Edward Thorp is considered to be the father of blackjack card-counting. Dr. Edward Oakley Thorp is not only one of the best professional blackjack players of all time, but also the researcher and author of an amazing quantity of Blackjack books. The first card-counting strategy was published in Thorp's book 'Beat the Dealer' (1962). This system decreased the house edge to almost 5% and proved to be one of the most successful systems of the era.

His talents and success at Blackjack can be attributed to his mathematical talent. After he received a Ph.D. at the University of California in 1958, Thorp worked as the professor of mathematics and finance at M.I.T. from 1959-1961.

He developed the strategy with the help of a series of computer research programs and investigations. This was the first time a computer was used to make a gambling theory.

Best known as the author of the Internationally renowned book, ‘Beat the Dealer‘ Edward Thorp was a mathematics professor at MIT who proved that blackjack could be won through a technique referred to as Card Counting. He completed undergraduate and graduate work at U.C.L.A., receiving the B.A. In physics, and the Ph.D. In mathematics in 1958. Edward Thorp isn’t just one of the best blackjack players the world has ever known. In the late 1960’s he transitioned his focus from casino gambling to Wall Street. In 1967, he published another famous, strategic guide for making money, Beat the.

Thorp used the IBM 704 to calculate the game odds and use the system to increase the advantage for the player. The theory was tested at Casinos in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. This system turned out to be highly successful one and Thorp became one of the most well-known blackjack players.

His fame led to disappointment for Thorpe as most of the casinos recognized and banned him from playing there. To continue playing he had to use disguises.

The strategy created by Edward Thorp was the most popular reading for most players. Therefore, the casinos decided to take measures to prevent them from winning. One of the new methods was constant shuffling. Thorp's strategy became more and more popular and he decided to publish a book. The book was called 'Beat the Dealer' and it was published in 1962. The book is considered to be one of the most popular gambling theories and it is included in the New York Times list of bestsellers with over 700,000 copies sold.

Edward Thorp became one of the seven original members of Blackjack Hall of Fame due to his great achievements in gambling.

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The world of blackjack is impossible to imagine without the name of one more blackjack guru and master, the father of card counting at blackjack, the member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame, the professor of mathematics – Edward O. Thorp.

What is he famous for?

This person has a rich biography which clearly shows his wide experience as a professor of mathematics and finance; he worked at different universities such as M.I.T (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) for example, known also by another considerable figure of blackjack – MIT Blackjack Team.

Edward Thorp Beat The Dealer

The year of 1962 was commemorated by the book Beat the Dealer: Edward O. Thorp destroyed the myth of impossibility to beat a casino out of great money. Using mathematics and his own mind, Thorp described different blackjack strategies which gave a chance to any ordinary gambler to improve his skills of playing and learn how to win at blackjack. Beat the Dealer had become an American bestseller at once, and now the name of Edward O. Thorp was associated with the game of blackjack.

To check the effectiveness of his counting system, Thorp used it by himself at Lake Tahoe, Reno and Las Vegas casinos first: certainly, he worked not alone but with a professional gambler, whose name was Manny Kimmel. After winning $ 11000 for one weekend, professor Thorp has understood that his theory and mathematical methods of playing blackjack really worked; thanks to such amazing and quick wining, the name of Thorp became very known among blackjack gamblers. The father of card counting became a real threat for casinos because of his books which helped many gamblers to become professionals.

Anyway, Beat the Dealer was not so easy to understand for ordinary gamblers at first, because it was difficult for average players to use Thorp’s theory at casinos. But the second edition of the book (in the year of 1966) became the more practical variant of Beat the Dealer: Thorp had written it with the assistance of Julian Braun.

Edward O. Thorp is known not only because of his book Beat the Dealer: he is the author of other works, such as:

• The Mathematics of Gambling
• Beat the Market
• Elementary Probability

Dr. Thorp is the author of many different articles which are considered to be the best blackjack achievements today.

He is known not only as a writer but also an inventor of the first device to win at roulette: he has invented it in 1961 together with Claud Shannon.

Bringing Down The House

In 2003, Edward O. Thorp, together with other 6 blackjack celebrities which are considered to be the historical personalities of blackjack today, has become the member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame for his contribution to this popular card game.