On February 21st 2014, Justin Mills, a 23 years-old videographer, was first invited to a blackjack tournament by the Maryland Live casino in Baltimore and then forcefully removed from the tournament to be illegally detained after being accused of card counting.
Yet, card counting is not illegal but any casino would discourage the ones who can beat the house.
Indeed, card counting is considered as an unfair advantage. This strategy is far from being illegal as long as you use your brain only and play alone: team working is prohibited. If you use a computer or other electronic device it is then considered as cheating and you could face being sued by the casino.
For years, casinos took advantage of blackjack tables because players thought it was a game of chance and most of them did not have any experience at all. So people were losing a lot of money and casinos were cashing in on that. In the 1960’s, Edward Thorp wrote the very first card-counting method “Beat the dealer”. He elaborated mathematical methods and practical advice on the best way to play each round. Following this and still in the United-States, a wave of panic arose amongst casino owners. The trend was finally reversed: blackjack players had now a greater advantage over casinos. As a result and in order to make card counting becoming impossible, the rules of the game were modified dramatically in all Las Vegas casinos. It turned out that players and mainly the less experienced did not appreciate the changes in rules. Under those circumstances, casinos were deserted and lost colossal profits. They eventually had no other choice but to relax the rules so that gamblers would come back. In effect, the new “card counters” players rushed back to the casinos. In the 1970’s, Blackjack became the most popular game in casinos.
Learning to count cards is no easy task. It is time-consuming and complex. Only a handful of players are capable of this kind of commitment for this game that becomes a profession. You have to not only be brilliant but also disciplined and passionate.
Justin’s case was quickly funded and his story echoed loudly in the casino/gambling world. His case is still ongoing and you can consult updates, case evidence and legal documents regarding the progression of the case. There are also 2 videos attached to this campaign:
- The first one shows Justin Mills being escorted out to a back room by security.
- The second video shows him being threatened and illegally detained by the police.
Read more about Justin Mills’ litigation in the news:
Justin Mills’ Success Story on Invest4Justice.
No comments:
Post a Comment