Dana White made a name for himself as a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) champion turned president. But the UFC is not the only thing he is skilled in. The 54-year-old champion is also known as a blackjack mogul, having won and lost millions of dollars on the many blackjack tables across the US.
His blackjack escapades are so popular that many blackjack players wonder what his strategy is and wish to implement them in their blackjack games. In this Wizard Slots post, we will discuss how is Dana White so good at blackjack, his strategy and whether he is banned from blackjack.
How Is Dana White So Good At Blackjack?
Dana White, born Dana Frederick White Jr. in Connecticut, USA, is a UFC president and an avid blackjack player. He has won millions in blackjack but admits to losing millions as well. In 2014, Mr. White won over $2 million (£1.6 million) playing blackjack at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
At some point, Dana won over $150k (£120k) at the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas, playing with his friend, Steve, a YouTube personality. They recorded the game and uploaded it on YouTube.
His proclaimed success with blackjack has put him in the spotlight, with many people wanting to know how he is so good at blackjack. While Mr. Dana White is many things, he is not that good at blackjack. His million wins are primarily due to the fact that he is a high-roller player, meaning that when he plays blackjack, he bets large sums of money. Therefore, if he wins, his payouts can be just as high.
For example, he was betting $25,000 (£20k) per hand when he won his $2 million win in 2014. Blackjack is a game of chance. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. But, if you are a multi-millionaire who does not care to spend thousands of dollars per hand, winning handsomely if you win is to be expected.
In addition, Dana White is already in the spotlight and has friends in the spotlight. That helps in advertising his blackjack wins, consequently making him look like he is so good in blackjack when he is, in fact, not that exceptional or different from any other blackjack player.
Was Dana White Banned From Playing Blackjack?
No, Dana White is not banned from playing blackjack altogether. However, his notorious wins have had him getting banned from a few casinos in Las Vegas, with some banning him a couple of times. Dana has admitted to being banned from three casinos, with one banning him twice.
In 214, Dana White had a winning streak that saw him taking over $2 million (£1.6+ million) in 3 months from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The casino gave him a note that stated he was to never return to the casino. In 2012, he chose to boycott the casino after they limited his bet sizes to half his average bet amount.
The UFC president has also been banned from The Mirage & The Wynn casino, although not much is known about this ban. Mr. White is still an active blackjack player, but he prefers casinos that do not have table limits and can accommodate his large sums of bets.
What’s Dana White’s Blackjack Strategy?
Although there have been rumours of White using the Martingale strategy for his blackjack games, he has disputed this, claiming he prefers to play on instinct. Others have speculated that Dana’s luck with blackjack and consequent bans are primarily due to card counting.
Of course, Mr. White has vehemently denied these allegations, sticking with the instinct gameplay and being well-versed with blackjack’s basic strategy. In an interview with Las Vegas Review Journal, Mr White said, “A lot of people are going to think I’m a card counter after that Ben Affleck thing at the Hard Rock. I’m the farthest thing from a card counter.”
If Dana White does have a strategy, he is not letting anyone else in on it. But, of course, blackjack is a game of chance, and no strategy guarantees wins. So, it is far more sensible to assume Mr White does not have a strategy and wins as much as the next person. We only know about it because he is somewhat of a celebrity and bets large amounts; therefore, he wins large amounts when he wins. Because he is a celebrity, he has the media (and himself) publishing his every blackjack significant win.
To keep his “blackjack champion” status, he keeps the information about his losses to a minimum. Otherwise, it would reflect his true wins (how much he bets and loses vs. how much he wins and how often).
The Dana White Blackjack Belt
Following his massive 2014 $2 million win (£1.6 million) in Palms Casino Resort, Dana White received a Championship Blackjack belt from the casino, giving him the title of a champion after he “beat” the casino in blackjack.
Embroidered onto the blackjack Championship belt are the Las Vegas resort logo and the words “Undisputed Blackjack Champion.”
However, this crowning was not all good news for White as it was accompanied by walking papers, a letter requesting Mr. White never return to the casino. That was the second time the UFC president and now Palms Casino’s blackjack champions had been banned from the casino.
Does Dana White Still Gamble?
While Mr. White is not permitted to play blackjack in a few Las Vegas casinos, he is still a regular and frequent player in some that have not banned him.
The casinos that have not banned him make it slightly more challenging for him to play with them, allegedly making their table limits too low for his high-stakes liking.
However, Mr White claims he has a number of favourite casinos he enjoys playing at. He also claims that while he enjoys playing blackjack, he does not do it that often, only when he feels like it.
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