25:
164:
magazine, Mike recalled: “When I attended my first blackjack team meeting I was completely hooked. I was fascinated by the mathematics of card counting and of course the lure of big money and the high roller lifestyle. I was highly motivated to learn card counting and I practiced hard to develop my
173:
Aponte first played as a member of the MIT Blackjack Team in 1992, after passing the team's big player test (the BP "checkout"). In the big player team strategy, it is the BP that comes in and capitalizes on the advantage with big bets after spotters have identified a "hot shoe" with a favorable
177:
Until 2000, Aponte and his colleagues achieved substantial success at casinos in the United States and other countries as well, eventually earning millions of dollars. The team practiced rigorously, maintained an intense travel schedule and planned their blackjack operations meticulously.
411:
174:
count. Aponte was one of the team's most successful big players, and was also the team's manager, responsible for recruiting and training new players, as well as coordinating team trips.
267:
361:
231:
401:
185:
championship in 2004, and co-founded a company that provides instructional products on how to win at blackjack. Mike has coached several notable players including
396:
157:
and played on the school's football team. In his senior year a friend told him about a team at MIT that used special mathematical techniques to win at blackjack.
137:
tactical instructor, and his family moved on a regular basis, both within the United States and overseas. He attended 11 different schools before graduating
240:, April 22, 2007. Accessed September 30, 2007. "The Ewing high school graduate works with underprivileged kids in the Washington, D.C., area."
102:
47:
406:
351:
73:
306:
366:
142:
111:
376:
193:
and his playing partner "D.A.". In 2007 Aponte became the first blackjack player ever to be depicted on a trading card in
329:
285:
250:
55:
51:
35:
236:
182:
311:
391:
325:
271:
98:
198:
186:
105:(MIT) students that legally won millions playing blackjack at casinos around the world by
121:
356:
385:
138:
106:
371:
218:
116:
146:
109:. He is the basis for one of the main characters, Jason Fisher, in the book,
201:
set. He now coaches blackjack, and speaks at universities and corporations.
154:
134:
94:
181:
After his professional card counting career, Aponte went on to win the
286:"ThePOGG Interviews - Nathaniel Tilton author of 'The Blackjack Life'"
257:(Trenton, New Jersey), September 3, 2007. Accessed September 30, 2007.
150:
54:
external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into
194:
251:"Recognize the face on this ace? Rebel gambler gets his own card"
18:
357:"The MIT Team's $ 500,000 Weekend" Midwest Gaming and Travel
346:
133:
Growing up Aponte rarely played cards. He was the son of a
412:
MIT School of
Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences alumni
43:
38:
may not follow
Knowledge (XXG)'s policies or guidelines
352:"From Casinos to Counterterrorism" The Washington Post
362:"Mastering The Comp Game" Midwest Gaming and Travel
367:"Card Counters Talk to Casino Execs" Las Vegas Now
377:secrets of the mit blackjack team by mike aponte
8:
74:Learn how and when to remove this message
210:
402:People from Ewing Township, New Jersey
397:Ewing High School (New Jersey) alumni
119:, which inspired the motion picture,
103:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
7:
97:player and a former member of the
14:
372:Interview with "MIT Mike" Aponte
232:"Playing your hand at Blackjack"
153:to attend MIT, where he studied
23:
16:Manager of an MIT blackjack team
101:. Aponte was part of a team of
268:" A Strategy Up Their Sleeves"
1:
330:The Rocky Mountain Collegian
326:"Card counter Comes to CSU"
428:
407:American blackjack players
237:The Record (Bergen County)
312:Midwest Gaming and Travel
219:"Interview with MIT Mike"
183:World Series of Blackjack
149:. That fall, he moved to
307:"Making it to the Topps"
112:Bringing Down the House
160:In an interview with
93:, is a professional
44:improve this article
275:, December 30, 2007
56:footnote references
333:, February 9, 2011
272:The New York Times
199:Allen & Ginter
191:The Blackjack Life
99:MIT Blackjack Team
324:Baker, Samantha.
305:Earhart, Cynthia
221:BlackjackInfo.com
143:Ewing High School
84:
83:
76:
419:
347:Official website
334:
322:
316:
315:, November, 2007
303:
297:
296:
294:
292:
282:
276:
264:
258:
247:
241:
230:Schwartz, Marc.
228:
222:
215:
187:Nathaniel Tilton
89:, also known as
79:
72:
68:
65:
59:
27:
26:
19:
427:
426:
422:
421:
420:
418:
417:
416:
382:
381:
343:
338:
337:
323:
319:
304:
300:
290:
288:
284:
283:
279:
265:
261:
249:Trently, Jeff.
248:
244:
229:
225:
216:
212:
207:
171:
131:
80:
69:
63:
60:
41:
32:This article's
28:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
425:
423:
415:
414:
409:
404:
399:
394:
384:
383:
380:
379:
374:
369:
364:
359:
354:
349:
342:
341:External links
339:
336:
335:
317:
298:
277:
266:Rivlin, Gary.
259:
242:
223:
217:Swogger, Rick
209:
208:
206:
203:
170:
167:
130:
127:
107:counting cards
82:
81:
36:external links
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
424:
413:
410:
408:
405:
403:
400:
398:
395:
393:
392:Living people
390:
389:
387:
378:
375:
373:
370:
368:
365:
363:
360:
358:
355:
353:
350:
348:
345:
344:
340:
332:
331:
327:
321:
318:
314:
313:
308:
302:
299:
287:
281:
278:
274:
273:
269:
263:
260:
256:
252:
246:
243:
239:
238:
233:
227:
224:
220:
214:
211:
204:
202:
200:
196:
192:
188:
184:
179:
175:
168:
166:
163:
158:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
139:valedictorian
136:
128:
126:
124:
123:
118:
114:
113:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
78:
75:
67:
57:
53:
52:inappropriate
49:
45:
39:
37:
30:
21:
20:
328:
320:
310:
301:
289:. Retrieved
280:
270:
262:
254:
245:
235:
226:
213:
190:
189:, author of
180:
176:
172:
161:
159:
132:
120:
110:
90:
86:
85:
70:
61:
46:by removing
33:
129:Early years
117:Ben Mezrich
87:Mike Aponte
386:Categories
205:References
147:New Jersey
64:March 2017
255:The Times
169:Blackjack
165:skills.”
155:economics
135:U.S. Army
95:blackjack
48:excessive
91:MIT Mike
291:6 March
42:Please
34:use of
162:All In
151:Boston
195:Topps
141:from
115:, by
293:2013
145:in
50:or
388::
309:,
253:,
234:,
197:'
125:.
122:21
295:.
77:)
71:(
66:)
62:(
58:.
40:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.