There's something in this world that's interesting.
They are only a word apart, but they often stand at opposite ends of the scale.
For example, when it comes to the gambling king, this is He Hongshen's gua, who opens a casino, and belongs to the "seller".
But when it comes to the "God of Gamblers" and "Gamblers", that is, the gua of Fa Ge, who specializes in calculating the casino, belongs to the "buyer".
However, it is different from the real gambling king who earns real money and silver and has a name and a surname.
Most of the "god of gamblers" who go to the casino to "rob" are just a "legend", and they are also out of the thousands.
Therefore, there is a sharp contrast between the gambling kings' spirited seller show and the gamblers' extreme buyer show.
But there are also people who put the "buyer show" that does not P the map to play to make the seller call the insider directly or even smell the wind.
He went to the casino for no more than a thousand, all by "calculation".
He was a versatile "pretender", blacklisted in casinos, and even influenced the future e-sports circle.
He is the "Chinese gambling saint" - Ma Kaiwen.
In the 1970s, Worcester, Massachusetts.
A Chinese scholar Xiang Mendi, Ma Kaiwen was born.
His father was a university professor, and Ma Kaiwen was also "someone else's child" from an early age.
Not only is the family good, but also the mathematical talent is amazing, and it is not linked to the word "gambler" at all.
Father also paid special attention to his cultivation.
Mathematical thinking and engineering were selected early on, so that the "difficult" field allowed Ma Kaiwen to hone his brain.
It is estimated that lao ma himself did not expect that the "further study" direction he chose for Xiao Ma Ge was actually "deviated" after a few years.
It also set off a "butterfly effect" like a world-class storm.
In 1979, the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Launched a rather chic mini-course - "what you can't bet on".
The course is also very pragmatic, allowing members to get together and practice blackjack and card counting skills.
It's just that this team member is not anyone who can be, but must be a genius who is proficient in mathematics.
Ma Kaiwen, who was still an adult, did not know about this course.
Or step by step, running wild on the track of their own talented teenagers.
But this course seems to be for him.
After many years, it completely changed the whole direction of Ma Kaiwen's life.
At the time, Ma Kevin, though young, was young.
But when you calculate the math problems, no matter what the difficulty and what level, they are "a piece of cake" without thinking.
And at a glance and ten lines, there is a brain like an "Intel chip".
At the age of 14, Ma Kaiwen was sent by his father to the Famous School of "Chicken Baby" in the United States - Exeter Private High School.
His "brother- and-sister" has Robert Lincoln, and his "backwave" has Zuckerberg.
Like these well-known alumni, Ma Kaiwen received a "Harkness Roundtable" elite education.
In class, 12 teenagers with super brains.
Sit in a circle around a round table and "besiege" the only teacher in the audience.
"Round table education" does not have the respect and prestige of the teacher, and advocates an independent and free way of learning.
The students not only specialize in people, but also have superhuman calmness and communication skills.
The greatest pleasure of teachers is to enjoy the sense of accomplishment of being photographed on the beach by students.
Who would have thought that when he was a student, he "patted" the teacher's Ma Kaiwen around the round table.
When he became an adult, he actually surrounded another table and became the "king of counting cards" who fiercely "shot" the dealer.
In 1991, the elite Ma Kaiwen carried his own proficiency in the "Eighteen Martial Arts".
Successfully admitted to the "World's Best Polytechnic University" --- MIT, focusing on mathematics, econometric analysis and other directions.
On his alumni record, he added "Rocket King" Qian Xuesen and "Chinese Light" I.M. Pei, such a world-class "human tip".
In his junior year, Ma Kaiwen, who had studied mathematics for more than twenty years, wanted to go to medical school for further study after graduation.
However, because of the invincible brain that swept through the whole school, he was "pulled down" by two classmates.
Become a member of the Massachusetts Internal Retention Project, the "Blackjack Group."
When he first came into contact with "blackjack", Ma Kaiwen's heart was rejected, and even scorned:
"I don't want to get involved, messing around casinos, gambling for a living, it doesn't look like a good thing."
He had never thought of getting involved in this field that seemed "improper" to the outside world.
But over time, with his natural computing power and super sharp insight.
Ma Kaiwen was recognized by the mysterious professor (no one ever wanted to reveal his identity) and gradually became the core of the team.
The "blackjack" has also changed from the original inability to face up to "stimulating the battlefield".
The enthusiasm of a talented young man with such a skill is also pure and noble, and he must apply what he has learned.
And it is also particularly anxious to get out, nestled in a group to simulate, calculate small partners, such a "low-level fun".
