Reitzen studied mathematics and probabilities at the University of California, Los Angeles.[1] He was initially interested in poker, but shifted his focus to blackjack after reading Lawrence Revere's Playing Blackjack as a Business.[1]
In the early 1980s, Reitzen worked with a colleague who later became influential in horse betting technology in Hong Kong.[1] They used emerging computer technology to develop advanced blackjack techniques, including card counting systems, shuffle tracking, and improved methods for memorizing card sequences.[1]
In the early 1990s, Reitzen co-founded CORE, a company that provided financial and operational support to Native American casinos, including supplying both the bankroll and dealers for blackjack games.[2]
Retizen also specialized in Texas hold'em poker and developed a mathematical strategy that led to the formation of a successful team under his guidance, which achieved notable success on the Full Tilt Poker platform.[2] He later developed another mathematical technique with John Wayne and Darrell Miers that was offered as a service to casinos, as well as to stock and futures markets.[3]
In 1997, Reitzen was featured in Esquire magazine in an article titled "Fleecing Las Vegas", which described his use of a technique known as "The Hammer" at Caesars Palace.[4] The article .[4][2] The method combined card counting, shuffle tracking, ace location, and card sequence memorization, and reportedly resulted in winnings of $500,000.[4]
In 2019, Reitzen was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame.[2]
Reitzen is the founder of Random Order Inc and a co-founder of StyleScan, a B2B software specializing in artificial intelligence.[5][6][1]
