Tommy Hyland is one of the seven original members of the Blackjack Hall of Fame. He is a visionary and iconic card counter who has recorded enduring success at various tables. With his exceptional leadership and teaching skills, he created and managed the most successful Blackjack team ever. How did he do it?
The heroism of Tommy Hyland in the history of Blackjack is covered by this casino news. By the end, you will be as intrigued as us.
Tommy Hyland’s Early Life and Introduction to Gambling
Born in 1956, Thomas Hyland grew up in Denville, New Jersey. As a kid, he loved the “pitching pennies” game, which involves taking turns throwing coins at a brick wall. The closest to the wall wins the game and takes all the coins.
When he entered high school, Tommy Hyland began collecting bets from other students, making $30 to $50 weekly. He created copies of spreads and standard parlay cards with which fellow high school students placed bets on school sports.
Gambling runs in his veins because his father was a moderate gambler. His old man would bet on racetracks, golf, pool, and even sometimes bowling. So Tommy just happened to have a multiple-fold passion for wagering in him.
While studying political science at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, Hyland played many card games, including poker and backgammon. However, he dropped the casino games after trying Blackjack.
As someone who loves doing much reading, Tommy Hyland accidentally picked up Blackjack books. He and his roommate became interested in the table game. They bought Lawrence Revere’s book, “Playing Blackjack As A Business,” and began practicing and memorizing the basic Blackjack strategy.
In 1978, he began following his friend, who was very passionate about the game, to the Resort Casino, which had just opened in Atlantic City. His buddy won most of the time, building his bankroll to several thousand dollars. This influenced Tommy Hyland, who decided to study the game more, marking the beginning of his professional Blackjack career. Like Hyland and his friend, you can play Blackjack with 2 players.
Tommy Hyland Leads the Way in Strategic Team Play
In 1979, Tommy Hyland had honed his Blackjack skills. He and his friend continued visiting Resorts International, where they utilized card counting, one of the best strategies to increase your winnings. Tommy focused on the high cards, and his friend counted the low cards.
In one of their gaming sessions, they encountered another card counter who introduced them to Stanford Wong’s book, “Professional Blackjack. ” Tommy also read Ken Uston’s book, “Million Dollar Blackjack.” Completing the books, he mastered some genius tricks and was ready to show his new skills, but this time with a team.
Tommy and his friend formed a four-member team when they met with two other card counters. He trained and taught them his master card-counting strategies. The team pooled resources and started visiting the Atlantic City casino, where each member won $4,000, building their bankroll to $16,000.
Now, they had enough bankroll to start spamming the casinos. They accepted another guy into the team, increasing their number to five.
In December 1979, Resorts International conducted a two-week experiment allowing card counters to play freely without being disturbed. The Tommy Hyland Blackjack team leveraged this chance, beating the house to a pulp.
By the time the experiment was over, the team already had about $50,000. However, casinos became aware of the team’s wins and strategies. They barred several players, causing the team members, except Hyland, to move to Asia. He remained behind in Atlantic City.
Expansion of the Blackjack Team, International Ventures, and Challenges
Tommy Hyland lost his first team to Atlantic City’s strict measures against card counters. However, he already had firsthand experience building a lucrative and influential Blackjack team.
He formed a new group with some golf course friends and taught them new winning tricks and strategies. These techniques are more effective than basic card counting and difficult for casinos to detect. They include ace sequencing, shuffle tracking, and computer play. Their skills were as sharp as if they had studied our casino guides.
By the end of 1980, the team had grown to about 20 members. Tommy Hyland operated as the team’s administrator and manager. The team functioned effectively, winning thousands of dollars over a weekend. They recorded success throughout the ’80s but faced several challenges and legal issues in the following decade.
Challenges Faced by Tommy Hyland and His Team: Arrest and Legal Actions
Tommy Hyland spent days behind bars in the Bahamas at some point. His wife, who was not a gambler, was also arrested and locked up for about 36 hours. His name and photo had also been published in the notorious Griffin books several times, even more than any other player in history.
The Tom Hyland Blackjack teammates were also arrested in Canada in 1994 for cheating. They were arrested for using ace sequencing at Casino Windsor in Ontario, Canada. Some sources revealed that some Las Vegas casinos convinced Canadian authorities to take legal action against the team.
The trial was supposed to be the first to prosecute players who use ace sequencing and other advantage plays. However, the court’s judgment was in their favor.
The judge ruled that the team members were not cheating but playing with intelligent strategy. Despite these challenges, Tommy Hyland and his team continued playing, beating the casinos where they were allowed to play.
Tommy Hyland: A Legendary Blackjack Player and Team Leader
Tommy earned a seat in the Blackjack Hall of Fame in 2002. He joined other legends like Edward O. Thorp, Ken Uston, Stanford Wong, Arnold Snyder, Al Francesco, and Peter Griffin.
Though he is no longer into the game as he used to be, his team’s longevity and success were unprecedented. He ran the team and kept them playing for about 40 years, the only person ever to achieve such a feat.
Tommy Hyland has also appeared on the screen several times. In 2004, he starred as himself in The Hot Shoe, a documentary movie about card counting in Blackjack. He also appeared in one episode of the TV series Breaking Vegas.
Today, Hyland remains one of the most famous players of the classic Blackjack table game. If you are inspired and would love to try his strategies, you can play blackjack online by visiting our website.
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