Abstract
The Benjamin F. Smith Papers, dated from 1960 to 1969, contains a photocopy of a typed manuscript written by Benjamin F. Smith titled "Lady Luck and I." The manuscript details Smith's life, and focuses mainly on his time in Las Vegas, Nevada and his gambling strategies. The manuscript also contains gambling plays, figures, and charts. The collection also contains photocopied newspaper clippings and a brief biography of Smith written by Larry Evans.
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Date
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Scope and Contents Note
The Benjamin F. Smith Papers, dated from 1960 to 1969, contains a photocopy of a typed manuscript written by Benjamin F. Smith titled "Lady Luck and I." The manuscript details Smith's life, and focuses mainly on his time in Las Vegas, Nevada and his gambling strategies. The manuscript also contains gambling plays, figures, and charts. The collection also contains photocopied newspaper clippings and a brief biography of Smith written by Larry Evans.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See xlink:href="http://www.library.unlv.edu/speccol/research_and_services/reproductions" xlink:show="new" xlink:title="Reproductions and Use"> Reproductions and Use
Biographical / Historical Note
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.
Preferred Citation
Benjamin F. Smith Papers, 1960-1969. MS-00080. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 1970, accession numbers 1970-001 and 1013.
Processing Note
In 2018, as part of an archival backlog elimination project, Sarah Jones wrote the finding aid and entered the data into ArchivesSpace.