ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BLACKJACK
SPECIAL SECTION
Blackjack Ball (BB, BJB)
According to Max Rubin, “The Blackjack Ball is a double secret party that he has hosted since 1997, that pits the world’s most dangerous blackjack players in a battle for the coveted “Blackjack Cup“, a trophy which proclaims them to be that year’s ‘World’s Greatest Blackjack Player’.” Entry to the Ball is by invitation only and each guest is required to bring one chilled bottle of premium champagne 1)
Yes, this only includes “full” bottles of chilled premium Champagne. You know… advantage players will try to get away with anything. 🙂 For the 2018 Blackjack Ball, I brought a nice bottle of Tsarine Cuvee Adriana… a fancy looking gold bottle of French Champagne. Beginning in 2019, each guest must also pony up $100 to help mitigate the cost and help support the longevity of the Blackjack Hall of Fame and the Blackjack Ball. to get past the security at the door. Voting generally occurs at this event for new inductees into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. See Blackjack History Database.
WORLD’S GREATEST BLACKJACK PLAYER
BLACKJACK CUP PAST WINNERS
- 1997 Wally Simmons
- 1998 “The Hobbit”
- 1999 “MIT Ted”
- 2000 “Cassie” aka Maria “The Greek”
- 2001 Bradley Petersen
- 2002 Bradley Petersen
- 2003 “Mr. Lucky”
- 2004 James Grosjean
- 2005 “The Hobbit”
- 2006 “The Moray Eel”
- 2007 James Grosjean
- 2008 James Grosjean2)James Grosjean was barred from winning any more of these contests in 2008. But they named the prize after him! 🙂 Check Max Rubin’s site for more information.
GROSJEAN CUP PAST WINNERS
- 2009 “Honcho”
- 2010 “Big Player”
- 2011 Michael Shackleford
- 2012 “Mr. Yuk”
- 2013 Richard Munchkin
- 2014 “Smoke”
- 2015 Rick Blaine
- 2016 Lee Jenson
- 2017 Anthony Curtis
- 2018 “Wahoo”
- 2019 “Tony S.”
- 2020 Arnold Snyder
DATABASE ENTRIES3)Database entries above may be incomplete. I am looking for exact Blackjack Ball dates to complete 1997 – 2010. Did you attend? Know the date? Let me know!
| Event Date | Event Name |
|---|---|
| 01-05-1997 |
 On this day (approx) in 1997, Max Rubin held the 1st annual Blackjack Ball - an event to celebrate the greatest blackjack players, experts and authors. Wally Simmons won the Blackjack Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. |
| 01-02-2008 |
 On this day in 2008, Roger Baldwin, Wilbert Cantey, Herbert Maisel and James McDermott were officially inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. Collectively they were known as "The Four Horsemen of Aberdeen". While serving in the U.S. Army in the 1950s, they discovered and published in the Journal of the American Statistical Association the first accurate basic strategy for blackjack, using only desk calculators. [ Encyclopedia of Blackjack ] |
| 01-04-2008 |
On this day in 2008, Max Rubin held the 12th annual Blackjack Ball. James Grosjean won the Blackjack Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. The Four Horseman of Aberdeen were inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. |
| 12-31-2011 |
On this day in 2011, Max Rubin held the 15th annual Blackjack Ball. Michael Shackelford won the Grosjean Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. Zeljko Ranogajec was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. |
| 01-28-2012 |
On this day in 2012, Max Rubin held the 16th annual Blackjack Ball. "Mr. Yuk" won the Grosjean Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. Ian Andersen was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. |
| 01-26-2013 |
On this day in 2013, Max Rubin held the 17th annual Blackjack Ball. Richard Munchkin won the Grosjean Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. There was no voting for induction this year into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. |
| 01-25-2014 |
On this day in 2014, Max Rubin held the 18th annual Blackjack Ball. "Smoke" won the Grosjean Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. Bob Nersesian was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. |
| 01-24-2015 |
On this day in 2015, Max Rubin held the 19th annual Blackjack Ball. Rick Blaine won the Grosjean Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. Don Schlesinger was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. |
| 01-30-2016 |
On this day in 2016, Max Rubin held the 20th annual Blackjack Ball. Lee Jenson won the Grosjean Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. Bill Benter was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. |
| 01-28-2017 |
On this day in 2017, Max Rubin held the 21st annual Blackjack Ball. Anthony Curtis won the Grosjean Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. Don Johnson was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. |
| 04-21-2018 |
On this day in 2018, Max Rubin held the 22nd annual Blackjack Ball. "Wahoo" won the Grosjean Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. Wally Simmons was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. |
| 02-09-2019 |
On this day in 2019, Max Rubin held the 23rd annual Blackjack Ball. "Tony S." won the Grosjean Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. Rob Reitzen was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. |
| 02-22-2020 |
On this day in 2020, Max Rubin held the 24th annual Blackjack Ball. Arnold Snyder won the Grosjean Cup trophy this year for World's Greatest Blackjack Player. Anthony Curtis was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. [ Blackjack Review ] |
PODCASTS
- 24th Blackjack Ball 2020
- 23rd Blackjack Ball 2019
- 22nd Blackjack Ball 2018
- 21st Blackjack Ball 2017
- 20th Blackjack Ball 2016
- 18th Blackjack Ball 2014
- 17th Blackjack Ball 2013
- 16th Blackjack Ball 2012
MORE INFORMATION
[ Past Winners ]
[ Richard Munchkin 2014 Ball ]
[ Forbes Magazine 2016 Ball ]
[ Cigar Aficionado 2017 Ball ]
[ Henry Tamburin 2019 Ball ]
[ Las Vegas Advisor 2019 Ball ]
[ Blackjack Review 2020 Ball ]
[ Las Vegas Review Journal 2020 Ball ]
Footnotes
| ↑1 | Yes, this only includes “full” bottles of chilled premium Champagne. You know… advantage players will try to get away with anything. 🙂 For the 2018 Blackjack Ball, I brought a nice bottle of Tsarine Cuvee Adriana… a fancy looking gold bottle of French Champagne. Beginning in 2019, each guest must also pony up $100 to help mitigate the cost and help support the longevity of the Blackjack Hall of Fame and the Blackjack Ball. |
| ↑2 | James Grosjean was barred from winning any more of these contests in 2008. But they named the prize after him! 🙂 Check Max Rubin’s site for more information. |
| ↑3 | Database entries above may be incomplete. I am looking for exact Blackjack Ball dates to complete 1997 – 2010. Did you attend? Know the date? Let me know! |