By Michael Dalton.
On October 25, 2025, the Ruvo Center in Las Vegas reworked right into a haunted haven for the sharpest minds in blackjack as Max Rubin’s legendary Blackjack Ball returned with a ghoulish twist. The annual invite-only gathering—equal components secret society, technique summit, and social spectacle—embraced a Halloween theme this 12 months, turning the elite card-counting and benefit play conclave right into a masquerade of monsters, mavericks, and mathematical masterminds.
Notable earlier Blackjack Hall of Fame attendees at this occasion (that I bear in mind) included Ed Thorp, Johnny Chang, Don Johnson, Darryl Purpose, James Grosjean, Tommy Hyland, Blair Hull, Rick Blaine, Wally Simmons, Rob Reitzen and, after all, Max Rubin and Richard Munchkin.1)If I missed anybody, let me know. jQuery(‘#footnote_plugin_tooltip_46579_2_1’).tooltip({ tip: ‘#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_46579_2_1’, tipClass: ‘footnote_tooltip’, impact: ‘fade’, predelay: 0, fadeInPace: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, place: ‘prime proper’, relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });
👻 Costumes and Camouflage
Attendees arrived cloaked in creativity, from vampire pit bosses, to gorillas, to zombie sellers. Among the most memorable was Yancy Howard2)
Yancy Howard is the pseudonym for Dick Buechler – a profitable poker participant and blackjack card counter initially from Salem, New Jersey. He feedback that he realized about benefit play in the United States Marines the place he was a Gunnery Sergeant throughout the Vietnam conflict period. A former skilled Heliarc (TIG) Welder and teacher, he now enjoys touring the world in his retirement. Ed Thorp signing Yancy’s jacket! Yancy joked that he wouldn’t take $10000 for this jacket because it was signed by dozens of the greatest benefit gamers in the world. jQuery(‘#footnote_plugin_tooltip_46579_2_2’).tooltip({ tip: ‘#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_46579_2_2’, tipClass: ‘footnote_tooltip’, impact: ‘fade’, predelay: 0, fadeInPace: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, place: ‘prime proper’, relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });, a revered card counter and visitor of Michael Dalton, who got here dressed as the “Unknown (Comic) Card Counter”—a intelligent nod to anonymity in the world of benefit play. His costume, full with a question-mark masks and a deck holster, drew laughs and admiration from fellow friends who appreciated the mix of humor and subtext.
The award for best costume went to a person whose disguise was so convincing, many—together with myself—mistook him for precise occasion employees. Dressed in humble working garments, he blended seamlessly into the background, typically noticed in the males’s restroom as a toilet attendant providing help with an air of quiet professionalism. He even introduced his personal mouthwash, paper cups and different props. His understated presence and dedication to the position fooled practically everybody, making the eventual reveal all the extra pleasant. It was a masterclass in subtlety and immersion—proof that typically the greatest costume isn’t the flashiest, however the one which makes you query what’s actual.
What Gamblers Do! The Calcutta!
All attendees who arrived with a fancy dress got a “free” Calcutta betting card. Mine ended up being value $25 and I wager on Group 5: Gambling Writers, which I used to be a part of. I additionally positioned a number of different bets on some favorites together with the “Field”.
🎩 The Ceremony of Skill
As custom dictates, the night wasn’t nearly revelry. The notorious abilities competitors examined attendees on the whole lot from answering troublesome questions, card counting and memorizing playing cards, with the coveted Grosjean Cup awarded to the night’s prime performer. Whispers of facet bets and impromptu technique debates stuffed the air, proving as soon as once more that the Blackjack Ball is as a lot about mental sparring as it’s about celebration.
The Fastest Card Counter on Earth
As Yancy and I arrived early at the occasion, we instantly acquired our names down for the card counting contest, which was structured in a single-elimination bracket arrangement. Entries had been restricted to the first 56 gamers. This 12 months’s contest was single-deck, 3 playing cards eliminated. Most individuals used the Hi-Lo depend. You select the way you wish to depend. Methods didn’t matter – solely pace and accuracy did. In the finish, it was not stunning that Darryl Purpose gained the contest – at 11.3 seconds. He was at all times thought to be one the quickest card counters on Earth. Magician turned card counter Steven Bridges got here in second.3)
Steven really solely needed to depend 2 playing cards lower than Darryl. Reason? Before the occasion, and provided that you had been in costume, you bought a free handicap card. You might use this card at any time. The card was value a 0 to 12 card benefit. In different phrases, if the card stated 5, then 5 playing cards could be faraway from the deck to make it impartial. Darryl gained the contest despite the fact that Steven had a 2 card benefit! According to Max, if Steve had obtained a 4 or increased, he’d have gained as a result of the contest was so shut. jQuery(‘#footnote_plugin_tooltip_46579_2_3’).tooltip({ tip: ‘#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_46579_2_3’, tipClass: ‘footnote_tooltip’, impact: ‘fade’, predelay: 0, fadeInPace: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, place: ‘prime proper’, relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });
Final card counting competitors between Purpose and Bridges.
