Don Johnson Blackjack Career Overview
Blackjack, also known as 21, is the most popular casino game worldwide. The beloved game is a combination of skills and luck, and people continue to try and beat the house time and time again. Some players have won massive amounts of money throughout the years. Now, we are going to discuss one of these lucky few people – the notorious Don Johnson blackjack player.
Once again, we are not talking about the popular actor from the 1980 Miami Vice TV series. This Don Johnson is among the most famous gamblers in the world and one of the biggest blackjack casino winners in recent history. He won over $15,000,000 in a period of three months as a professional blackjack player in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Read this article further to learn more about Don Johnson’s blackjack career, his life, history, and more.
Don Johnson Blackjack Player – Early Life & History
First, let us start with some trivia about the legendary blackjack player, though one can argue that there is nothing truly trivial about this man’s life. According to Don Johnson’s Wikipedia page, the famous gambler was born on May 10th, 1962, in the city of Salem, Oregon. We can safely say that competing and gambling have been a constant throughout his entire life. During his teen years, Johnson used to compete at horseracing tracks. Later, he decided to give up horseracing and started working as a racetrack manager.
| ✔️ Full Name | Donald Johnson |
| 📅 Date of Birth | 10th May 1962 |
| 🏘️ Birthplace | Salem, Oregon |
| 🏠 Current Residence | Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania |
| 💰 Net Worth | $5,000,000 |
When he was 30 years old, he was appointed as a manager of the Philadelphia Park racetrack in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia Park would later evolve into the popular Parx Casino still operating today. After leaving Philadelphia Park, Johnson moved on to serve as a state regulator in a few US states, including Oregon, Texas, Idaho, and Wyoming. In the 00s, the blackjack player founded Heritage Development – a Wyoming-based company, producing wagering programs for horse racing.
Don Johnson Blackjack Winner – Winning from Three Casinos
Johnson began actively playing blackjack about 10 years prior to his notorious streak on three Atlantic City (among the best gambling cities worldwide) casinos in 2010. The famous gambler won over $15,000,000 within just a few months, securing his place among the most prominent blackjack winners in the history of the world. It is important to mention that the Don Johnson blackjack winner run happened shortly after the global economic crisis of 2007-2009 and the Great Recession in the USA. The American economy was still recovering, and the same applied to the gambling industry.
Aside from the global economic crisis, the competition in the country was significantly increasing, both within the state and interstate. At the time, American casinos were actively looking to entice high rollers, and understandably, Johnson was one of the players on their list. Many operators reached out to him, promising better deals and conditions if he were to agree to play at their establishments at the highest stakes. Among these were three popular casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The three Atlantic City casinos who offered Johnson the best terms and conditions were Tropicana Atlantic City, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, and Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino. All three casinos are also a part of the best online casino sites in New Jersey. Don Johnson agreed to play at each of the three hotels and ended up winning over $15,000,000 in total.
The blackjack player won nearly $6,000,000 during a 12-hour marathon in Tropicana, and $4,000,000 in Caesars again within just one day. He also won $5,000,000 over three trips to Borgata. Johnson would later recall that at one point he won $1,200,000 out of three consecutive hands and $800,000 from another hand. When asked about it, he told an interviewer that there was no quitting point for him. He stopped playing when the dealer refused to refill the tray.
Don Johnson Blackjack Strategy – How Did He Do It?
So how did he do it? What was the Don Johnson blackjack strategy? This is the answer we are all looking for. Throughout the years following his success, there have been many theories. Some say Johnson must have been using a card counting strategy. Card counters are extremely advanced blackjack players. They keep track of the cards dealt during the game thus trying to gain an edge over the house. Consequently, these players bet more when they have an advantage and respectively less when the house has an advantage in the game. Below are some of the most popular blackjack card counting strategies:
| Card Counting Strategy | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | J | Q | K | A |
| Hi-Lo | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| K-O | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| KISS (III) | + 1 black / 0 red | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| Omega II | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +1 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 | 0 |
| Hi-Opt I | 0 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 0 |
| Hi-Opt II | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 | 0 |
| Zen Count | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +1 | 0 | 0 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -1 |
| Halves | +0.5 | +1 | +1 | +1.5 | +1 | +0.5 | 0 | -0.5 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| Red Seven | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 red / 0 black | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
Card counting is a perfectly legal technique in both the UK and the USA. This is actually not surprising, given that card counters are not actually cheating or doing anything illegal. They are simply using their mathematical and memory skills to gain an advantage over the casino. However, we all know the rule that the house always has the upper hand and wins at the end. Well, casinos would like to keep it that way, therefore, card counting is frowned upon by many operators worldwide and apparent card counters are frequently banned from playing.
Another theory regarding the Don Johnson blackjack method is that he used the hole carding technique, where another person watching the game checks out one of the down or hole cards dealt by a casino dealer. This person then gives valuable information to the player, thus helping him make better decisions.
There are many other theories, but only one truth. The player won fair and square. The Don Johnson blackjack strategy included knowing the game in the smallest detail and negotiating great casino blackjack terms with all three operators. Reportedly, the prominent blackjack player got 20% rebate, six decks, re-split aces, soft 17, and more. The changes to standard casino blackjack terms may have been what gave Johnson the ultimate edge against the house. Many consider that these famous casino operators might have made a mistake and helped Johnson beat them at their own game.
Don Johnson Blackjack – Where is the Player Now?
As of the time of writing this article, Don Johnson resides in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania. His current net worth is about $5,000,000. According to the notorious blackjack player himself, his life has not changed that much over the years following his Atlantic City streak. He is still operating his parimutuel wagering business.
Johnson can be seen partying with stars from the rank of Jon Bon Jovi and Charlie Sheen and throwing birthday bash parties for none other than Pamela Anderson. A few years ago, he sprayed London clubgoers with one of the most expensive bottles of champagne. All of this, however, is not new for the professional blackjack player.
Don Johnson has been invited to participate in many interviews over the years and has been mentioned in many gambling documentaries. The Don Johnson documentary, “The Player”, takes us on a trip into the life of the remarkable blackjack winner. For all blackjack lovers, we also recommend watching some of the best blackjack movies of all time.
Don Johnson Blackjack Winner – Frequently Asked Questions
This concludes our article about the famous US blackjack winner Don Johnson. We hope you found it interesting and received all the answers you needed. Still, if there is something unclear about Don Johnson blackjack winner story, make sure to have a look at the helpful FAQ section below:
