Sam Vaughn - Professional Blackjack Player

When it comes to gambling, Sam Vaughn’s story is the stuff of fairy tales and legend. He is one of those select few players who have managed to make a name as one of the top gambling professionals in the whole world. From Phoenix, he would travel every year in his van to Las Vegas to test and sharpen his skills as a gambler for 17 long years. The story of Sam Vaughn is the story of the common man who beat all odds to become a champion blackjack player.

Sam Vaughn was a member of the United States Postal Service and served in that department for 25 years. It was during this time that he made his trips to Vegas from Phoenix, where he lived, over weekends in his 1982 Ford van to play in craps tournaments at the casinos there. During those trips, he would stop overnight at Laughlin, Nevada. He parked near the river and was always received warmly by the residents there.

Sam Vaughn - The Move to Blackjack

There are times when certain things change in life, which seem unfair or harsh, but end up doing you a world of good. In 1989, Vegas casinos were no longer hosting craps tournaments, Vaughn’s first choice gambling game. As a result of this, he opted to play blackjack instead at the Four Queens casino. What followed was unexpected and shocked everyone: he won the tournament, the first blackjack tournament he had ever played in, and collected a cool $50,000 in the process. After that, there was no turning back. He continued to play blackjack and also continued to win.

That win at the Four Queens casino, his first ever blackjack tournament, was a significant milestone in Vaughn’s life. Until then, gambling had been more a passion than anything else for him. After that win, he began to toy with the idea of taking it up as a full-time profession. It not only boosted his finances, but also his confidence. Finally, in 1992, he retired from the United States Postal Service and took up gambling as a profession. He concentrated on the game that was originally his second choice, and went on to make a huge name for himself.

Sam Vaughn - Later Years and Tournament Wins

After he retired from the postal service, Vaughn made another significant change in his life. In 1995, he moved from Phoenix, where he was initially based, permanently to Las Vegas, the place that gave him a very lucrative second career option. Vaughn has collected phenomenal winnings ever since that first professional blackjack tournament in 1989. By the end of the year 2000, his earnings had shot up to an amazing $1.25 million. That was certainly not all; he continued to take part in blackjack tournaments and also continued to notch up wins, some of them huge.

Vaughn always believed there was room for improvement, and continued to hone his skills with each passing tournament. Finally, in 2003, he was ready for the really big league. He participated in the Las Vegas Hilton Million Dollar Blackjack Tournament II and immediately made a mark, reaching the final table. In 2004, he went a step further. He first won the Reno Atlantis Winner-Take-All tournament, which granted prize money of $45,000. Then, in the same week, he qualified for the Las Vegas Hilton Million Dollar Blackjack Tournament III.

The Las Vegas Million Dollar Blackjack Tournament III is one of the biggest blackjack tournaments in the world, with the highest pot amount. The starting bankroll is $5,000; the minimum bet is $100 while the maximum is $2,500. On his 28th hand, Sam pulled out a 18 to beat the dealer’s 17, thereby collecting a cool $18,000 in the hand. More importantly, he went on to win the $1 million bounty. In doing so, Sam entered the history books as the only man to make it to the final table of the Las Vegas Hilton Million Dollar Blackjack Tournament two times in a row.

Sam Vaughn remains the same person he was before he started his amazing career as a blackjack professional. He credits his ability to be so successful at the highest level in blackjack to the years he spend learning to manage his bankroll effectively while playing the craps tournaments. He also says a lot of his success can be attributed directly to discussions with other players. He continues to be involved in tournament blackjack, providing tips and encouragement to upcoming players.

There is an interesting anecdote Vaughn has to narrate from his famous 2004 Las Vegas Hilton Million Dollar Blackjack Tournament III win. Apparently, the casino wanted to pay the amount in the form of chips – an entire rack of a thousand $1,000 chips. Vaughn politely declined the offer and decided to take a check instead!

*Disclaimer - The players in our bios have not authorized the material on this website. The articles were written based on research. If any of the information you see on this site is incorrect please contact us at info@gamesblackjack.org and we will correct any errors immediately.