“Winner winner, chicken dinner,” is the phrase said when a player wins Blackjack, and repeated in the movie “21″. Based on a true story, “21″ is about a group of MIT students who learn how to card count in the game of Blackjack. Using their math talents and knowledge of basic strategy, the students take Vegas by storm and win thousands of dollars.
In their effort to beat the system, the students take on different identities, so as to stay under the radar. While card counting is not illegal it is highly looked down upon in Vegas, and can land counters in trouble. In the movie, Ben, the main character only took part in card counting to earn money for Harvard Medical School. Not being able to afford the $300,000 tuition on his own, Ben managed to save more than the necessary as the top player among his MIT counting teammates. However, when things turned ugly he lost all his money and had start again from scratch.
As a result, Ben applied for Harvard’s full tuition scholarship, only received by one student. In the interview for the scholarship he explained to the admissions dean what he had been up to at MIT and Vegas. The dean had once told him he didn’t stand out among other applicants and needed more life experience. Ben stated the one thing his linear algebra professor told him to always account for was variable change. For Ben this applied to card counting, losing everything he had, and then learning he still held the last card; life experience. After sharing his tell-tale story Ben replied to the dean, “Did I dazzle you? Did I jump of the page?” With this being said, it is assumed he won the scholarship.
