Million Dollar Blackjack

Ken Uston is considered one of the world’s foremost blackjack players. A member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame, he and his teams won more than $5 million in casinos around the world. When he was barred from playing, Ken was forced to reinvent himself—returning to the tables in elaborate disguises and playing undetected for nearly a decade. In the end, he didn’t just beat the casinos; he took them to court, fighting for the right to play.

Hear Autumn Leaves on piano played by Ken Uston

Hit Me! The Inside, Untold Story of Legendary Blackjack Player Ken Uston, by Beth Anne Uston.

A Daughter’s Search. A Father’s Secrets. A Mystery That Would Not Stay Buried.

Ken lived a life few could imagine—and even fewer truly understood. Brilliant, restless, and endlessly curious, he crossed borders both literal and personal, leaving behind stories, contradictions, and unanswered questions.

Now, his daughter, Beth Anne, tells the untold story of her father’s life—and the mystery surrounding his death in her new book: Hit Me! The Inside, Untold Story of Legendary Blackjack Player Ken Uston. Drawing from Ken’s books, personal diaries, and long-buried memories, Beth Anne retraces his footsteps across time and continents. What begins as a search for answers becomes a deeply personal journey into love, loss, legacy, and the truths a family carries long after someone is gone.

Hear Autumn Leaves on piano played by Ken Uston

Mastering PAC-MAN by Ken Uston

This is a classic 1981 strategy guide for the arcade game, offering patterns, tips, and techniques to help players achieve high scores, covering basic monster battles, different game speeds, and even clones like Puck-Man.

Ken’s acknowledgement in this book: “I would like to thank Sam from Price Waterhouse, who introduced me to an original and highly effective PAC-MAN pattern in Atlantic City. Thanks also to Dominic Infante and Heirge Harrington of the Atlantic City Playboy Casino. I’ve spent countless hours experimenting with the game.

Finally, my thanks to young Tommy, the helpful, friendly, skillful, and unselfish San Francisco school boy…”How’d you get so smart so young?”

Books by Ken Uston

Stories that Shaped