Edward Thorp

People say that Dr. Edward O. Thorp wrote the book on blackjack, and it is no exaggeration. Back in 1962, when nearly everybody thought that blackjack was a game of luck, the university professor used computers to devise a system for uncovering mathematical advantages at the table. Appropriately titled Beat the Dealer, Thorp’s bestseller laid out a card counting system that remains in use today – and is  still used for winning, much to the chagrin of casino bosses.

Next time you find yourself at a live blackjack table, adding and subtracting ones as you count your way through a shoe of cards, and, hopefully make a bit of money in the process, take a moment between hands to thank Edward O. Thorp. He is the university math professor turned stock-market genius who invented card counting, wrote a bestselling book called “Beat The Dealer” and can be considered the father of modern advantage play.

One of the great heroes of casino game analysis is Edward O. Thorp. He is best known for his seminal work, Beat the Dealer, originally published in 1962. Over 50 years later, it is still in the top five best-selling books on blackjack listed on Amazon. What is not so well-known is that Thorp also published a research article, with co-author William E. Walden, on beating two baccarat side bets.