Several ghostly young people combined to "raise" 100,000 yuan and aimed at the real casino.
The first stop was Las Vegas, the world's largest casino city.
The first time he "ran out", Ma Kaiwen and his friends won 900,000 yuan, becoming the brightest boy in the whole field.
Invest 100,000 in return 9 times, the taste of overnight wealth, so that this group of "not bad money" elite also feel "tiger body shock".
After winning the first battle, Ma Kaiwen was happy and bought himself a $2,000 watch.
As a trophy, it has been preserved to this day.
Of course, counting cards and winning money did not delay their learning.
Usually, they still study hard every day.
Every weekend, take 100,000 yuan and go to the casino to "earn extra money".
In the mid-1990s, these 20-something youths had already "successfully started their own businesses."
Live the days of "lying and winning" like a "money counter".
The deeds of Ma Kaiwen and his friends have become the god-like existence of Mitawa.
But no matter how much others worship, Ma Kaiwen has never "drifted".
Someone asked, he just took out the "round table" era of the same calm, "high cold" reply:
"Counting cards increases the odds of winning by 3%, which is not a high chance, but it is enough to defeat almost all opponents."
It seems that they don't win money, the casino is just their CASH machine.
Of course, they are also proud, never thinking that they are going astray, but are bright.
"We didn't do anything illegal, we just built a system that worked and the casino couldn't do anything about it. For a while, we were the kings there. ”
In the face of this group of young people who make steady profits, the scheming "gambling kings" are not vegetarians.
After Ma Kaiwen and his friends were unhappy with winning repeatedly, some casinos began to ban them from entering.
Their faces are almost "hit on the public screen", and they are always wary of not taking advantage of the situation.
However, there are "policies" on the top and "countermeasures" on the bottom.
One Ma Kaiwen was "intercepted", and 500 "Ma Kaiwen" broke in.
In addition to counting cards, Ma Kaiwen began to show his superb "disguise" skills.
Today is a sports youth, tomorrow is a middle-aged uncle, the day after tomorrow to become a business tycoon...
Sun Wukong has 72 changes, and the "pretender" Ma Kaiwen has more than that.
Even if the casino hired a private investigator, it could only spell out a fragment of memory.
I only know that there is such a group of people who "cut wool" and "cut leeks" in major casinos.
Not only does "change face" play very 6, but the money is not less earned.
In that era, the "cumulative turnover" of Ma Kaiwen's team had reached 10 million.
In order to prevent fire and theft from the boss, Ma Kaiwen and his friends also reorganized the team.
Divided into two teams – amphibians and reptiles.
Ma Kaiwen is one of the reptiles.
Since then, the two groups have taken turns to "earn money" in different casinos in stages and batches.
Once again, it has become a "thorn in the eye" that has caused headaches for major casinos.
Young and vigorous, rich and willful, walking in the rivers and lakes does not "roar two voices" how to be happy.
It's like Alibaba's "sesame opening the door."
Gray Wolf's "I'll be back."
The Hong Kong version of the god of gambling, Fa Ge's big back and chocolate.
Kai wenge also has his own freestyle, and every time he walks into the casino door, he will say a sentence:
“winner winner， chicken dinner！”
What is associated with the "slogan" of little margo is not a treasure or a secret, but a "box lunch" of the major casinos in the United States at that time.
In those days, casinos would be very "intimate" to offer gamblers a set menu.
Similar to the current train box lunch, two vegetarian and one meat, the meat dish is three pieces of chicken.
Such a casino "haute couture" sold for 1.79 knives in that era.
And if you can win a round, you can have a 2-knife basic reward.
Therefore, Xiao Ma Ge used such a simple mantra of "winning money to buy a box lunch" to get a good lottery for himself.
God is there, and Ma Kaiwen can make a wish to "buy a box lunch" every time and win back the money of "selling white powder".
This rhythmic magic mantra was later seen as a magical incantation.
It has become the "joint code" of countless game fans, which is the phrase that swept the world - "Big luck, eat chicken tonight".
Of course, brighter than the slogan of the little pony, is the vision of the casino owners.
Discovering their disguised schemes, they were competitors to major casinos.
Enable the "low-end version of face recognition" technology, and join hands to implement "encirclement and suppression" on them.
That is to say, through videography, the heads of these card players are cut into large headshots and made into posters and pasted at the entrance of the casino.
Let the staff, familiar with this "hateful" face, found the immediate "throw out".
As a result, Ma Kaiwen's friends have successively "exposed" their identities, but Xiao Ma Ge has been well hidden.
