Don Johnson Blackjack Story: The Man Who Won Millions
Donald “Don” Johnson is a legend in the blackjack community. If you play blackjack online or offline and are serious about the game, there’s a good chance you already know about him and his story. If not, you’re in for a treat, as we’ll tell you how Don Johnson’s blackjack skills and careful preparation helped him take Atlantic City casinos for millions of dollars.
The Don Johnson Blackjack Story
The famous Don Johnson casino story begins in 2010. It was a couple of years after the 2008 financial crisis when casinos were keen to get high rollers through their doors. Johnson negotiated with casinos to tweak the rules of their blackjack games (dealer must stand on soft 17, re-splitting aces is allowed, and six decks are used) and give him a 20% rebate on his losses. The casino still had a house edge of 0.263%, and the rebate only applied to losses greater than $500,000, so it seemed like a no-brainer that would still play into their hands.
But there’s a reason that some consider Don Johnson the best blackjack player in the world: He had a plan.
The Don Johnson Casino Takedown
Using the adjusted blackjack rules, Don Johnson won over $15 million in a six-month period in 2011. At times, he was wagering $100,000 per hand, and on one occasion, he split 8s, was dealt another pair of 8s that he split, and after being dealt small-value cards to each hand, he doubled down several times and won over $800,000 in a couple of minutes.
Don Johnson is said to have taken the Tropicana casino for around $6 million before winning over $5 million and $4 million at Borgata and Caesars, respectively.
Ultimately, Caesars banned him from playing in their casino, while the Tropicana and Borgata removed the adjusted rules.
How Did Don Johnson Win So Much?
As discussed in our guide to why blackjack players lose, blackjack has a very low house edge, but it only applies if you play the game optimally. Optimal play often means never taking insurance, using double downs and splits in specific situations, and adjusting your play according to the dealer’s upcard.
It’s fair to assume that Don Johnson did all of this, but he also had a couple of other major advantages.
First, the house edge dropped to a marginal percentage, which means he was playing as close to even as you will get with this game. He also had a 20% rebate, and while it only applied to losses of over $500,000, he was betting six figures per hand to get there very quickly.
The rebate was applied at the end of every day and then reset. So, if Lady Luck was kind to him one day, he could walk away from the table and take all of his profits. If he hit a bad run the next day, he could simply wait until he was below the $500,000 threshold, settle for the day, and get 20% of his losses back.
According to Johnson, he didn’t count cards, which means he still relied on a little luck, but with those rules, he was flipping a coin with the casino.
Can Anyone Do What Don Johnson Did?
Few people can walk into a casino and negotiate rebates and rule changes. It worked for Johnson because he was a high roller at a time when casinos needed as many high rollers as they could get. If you have a lot of money to spend, you can ask for rebates and make other requests — private rooms, rule changes — as the casinos want your business. If they refuse, you can leave and find another casino to give you what you want.
As someone who wagers just a few bucks per hand, you don’t have that much sway, and it’s unlikely that a casino will bend to your demands. However, there are many bonuses and cashback offers around, including right here on BetUS. You could get as many of these as possible and then look for blackjack games with low house edges and other favorable rules. You might not be as successful as Don Johnson, but it’s a more favorable strategy than betting big at a random table without preparation.
Just focus on finding low-house-edge games and collecting bonuses. If you’re playing at a real casino, we also recommend learning some handy blackjack hand gestures.
Don Johnson: Gambler and Blackjack Legend
Don Johnson’s story has gone down in blackjack history, and he has inspired many others to take up the game. So, keep him in mind the next time you sit at the blackjack table, and if you’re a high roller, consider negotiating some new rules and rebates the next time you visit your local casino!
Blackjack Common Queries
How did Don Johnson win at blackjack?
He used optimal blackjack strategy while playing a game with adjusted rules and a 20% rebate.
What strategies did Don Johnson use to win millions at blackjack?
The adjusted rules and resulting house edge played a big part in Don Johnson’s success. He reduced the house edge to a fraction of the usual percentage before adding a huge 20% rebate.
How did Don Johnson manage to negotiate favorable rules with casinos?
They needed high rollers, and he had the money and the means. Casinos covet high rollers, as a single player wagering tens of thousands of dollars per hand is worth more than thousands of casual players dropping several bucks at a time.
What challenges did Don Johnson face during his blackjack career?
As with all successful blackjack players, Don Johnson faced a few problems when he started raking in the money. One casino banned him, while two others changed the rules so that they were no longer favorable to him.
Comments (0)