Blackjack History – Movies / Shows

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Event DateEvent Name
08-10-1960

On this day in 1960, the Las Vegas heist movie Ocean's 11 starring the original Rat Pack was released.

02-03-1964

On this day in 1964, Edward Thorp was a contestant on To Tell the Truth, with host Bud Collyer and panelists Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Orson Bean, and Kitty Carlisle.

01-16-1978

On this day in 1978, the movie Nowhere to Run with David Janssen debuted.  Based on Charles Einstein's book The Blackjack Hijack (1976) the story is about Harry, who executes a 15-year plan (playing blackjack) to accumulate enough wealth to start a new life.

05-17-1981

On this day in 1981, the CBS 60 Minutes episode with Ken Uston aired.   Interviewed by Harry Reasoner, the show highlighted Ken Uston's skills of being an advantage blackjack player.

12-31-1983

On this day in 1983, the movie Stacy's Knights debuted.  Stacy, a young novice card counter, battles it out with corrupt casino bosses.

12-16-1988

On this day in 1988, the classic movie Rain Man debuted.  The movie depicted (unrealistically) an autistic-savant's ability to memorize and predict cards at the blackjack table.

10-24-1995

On this day in 1995, the U.K. Network First TV series documentary episode Fear and Counting in Las Vegas was aired.

11-22-1995

On this day in 1995, Martin Scorsese's movie Casino was released.  Filming took place in the Las Vegas Riviera Casino and the old  Landmark Hotel.

06-01-2003

On this day in 2003, the movie The Hot Shoe was released.  It would become one of the first complete and accurate documentaries about card counting ever made.

03-15-2004

On this day in 2004, the World Series of Blackjack (tournament) television show debuted on the Game Show Network (GSN).

05-09-2004

On this day in 2004, the movie Breaking Vegas was released.  Documented the exploits of the MIT Blackjack Team of the 1990s.

07-05-2004

On this day in 2004, the Celebrity Blackjack television show debuted on the Game Show Network (GSN).

01-11-2005

On this day in 2005, the last episode of the Celebrity Blackjack television show aired on the Game Show Network (GSN).

04-01-2006

On this day in 2006, former MIT blackjack team member Andy Bloch released his card counting DVD called Beating Blackjack.

09-16-2006

On this day in 2006, the Ultimate Blackjack Tour (elimination blackjack tournament) television show debuted on CBS.

06-04-2007

On this day in 2007, the last episode of the televised World Series of Blackjack aired on the Game Show Network (GSN).

11-10-2007

On this day in 2007, the last episode of the  Ultimate Blackjack Tour (elimination blackjack tournament) television show aired on CBS.

03-28-2008

On this day in 2008, the movie 21, starring Kevin Spacey was released.  The movie was lousily based on the MIT blackjack team.

07-21-2008

On this day in 2008, GSN premiered the game show called Catch 21.  This blackjack related show would run for four seasons.

06-11-2011

On this day in 2011, the movie Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians debuted. 

05-21-2019

On this day in 2019, the movie Inside the Edge: A Professional Blackjack Adventure was released.  This documentary follows K.C., a professional blackjack player, as he concludes his blackjack career (circa 2006) traveling across the United States from casino to casino. 

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