One of the world’s most famous games, 21 or blackjack is a fast-paced, thrilling and fun Card game. Commonly known as a game for high-rollers, blackjack is one of the more expensive online betting games. Many blackjack fanatics especially love the game because it involves a little bit of strategy and a whole lot of luck which keeps the game interesting and unpredictable. There are numerous people worldwide who love the game and are major winners when it comes the beloved 21.

But don’t take our word for it, here is a list of some of the most impressive blackjack wins…

Shane Smith - $100,000 (R1, 6 Million)

Shane Smith’s infamous “Win and Meal” $100,000 Blackjack win was not one of the biggest wins in history but got people talking when he splurged on a $300,000 dinner! Smith who is the CEO of Vice Media was visiting the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas when he decided to hit the blackjack tables. He ended up winning $100,000 which he then decided to spend on a lavish dinner and added another $200,000 to the dinner bill. This win goes down as historical because the celebrations cost more than his actual payout. Talk about overcompensating!

Goksel Selay – $132,000 (R2,1 Million)

A taxi driver who took a chance on a dream – Goksel Selay, a 53-year-old taxi driver won $132,000 on a simple game of blackjack. The taxi driver said that he had a dream the night before that he would win and decided to switch from roulette to blackjack and true as ever Selay’s dream became a reality. Goksel’s win goes down as impressive and miraculous – what are the chances of someone taking a chance on a dream and winning? Goksel was able to renovate his home and buy his wife a fancy new car with his winnings.

Ben Affleck - $800,000 (R12, 9 Million)

An actor by day, “king of the tables’ by night! Multi-award-winning actor, Ben Affleck is known to love his blackjack and is a frequent player of the popular 21. In fact, Affleck has accumulated $800,000 in blackjack winnings and if that’s not impressive, what about his $145,000 tip to casino staff. Unfortunately, the Oscar-winning actor has had to step away from the blackjack table as he was caught for allegedly counting cards by casino security at the Hard Rock Casino. Ben Affleck obviously denied the allegations but has been forbidden to bet on blackjack for the meantime. Despite the allegations against the multi-talented actor, his $145,000 tip to casino staff is certainly worth an Oscar nomination.

Michael Geismar - $470,000 (R7,9 Million)

How about some bacon and eggs with a ‘blackjack breakfast win’ to start your day off? No, this is not a real breakfast meal ordered off a menu. However, investment banker, Michael Geismar became synonymous with the term “Breakfast winner”. While enjoying his plate of eggs and steak for breakfast at the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas, he decided to place a quick bet of $300 on a blackjack game and instead of doubling his bets, he raised them each time he won. He ended up racking up his stake to a whopping $470,000 in just 6 hours and surprisingly won! It is not known how much he won but it’s estimated somewhere around $710,000. This is impressive and extremely risky as this type of betting strategy is known by expert blackjack players to have many downfalls and that is why it’s difficult to believe that he won.

Dana White $2 Million (R32 Million)

The well-known UFC President is also well known for being an ‘undisputed blackjack champion’. Dana’s infamous blackjack wins have even gotten him banned from the Palm Casino in Las Vegas which spurred on an ongoing dispute with Palms. The UFC President was banned from Palms in 2012 after some ambitious blackjack wins at the Las Vegas Casino. However, in 2014 Dana was able to continue his winning spree at Palms after a change of the casino’s CEO but it didn’t last long as the undisputed blackjack champion ended up winning an incredible $2 million at the blackjack tables in just 3 months. Dana White was instantly forbidden to bet on blackjack again, but this did not phase him as he walked out of Palms with a fake UFC belt which said he “dominated the Palms in blackjack”.

Stick around because our list of impressive blackjack wins continues in part 2...