Dana White – the unlikely blackjack king

The name Dana White is one that goes hand in hand with UFC. Having been at the helm of this sport since 2001, he has taken this mixed martial arts and turned it into one of the greatest shows on earth. This show has also brought with it enormous wealth. Estimates put White’s personal fortune at over $500 million. Read more about Dana White and Blackjack.

It is having these kinds of funds that have allowed White to dominate the blackjack table. He has the ability to go in and play for high stakes meaning that the winnings are substantial. As well as clearing up with $3.2 million from the Palms Casino Resort, White has also managed to win a staggering $7 million in just a single night.

Given White’s winning ways, there are some who view him as the blackjack king. They’re quick to point out his huge wins and believe that puts him at the top of the bunch. Let’s take a look at whether or not White really deserves this title. 

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Dana White and Blackjack

Dana White and Blackjack – How is White even associated with blackjack?

It’s all about his winning ways. The stories around big wins start at Palms Casino where he won a cool $1.6 million. The casino owners were left less than impressed and so banned White from ever returning. A change of ownership saw him being invited back. The result? Another $1.6 million going White’s way. Banned again, this time the casino rewarded him with a belt reading “Undisputed Blackjack Champion”.

If those wins weren’t enough for people to start associating White with the game, what was witnessed by Joe Rogan certainly was. The UFC commentator recalls the night when White racked up what is probably the biggest ever win in a single night – $7 million across various tables.

Dana White and Blackjack – Is White the greatest?

There is no denying that White has certainly experienced success at the blackjack table. Whether that makes him the best blackjack player ever is another matter. It’s all down to what you think goes into making a great. These are some of the factors that you need to consider:

Their knowledge of the game

To be a great player, there needs to be a thorough understanding of the game. While blackjack may be viewed as a simple game, there are numerous intricacies that the best players get to grips with. While mastering basic strategy is a must, the great players need to go beyond this.

They need in-depth knowledge of just what it takes to lower the house edge. They need to know the blackjack games that have the best blackjack rules and be sure to ignore the others. 

Advantage play

The basic blackjack strategy has its strengths. In fact, it is so strong that it serves to get you close to being on an equal footing with the casino. Close, but not quite. To get that extra push to get that equal footing, and to even push things in your favor, there is a need to develop some kind of advantage play that sees you maximize your profits.

One of the most common methods used has to be card counting. By mastering card counting, players can give themselves an advantage of between 0.5% and 1.5%. Take it further and learn all about shuffle tracking and that advantage can increase to between 4% and 5%.

A stunning win record

To be considered a blackjack great, you can’t just have the odd win here and there. There needs to be evidence that a player can beat the casino time and time again and, in the course of doing so, rack up some impressive profits.

The greats can earn a full-time income from the game. The good can still earn a nice little income on the side. The better your win to lose ratio becomes, the more money you’ll be taking home each night and the more respected as a player you become.

Longevity

Great blackjack players aren’t just a flash in the pan. They don’t win big a couple of times and then disappear from sight or fall into a losing streak that they can never break. No, a great player has longevity and consistency. Blackjack greats are players that have been playing for decades.

Careers this long bring their own problems though. As players begin to get recognized, casinos quickly look to ban them to protect their own profits! That’s why some of the best players go to extraordinary lengths to disguise themselves and blend in with the crowd.

Does all of that make White the blackjack King?

It’s clear when looking at what we’ve just been through, that White certainly ticks some of the boxes. He has certainly demonstrated longevity and his win record speaks for itself. The fact that he has been banned from so many casinos highlights just how impressive those wins have been.

That being said, the likes of Don Jonson have won more. Looking at longevity, there are the likes of Jeff Ma who kept the MIT blackjack team going and being so successful for years at a time. That’s why it’s so hard to state that White is the ultimate blackjack king. We have only mentioned two other players who can bring this into question, but the reality is that there are many more that could form a long list.

Final thoughts on Dana White and Blackjack

There is no getting away from the fact that Dana White is a wildly successful blackjack player. The size of his profits means that there are very few people who have won anywhere near as much. However, big wins alone are not enough.

It has to be remembered that White was already wealthy. He was able to play for high stakes and that’s something that other players just can’t afford to do. These high stake games bring the big wins that we see White claim. 

The truth is that White is a good player. The blackjack king? Well, there are far too many other contenders here so we can’t possibly hand White the crown. 

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Blackjack and Dana White