blackjack.
He became fascinated by the math involved in card counting and was tempted also by the lure of winning big money and living a high roller lifestyle. It wasn't easy to become a member of the MIT Blackjack Team. A newcomer had to pass a Big Player test called the BP checkout. Mike Aponte was able to pass this test and then became a very outstanding member of the MIT Blackjack Team.
Good Days with the MIT Blackjack Team
Mike Aponte was one of the MIT Blackjack Team's most successful Big Players. When a team is working a blackjack table, the BP is the one who picks up chips with big bets after spotters have identified a favorable count. The team members had special signs to alert the BP when to enter with a big bet.
The MIT Blackjack Team, and Mike Aponte as one of its members, became famous through their huge wins in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, but also through the book "Bringing Down the House" and the TV productions of "Breaking Vegas" and "Anything for Money". Bringing Down the House was later turned into a film called 21; which was very exciting but not exactly true to the history of the MIT Blackjack Team.
How the MIT Blackjack Team Worked
Mike Aponte and the other members of the MIT Blackjack Team would be backed by investors. A small percentage would cover their expenses, and once the goal amount had been won the profits would be divided 50/50 between the players and the investors. The methods used by the MIT Blackjack Team were card counting, card steering and shuffle tracking. The MIT Blackjack Team's most successful period was approximately from 1992 to 2000. After that they became so well known that it was difficult for them to find a casino that would allow them to play. Mike Aponte found this very frustrating and decided to quit.
Mike Aponte after the MIT Blackjack Team
Although Mike Aponte left the MIT Blackjack Team in the year 2000, he did not give up on the game. He played in the first World Series of Blackjack in 2004 and won. He also founded the Blackjack Institute which is an instructional website providing products, strategies and services on how to win at blackjack.
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