For those fortunate enough to have known James Patrick McDermott, it was indeed an honor to encounter a man of such dignity, intelligence, and affection. James, also known as Jimmy, Jim, Dad, or Papa, first saw the world in Quincy, Massachusetts on the 25th of January, 1930. His academic pursuits led him to Boston College from where he graduated, and he furthered his education by acquiring an M.A. in statistics from Columbia University.
Jim, while serving as a private in the military, promptly utilized his academic qualifications. He partnered with three other soldiers, who were also mathematicians, to create what is recognized as the inaugural legitimate system for counting cards. This system was later published in their book, ‘Playing Blackjack to Win’. Despite not making any money on the ‘Vegas tables’ from his contributions, he and his statistical colleagues, nicknamed ‘The Four Horsemen of Aberdeen’, were honored with an induction into the Blackjack Hall-of-Fame in 2008 for their groundbreaking work. After his military service, Jim had an illustrious career at IBM that spanned over three decades. During his time in New York City, he encountered Diane Hardman, who would become the love of his life.
On November 17, 1956, they tied the knot, and their matrimony spanned almost 62 years, taking them on a global journey from Little Rock to Lithuania, Botswana to Boise, Yellowstone to Yugoslavia, and many more places. Along their travels, they had the chance to interact with Olympic Athletes, African elephants, and philosopher Mortimer Adler. Their wedded bliss bore five children, whom he fondly called Jeanie, Jimmy, Mark, Joanie, Marty. Jim’s family circle widened with each new son/daughter-in-law, and he cherished Sean, Laura, Amy, David, and Jeanne as though they were his own flesh and blood.
The joy of becoming a ‘Papa’ was a defining moment in his life, with his love and attention showered on Kristin, Ciaran, Emma, Colleen, Lauren, James, Madeline, Dana, and Connor. Jim’s enormous heart, incredible generosity, and playful spirit will continue to thrive in his wife, children, and grandchildren. They will forever envision him on the deck gazing over Cape Cod Bay, having crafted the perfect ‘Papa G&T’. In addition, his sister Miriam, his cherished sister-in-law Virginia, and numerous nieces, nephews, and their families will hold his memory dear.
Jim’s life will be celebrated on the 10th of November at the Royal Sonesta Boston, located at 40 Edwin Land Boulevard, Cambridge, MA, between 1 and 5 pm. Everyone is invited to share their memories of this exceptional individual. If you wish to pay tribute to Jim’s life, donations are welcomed in his honor to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
James McDermott, famously referred to as one of the Four Horsemen (a moniker bestowed by Dr. Allan Wilson in The Casino Gambler’s Guide, 1965), deciphered a conundrum that had baffled players, avid learners, and mathematicians alike since the inception of the game over two centuries ago: How to use mathematics to gain an upper hand in blackjack.
Employing the use of desk calculators supplied by the Army at their research lab in Aberdeen, Texas, a group of four devoted over 1,000 hours of work from 1953 to 1955. They achieved what gaming experts had been unable to for over two centuries. Their research was featured in an article published in the Journal of the American Statistical Association in September 1956, which quickly became a hot topic of conversation. In June 1957, the publication of Playing Blackjack to Win marked a milestone as the first book ever to present an accurate strategy for playing blackjack. This book is often considered the most influential in the field of blackjack. The initial limited edition of 5,000 copies was not reprinted until the 2008 edition by Cardoza Publishing. The strategy outlined by this quartet, also known as the Four Horsemen, has since been included in tens of millions of books. Playing Blackjack to Win also stands out for being the first book to publish a legitimate card counting strategy.
