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In the world of blackjack there are many colorful characters. Few are more entertaining than Max Rubin. This member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame has earned a reputation as both a skilled player and a comedian. Max Rubin’s aptitude and attitude have made him one of the most popular blackjack players of the modern era.
About Max Rubin
Max Rubin grew up in the small town of Borger, Texas. When he was just 18 years old, Rubin decided that he wanted to go to Las Vegas. He had no means of transportation, so Rubin hitchhiked to the desert paradise to join his father who worked as a security operative for the Golden Nugget. Max’s father was also know to cheat at cards by marking them.
It didn’t take long for Rubin to immerse himself in the seedy side of Las Vegas. He took work as a rounder, someone who would start fake fights to cause a distraction. While the fake fight was in progress, the rounders’ partners would swipe the cards from the casino pit and mark them for later use. This type of life soon lost its appeal for Max Rubin because every other rounder he new was making little money.
His athletic ability was enough to earn Rubin a scholarship at UNLV, but he also started to play blackjack on the side. Rubin states that he really did not know what he was doing in those early days. When the draft for the Vietnam war was conducted, Rubin was given a high number by the lottery system used to pick recruits. He managed to remain in Las Vegas and was soon trained as a blackjack dealer.
This knowledge gave Max the experience he needed to understand the basics of the game better than most. He would then go on to expand that knowledge by learning how to count cards. This was a skill that Max was able to master in a very short period of time. It was also a good time to learn because card counting was still a relatively new skill in Las Vegas and doing so you can win money playing blackjack.
Max Rubin Succeeds at Professional Blackjack
The natural progression of Max Rubin’s evolution as a professional blackjack player was to abandon his casino job and start playing the game full time. He experienced immediate success, and throughout the 1980s was able to support himself with the profits made from the game of blackjack.
Like many other players, Rubin eventually desired more from his professional blackjack career. He wanted to make more money. As the 1990s dawned, Rubin became the manager of professional card counting teams. These teams were able to take Las Vegas and other gaming destinations for millions of dollars.
Rubin has stated that he made his last run with blackjack teams in 1992. The conditions and scrutiny were becoming much tighter on blackjack teams, and the ability to make a profit was declining. Even so, Max was able to find other ways to make a living at blackjack.
Max Rubin – Blackjack Author and TV Host
Once his full-time playing days were over, Max began to write books about the gambling life. While some of his work did involve blackjack, most of the work is related to earning comps. Comps in Las Vegas can include free food, free hotel rooms, and more. Rubin has detailed how to earn the maximum comps in books like Comp City: A Guide to Free Casino Vacations.
If you have tuned in and watched some of the blackjack coverage that has been provided on television since 2000, you may have seen Max Rubin. He has been sought out as a commentator for these programs because of his expansive knowledge of the game.