If I had to put into a list what the world’s greatest blackjack player would be and what skills they would have then it would form a very interesting mix of skills and abilities. Firstly I also think that there is no such thing as the “world’s greatest blackjack player” either as some players clearly have different skills to others. Also I think there have to be definitions of what constitutes such a player as clearly someone who placed too much emphasis on say the mathematical side of the game would be swayed into voting for someone who was very strong in that area.
Clearly there are many other skills like being able to shuffle track, keeping side counts, avoiding detection, bankroll management, longevity and probably the adaptive skills required to try new techniques that can beat the house. I also think that in order to maintain an edge then a modern player simply has to move into other areas as well that almost become gamesmanship.
Also the ability to befriend casino staff and management as these are not the people who you want for enemies……trust me. So blackjack players come in all shapes and sizes and so trying to decipher which is the best or who is the best is very difficult. For me though then the real test of a blackjack player comes in two areas……the amount of money that they won and over what period that amount was taken over. You can have all the skill in the world but if you get caught then it is game over.
