Einiger was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1960. When he was ten, the Einiger family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he lived for the next thirty years owning various companies and playing blackjack. As he gained experience Einiger began to enter tournaments and started to rack up winning places and prize money. In 1991 he came fifth in Riviera Casino's blackjack tournament. Ten years later he took first place in the Mandalay Bay blackjack tournament. After that his successes just seemed to grow and in 2003 he decided to take his formidable blackjack skills - along with his wife - to Las Vegas. Giving up his other business pursuits he became a full-time professional blackjack player. From there, his rise was meteoric.
By 2004 he was a familiar face at the biggest blackjack tournaments making it to the final table of five out of seven top competitions in the country. In one year alone from 2004-2005 he made nearly $500,000 in prize money. Then in June 2004 he won the Treasure Island Blackjack tournament and took second place in the Mirage and Bellagio tournaments in the same year. By the end of 2005 he had achieved a record run in blackjack tournaments making seven finals and winning four tournaments. Today he can boast six tournament titles and over 20 appearances at final tables over the last fifteen years. He also once nearly won the Las Vegas Hilton Million Dollar Blackjack.
But it was his victory in the 2005 Blackjack World Series that was the jewel in the crown of his glittering career. This annual contest boasts $500,000 in prize money. The best players in the world gather around the green baize to compete for the first prize of $250,000. Each player begins with $100,000 in chips and then play 25 rounds with the minimum bet $1000 and the maximum $50,000. Einiger won the contest in a nail-biting final that all came down to the final hand. With the dealer showing a five, Einiger laid down a $50,000 bet and decided to stand with an ace and an eight instead of doubling down because his closest rival was holding on 14. The dealer drew a nine and then a ten to bust on 24. Einiger had reached the highest achievement for a blackjack player. Einiger had reached the pinnacle achievement for a blackjack player winning with a slender margin of just $9000.
Einiger has since published a blackjack book and DVD 'Play to Win' that teaches about blackjack tournaments, and his strategy of play. Today Einiger also hosts the radio show “Be in Action” and spends his time giving blackjack seminars around the country. He is also featured in the Ultimate Blackjack Tour, a televised series of Elimination Blackjack tournaments featuring both blackjack and poker players that airs on CBS.
Emma Green