After the small partners were "arrested" one by one, Ma Kaiwen still "crossed the sea" for 8 years.
It was not until 2001 that he was "caught in the spot".
In order to catch Ma Kaiwen, the bosses also took pains.
First of all, the investigation was whether Ma Kaiwen "cheated" when gambling money.
It turned out that no, people really rely on their brains.
This paid off, and Ma Kaiwen became the "hard disk god" of major casinos.
Headshots become "public resources" that are stored in computers and shared.
Ma Kaiwen and his friends were also pulled into the casino "blacklist".
It has become the "refusal to communicate" of more than 100 casinos in the United States.
As long as you see them coming, dare to directly refuse service.
Even in order to prevent Ma Kaiwen from "changing his face", he also laid down a bloody fund.
Seeing that the low-end version of face recognition took him for granted, they upgraded their technology and monitored the gambler's situation in real time.
Catching those who won more fiercely, they swept their faces down and compared them with Ma Kaiwen, the "divine operator".
Computers that also have Intel chips begin to confront the artificial "Intel" Ma Kaiwen.
There is also a company called "Shuffle Master", which has invented "black technology" - "continuous shuffling machine" - "business opportunity".
As soon as this machine appeared, counting cards instantly became an impossible task.
So even though the price of a single unit is as high as $18,000, the bosses are still willing to "be slaughtered" after unpacking their pockets.
Because an investment can "kill all the card settlers", they can quickly return the cost.
Heavy operation of multi-faceted attacks, bitter Ma Kai Wen wen long-standing casino alliance, still feel that it is not enough to relieve hatred.
Directly to the "casino public enemy" Ma Kaiwen and his partners to say harsh words:
"You are not welcome, and if you insist on entering the market, you will be charged with trespassing on private property."
The court's support also made this warning directly rise to the level of "lawyer's letter warning".
Ma Kaiwen, who lost his "freedom to gamble", washed his hands in the golden basin, but did not lose his "freedom of life".
In fact, he has already calculated this: "I have played blackjack more than two million times, and it is time to return to normal life." ”
But the gold will always shine, and the casino will not leave the grandfather.
Ma Kaiwen's legend first "stimulated" the writer Ben Mezrich.
So an inspiration exploded and I wrote him "Bringing Down the House."
The translation is not "collapsed house", but ten thousand times domineering - "Capture Las Vegas".
Just like the title of the book, Ma Kaiwen's life did not "collapse the house" because of the casino eviction order.
Instead, it is to continue to exert efforts and continue to conquer different areas.
Ma Kaiwen first partnered with others to create a website that focuses on fantasia games- Protrade.com.
He then served as an advisor to professional teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Francisco 49ers.
Use your own data brain to help the team match the most suitable players.
With the hot sale of books, Ma Kaiwen's story has attracted the attention of director Robert Luctic.
Robert, who had filmed "LegalLytic Pretty Woman", did not hold back.
Ma Kaiwen, who had captured the "casino", was made into a movie - "Decisive Victory at Blackjack".
On March 28, 2008, "Decisive Blackjack" was released in the United States and caused a sensation.
Although the male protagonist on the big screen is a handsome British guy with blonde hair and blue eyes.
But still can not stop people's enthusiasm for "archaeology", Ma Kaiwen's heat is no less than the male protagonist.
Even the protagonist, who should have been yellow-skinned and black-haired, insisted on being "blood-swapping", which also caused dissatisfaction among Asian fans.
The male protagonist, Jim Sturgas, has a high emotional intelligence.
When he received the role, he was worried that the prototype Ma Kaiwen would be unhappy.
And the meeting with Ma Kaiwen also made him "petrified" in an instant.
Unlike what he imagined, Ma Kaiwen did not have a sense of distance of the "big god".
Instead, he said to Jim very kindly, "Go, brother smoke one."
He then dragged him to the top floor of the casino hotel to smoke cigars.
He was also very enthusiastic, trying to shake off his ability to count cards to him.
In the face of such a "super" and "real" brain, Jim was like a zombie on the spot.
The collision between the two people, no one wants to eat the smell of gunpowder, but it is quite pleasant.
Without playing himself, Ma Kaiwen did not mind at all.
Not only did he serve as a film director, but he also happily made a cameo appearance in the film as his former "nemesis" - a casino dealer, and was addicted to drama.
With this film that tells "Ma Kaiwen's own story", Ma Kaiwen officially "debuted".
However, he has little interest in the entertainment industry and still hopes to do something that has nothing to do with experience.
