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The Blackjack Hall of Fame
Browse the explore blackjack index for related topics, or the online blackjack hub for where and how we evaluate games.
A lot of people dream of being a professional blackjack player and a card counter. Many of them make their dream come true, but only the best of the best can claim inclusion into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. Being inducted as a member is an acknowledgement of a player’s accomplishments in blackjack.
If you plan on making it to the Blackjack Hall of Fame, be prepared to invest a lot of time and practice in your blackjack skills. The Hall is a super-exclusive collection of the world’s best blackjack players, authors, and strategists.
What the Hall is (and is not) for your day-to-day play
Induction is recognition from peers and historians, not a certificate that tells you how to size bets tonight. Most readers should treat the Hall as a reading list and a reminder of how much work went into modern strategy: simulation, published research, and field testing in real casinos.
If you are new, start with the names that shaped basic theory and counting public knowledge, then branch into authors who match your goals—tournament play, niche rules, or advanced counting. The point is not to collect autographs; it is to understand which ideas survived scrutiny once computers entered the picture.
History Of The Blackjack Hall Of Fame
In 2002 the Barona Casino in San Diego, California came up with the idea of creating the Blackjack Hall of Fame. The idea was something of a novelty in the beginning which can be attributed to the increasing popularity of gambling card games. The Barona saw the creation of the Hall as a way to capitalize on the popularity of the game and potentially attract visitors to the casino.
It might seem strange that card counting is something that would be rewarded by any casino. All of the men and women who are elected to membership have a connection to card counting. They have either written about it or made a living from it. One could say that the creation of the Blackjack Hall of Fame by the Barona Casino was in some way an admission by the gaming companies that card counting does exist in blackjack and that ultimately little can be done to stop it.
As we will see, the Barona Casino actually benefited in this regard from creating the Hall. The Barona Casino still houses and retains the exclusive rights to the Blackjack Hall of Fame. Guests of the casino can visit the Hall and see information about those who have been given this honor.
The First Members Of The Blackjack Hall Of Fame
The very first nominations for membership were announced in the winter of 2002. There were 21 nominees in the first group, and that number was chosen for obvious reasons. All of the nominees were players who had established themselves as blackjack experts. Some of them were players, some of them were writers, and some were simply experts on the game.
It was decided that the public would be allowed to vote on the first group of 21 nominees via the Internet. This was done in an effort to spark interest in the Blackjack Hall of Fame and it worked pretty well. Many people cast their votes online.
The voting was concluded and an induction ceremony was scheduled for January 2003 at the Blackjack Ball. The Blackjack Ball was a private event hosted by Max Rubin and open only to a very select group of blackjack professionals. It was at this gathering that the first 7 members of the Hall were announced.
The first class of honorees was
- Al Francesco
- Peter Griffin
- Arnold Snyder
- Edward O. Thorp
- Ken Uston
- Stanford Wong
- Tommy Hyland
- Don Schlesinger
These seven men became the first to enter the Blackjack Hall of Fame. Each one of them has contributed to the understanding of blackjack and card counting through their playing experience and writing.
Benefits Of The Blackjack Hall Of Fame
The Barona Casino wanted to honor players by creating the Blackjack Hall of Fame, but they also had a secondary motive. In exchange for membership in the Hall, members must agree never to play at the Barona’s blackjack tables! Essentially, the Barona guaranteed that the most powerful blackjack experts in the world would not turn their skills on the casino. This seems to be a pretty smart move in preventing card counters.
And what do the members receive for being honored? They are given a lifetime comp by the Barona for full room, food, and beverage. That sounds pretty good, but remember that the members are no longer allowed to play at the Barona. This makes the comp somewhat useless.
Truthfully, the comp given by the Barona is just a token. The true benefit of membership in the Blackjack Hall of Fame is the honor and prestige that comes from being recognized by one’s peers. The members of the Hall can take pride in the fact that their contributions to blackjack and card counting have been duly noted.
Controversy And The Blackjack Hall Of Fame
To date, no women have been inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. They have been nominated, but none have been elected so far. This exclusion of women has caused much discussion and debate among members of the gambling community.
Gambling games have long been considered the exclusive domain of men. The stereotypical gambler is always depicted as a cigar-chomping, whiskey-drinking man. This attitude has largely kept blackjack an exclusive boy’s club in the eyes of most blackjack professionals.
There are indications that this mentality is slowly changing. In recent years, women have become more prominent in blackjack and also poker. These female blackjack players are very good and they can compete with the best male players. It seems that it is only a matter of time before the gambling community recognizes the contributions of women to the game of blackjack and includes them in the Hall of Fame.
Other Members Of The Blackjack Hall Of Fame
Currently, only one new member is added to the Blackjack Hall of Fame each year. This has made it even more difficult to qualify for membership. Those who manage to be included can rest assured that their names will forever be associated with excellence in the game of blackjack.
Here is a list of those members who were added after the initial seven with the date of their induction:
Anyone who plays blackjack, either professionally or just for fun, owes all of these men a tremendous debt of gratitude for the contributions they have made to the game. Without them, winning at blackjack would be much more difficult. They have proven that blackjack is a game that can be beaten and that one can win consistently if they understand the basic theories of card counting and the mathematical aspects of the game.
To be recognized for their accomplishments is a great honor. To play blackjack for real money we recommend that you try one of the recommended & trusted casinos or play our free blackjack games.
You may also find this interesting:
- Blackjack Ball: The Secret Gathering Of The World’s Best Blackjack Players.
- Arnold Snyder Interview
- A Day In The Life Of An Online Blackjack Pro
- Best Blackjack Players Of All Time
- Be a Blackjack Master
- Blackjack Apprenticeship
- Salary of a Professional Blackjack Player
- What is a Professional Blackjack Player?
Frequently asked questions
Why does the Blackjack Hall of Fame matter to modern blackjack players?
Their work shaped how players today study card counting, interpret blackjack rules, or run teams. Reading the primary sources keeps you from repeating a generation of mistakes.
Is what they taught still accurate given current casino rules?
Most concepts still apply, but rules like 6:5 payouts, dealer hits soft 17, and penetration limits change the practical edge. Check the posted rules before assuming a historical edge carries forward.
Where can I read more about them?
Their books and interviews are the canonical reference. See the online blackjack hub and the card-counting cluster on this site for articles that trace specific techniques back to who first documented them.