10 Biggest Blackjack Wins Ever

Look, I'll be the first to admit that my blackjack skills are hot garbage. But hey, at least I can live vicariously through these lucky guys who have beaten the casinos at their own game in historic fashion. Let's take a look at some of the sickest individual blackjack scores of all time (and quietly weep at our own misfortunes).

1. Kerry Packer - $20 Million 

The late Australian heavyweight Kerry Packer was renowned for going big in the gambling world. In 1995, this high-stakes legend dropped jaws with a $20+ Million blackjack hot streak over just a 3-week span in Vegas! Packer racked up over $10 Million at MGM Grand alone before taking his heater to other casinos, winning up to $30K per hand at times. Absolutely bonkers stuff.

2. Don Johnson - $15.1 Million 

This dude Don Johnson is basically a professional gambler as the CEO of some gambling analytics firm, so of course, he used those brain powers for evil. Over a 5-month blackjack rampage in 2010-2011, Johnson's mad skills and huge bankroll allowed him to extract over $15.1 million from various Vegas casinos!

Naturally, after receiving that kind of historic butt-kicking, the casinos banned his butt permanently. But hey, the dude can definitely afford therapy with that pile of chips!

3. The MIT Team - $10 Million Blackjack 

We've all heard of the infamous MIT Blackjack Team from that movie, right? Well, it turns out those genius kids actually did win around $10 Million in the 1990s by counting cards and playing strategic blackjack across casinos in Vegas, Massachusetts, and beyond. With over 80 students secretly coordinating fancy code names and casino shifts, they basically ran the ultimate 90s high-stakes heist.

4. Akio Kashiwagi - $6.7 Million 

Back in the 90s, Japanese tycoon Akio Kashiwagi managed to win around $6.7 Million over 60 hours of high-stakes blackjack at an Atlantic City casino by counting cards.

But get this - after a huge legal battle where the courts said he earned those millions fair and square, good ol' Akio had his entire prize seized by the feds over suspected money laundering from his business! Total kick to the nads after such a monster blackjack score.

5. Ken Uston - $4 Million

 

Before those MIT whiz kids hit the scene, an OG card counting squad led by this wise guy Ken Uston was running the casino heist game. Back in the 70s, Uston's elite team is alleged to have won over $4 million from high-stakes multi-hand blackjack plays by precisely tracking the counts.

Their legendary exploits were so effective that some historians credit them with forcing casinos to quickly increase multi-hand blackjack games just to thwart those tactics!  

6. Dana White - $2 Million 

You've probably heard of that loud-mouthed UFC president Dana White getting banned from Vegas casinos for his elite blackjack prowess. Over just a 3-month span in 2014, this gambler supposedly pulled in over $2 million in winnings at the tables! 

Of course, he was also betting up to $25K per hand while hot. White denies counting cards, blaming it on just basic strategy and good ol' luck...but come on, and nobody's buying those bro science BGFs.

7. Shoeless Joe - $1.5 Million 

This story is so outrageous it has to be true. Some mysterious homeless legend dubbed "Shoeless Joe" wanders into a Vegas casino with just his $300 social security check to buy in. Being completely broke with no shoes, obviously, everyone expected a ground ball.

But then Joe flips the ultimate script - using his skills, he runs pure fire and spins that $300 into a $1.5 Million blackjack windfall! Of course, because gambling is cruel, he then loses most of it again, trying to get too fancy. But that single hot streak turned his life around.

8. Ben Affleck - $800K

Oscar-winning actor Ben Affleck, known for his roles in "Batman" and "Argo," has a lesser-known talent: blackjack.  Affleck recently revealed a lifelong interest in the game's strategies, a passion that led to some impressive results.

In 2001, Affleck's skills were put to the test in spectacular fashion when he won an incredible $800,000 during a hot streak at the Hard Rock Casino. Rumors even suggest he tipped the staff a generous $145,000 out of his winnings!

Years later, Affleck returned to the Hard Rock only to be caught card counting. While not illegal, card counting is strongly discouraged by casinos. As a result, Affleck was banned from the blackjack tables.

However, the casino's hospitality extended beyond the ban. Affleck was allowed to play other games and was even offered a car.

9. Michael Geismar - $710K  

Don't worry; I'm just as mindblown as you. This investor genius, Michael Geismar, rocked up to the Bellagio casino, bought in with a pathetic $300 stake...and turned that into a $710,000 windfall over his morning blackjack session! Using some "progressive betting" wizardry, Geismar just kept doubling up and printing money while I wasted my bankroll on Bellagio's $28 cocktails.

10. Goksel Selay - $132K

We've all had those "I'll just try one more game" moments at the casino that ironically save our butts, right? Well, this London taxi driver named Goksel Selay basically lived the ultimate version of that in 2009. The 53-year-old father of two had been grinding away unsuccessfully at the roulette tables during a slow night for fares.

But in a move that would change his life forever, Goksel decided to take a shot at blackjack after noticing the jackpots were juicy.

Clearly, this dude had been stashing some serious luck points because on just his second blackjack hand of the night at the Westcliff Casino, Selay was dealt a saucy pair of aces to win the "Blackjack Aces" progressive jackpot worth a smooth $132,000! So much for cabbing around London that evening. 

Conclusion

Of course, for every storied winner, there are thousands of busted losers like me crying into their discarded hard 16s. But hey, at least these stories prove that a life-altering blackjack score remains possible.