The movie 21 tells a story based on the experiences of the MIT Blackjack Team, but it does not give as much accurate information as documentaries that have been made by the History Channel, the BBC, and HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. These documentaries show the true history of the MIT Blackjack Team, which started out as a loose group of students interested in card counting and later developed into an organized business in search of profits and investors.
Forming the MIT Blackjack Team
In 21, the MIT Blackjack Team is run by a professor, but in reality the team was organized and managed by students and graduates. No MIT professors were involved with the team although one unconventional teacher had sparked students’ interest in card counting when he taught a short course called “How to Gamble if you Must.” The professor in 21 is most likely a composite character that is made up of three individuals: Bill Kaplan, J.P. Massar and John Chang.
The First MIT Blackjack Team
The first MIT Blackjack Team consisted of several students taking the “How to Gamble if you Must” course. J.P. Massar and a few other students organized a trip to Atlantic City, where they would pit their new skills against casinos. The trip did not work as well as they had hoped. Despite their new education in card counting, they did not win. Many of them lost interested in card counting and left the group after the class’s conclusion.
Forming a New MIT Blackjack Team
Massar graduated from MIT but he still maintained an interest in counting cards. In 1979 he was contacted by a gambler interested in creating a new MIT Blackjack Team. They organized a small team and created a bank of $5,000. The players traveled to Atlantic City on weekends and some evenings, but they never got consistent results. They would win during some outings, but they would lose during others.
Bringing Business to the MIT Blackjack Team
The MIT Blackjack Team finally became profitable when Bill Kaplan, who had been running his own team in Las Vegas, decided that he would join the group only if it operated as a legitimate business. They developed a management structure, training program and business plan that improved the team’s performance. Soon the team was earning a regular profit for investors.
Conclusion of the MIT Blackjack Team
Eventually, casinos began to catch on to the MIT Blackjack Team. Kaplan also found that he could make more money by spending his time in real estate. The team eventually disbanded in the 1990s, but their story is still popular with those who dream of beating the system.
Tags: Blackjack team, Card counting, MIT
