_770.jpg "How to Play Winning Blackjack, Julius Braun")
Have you ever heard of the Blackjack Hall of Fame? We are talking about the U.S. organization, established in 2003 and headquartered at Barona Casino in San Diego, California. As its name implies, it includes a list of the most prominent personalities who have left their mark on the history of blackjack. The list mainly includes the most skillful gamblers, famous for their achievements in this field.
You can find a wonderful man among its members who have never been professional gamblers and rarely visited casinos. We are talking about Julian Braun, a programmer from IBM.
He entered the Hall of Fame thanks to his incredibly important research in blackjack strategy.
Julian created several excellent and recognized card counting systems based on the legendary Edward Thorp's developments. They are still actively used by the gamblers all over the world.
Julian Braun’s Brief Biography
Julian was born in 1929 in Chicago. Being gifted with an inquisitive mind since childhood, he had a reputation as a nerd among his peers. After college, Braun became a student and successfully graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology with a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and Physics.
In the fifties, he served in the army and continued his studies at the University of California in San Diego.
After graduation, Julian worked in one of Chrysler’s subsidiary enterprises. He later moved to IBM, where he stayed for about thirty years, becoming one of the leading experts in the research laboratory of the company's Chicago office.
Interest to Blackjack
Braun purchased the famous Edward Thorp's book Beat the Dealer, which dealt with the blackjack card counting system. At that moment, this composition was perhaps the unique publication of its kind. Julian was interested in Thorp’s developments, but he could not help paying attention to the disadvantages of this strategy. Moreover, he had a desire to make adjustments to this method to make it more effective.Braun wrote a letter to Thorp, telling him about himself and asking him to send a copy of the program, explaining that he wanted to improve it. Remember that Julian had access to the most advanced computer technology that a few could afford.
Thorp’s system, upgraded by Braun, could be easier mastered and was more convenient from a practical point of view. At the same time, it allowed users to achieve more stable results with lower levels of dispersion.
It should be noted that Thorp immediately added these changes to his book Beat the Dealer. The edition of 1966 included the upgraded technique. However, the author did not forget to mention Julian.
Experience at Casinos
In the late sixties, Julian decided that it was time to test his system personally. He visited Reno and attended Nevada Club Casino since single-deck blackjack with the most favorable rules was available there.
Braun played for a few days without exceeding the limit of ten dollars per box, but even such a small range was sufficient to be in the black, maintain a positive balance, and increase profits stably.
It ended up with the fact that the manager approached him and said that the administration considered him to be a persona non grata. Brawn bowed politely; since then, he has never gambled at casinos.
Further Activities
Braun continued to work on blackjack strategies. He cooperated with the legendary Lawrence Revere, resulting in the book Playing Blackjack as a Business appearance. Lance Humble, an author of The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book, also used Julian's developments.
Braun finally released his book in 1980. It was published under the title How to Play Winning Blackjack. It explains all the nuances of the optimal basic strategy with additional recommendations for gamblers. We can say that this is a practical guide for users with different levels of skills.
Julian spoke in the following way about his work:
I have reasons to write this book. First of all, some of my ideas and observations described in it may be helpful to hundreds of thousands of blackjack gamblers that have been or will be fond of this game in the same way as I am.
It is necessary to warn readers that I am neither a good storyteller nor a former pit boss (God forbid!). Therefore, unlike some other books devoted to this topic, you will find neither meaningful nor exciting insider stories about the colorful characters who can be met on both sides of the table. I would rather try to do my best to describe my work over the past eighteen years as logically as possible.
Braun's book has not become an international bestseller. Nevertheless, it is primarily interesting to true professionals. The general public has probably found it boring.
Julian died in September 2000. His death was not covered in the media, so many people noticed it a few months later. He entered the Blackjack Hall of Fame in 2005.
Conclusion
Julian Braun was a true blackjack romantic. He considered this game as a phenomenon but not as a way of making a profit. Moreover, he seems to have never considered wealth one of his priorities.
If you are interested in the personality of this blackjack genius, we recommend reading an interview that he gave to the other blackjack expert Arnold Snyder in 1981. It is available on Snyder’s official website, www.blackjackforumonline.com.
