The gambler who took Atlantic City to the cleaners

Don Johnson is on one heck of a lucky streak, said Donald Wittkowski in the Press of Atlantic City. The 49-year-old high-stakes gambler from Bensalem, Pa., has been torching Atlantic City’s casinos, winning $15 million over the past six months. It began with a $4.2 million haul at the blackjack table at Caesars. Next, he hit the Borgata, for $5 million. In April, he beat the house at the Tropicana for $5.8 million over the course of 12 hours. He won’t divulge his gambling strategy but swears he’s not cheating. “I’m not breaking any laws,” Johnson says. “There’s no magic to this. I’m beating them with my own skills.”

He began his gambling 15 years ago, placing $25 bets at the blackjack tables, and has since graduated to $100,000 hands. To beat the house, he says, you have to have a combination of luck, gambling skills, and deep pockets to absorb the inevitable losses. “I have my own bankroll. If you can take the swings, you’re going to win.” Because of his success, the casinos have banned him. “I don’t think they will let me play anymore. But it’s not going to change my life. If I don’t play blackjack, I’ll just go to the horse races.”

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