Peter A. Griffin
Encyclopedia
Peter A. Griffin was a mathematician, author and blackjack
expert and is one of the original seven members of the Blackjack Hall of Fame
. He authored The Theory of Blackjack, considered a classic analysis of the mathematics behind the game of casino 21.
, one of three children, with a brother, poet Alan MacDougall, and a sister, Barbara Dan, writer. His grandfather Frank Loxley Griffin was a mathematician at Reed College
who had written various mathematics textbooks.
Griffin's father was an actuary
who went on to head up a labor/management consulting company in Chicago.
Griffin grew up in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
, Chicago
and Portland, Oregon
, and married Lydia.
, and received a Master's degree from the University of California at Davis. He taught statistics, calculus and differential equations at California State University-Sacramento from 1965 until his death on October 18, 1998 from prostate cancer
.
He was known for compiling extensive statistics on blackjack players in Atlantic City, and then comparing patterns against players in Las Vegas
or Reno
.
Griffin was one of the first to calculate the percentage disadvantage of an "average" blackjack player, at 2%. He was also the first to calculate the average gains by hand realized from varying basic strategy.
Griffin wrote the 1979 book, The Theory of Blackjack: The Compleat Card Counter’s Guide to the Casino Game of 21, which is considered to be a classic in the field.
The main passion of Peter Griffin remained teaching, which is where he devoted most of his working life.
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
expert and is one of the original seven members of the Blackjack Hall of Fame
Blackjack Hall of Fame
The Blackjack Hall of Fame honors the greatest blackjack experts, authors, and professional players in history. It was launched in 2002, and its physical premises are in San Diego, California.-History:...
. He authored The Theory of Blackjack, considered a classic analysis of the mathematics behind the game of casino 21.
Early life
Griffin was a native of New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, one of three children, with a brother, poet Alan MacDougall, and a sister, Barbara Dan, writer. His grandfather Frank Loxley Griffin was a mathematician at Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
who had written various mathematics textbooks.
Griffin's father was an actuary
Actuary
An actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Actuaries provide expert assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms ....
who went on to head up a labor/management consulting company in Chicago.
Griffin grew up in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and married Lydia.
Academic studies and teaching
He studied at Portland State UniversityPortland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
, and received a Master's degree from the University of California at Davis. He taught statistics, calculus and differential equations at California State University-Sacramento from 1965 until his death on October 18, 1998 from prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
.
Blackjack
His first exposure to blackjack was in 1970, when he proposed a course on the mathematics of gambling, and went to Nevada to do some research. As the New York Times put it, he "promptly got his clock cleaned," and this incentivized him to do more serious research on the subject.He was known for compiling extensive statistics on blackjack players in Atlantic City, and then comparing patterns against players in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
or Reno
Reno
Reno is the fourth most populous city in Nevada, US.Reno may also refer to:-Places:Italy*The Reno River, in Northern ItalyCanada*Reno No...
.
Griffin was one of the first to calculate the percentage disadvantage of an "average" blackjack player, at 2%. He was also the first to calculate the average gains by hand realized from varying basic strategy.
Griffin wrote the 1979 book, The Theory of Blackjack: The Compleat Card Counter’s Guide to the Casino Game of 21, which is considered to be a classic in the field.
The main passion of Peter Griffin remained teaching, which is where he devoted most of his working life.
Works
- The Theory of Blackjack, 1979, Huntington Press, ISBN 0-915141-02-7
- Extra Stuff: Gambling Ramblings, 1991, Huntington Press, ISBN 0-929712-00-5
External Links
- Peter Griffin at BlackjackHero.com