What does it take to count cards? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore blackjack, quantitative thinking, and the journey from MIT blackjack player to angel investor with Semyon Dukach, Managing Partner at One Way Ventures.

How did a bunch of MIT blackjack players make millions in casinos? Learn about counting cards and what it takes to do it successfully. Is counting cards illegal? We find out what made Semyon interested in blackjack in the first place and Chuck’s relationship with blackjack.

What is card steering? We explore some of the methods utilized by the MIT blackjack team like computer simulations. What made Semyon walk away from the game? We talk about the skills honed while playing blackjack. Does card counting actually help the game of blackjack?

Was the MIT blackjack team a hothouse for future entrepreneurs? We learn about Semyon’s experience as an immigrant and refugee and how that influences his current ventures. How has his sense of purpose changed since playing cards? Plus, are immigrants more likely to succeed?

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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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00:00 - Introduction: Counting Cards
03:30 - Learning to Beat Blackjack
15:20 - Card Steering & Techniques
17:30 - Models & Simulations
24:10 - Why Did He Stop?
27:50 - Lessons from the Blackjack Table
30:30 - Entrepreneurship & Immigrants