{"id":1573,"date":"2018-03-21T11:08:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-21T11:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.planet7casino.com\/?p=1573"},"modified":"2024-04-19T08:17:25","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T08:17:25","slug":"ken-uston-the-true-story-of-a-blackjack-legend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.planet7casino.com\/fun-time\/ken-uston-the-true-story-of-a-blackjack-legend\/","title":{"rendered":"Ken Uston \u2013 The true story of a Blackjack legend"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The old adage, \u201cthe house always wins\u201d might deter players from taking big gambling risks. The house edge, built into every single casino game, is an infernal reminder of the mathematical certainty that the more you gamble, the higher the probability is that you will lose. What if you could change the odds? What if there was a way to tip the advantage in your favor? Some legendary gamblers have been able to accomplish just this by relying on a combination of skill and choosing the right game to play. What game is the right<\/em> game, you might ask? The answer lies in one of the most popular casino games of all time: blackjack. And Ken Uston<\/a> was a blackjack legend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blackjack is a casino game that offers a low house edge, and for skilled players this can drop to less than 1% with expert strategy. What makes blackjack so unique is the fact that it is the only game on the casino floor where past decisions influence future results. This is where card counting comes in. Planet 7 Casino brings you the story of Ken Uston, one of the most famous blackjack players and card counters in casino history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The birth of a legend<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Ken<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Kenneth Senzo Usui was born on January 12, 1935 in New York City. Early on, it became apparent that Kenneth was a gifted child. He took on many hobbies from piano to sports, but Kenneth\u2019s true talent lied in numbers. In fact, he was so good at numbers that he was seen as a math prodigy. With a genius IQ, Kenneth even skipped several grades of high school. Now with the last name Uston, Ken would eventually go on to graduate from the University of Connecticut. He would later transfer to Yale at only 16 years of age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 1955, aged 20, Uston graduated from Yale and went on to study at Harvard University where he would receive an MBA in Finance. Having learned a strict work ethic from his father, Uston would pursue a career as a successful stockbroker, moving with his wife (and soon-to-be-mother of his three children) to San Francisco. Uston would take on a high paying suit-and-tie job crunching numbers at the Pacific Clearing Corporation<\/em>, a finance company specializing in the stock market. By working his way up, Uston became one of the top brass of the company. However, it would not take long for his love of numbers to push him in an entirely new direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ken Uston discovers blackjack<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On a fateful night in 1965, Uston met someone who would ultimately change his life. This was a man by the name of Al Francesco, a professional blackjack player<\/a>. Francesco knew how to win at blackjack. He would teach Uston about the exciting world of blackjack card counting, and because of Uston\u2019s affinity for numbers, it would not be long before Uston was able to master the game. This would lead to the development of Uston as one of the world\u2019s premiere blackjack card counters. And he would go on to take the world\u2019s casinos by storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is card counting?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"card<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Before we get further into the remarkable true story of Ken Uston, we should look at the key element in it: card counting<\/a>. Card counting is a tactic used by players at a casino to gain an advantage against the house. One of the biggest misconceptions about card counting is that it is illegal. Card counting is<\/em> legal, and is a form of advantage play. Despite its legality, casinos frown upon card counting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They even went as far as to refuse players the right to play in their establishments if they caught a card counter caught. The reason for this is that a skilled card counter can win a lot of a casino\u2019s money, but it takes serious effort. Card counting requires time, patience, and excellent in-game skills. Once a card counter has mastered the technique, they can learn how to play\u00a0blackjack<\/a>, and earn serious money. So how does card counting work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to count cards in blackjack<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In card counting, card values are as follows for a standard 52-card deck:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n