Blackjack Hall of Fame: James Grosjean
He Wrote and Gambled His Way into Blackjack History
James Grosjean - the 2006 inductee into the Blackjack Hall of Fame - is a professional blackjack player and a best-selling author. His most famous book, "Beyond Counting: Exploiting Casino Games from Blackjack to Video Poker," published in 2000, is considered by many to be part of the blackjack literary triple play along with Edward Thorp's "Beat the Dealer" and Ken Uston's "The Big Player."
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Like many great blackjack players, Grosjean started playing the game professionally when he was in college where he studied - what else - mathematics. Math has always played a crucial role in blackjack strategy and Grosjean applied mathematics to newer and better ways to beat the system. In "Beyond Counting," Grosjean analyzes the mathematical aspects of blackjack card counting, bringing the complex theories down to a level that most readers can understand and use. He also offers useful strategies for other popular casino games, such as Craps, 3-Card Poker, and Let it Ride Poker — strategies that are useful in the online casino as well as the brick-and-mortar casino. In short, James Grosjean is advisor to millions of gamblers the world over.
A Hero to All Professional Blackjack Players
Like many card-counting legends, Grosjean has had his scrapes with the law and his legal battles are well documented. Blackjack card counting is not illegal but card counters have been hounded, hunted and harassed for years by the likes of the Griffin Investigations Agency. Revenge is sweet, however - in 2005 Griffin Investigations declared bankruptcy as a direct result of a massive lawsuit leveled against the company by no other than James Grosjean.
| Grosjean claimed that he and another gambler - Michael Russo - were improperly banned and arrested because of information gathered and provided by Griffin. Grosjean and Russo won their case - and more than $100,000 in damages - thus leading to the downfall of the heralded Griffin Agency (in the same way that the Agency led to the demise of many a blackjack team during the Golden Age of Card Counting). |
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Grosjean's sweet taste of legal success led to other law suits and he won another huge settlement in a different false arrest suit against a Vegas casino. These victories have given James Grosjean hero status among card counters and professional blackjack players. He continues to play professional blackjack, striking fear, awe, and respect in the hearts of many fellow players and securing his coveted birth in the Blackjack Hall of Fame.