Ma Kaiwen first transferred the "field" from Las Vegas to the "network".
Later, he opened a show- "Ma Kaiwen's Crazy Gambling World" and became the host.
Specially for everyone to introduce themselves, relying on the ability to "wool" experience.
Maybe it's just a single-handed oral teaching, like a barefoot doctor.
Let Ma Kaiwen feel sorry for his "professional".
So he linked up with another member of the "MIT Blackjack Group" at that time, Aiponte, under the name of the "Blackjack Institute".
Seminars were held in New York and Las Vegas to teach card counting techniques more professionally, systematically and systematically.
Even if the ticket is as high as 899 knives, there is still an endless stream of people who want to listen to the lessons.
Ma Kaiwen, who was once written into the book by others, also published a book called "High Probability Thinking".
Put your own experience and "blackjack" experience into the book and share it without reservation.
From high-achieving students to "gamblers", to actors, hosts, lecturers, writers...
Ma Kaiwen, who used to be in the casino and disguised as a "PUBG".
I have walked on my own path, constantly switching roles, and being generous to myself.
But for him, it may not be exciting and rich enough.
So Ma Kaiwen, who was not confused for forty, added weight to himself.
In 2011, 10 years after being "evicted" by the casino.
Ma Kaiwen introduced his specialty, mathematics and econometric analysis, to the business world.
Developed a smart tracking alert app and founded his own company, tenXer.
It also received $5 million in venture capital from big companies like Google.
Ma Kaiwen, who was the boss, never swelled
Still as calm as when "withdrawing" money at the casino.
In 2014, Twitter took a look at Ma Kaiwen's predictive analytics technical background and handed over an olive branch.
For $50 million, the tenXer was acquired.
He had already sold another company he founded, CitizenSports, to Yahoo.
For Ma Kaiwen, he does not think that this is a "pawn himself", but just a gratifying "paid" franchise.
In a telephone interview, Ma said: "We will shut down TenXer and continue our work as a division of Twitter." We are excited to apply what we've learned over the past three years to a world-class engineering team. ”
Untied from the position of "boss", Ma Kaiwen joined ESPN (The Entertainment and Sports Television Network of the United States), the world's most influential sports cable television network.
As an expert in predictive analytics, he started a live broadcast and also worked as a columnist.
In 2017, sports gambling analysis master Kevin Ma was popular all over the Internet.
Legendary experiences, distinct personal style, and "golden eyes of fire" are sought after by thousands of people.
Ma Kaiwen's field of activity also came from behind the camera to the front of the stage.
He became a super speaker, touring with his own "data brain".
Teach businesses and operators the golden rule of making decisions digitally.
In November 2018, Duetto, then the hotel industry's only revenue strategy platform, caught up with Ma Kaiwen's talent and hired him as senior vice president of product and analytics.
In May 2020, Ma Kaiwen, who was the founder of four high-tech companies.
With his own "Intel chip brain", he officially joined Microsoft.
Become General Manager of Microsoft Accelerator and lead Microsoft Accelerators in 140 countries around the world.
In addition, Ma Kaiwen has another goal.
Use your strengths to fight for more opportunities for women and minority entrepreneurial groups.
In the fiftieth year of his life, Ma Kaiwen is still writing his legend.
Some people once lamented that his outstanding mathematical talent was used prematurely for gambling, but it was a pity that he had a skill;
Some people also admire that no matter in which field, it is worth it to be able to become a king by relying on real ability.
But no matter what the outside world commented, Ma Kaiwen never doubted or denied every decision he made.
No matter what kind of line he does, he is also "dedicated enough" to try to achieve the ultimate in his position.
But he has always said modestly: "You don't need to do the best, as long as you become better, you can do it." ”
Even in investment and financial management, business decisions, life planning, and other aspects of the full bloom.
Ma Kaiwen has never regarded his casino experience as the "black history" of life.
But it has always been calm, and it has always been endlessly reminiscent.
Even after thirty years of time, some people mentioned the "great achievements" of that year.
Ma Kaiwen is still unfinished: "Sometimes, I really miss those days. With a little ability to count cards can make so much money, how can you not miss it?"
Author: Long Night Dark Lotus
Resources:
1. "From a mathematical genius to a "Chinese gambler": after he swept the American casinos by counting cards and made tens of millions of dollars... World Chinese Weekly
2. "Jeff Ma as General Manager of Microsoft Accelerator, Empowering Entrepreneurial Ecosystem to Achieve Extraordinary Achievements2020-05-11"
3. "High Probability Thinking"