Keith Taft
Casinos have always been known for having a feeling of subterfuge, or mystery. Perhaps it is the less-than-reputable history of the casinos themselves, filled with stories of mob bosses running laundering money while people were “dealt with” in the back rooms. Perhaps it is the number of spy movies that feel the desire to use casinos as a backdrop. Perhaps, however, it’s the need to know how to beat the casinos, the secret to winning that makes the casino feel so secretive.
One person who has the desire, and the intellect, to unlock the secrets of the casino, is Keith Taft. Taft is a wizard when it comes to electronics, and has spent over a quarter-century putting together devices to beat the casino. His first was a blackjack computer that weighed approximately 15 pounds, which he created with the help of his son, Marty. The computer was named “George,” and was not practical for casino use. After the microchip was introduced, however, a new prototype named “David” could be readily taken into the casinos.
All the player had to do was enter the cards being played, and the machine did the rest. The idea was ingenious; in fact, it was so ingenious that the Nevada Gaming Commission had no option but to outlaw card counting devices in 1985.
Today, an exhibit in the Blackjack Hall of Fame houses some of Taft’s more notorious casino-beating devices.
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