Rob Reitzen
Career
Rob Reitzen burst into the gambling spotlight with the May 1997 Esquire article "Fleecing Las Vegas." The article detailed a weekend when his sophisticated blackjack technique, "the Hammer" (combining card counting, shuffle tracking, ace location, and memorization), won him $500,000 at Caesars Palace. The article suggested Reitzen was moving away from personal play and transitioning to managing teams of players nationwide.
He further solidified his position by co-founding CORE, a California corporation that banked blackjack games in new Native American casinos. CORE provided the bankroll and dealers, effectively allowing Reitzen to profit from his teams and as the house.
Later, Reitzen successfully developed an online hold 'em poker strategy, bankrolling a team that won significantly on Full Tilt Poker. However, the team was banned, and winnings were withheld due to bot accusations, and Full Tilt later collapsed. This episode highlighted Reitzen's adaptability.
Throughout his career, Reitzen reportedly collaborated with advantage players like Keith Taft and Wally Simmons on computer-aided teams and ran various advantage play teams in Reno and Las Vegas.
Personal life
Information regarding Rob Reitzen’s personal life remains largely private. The Esquire article offered a glimpse into his lifestyle during the “Fleecing Las Vegas” weekend. Still, beyond that, details about his family, relationships, and personal interests are not readily available in the public domain.
Revenue
While precise figures are difficult to ascertain, the available information strongly suggests that Rob Reitzen has amassed a significant fortune through his various gambling endeavors. Winning $500,000 in a single weekend at Caesars Palace, operating a profitable team of blackjack players nationwide, and essentially acting as the bankroll for numerous blackjack tables in California’s Indian casinos all point towards substantial earnings. Although his online poker venture with Full Tilt Poker ultimately resulted in a loss of potential winnings, it was described as a “side trip,” indicating that his primary sources of income lay elsewhere. It is reasonable to conclude that Reitzen has generated millions of dollars throughout his career in the gambling industry.
Interesting facts
His blackjack technique, "the Hammer," was sophisticated enough to win him half a million dollars in a single weekend against a major Las Vegas casino.
He transitioned from being a player to managing and bankrolling teams of players, demonstrating strong leadership and business acumen.
His involvement with CORE highlights his ability to identify and capitalize on unique opportunities within the gambling industry, essentially playing both sides of the house.
He successfully developed and implemented a winning online poker strategy, showcasing his adaptability to different forms of gambling.
His association with pioneers of computer-aided gambling, like Keith Taft and Wally Simmons, positions him within the historical context of advantage play.
Legacy
Rob Reitzen’s legacy in the gambling world is that of a highly skilled and innovative advantage player. He is remembered for his audacious wins, his mastery of complex blackjack techniques, and his ability to identify and exploit systemic vulnerabilities within the casino industry. His transition into team management and casino banking further solidifies his reputation as a strategic thinker and a significant figure in the evolution of professional gambling. While he may not be a household name, within the community of serious gamblers and casino insiders, Rob Reitzen is likely regarded as a formidable and successful player who consistently operated on the cutting edge.
Frequently asked Questions
"The Hammer," as described in the Esquire article, was a highly sophisticated blackjack strategy developed by Rob Reitzen. It was a combination of several advantage play techniques, including card counting (tracking the ratio of high to low cards remaining in the deck), shuffle tracking (predicting where certain cards or sequences of cards will end up after the shuffle), ace location (identifying the position of aces within the deck), and card sequence memorization (remembering the order of previously played cards). This multi-faceted approach allowed Reitzen to gain a significant edge over the house.
Rob Reitzen co-founded a California corporation called CORE. Recognizing that many of the newly established Native American casinos lacked the necessary funds to bank high-stakes blackjack games themselves, CORE stepped in to provide the bankroll and even their own dealers. In essence, CORE rented the blackjack tables from the Indian casinos, allowing Reitzen to profit both from his own teams of players operating elsewhere and from acting as the house in these California casinos.
Reitzen developed a highly successful hold 'em poker strategy and hired a team of players to implement it online on the Full Tilt Poker site. His players were so successful that they won a significant amount of money. However, Full Tilt Poker accused them of using computer bots and subsequently banned them from the site, refusing to pay their winnings. Later, Full Tilt Poker was shut down amid accusations of fraud, skimming, and bad bookkeeping, and Reitzen reportedly never recovered the funds.
The information provided does not suggest that Rob Reitzen was ever caught cheating. While sophisticated and potentially pushing the boundaries of what casinos considered acceptable, his techniques appear to have relied on skill, strategy, and a deep understanding of the games rather than outright illegal activity. The accusations against his online poker team were of using bots, which violates the platform's terms of service but not necessarily criminal cheating in the traditional sense.
The provided information primarily focuses on Reitzen's activities up to the period surrounding the Full Tilt Poker scandal. There is no information available regarding his current activities or involvement in the gambling industry.
