Blair Hull

//Blair Hull
Blair Hull2023-10-22T01:24:49+00:00

Blair Hull

Blair Hull

2022

A big player in Al Francesco’s blackjack team in the mid-’70s.  Responsible for the Hall of Fame’s success in forming its own 501-C3 Charitable Foundation. Recipient of the first “Ed Thorp Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Blair Hull

Blair Hull is a former advantage player, and was an original ‘Big Player’ on Al Francesco’s legendary blackjack team during the 1970s.  At one point, the team had 22 members including Hull, Ken Uston, and Bill Erb, and was active at blackjack tables from Las Vegas and Monte Carlo, to France, and the Bahamas. After the team was barred, Blair continued to play. He formed and financed teams in both Las Vegas and Atlantic City.  In 2022, he was honored as the first recipient of the “Ed Thorp Lifetime Achievement Award.”

In 1977 Hull leased a seat on the Pacific Stock Exchange before moving to the Chicago Board of Option Exchange in 1980.  By the late 90’s,  Hull Trading Company had 250 employees and traded on 26 exchanges in 9 countries.  Blair Hull sold the firm to Goldman Sachs in 1999 for $531 million.
 
A longtime philanthropist and political activist with a particular interest in issues of fairness, equality, and leveling the playing field, Blair sought the Democratic Nomination to the United States Senate in Illinois in 2004. While Barack Obama ultimately won that election, Blair remains active in progressive politics as both a donor and currently is advocating for Open Primaries.
 
At this time, Blair Hull serves as the chairman of Hull Tactical Asset Allocation, a financial firm that utilizes machine learning to produce superior risk adjusted returns.  Hull Tactical’s ETF, trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HTUS.
 
 
 

 

Blackjack Hall of Fame