Smith, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1902-

Benjamin Franklin, "System Smitty," Smith was a professional gambler who devised strategies for casino blackjack in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1950s. He was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania in December 1902. He left home at the age of fifteen and headed west, looking for an adventure in California. He moved to Las Vegas in the early 1930s, helped secure land for the Golden Nugget in 1945, and later supervised field work on the Flamingo Hotel. He was known for his devised card counting system, a variation of a "ten count," based on over 100,000 self-dealt hands.