Greasy John

[jay28]

"The idea of the perfect formula began with a Vegas legend. In the early 1950s a man known as Greasy John played a card game called Blackjack. He got his nickname from never being without a huge basket of fried chicken. He was so repellent no one could bare to share his table. He played for hours on end, just him against the dealer, and night after night he'd win. Clearly he had a system, but no one could work out what it was. Then at the height of his success Greasy John suffered a massive heart attack. Whatever his secret was he took it to the grave. Greasy John's story entered gambling folk lore, whoever could crack his strategy would have the key to enormous wealth."


This quote is taken from the BBC's "Horizon - Making millions the easy way" broadcasted a few years back. (For full transcipt of show see:-
bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/million_trans.shtml)


Does anyone know any other information or stories about Greasy John?

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by jay28

Does anyone know any other information or stories about Greasy John?

There's a story about him in Beat The Dealer. Thorp seemed to think that he was using end play, but I don't know if that has been confirmed. Frankly I'm surprised that the casino didn't bust him for allegedly marking the cards. Casinos love to assume that everyone who wins is a cheater.


-Sonny-

[Brutus]

Frankly I'm surprised that the casino didn't bust him for allegedly marking the cards.

thats right. marking high or low cards with chicken grease.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo_vyTNhHXY


x

[zengrifter]

Originally Posted by Brutus

thats right. marking high or low cards with chicken grease.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo_vyTNhHXY
x

Barona will let you order french fries at the table. zg

[shadroch]

El Cortez has a table /slot menu.It's actually cheaper than eating at Careful Kittys.

[EasyRhino]

The "eating at the table" thing is a slowly spreading phenomenon.

And I know it's something I could probably use to my advantage, but it still just strikes me as nasty.

[ccl]

i used to play at an indian casino where very few people could eat at the table, they pretty much would close off single deck for me and let me eat there if i wanted so no one else would touch the cards, i use to just order something greasy just to keep the tables to myself

chris

[jay28]

Originally Posted by Brutus

thats right. marking high or low cards with chicken grease.

Could the casino really have been so dumb as to fall for such a simple trick? How could the dealers not have noticed?

[Brutus]

assuming a pitch game. he ate with one hand, and played with the other. keeping the cards mostly clean. only touching the edges of the cards with the greasy hand. he could have only touched high or low cards, or touched cards in certain areas. ( like touching aces in the middle, and big cards on the ends. or big on the ends and small in the middle. as aces arent going to help a stiff hand, but a big card coming out will bust it. or a small card might help.)

if caught, this technique will get you a stiff hand in most places today.

[Stylee]

Im sure the chicken was more of a distraction away from his method than the method itself. I can go into a casino and win every time and if every time I go in I have a hat made of tin foil, people will be wondering how I used the hat made of tin foil to win all that money. Probably had nothing to do with it.