Dr. Timothy Fong: UCLA Gambling Addiction Studies
On March 15, 2022, the Blackjack Hall of Fame grew to become a 501c3 non-profit company which permits the Blackjack Ball to have a charitable objective. This 12 months they offered UCLA’s Gambling Addiction Studies.
Dr. Fong emphasised the pervasive nature of playing in American society, noting its rising affect—notably by the enlargement of sports activities betting—and its twin position as each a social connector and a possible supply of hurt. While playing can carry folks collectively, he cautioned that 1–2% of the inhabitants might develop playing dependancy, a situation with critical penalties.
At UCLA, his staff research the organic, psychological, and social roots of playing habits and dependancy, aiming to develop efficient remedies. He proudly highlighted California’s 16-year dedication to offering free playing dependancy therapy, which has helped over 12,000 people.
However, he warned that continued progress will depend on sustained funding. Contributions from the Blackjack Ball will instantly assist analysis into residential therapy, new medicines, and different modern approaches to restoration. He closed by expressing deep gratitude and reaffirming that every dollar donated shall be put to significant use.
During Dr. Fong’s speech he commented: “I’ve learned more about gambling in (these) two hours than I probably did in the last 25 years of studying it and reading it from textbooks and papers.” That’s undoubtedly a testomony to the Blackjack Ball attendees.
The Grosjean Cup and Munchkin Award
It was by no means a straightforward job to win contests at the Blackjack Ball. This 12 months, the remaining contest was to steer a seen Joker taking part in 6-deck blackjack. You wanted to precisely estimate the reduce (round one deck), play one to a few fingers, and probably eat playing cards to get nearer to the Joker. In the finish “The man with the inexperienced hat“, often known as eevee, gained the final contest and the Grosjean Cup. He beat out the the legendary John Chang (former MIT Team supervisor and final 12 months’s Grosjean Cup winner) who gained the Munchkin Award.
🏆 Hall of Fame Honors
The spotlight of the night time got here when Colin Jones, founding father of the Blackjack Apprenticeship and a driving power in fashionable card counting training, was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. His contributions to coaching the subsequent era of benefit gamers and selling moral play earned him a standing ovation. Jones joins an elite group of inductees whose names are etched into the lore of the recreation.
🕵️ A Night to Remember
Max Rubin and Richard Munchkin, the occasion’s charismatic hosts, as soon as once more curated a night that balanced secrecy with spectacle. The Ruvo Center’s dim lighting and eerie décor added a theatrical aptitude to the proceedings, whereas the underlying camaraderie reminded everybody that blackjack (and benefit play normally) is greater than a recreation—it’s a life-style, a self-discipline, and for a lot of, a lifelong pursuit.
As the night time wound down and masks got here off, one factor remained clear: the Blackjack Ball continues to be the heartbeat of the benefit play neighborhood. And in 2025, it pulsed with spooky brilliance.
IMAGE CREDITS: Michael Dalton and Yancy Howard
OTHER LINKS TO THIS EVENT: The Blackjack Ball by Jeff Edelstein
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Footnotes
| ↑1 | If I missed anybody, let me know. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Yancy Howard is the pseudonym for Dick Buechler – a profitable poker participant and blackjack card counter initially from Salem, New Jersey. He feedback that he realized about benefit play in the United States Marines the place he was a Gunnery Sergeant throughout the Vietnam conflict period. A former skilled Heliarc (TIG) Welder and teacher, he now enjoys touring the world in his retirement. Ed Thorp signing Yancy’s jacket! Yancy joked that he wouldn’t take $10000 for this jacket because it was signed by dozens of the greatest benefit gamers in the world. |
| ↑3 |
Steven really solely needed to depend 2 playing cards lower than Darryl. Reason? Before the occasion, and provided that you had been in costume, you bought a free handicap card. You might use this card at any time. The card was value a 0 to 12 card benefit. In different phrases, if the card stated 5, then 5 playing cards could be faraway from the deck to make it impartial. Darryl gained the contest despite the fact that Steven had a 2 card benefit! According to Max, if Steve had obtained a 4 or increased, he’d have gained as a result of the contest was so shut. |
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