If you really want to impress your college mates, blackjack might just be the right game to help you with that.

Looking cool is any student’s biggest concern. Say what you want, but college is not about getting grades, being part of interesting projects or preparing for a successful career; it’s about going out with your buddies, living every moment of your youth to the fullest and being the coolest kid in town.

If you’re looking for an original way to increase your cool factor, here’s a suggestion: blackjack for students. You might be wondering what gambling has to do with student life. Well, first of all, it’s a pretty popular hobby. Secondly, you can earn some decent money if you know your game and take some time to learn some basic strategies. And blackjack is the perfect choice for you.

If you haven’t heard about the famous MIT Blackjack Team yet, here’s what you need to know: it was a group of smart kids from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard Business School, Harvard University and other top colleges used card counting techniques and complicated strategies to beat casinos worldwide. Their game of choice: blackjack. They even inspired Robert Luketic to make a movie called “21”, starring Kevin Spacey.

If you want your college mates to remember you as the cool kid who played blackjack, here are five things you need to do:

1. Show everyone how smart you are

Being smart doesn’t necessarily make you a geek. As a blackjack player, you won’t be carrying around heavy books, wearing thick glasses or missing the best college parties because you stayed in to study until 5 a.m. Yes, this card game is for smart people, but only because you have to learn a few strategies and card counting systems.

Mastering these skills can actually make you look sexy and if you’ve seen all those movies about talented gamblers – and God knows there are plenty to choose from – beating casinos, you’ll know what we’re talking about.

2. Practice on your smartphone

Whip out your iPhone to play a quick game of mobile blackjack and everyone in your class will start asking questions. This is when you get to advertise yourself. Tell people about the game, explain what it involves and show them how it works. They’ll love it!

Squeeze in a few blackjack terms into the conversation or mention how you spend your spare time reading up on strategies and they’ll be impressed.

3. Win! Because it’s sexy

Speaking of things which make you look sexy… what can be more attractive than winning a lot of money? Sitting back in your chair, all relaxed, watching the look on your rival’s face as you lay your winning cards on the table will draw a few looks.

Blackjack is not a simple game of chance. It also involves skills, intelligence and using strategies to beat the dealer. All this gives you control over the outcome of the game. Knowing how to play blackjack and what moves to make in order to win will boost your confidence and this will definitely increase your cool factor.

4. Show off your skills

Don’t ever be ashamed of your love for gambling or try to hide it. This is what you do and you’re good at it, so heads up! It’s not like you’re an addict, spending your month’s salary on slot machines. You’re a skilled player, who uses his intelligence to beat casinos and that is something you can be proud of.

Besides, blackjack is a card game so you can always whip out your deck and entertain people with a few fun card tricks. Who doesn’t like that? It certainly works for magicians and they’re definitely not the coolest people out there.

5. Become a gambling superstar

Practice makes perfect and once you’ve mastered this game, you can become a professional player. At this point, blackjack would not be just a hobby anymore. You’d be able to join tournaments and win huge prizes. Cool, right?

Just look at all those poker pros out there, traveling to exotic islands to participate in world competitions, having their photos taken at the table, taking home stacks of cash after one weekend of heavy playing, giving interviews in famous magazines, appearing on TV… If that’s not cool, we don’t know what is!

So these are just five reasons why blackjack can be one of the coolest hobbies a student can have. It sure beats being able to name all Star Wars episodes or having a telescope in your room, doesn’t it?