Michael Dalton is an American professional blackjack player who lives with his wife in Florida. He is also known as an author and publisher. Dalton is behind the Encyclopedia of Casino Twenty-One and the Blackjack Review Magazine that was published from 1992 through 1998.
Like many of the very skilled blackjack players Dalton has a career besides the gaming that demands brains and innovation. In 1985 he received a Master Degree in Space Technology as a graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Space Science from the very same institute.
Beginning in the 1980s he worked for NASA for over 25 years. He was active in the NASA Space Shuttle launch activities and he developed software at the Kennedy Space Center. From this to gambling might seem like a giant step for a man but at another glance it is quite understandable how a man with this background would develop an interest in card counting.
Michael Dalton isn't a public figure despite his authority as a professional card counter and expert on the game of twenty-one. He says that to appear too much in public would contradict the behavior needed for a player to win. Still, an author usually has to go public in order to sell a book. Dalton has been seen frequently albeit not to promote his writing but rather to play as he goes all across the American continent visiting poker rooms.
The controversial book Blackjack Ace Prediction by David McDowell was published by Michael Dalton. The book became a hit and was highly praised by the leading blackjack authorities but when Arnold Snyder made an analysis in 2005 that indicated some technical problems it lost some of its former glory. The book is still recognized as a good source when it comes to the technique of predicting aces.
It is not only in the world of gambling that he has been successful. He has the rather unusual interest of playing bagpipes. He performs with the City of Melbourne Pipes and Drums and they have won many contests. The interest of being a "Piper" formed when he was a young boy. He has since then been active in many bands. Dalton manages the band website and can be seen pictured in the traditional Scottish attire that comes with this art form.
Dalton also maintains a Blackjack and Poker website called BJRNet. On this site he has published his encyclopedia so that it can be accessed by anyone for free. Poker, blackjack, card counting and strategy is dealt with and the site also offers poker and blackjack forums where players can get together and discuss and enhance their mutual hobby. Also offered is a chat room and the idea with the site is to deliver unbiased information that will help players worldwide in their gaming.
Sam Marshall - Editorial Staff