In the world of advantage-play gambling, John Chang is a legend. Serious blackjack practitioners know who he is, and they know all about his place in the green felt pantheon.
He managed the fearsome MIT blackjack team, is a member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame (check it out sometime at Barona Resort & Casino near San Diego, California) and he continues to reign as an elder statesman of the game.
Well-Known Whether He Likes It or Not
Even those who think they do not know much about him, well, they very likely do. Chang provided inspiration for the Mickey Rosa character, played by Kevin Spacey in the blackjack movie classic 21. It was based on the excellent book Bringing Down the House, authored by Ben Mezrich.
Years ago, at around the time of the movie’s release, when Chang competed in the World Series of Blackjack, he wore a disguise and cheekily played under the pseudonym of Mickey Rosa.
Never mind that Chang showed off his stubborn streak and belief in himself when he refused to sell his life rights to the producers of 21. That is also indicative of his strong desire to remain anonymous – which has become increasingly difficult over the years.
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Taking Drastic Measures
At one point, during the height of his playing days, in order to stay in action and not get booted from the casino, Chang resorted to dressing in drag. For a while, he successfully pulled it off.
“Cross-dressing actually worked in the Bahamas and Illinois,” he told me in my book Advantage Players. “But at Taj Mahal [formerly owned by Donald Trump, now defunct], they were looking at my hands. An Asian host came over and whispered in my ear, ‘We know who you are.’”
Soon after, Chang took off running – in high heels, no less – to avoid getting formally booted from the casino.
But It Wasn’t Always Like That
Back in the late 1970s, Chang was an everyday student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He took a class there where he learned to count cards. But he was a broke college kid and lacked the necessary bankroll to capitalize on this blackjack strategy.
Then he saw a handwritten sign that had been posted on campus. It promised an opportunity to make $300 over spring break by playing on a card counting team. No bankroll was required.
Chang signed on, squeezed into a car with four other MIT students and headed down to Atlantic City. After gaining experience, he began playing for big money.
As Chang related to Blackjack Advisor, his first decent score on a single hand came in Las Vegas.
“I bet $1,600 at the Desert Inn [the casino has since been torn down and Wynn Las Vegas stands where it used to be] and split 10s against a 6,” he recalled.
“At the DI, you were allowed to split 10s more than once” – and he did. “The casino manager came over to watch. He was laughing his ass off because this idiot Chinese kid was splitting 10s.” Of course, Chang did it for good reason: with a true count above five, that is the right play to make against a 6. “The dealer busted, and the casino manager gave me his card.”
Wins Piled Up
That was a good start for Chang, but the techniques became more involved, and the profits accrued. As the genius of blackjack told me, there was a time when he and a team member were playing in Atlantic City, deploying an advanced strategy that allowed them to gauge coming cards.
During a previous trip, his teammate had successfully doubled down on 18 when he knew a 3 was coming. On this occasion, Chang, playing two hands, was dealt 19 and 11.
Because of the move they were using, he knew that that the next two cards would be 2 and 10, in that order. He asked his teammate what he thought of doubling with 19. Both agreed that it was the right thing to do. Chang did it, hit his 2 and his 10, and got rewarded with a pile of chips.
“I was, like, ‘Let’s get out of here before we get arrested,’” Chang remembered.
Though he was half-kidding – the pair were not in legal jeopardy, though doubling with 19 definitely looked suspicious – skedaddling was probably a good idea.
“It was 10 years after that play,” Chang continued. “I had not been to Atlantic City in five years and thought nobody would recognize me. I sat down at a $100-minimum table at another casino.
"After one deck, they put down a sign saying my max bet was $100 and my minimum bet was $100” – in other words, he could not spread his bets, which is necessary if you want to make money as a card counter. “Then the pit boss came out and started chatting with me. He said, ‘Is it true that you doubled with a hard 19?’”
Surprised that somebody would remember the move after so many years, Chang acknowledged to me, “I guess there are limits to aggression.”
Skewed View of Money
These days, Chang and his advantage-playing wife Laurie still hit the games when they can. Though he probably thinks twice about doubling on 19, even if he knows a 2 is coming, blackjack remains a profitable endeavor when you play it the Chang way.
During the MIT years, wins for Chang and his teammates were considerable. They caused him to view money in a relatively casual manner when it all seemed so easy.
Providing evidence of that, Laurie told me what happened, years ago, before they were married, when she was helping him to get organized for a move from one home to another.
Shifting around glass jars and storage boxes, she found more than $100,000 in chips randomly scattered throughout Chang’s digs. When she expressed incredulity over the high-stakes loose change, Chang took it in stride. He shrugged and told her, “I thought I was a little light.”
