Who is MIT Mike?
If you’re new to the world of blackjack, you may not be familiar with the name MIT Mike. Real name Mike Aponte, he’s a former blackjack pro and was the first winner of the World Series of blackjack. Before his world title, Aponte made his blackjack career by making the most of card counting. With a team consisting of 4 others from the same college, they went on to make millions of dollars from casinos across the US, and beyond.
So, where does the MIT part come from? Aponte attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With all of the team members coming from the same college, it became known as MIT, hence MIT Mike. His story is now legendary, and we’re going to share an insight now.
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MIT Mike – Fame and fortune
The name Mike Aponte is one that commands respect in the world of blackjack. Those who get into the game who don’t recognize it, are soon educated as they learn just what MIT Mike achieved. The reality is, this was a blackjack player who lived the dream. Thanks to the game that many love, he created an almost perfect lifestyle for himself. This lifestyle was certainly lavish and involved plenty of cash.
Mike, along with the rest of the MIT team, won millions of dollars by mastering card counting. This perfectly legal skill allowed them to beat the house, no matter where they played. When the team came to an end, the other players sloped away into the background. Mike had different ideas and edged out a career in his own right that was crowned when he became world champion.
Mike Aponte and the early years
When looking back to Aponte’s childhood, there was certainly nothing that signaled that he would go on to become one of the greatest card players of all time. Down to the fact that his father was in the military, Mike found himself moving regularly and attending a total of 11 different schools.
In 1988, Mike began his time at MIT. He was there to study economics but became increasingly interested in the MIT blackjack team, which was already enjoying massive success. Mike was attracted to the fact that blackjack could be played, and won, by using a system based on math. This led to him spending the time to master card counting, quickly becoming one of the best.
The message to take here is that Mike certainly wasn’t lucky: he put in the work to develop as a player and then mastered the skill that he knew would lead to winning.
The MIT team
While Aponte had enrolled at MIT back in 1988, it was some 4 years later when he got truly involved with the blackjack team. The year was 1992 when he began to build solid experience of playing in casinos alongside the others. All members were assigned their roles and Aponte was the ‘big player’. This meant that he was there to make the most of placing big bets when the advantage has turned in the team’s favor.
It wasn’t long before it was recognized that Aponte was the best big player in the team. On the back of this, he soon began to manage the team. This meant that it was down to him to recruit and train any new members. He was also responsible for organizing any trips.
Between the years of 1992 and 200, Mike and the MIT team experienced success that was beyond belief. It wasn’t just US casinos that they visited. They traveled around the world, winning millions of dollars in the process. The team worked hard, practicing both day and night so that they got it right in the casinos.
In 2000, it was getting harder to card count. Although perfectly legal, casinos were understandably tired of being wiped out. They got stricter with the card counters that were caught, and changes were introduced to the game that made the technique harder to use. The team stepped back and took the time to enjoy their rewards. Aponte was the exception: he moved on to new challenges.
MIT Mike and the World Series of Blackjack
Aponte wasn’t ready to step back from blackjack. Instead, he saw this as the opportunity to establish himself as a single player. This led to him, in 2004, taking part in the first World Series of Blackjack Championship. His invite to the tournament saw him competing against 25 of the best blackjack players in the world.
Of course, Aponte went on to win. He claimed $100,000 in prize money and saw his name go down in the history books as the first-ever victor. What did he do with his prize money? He used this to set up and business so that he could coach other blackjack players. As teachers go, you’d be hard pushed to find a better one.
World champion to world-class coach
Just like his playing days, Aponte took his coaching business extremely seriously and he was determined to become the best. He had always said that his drive in the game was to lead the most lavish lifestyle ever, and now he was helping others to achieve the same goal.
How successful was he with his training? Well, he was behind the performances of Nathaniel Tilton. Not only was Tilton a first-class player, but he also went on to author the book The Blackjack Life.
MIT Mike immortalized in book and film
The story of MIT Mike is truly inspirational and soon caught the attention of Ben Mezrich. This writer went on to write a book that was based on Mike’s exploits. Called Bringing the House Down, years down the line the book was also turned into a film, 21.
Of course, the MIT team as a whole had tremendous success, but there’s something a little special about Aponte and all that he achieved in just 12 years. He has certainly inspired many blackjack players by showing them just what’s possible when you’re prepared to put the work in.
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